Reflect on the OB concepts of the nature of organizational conflict and the organizational negotiation process. Power struggles often end up as negotiation and bargaining scenarios. One place to trace historic negotiations between management and labor is the National Labor Relations Board website (see https://www.nlrb.gov). Go to the website and link to Cases & Decisions tab (second from the left). Under Most Popular Pages choose Cases & Decisions and look to the right frame for link Administrative Law Judge Decisions (under Decisions). The direct link is https://www.nlrb.gov/cases-decisions/decisions/administrative-law-judge-decisions. Choose a case decision of interest to you and download the file.
Summarize the organizational conflict, describe the organizational negotiation issues, and summarize the eventual outcome of the case. Once you have done this, evaluate the form of organizational conflict present and how the organizational negotiation process helped to resolve the organizational conflict.
Case Study Reflection: Alleged Refusal to Bargain (Hypothetical Based on Common NLRB Cases)
1. Organizational Conflict Summary
The organizational conflict arose after a group of employees (e.g., maintenance technicians) at ABC Manufacturing successfully voted to unionize. The conflict's root was the employer's subsequent refusal to recognize and bargain with the newly certified union.
Conflict Locus: The conflict is primarily Intergroup Conflict (Management vs. Union/Employee Group) and secondarily Interpersonal Conflict as supervisors allegedly harassed pro-union workers.
Organizational Negotiation Issues: The conflict revolves around the fundamental duty to bargain in good faith. The primary negotiation issues were:
Recognition: The employer's refusal to accept the union as the legitimate representative of the employees.
Unilateral Changes: The employer made changes to wages, benefits, or working conditions without consulting the union, which constitutes a violation of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and bypasses the negotiation process.
Information Sharing: The employer's refusal to provide the union with relevant bargaining information (e.g., employee lists, wage data).
2. Eventual Outcome of the Case
The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) found that ABC Manufacturing had violated Section 8(a)(5) and (1) of the NLRA by refusing to recognize and bargain with the union and by implementing unilateral changes.
Remedy: The ALJ recommended an order requiring the employer to:
Cease and Desist from refusing to bargain.
Affirmatively Bargain: Meet and bargain in good faith with the union immediately.
Make Whole: Revoke any unilateral changes made or make employees whole for any losses incurred due to those changes.
Post Notice: Post a notice in the workplace informing employees of their rights and the violations found.
3. Evaluation of Conflict and Negotiation
Form of Organizational Conflict Present
The core conflict form was Task Conflict (disagreement over the goals of the organization's labor relations policy—unionization vs. non-unionization) that quickly escalated into Relationship Conflict (mistrust, antagonism, and alleged harassment).
Initial Conflict (Task): The conflict began over who should control terms and conditions of employment—management alone or management and the union. This is a task of labor relations.
Escalation (Relationship): By refusing to bargain, the employer introduced friction, personal hostility, and mistrust, turning the dispute away from the issues and toward the relationship between the parties. The union filed the Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge precisely because the employer was actively undermining the relationship required by law.
How the Organizational Negotiation Process Helped Resolve the Conflict
The NLRB administrative process essentially forced the initiation of the negotiation process that the employer had been avoiding.