Final Project Milestone One: Overview and Conflict Analysis

WCM 620 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview
Advising colleagues, employees, managers, and senior leaders on actions that minimize organizational discord is key in creating a more effective organizational
culture. For the final project for this course, assume you are an employee relations specialist. You have been asked by a senior human resources business partner
to create a “summary of findings” that conveys key information from a fact-finding assignment related to a former employee’s potential law suit. Your task is to
read the final project case study that includes a transcript of interviews previously conducted by your colleague and produce a paper that analyzes the emotional
cause of the employee conflict, details the personal biases of each conflict participant, identifies best practices by which the affected department can rebuild
trust, addresses the legal context of the issue, and recommends actions to mitigate the problem. It is important to cultivate the expertise necessary to
productively engage in a conflict situation and effectively facilitate its resolution. This expertise is critical both to creating positive change in the workplace and in
advancing a human resource professional’s career.

The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final
submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three, Five, and Seven. The final product will be submitted in Module Nine.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

 Analyze perceptive and communicatory elements of interpersonal conflicts for how they could be changed to de-escalate conflict between employees

 Analyze heuristics based on beliefs, past experiences, and cultural norms that impact workplace interactions for informing conflict management
strategies

 Recommend individual strategies for managing differing cultural perspectives applying contemporary conflict resolution concepts

 Analyze stakeholder communications for their implications in building trust among organizational stakeholders in conflict situations

 Assess the legal context of organizational conflicts for recommending appropriate risk-minimizing strategies

Prompt
For this final project, you will construct a summary of findings paper, based on the case materials provided. Your paper should be well-structured, clear, and
concise, containing each of the sections below. To complete this assignment, you will use information in the Final Project Case Study document as well as these
guidelines.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Overview: Summarize the pattern of facts leading up to this interpersonal conflict, identifying the stakeholders in the conflict.

II. Conflict Analysis: In this section, you will analyze the transcripts provided and determine how stakeholders’ self-perception and communication practices
influenced the conflict. Be sure to address the following:

A. Assess how the stakeholders’ self-perception influenced the conflict. Provide specific examples to support your assessment. In other words,

how might the involved stakeholders’ self-perceptions be at odds with how others see them?
B. Describe the communication practices, implicit or explicit, that were used. What implications did they have for the conflict?
C. Assess how communication practices might be changed to de-escalate the conflict. Provide specific examples to support your assessment.

III. Analyzing Heuristics to De-escalate Conflict: In this section, you will analyze the heuristics in the transcripts provided and determine how they impacted

the interactions in the workplace.
A. Appraise the heuristics you found in the transcripts that were the most relevant to the conflict in this case. Support your appraisal with specific

examples. For example, was there a bias such as “more is better” or “faster is better”?
B. Determine how this heuristic resulted in impressions of bias that negatively impacted workplace interactions in this case. Support your

determination with specific examples. For example, did a heuristic of “people who look like me do a better job” result in a perception of
discrimination?

C. Determine what techniques your colleague might recommend to help the stakeholders to use their past experiences to positively benefit similar
interactions moving forward. Support your determination with specific examples.

IV. Creating a More Effective Organizational Culture: In this section, you will analyze the transcripts provided to determine the influence of cultural
differences on the conflict.

A. Analyze how the stakeholders’ cultural perspectives affected their points of view in this conflict. Support your analysis with relevant examples.
B. Describe instances in which you see a match or gaps between the former employee and organizational culture. Support your description with

specific examples.
C. Recommend strategies that individual stakeholders can use to deal with employees who have disparate cultural perspectives. Justify your

recommendation(s) with appropriate conflict resolution concepts.

V. Building Common Ground: In this section, you will primarily analyze the transcripts provided to find instances when your coworker employed
communication skills to manage the situation, collect relevant information, and build common ground. Then, you will identify practices through which
your team can rebuild trust in the affected department.

A. Referring to the transcripts provided, assess the utility of the open-ended questions that were used for eliciting useful information. Support your
assessment with specific examples.

