INLS 131:  Management for Information Professionals

Week 7: February 19-25, 2002
Conflict and Negotiation;
Managing Diversity

Assignments

Tasks 12 and 13 are due this week. I hope that you are also getting acquainted with your new group members. You may find it helpful to share your Task 10 self-perceptions if you didn't post them to the discussion forum. It can be a more personal way to present yourself and will amplify the biographical information you provided on the class list. Think of other ways to start the forming-storming-norming process of your new group.

Now that you've learned something about how to get along well in your groups and teams, we'll introduce an element of conflict in Chapter 11. Following this we will examine some of the ways we are different, often in ways we are unaware of, in Chapter 12. One of the things you will learn about cultural differences between Americans (at least those from the United States) and folks from other parts of the world is that we are highly individualistic in our approach as compared to people from countries that have more collective cultures. This means we resist efforts to be categorized (even though we find it not so difficult to "pigeon-holing" others).

Americans also live in a "low-context" culture, meaning we like things spelled out. Other cultures are "high context" and are content to allow more ambiguity to flourish and to look for meaning in the situation and surroundings. These attributes (and others you will read about) are neither good nor bad. They do not describe all of us because we are individuals and there are probably more differences among us as individuals than between us and another culture. Nevertheless, the cultural tendencies provide interesting food for thought and discussion.

This week we will use our learning model to analyze a conflict situation and to consider a situation where we felt "different." You've done well with these exercises to date so I look forward to reading your entries on these topics. If you are weary of finding examples from your past experience for these exercises, you may wish to take an alternative route of doing some readings on these topics and comparing and contrasting what you read with the textbook reading.

Our learning objectives for the week are as follows:

• to understand conflict as a natural and often functional aspect of human life
• to recognize and apply different conflict-handling methods
• to practice principled negotiation
• to consider how culture influences conflict
• to identify some multi-cultural dimensions of difference.

There is no particular exercise for the third objective--practicing principled negotiation--but I would like you to use this method as you form and agree on your norms for the second group case analysis experience.

Task 14: Analyzing a Conflict Situation

Select a situation from your past experience in which there was conflict. Describe the experience objectively (the facts) and subjectively (your feelings). This is the concrete experience. Try to get a little emotional distance from the experience and then provide some reflective observation on the motivations and perspectives of the most important other people involved in the conflict. Practice your ability to empathize with these folk (or this individual) even if you don't agree with the positions or actions they/he/she have taken.

Next consider the conflict-handling modes and bargaining approaches described in Chapter 11 and identify if any were used in your situation, and, if so, how they were applied. How closely were the intentions of the actors in this situation expressed by the conflict resolution method chosen (competing, avoiding, accommodating, compromising, collaborating)? Use Tables 11-1 and 11-2 as a guide for your analysis. In your opinion, were there functional (that is, useful) aspects to this conflict? In the last section of your paper, replay the situation using what you think might be a more appropriate bargaining approach. Consider the situation and your analysis. What did you learn, and how does it relate to your preferred management style? What might you do differently in the future as a result of this examination?

Write up your description, analysis, and conclusions in a two- to four-page paper and post it on the Problem-Solving - Conflict and Negotiation forum with the subject heading "Task 14: Conflict Analysis." Note: Please use disguised names for the other parties and any organizations or places you name. If you find it too uncomfortable to post this to the forum, you may send it to me as a e-mail message or attachment. Since part of the learning process is to practice discussing emotional situations objectively and dispassionately, I encourage you to put it on the forum if possible. This assignment is due on or before March 4.

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Task 14a: Alternative

If you weary of introspecting and yearn for a more objective readings, instead of doing the task above, you may substitute readings from the professional literature for library and information science (LIS) or a related field. Look for two or three substantive or research articles on the topic and summarize the key points that each article makes. Provide a reflection and comparative comments relative to the conflict/bargaining topic from your textbook (and your own experience if you wish). Include a complete citation to each of the readings and post it to the Problem-Solving - Conflict and Negotiation forum with the subject heading "Task 14a: Readings on Conflict." The due date is the same as the one above: March 4.

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Task 15: A Difference Experience

Read Chapter 12 all the way through and then return to the exercise on pages 266-268. Describe an experience where you felt you were treated differently. Respond to the five questions posed and then score your description on the "Intensity of Differentness" scale. You do not have to provide the experience itself, but rather share your insights from this experience on the Diversity and Difference Expereiences forum with the subject heading "Task 15:  Difference Insights" by or before March 4. If you prefer to send your comments directly to me via email, that will be also be acceptable.

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Task 15a: Alternative

As in Task 14a above, this is an option for you if you prefer to substitute readings from the professional LIS (or related field) for the task assigned above. Diversity and accommodation to diversity is a big topic for organizations and there is a literature on it. If you prefer this option, search out two or three good articles on the topic and summarize their key points providing full citations to each one. Provide a reflection and comparative comments relative cross-cultural communication or diversity issues. Post your contributiion to the Diversity and Difference Expereiences forum with the subject heading "Task 15a: Readings on Diversity." The due date is the same as the first Task 15: March 4. top

Task 16: Feedback to an Individual in your Group 2

Select the entry for either Task 14, 14a, 15, or 15a contributed by one of the people you are working with in Group 2. Select the person whose last name follows yours alphabetically; if you are at the end of the alphabet choose the person whose last name is at the beginning. If this person's entries are not available for some reason, select those of the next person alphabetically.

Study the entry you have selected. What can you learn from your person's experience? What insights do you perceive when reading these entries? Are there helpful suggestions you can make as an outsider? Send a one- or two-paragraph (preferably more than one sentence) response via direct email providing useful feedback (comments, suggestions) to the person you have chosen, with a copy to me. Use the subject heading "Feedback on Conflict Paper" or "Feedback on Difference Experience."  Send your email by or before March 18 .

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Midterm Evaluation

Week 8