Homework: The Job Hire
Understanding a model for conflict resolution on a theoretical level is much different from actually addressing the issues of a real conflict, which are fraught with strong emotions and opinions. In this Homework, you will have the opportunity to evaluate a real-world situation.
The Boundary Model from the Conflict Resolution Toolbox says conflict is caused when a boundary is challenged. In this Homework, evaluate a case in which the violation of boundaries is clearly present. The scenario is not an uncommon one in organizations. When a position opens up, for a variety of reasons, the company is often required to conduct a formal search. Sometimes these searches are legitimate and other times the search is simply a formality.
In this Homework, examine the boundaries and design a strategic intervention that is most likely to occur, reinforcing the policies and procedures designed to protect the company and its employees.
Assume that your friend David, a line manager who currently has a job opening within his group, approaches you with the following problem. He would like to hire a good friend of his, Heather, whom he feels is extremely qualified for the job. David said that he needs this position filled immediately or he will incur a serious bottleneck. In addition, Heather has recently been laid off from her job, and David wants to hire her before someone else makes her an offer.
David's boss gave initial approval for the hiring to occur, but also requested that David use the hiring process outlined by his company's human resources recruiting department. When David presented the issue to the recruiting manager he did not anticipate any problems. After all, he knows the job that has to be done and believes that Heather is exceptionally qualified. However, the recruiting manager told David that before any decision can be made the following steps would need to be taken:
o A compensation analyst would need to perform a formal review of this job position. Currently David's company is going through a cost-reduction process. As part of that, all open positions are subject to review to ensure that they are at the appropriate job grade and salary.
o Once the review is completed, the job opening would have to be posted internally to give other employees the opportunity to apply.
o In addition, even if no current employees apply for the position, David would still be required to go through the time-consuming process of posting the job on a few external job boards and interviewing a variety of candidates.
o Meanwhile, Heather would have to fill out an online application, submit a resume to HR, and complete a preliminary screening interview by HR before David would even be allowed to interview her.
o The entire process could easily take two months. Heather has said that, as much as she would like the opportunity to report to David, she cannot afford to reject another reasonable offer that might arise during that time period. At this point, David is rather upset. After all, the position is within his domain and area of expertise. He has argued that while the HR department can make him go through the process of posting and interviewing, he will still select his friend as the best candidate. Given these factors, he wonders why HR feels empowered to dictate how he performs his job.
o David is fully prepared to escalate the issue up his chain of command and force a face-off between his VP and the VP of HR.
o Before he pursues that option, he wants your advice on how he should proceed.
Using the Boundary Model of Conflict, perform an analysis of this situation.
To prepare for this Homework, pay particular attention to the following Learning Resources:
o Review this Learning Resources, especially:
- Furlong, G. T. (2005). The conflict resolution toolbox: Models and maps for analyzing, diagnosing, and resolving conflict. Mississauga, Ontario: John Wiley & Sons Canada."See attachment"
- Chapter 6, "Model #3: The Boundary""See attachment"
To complete your Homework, compose a cohesive document that addresses the following:
o Use the Boundary Model to analyze this case and explain to David the role that boundary issues are playing in this conflict. Describe the four elements of boundaries - standard, jurisdiction, authority and norms. Which are being challenged in this scenario? Of the four reasons of conflict, which one(s) does David use to challenge HR?
o Create a strategic intervention and explain how it would be used to reestablish all four elements of the boundary.
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
o The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
o The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
o Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.