Reference no: EM133350945
Case Study: You and Miguel have been coworkers in the sales department of the St. Louis Hilton for five years, and you have established a rivalry that is cordial if not friendly. Your sales manager retired a month ago and appointed Miguel as your new boss. You have found it difficult to work under Miguel, and believe you deserved the job because your sales numbers were almost equal and your character was a better fit with the company's espoused values of service, professionalism, honesty and integrity. However, Miguel is more aggressive and openly threatened to leave the company if he was not promoted. You suspect that the general manager simply acceded to Miguel's demand for fear of losing so strong a sales rep. After his promotion, Miguel instituted a commission based-sales system without any discussion with the sales staff.
This past month, your sales numbers are lagging. Miguel calls you into his office. You notice that the room is refurnished, and Miguel sits behind a large mahogany desk. You grudgingly sit down, underneath a mounted grandfather clock. Miguel sighs deeply and says, "I know you wanted the promotion, but you are just not cut out for the executive track. Let's not have jealousy slow the company down. Your sales numbers are low and you have not responded to the new system. Clearly you are not working at your maximum capacity. If you do not meet this month's sales targets, I will have to issue a formal reprimand." You swallow hard, mumble something about promising to do better, and leave the office fearful, annoyed, and hungry because you missed your lunch break.
Question: Use motivation theories to analyze your reaction to Miguel's promotion. Analyze Miguel's approach to leadership and power.
How did defensive communication prevent proper conflict management? What might you do to "manage your boss" in this situation?