Communication: Dangerous Liaisons, Case Study Example

Narrative Case

In this case, the company is using some degree of coercion in requiring its employees to sell these products in a manner that is not always best for the customer, when it is known that the “customer is always right.” In these instances, it is important to provide customers with offers for products that they actually want and need, not those that they might purchase under duress and them will return because they are not helpful to them. In this case study, John is opposing because he does not agree with the actions that the company is requiring him to make; therefore, he is not willing to compromise his principles in the process and sell customers products that they do not need simply to increase profits. In this context, the company appears to be creating a hostile work environment for John because he is, in essence, is being forced to do something that goes against his beliefs. This is an important reminder that many companies make their employees feel that they are at their mercy and therefore, should be required to do anything and everything for profits, even if it is not appropriate. This is a difficult issue to consider and represents the challenge that John faces because his goals and objectives in sales are different from the company’s because he strives to make sales for products that customers actually want to buy, while the company wants to make the most money off of each of its customers. For this organization, conflicts are resolved by getting rid of who or what are believed to be the causes of these problems without any real consideration of the contributions that these people might bring to the organization. This is a challenging circumstance that does not provide employees with any real sense of camaraderie and support from their employers. This type of approach to doing business is unhealthy and instead represents hostility in different forms.

Group Portfolio – 2

Joel’s Questions: Based upon this example, teacher and student communication may be impacted by a variety of characteristics, such as age and gender, particularly if the student and/or teacher do not have respect for each other due to these attributes. A male student might not respect his female teacher or vice versa, which could create tension in the teacher-student relationship and lead to poor communication in different ways.

Brandon’s Questions: Various cues may be evident in a student-teacher relationship that must be considered when evaluating this association. For example, it may be evident that body language might tell a different story than what is being said, and this could create tension and confusion between the two parties. In addition, verbal cues might not tell the entire story, but body language and other visual cues may back up what is being said, or may also contradict these words. Therefore, these different conditions must be explored and evaluated in order to determine how to best move forward in advancing the student-teacher relationship in a positive and meaningful way.

Elenia’s Questions: The syllabus serves as a positive starting point in addressing the grade issue between teacher and student; however, the teacher should also be responsible for providing additional information verbally regarding grades that will positively impact the student and his or her ability to work towards the desired grade. In this example, the definitions that are provided are not a substitute for verbal communication between teacher and student regarding these grades and their significance. It is up to the teacher to explain these grades further and to develop a strategy to help the student improve his or her grades as needed.