B. Identify the points during the transcribed conversations in which the interviewer verbally summarized key ideas, describing the importance of
each occurrence to the communications in the interviews.

C. Determine how the impact of the former employee’s actions was at odds with his intent. Support your determination with specific examples
based on the transcripts provided.

D. Identify practices by which the affected department can rebuild trust. Support your identification with accepted conflict resolution practices.

VI. Dispute Resolution and Legal Ramifications: In this final section, you will determine the best course of action for resolving the conflict and provide your
recommendations for moving forward.

A. What laws are applicable in this situation and how are they applicable? Support your response with specific examples.

B. Describe the benefits and risks of direct negotiations, mediation, and arbitration between the stakeholders. Support your description with

specific examples.
C. Recommend appropriate risk-minimizing strategies for your conflict negotiations based on your analysis of potential means of dispute resolution

and legal ramifications.

Milestones
Milestone One: Overview and Conflict Analysis
In Module Three, you will submit a draft of the first two sections of your summative assessment. Read the transcripts provided for you for this case analysis. This
milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.

Milestone Two: Analysis of Heuristics
In Module Five, based on the transcripts you read in Module Three and the Module Five reading, you will analyze the heuristics of the transcripts and determine
how they impacted the interactions in the workplace. Additionally, you will determine the influence of cultural differences on the conflict. This milestone will be
graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.

Milestone Three: Building Common Ground
In Module Seven, based on the transcripts provided, you will look for instances in which the characters employed communication to manage the situation,
collect relevant information, and build common ground. Then, you will identify practices through which the team can rebuild trust. Finally, you will determine the
best course of action for resolving the conflict and provide your recommendations for moving forward. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Three
Rubric.

Final Submission: Summary of Findings
In Module Nine, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should
reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.

Deliverables
Milestone Deliverable Module Due Grading

One Overview and Conflict Analysis 3 Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric

Two Analysis of Heuristics 5 Graded separately; Milestone Two Rubric

Three Building Common Ground 7 Graded separately; Milestone Three Rubric

Final Submission: Summary of Findings 9 Graded separately; Final Project Rubric

Final Project Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your summary of findings paper should be 6 to 8 pages in length, double-spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font and APA
formatting.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Overview: Pattern of
Facts

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
summary demonstrates a
complex grasp of the pattern of
facts leading up to the conflict

Summarizes the pattern of
facts leading up to this
interpersonal conflict,
identifying the stakeholders in
the conflict

Summarizes the pattern of
facts leading up to this
interpersonal conflict,
identifying the stakeholders in
the conflict, but summary is
verbose or contains
inaccuracies

Does not summarize the pattern
of facts leading up to this
interpersonal conflict, identifying
the stakeholders in the conflict

5

Conflict Analysis:
Stakeholders’ Self-

Perception
[WCM-620-01]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
examples provided
demonstrate a complex grasp
of how stakeholders’ self-
perception influences conflict

Assesses how the stakeholders’
self-perception influenced the
conflict and provides specific
examples to support
assessment

Assesses how the stakeholders’
self-perception influenced the
conflict and provides examples
to support assessment, but
assessment is cursory or
contains inaccuracies, or
examples are not specific or
relevant to argument

Does not assess how the
stakeholders’ self-perception
influenced the conflict

6

Conflict Analysis:
Communication
[WCM-620-01]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
descriptions make especially
cogent connections between
the communication practices
and the conflict

Describes the communication
practices, implicit or explicit,
that were used and their
implications for the conflict

Describes the communication
practices, implicit or explicit,
that were used and their
implications for the conflict,
but description is cursory or
contains inaccuracies

Does not describe the
communication practices, implicit
or explicit, that were used

6

Conflict Analysis: De-
escalate the Conflict

[WCM-620-01]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
examples provided
demonstrate a complex grasp
of how altering communication
practices can de-escalate
conflict

Assesses how the
communication practices might
be changed to de-escalate the
conflict, providing specific
examples to support
assessment

