Conflict in Close Quarters
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The case under study highlights how interpersonal conflicts can exist within organizations or any setting of two or more people. The conflict took place at the replica of the Mir space station in Russia where international participants were to spend 110 days in isolation adjacent to Russian participants who were already in isolation for 240 days. The conflict took place on New Years Eve where two Russian cosmonauts got into a bloody fight and immediately after the brawl, the Russian commander tried to sexually assault Ms. Lapierre. Although a complain was launched with the administration, the administration took no action, defending itself by stating that this was a planned incident in order to prepare the cosmonauts to resolve their personal issues in a tactful and mature manner since in space the administration would not be available to help out. This incident resulted in the sealing of doors between the Russian and International team’s jurisdictions. The conclusions drawn from this incident are that conflict, whether interpersonal or intergroup, can arise in any setting, whether it is a space shuttle replica or an office department, therefore, it is important to understand the reasons for conflict and the negotiation strategies that must be adopted in order to resolve the issues.
INTRODUCTION Individual behavior in an organization is affected by various factors that exist in the organizational environment and the individual’s character and personality as well. The MARS model of individual behavior outlines four key factors that affect an employee’s behavior and performance. These include motivation, ability, role perceptions and various situational factors. Employee motivation would include the forces present within a person that affect behavior. Ability on the other hand includes the natural aptitude and the learned capabilities that are reflected in an individual’s behavior. Role perceptions are an individuals beliefs regarding
The case under study highlights how interpersonal conflicts can exist within organizations or any setting of two or more people. The conflict took place at the replica of the Mir space station in Russia where international participants were to spend 110 days in isolation adjacent to Russian participants who were already in isolation for 240 days. The conflict took place on New Years Eve where two Russian cosmonauts got into a bloody fight and immediately after the brawl, the Russian commander tried to sexually assault Ms. Lapierre. Although a complain was launched with the administration, the administration took no action, defending itself by stating that this was a planned incident in order to prepare the cosmonauts to resolve their personal issues in a tactful and mature manner since in space the administration would not be available to help out. This incident resulted in the sealing of doors between the Russian and International team’s jurisdictions. The conclusions drawn from this incident are that conflict, whether interpersonal or intergroup, can arise in any setting, whether it is a space shuttle replica or an office department, therefore, it is important to understand the reasons for conflict and the negotiation strategies that must be adopted in order to resolve the issues.
INTRODUCTION Individual behavior in an organization is affected by various factors that exist in the organizational environment and the individual’s character and personality as well. The MARS model of individual behavior outlines four key factors that affect an employee’s behavior and performance. These include motivation, ability, role perceptions and various situational factors. Employee motivation would include the forces present within a person that affect behavior. Ability on the other hand includes the natural aptitude and the learned capabilities that are reflected in an individual’s behavior. Role perceptions are an individuals beliefs regarding
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