Abstract:
In this disguised case, Colonel Orin Starr, the manager of the Centurion missile system in Materiel Command, learns that Seymour Swope, a civilian acting branch chief, and Colonel John Harrison, Starr's deputy, recently tangled in a heated argument that ended with shouting and physical threats. Both men request to see him immediately and Harrison indicates that he wants to discuss disciplinary action against Swope. The case revolves around Starr's meetings with these two antagonists and his effort to understand what caused the problem, resolve it, and set the matter at rest. This case, which was developed for use in mid-career executive programs, is primarily intended to increase participants' confidence in their ability to diagnose the causes of and successfully resolve interpersonal conflict that could disrupt an organization's productivity. A second objective is to help participants recognize the relationships between organizational arrangements and employee morale, productivity, and personal conduct.