Assesses how the
communication practices might
be changed to de-escalate the
conflict, providing examples to
support assessment, but
assessment is cursory or
contains inaccuracies, or
examples are not specific or
relevant to argument

Does not assess how the
communication practices might
be changed to de-escalate the
conflict

6

Analyzing Heuristics:

Heuristics in the
Transcripts

[WCM-620-02]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
examples provided
demonstrate a complex grasp
of what makes heuristics
relevant

Appraises the heuristics found
in the transcripts that were the
most relevant to the conflict in
this case and supports
appraisal with specific
examples

Appraises the heuristics found
in the transcripts that were
most relevant to conflict and
supports appraisal with
examples, but appraisal is
cursory or contains
inaccuracies, or examples are
not specific or relevant to
argument

Does not appraise the heuristics
found in the transcripts that were
most relevant to conflict

6

Analyzing Heuristics:
Impressions of Bias

[WCM-620-02]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
supporting examples make
sophisticated connections
between impressions of bias
and workplace interactions

Determines how this heuristic
resulted in impressions of bias
that negatively impacted
workplace interactions in this
case and supports
determination with specific
examples

Determines how this heuristic
resulted in impressions of bias
that negatively impacted
workplace interactions and
supports determination with
examples, but determination
lacks clarity or contains
inaccuracies, or examples are
not specific or relevant to
argument

Does not determine how this
heuristic resulted in impressions
of bias that negatively impacted
workplace interactions

6

Analyzing Heuristics:
Positively Benefit

[WCM-620-02]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
supporting examples
demonstrate a complex grasp
of how stakeholders can use
prior experiences to positively
benefit workplace interactions

Determines how the
stakeholders in the interactions
could have used their past
experiences to positively
benefit workplace interactions
and supports determination
with specific examples

Determines how the
stakeholders in the
interactions could have used
their past experiences to
positively benefit workplace
interactions and supports
determination with examples,
but determination lacks clarity
or contains inaccuracies, or
supporting examples are not
specific or relevant to
argument

Does not determine how the
stakeholders in the interactions
could have used their past
experiences to positively benefit
workplace interactions

6

Organizational
Culture: Cultural

Perspectives
[WCM-620-03]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
examples make sophisticated
connections between
stakeholders’ cultural
perspectives and their points of
view in the conflict

Analyzes how the stakeholders’
cultural perspectives affected
their points of view in the
conflict and supports analysis
with specific examples

Analyzes how the stakeholders’
cultural perspectives affected
their points of view in the
conflict and supports analysis
with examples, but analysis is
cursory or contains
inaccuracies or examples are
not specific or relevant to
argument

Does not analyze how the
stakeholders’ cultural
perspectives affected their points
of view in the conflict

6

Organizational

Culture: Employee
and Organizational

Culture
[WCM-620-03]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
supporting examples
demonstrate keen insight into
what does or does not make
employees a good fit for
organizations

Describes instances in which a
match or gaps can be found
between the former employee
and organizational culture and
supports description with
specific examples

Describes instances in which a
match or gaps can be found
between the former employee
and organizational culture and
support description with
examples, but description is
cursory or contains
inaccuracies or examples are
not specific or relevant to
argument

Does not describe instances in
which a match or gaps can be
found between the former
employee and organizational
culture

6

Organizational
Culture: Strategies

[WCM-620-03]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
justification makes especially
cogent connections between
conflict resolution concepts
and employees who have
disparate cultural perspectives

Recommends strategies that
individual stakeholders can use
to deal with employees who
have disparate cultural
perspectives, justifying
recommendations with
appropriate conflict resolution
concepts

Recommends strategies that
individual stakeholders can use
to deal with employees who
have disparate cultural
perspectives, but
recommendations are cursory,
illogical, or are not justified
with appropriate conflict
resolution concepts

Does not recommend strategies
that individual stakeholders can
use to deal with employees who
have disparate cultural
perspectives

6

Building Common
Ground: Open-Ended

Questions
[WCM-620-04]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
supporting examples
demonstrate a complex grasp
of the utility of open-ended
questions in eliciting
information

Assesses the utility of the
open-ended questions that
were used for eliciting useful
information and supports
assessment with specific
examples

Assesses the utility of the
open-ended questions that
were used for eliciting useful
information and supports
assessment with examples, but
assessment is cursory or
contains inaccuracies or
examples are not specific or
relevant to argument

Does not assess the utility of the
open-ended questions that were
used for eliciting information that
was useful or your colleague

4.5

Building Common
Ground: Summarized

Key Ideas
[WCM-620-04]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
description demonstrates a
complex grasp of the
importance of summarization
in negotiation

Identifies points during
transcribed conversations in
which interviewer verbally
summarized key ideas,
describing the importance of
each occurrence to
communications in the
interviews

Identifies points during
transcribed conversation in
which interviewer verbally
summarized key ideas,
describing the importance of
each occurrence to
communications in interviews,
but description is cursory or
response contains inaccuracies

Does not identify the points
during transcribed conversation
in which interviewer verbally
summarized key ideas

4.5

Building Common

Ground: Impact and
Intent

[WCM-620-04]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
supporting examples
demonstrate a complex grasp
of how employee actions and
the intent of those actions can
be at odds

Determines how the impact of
the former employee’s actions
was at odds with the intent,
supporting determination with
specific examples

Determines how the impact of
the former employee’s actions
was at odds with the intent,
supporting determination with
examples, but determination
lacks clarity or contains
inaccuracies or examples are
not specific or relevant to
argument

Does not determine how the
impact of the former employee’s
actions was at odds with the
intent, supporting determination
with examples

4.5

Building Common
Ground: Practices

[WCM-620-04]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
supporting conflict resolution
practices demonstrate a
complex grasp of what makes
practices relevant in different
situations

Identifies practices by which
the affected department can
rebuild trust and supports
identification with accepted
conflict resolution practices

Identifies practices by which
the affected department can
rebuild trust and supports
identification with accepted
conflict resolution practices,
but support is cursory or
conflict resolution practices are
not relevant

Does not identify practices by
which the affected department
can rebuild trust

4.5

Dispute Resolution
and Legal

Ramifications: s
[WCM-620-05]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
supporting examples exemplify
connections between relevant
laws and the specific situation

Determines what laws are
applicable in this situation and
how they are applicable,
supporting response with
specific examples

Determines what laws are
applicable in this situation and
how they are applicable,
supporting response with
examples, but determination is
cursory or contains
inaccuracies or examples are
not specific or relevant to
argument

Does not determine what laws
are applicable in this situation
and how they are applicable

6

Dispute Resolution
and Legal

Ramifications:
Negotiations

[WCM-620-05]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
supporting examples
demonstrate a complex grasp
of the complexities involved in
direct negotiations, mediation,
and arbitration

Describes the benefits and risks
for direct negotiations,
mediation, and arbitration
between the stakeholders and
supports description with
specific examples

Describes the benefits and risks
for direct negotiations,
mediation, and arbitration
between the stakeholders and
supports description with
examples, but description is
cursory or contains
inaccuracies or examples are
not specific or relevant to
argument

Does not describe the benefits
and risks for direct negotiations,
mediation, and arbitration
between the stakeholders

6

Dispute Resolution

and Legal
Ramifications:

Strategies
[WCM-620-05]

Meets “Proficient” criteria and
recommended risk-minimizing
strategies make especially
cogent connections between
the conflict negotiations and
the analysis

Recommends appropriate risk-
minimizing strategies for the
conflict negotiations based on
the analysis of dispute
resolutions and legal
ramifications

Recommends risk-minimizing
strategies for the conflict
negotiations, but
recommendations are cursory,
inappropriate, or not based on
analysis of dispute resolutions
and legal ramifications

Does not recommend risk-
minimizing strategies for the
conflict negotiations

6

Articulation of
Response

Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and
organization and is presented
in a professional and easy-to-
read format

Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or
organization that negatively
impact readability and
articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas

5

Total 100%