Communication and Negotiation Skills Case Study Analysis Report

This case study examines communication and negotiation skills through two scenarios. The first case focuses on a food service manager, Barry, facing communication challenges due to language barriers, psychological issues, and perceptual differences among his diverse team. It explores solutions such as translating documents, using interpreters, providing language classes, and employing visual aids. The second case delves into conflict resolution, analyzing negotiation tactics, government responses, and the importance of compromise. The study highlights standard operating procedures, including linking messages to organizational goals, employing attention-grabbing signs, and using motivational tools to ensure message understanding. It also provides insights on overcoming communication barriers and implementing effective strategies for both scenarios.

Running head: COMMUNICATION AND NEGOTIATION SKILLS
Communication and Negotiation Skills
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author’s Note:

Table of Contents
Executive Summary:........................................................................................................................2
Case 1:.........................................................................................................................................2
Case 2:.........................................................................................................................................2
Case 1:.............................................................................................................................................3
Answer 1:.....................................................................................................................................3
Answer 2:.....................................................................................................................................4
Answer 3:.....................................................................................................................................6
Answer 4:.....................................................................................................................................7
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................8
Recommendations:..........................................................................................................................8
Case 2:...........................................................................................................................................11
Answer 1:...................................................................................................................................11
Answer 2:...................................................................................................................................12
Answer 3:...................................................................................................................................13
Answer 4:...................................................................................................................................14
Conclusion and Recommendations:..............................................................................................16
References:....................................................................................................................................17
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Executive Summary:
Case 1:
The aim of the report in the case is to describe about the problems and communications which
have been faced by the manager of food service of a restaurant who is responsible for the
supervision and management of all employees in the back of the house. The aim of the report is
to understand the challenges of communication which Barry faces, what he needs to do better. It
also aims to understand the solutions which Barry has to consider and the challenges which he
had to face in the scenario. The report also throws light on the standard operating procedures
which are to be utilized in this particular scenario. There are certain ways in which Barry might
utilize the effective communication as a motivator for the employees to follow safe and proper
food handling practices. The report throws light on these procedures as well.
Case 2:
The aim of this case study is to discuss about the procedures which they are to be used in the
resolution of conflict. This aims to understand whether the union used fair or ethical negotiation
tactics. The appropriateness of the government’s response as well as the fault of the people in the
negotiation breakdown is to be understood and explained clearly. The policies which could be
done better by the involved parties are also discussed in the particular study. The study also
discusses about the policies could have been better undertaken by the government. It aims to
through light on who was to blame regarding the strike which was undertaken by the
government. The case study which has been discussed also aims to show the importance of
negotiation in cases of conflict. It shows that the both parties need to adjust to reach a particular
level of negotiation.
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Case 1:
Answer 1:
The importance of effective communication in any workplace scenario is often
underrated. Effectiveness of communication is significant and is a crucial relationship-building
skill in the workplace for any particular employee and particularly for managers to emulate. In
case there is the absence of proper communication, the capability to limit individual’s ability to
connect on a meaningful level is lost as there is a disconnection (Cahn and Abigail 2014). This
also creates the chances of conflict among the team members. The position of any individual in
the workplace determines the expectations the subordinates will have from him or her. There are
different existent barriers to communication in the place of work including, physiological
barriers, psychological barriers, differences of language and perceptual differences among others
(Robbins and Judge 2012).
In the given case study it is seen that the manager of foodservice, namely Barry is in
charge of the supervision and management of all the employees who work at the back of the
house. Employees who he is in charge of belong to several different age groups and also from
numerous cultural as well as ethnic backgrounds. Another important fact which can be said in
this particular connection is that, many employees under Barry are such who do not know the
language English well as it is not their primary language (Greer and Bendersky 2013).
Therefore it can be clearly stated that the most important barrier to communication in this
particular case is language. Barry needs to explain the requirements and concerns to all the
employees equally. He also needs to make them understand the importance of food safety in their
respective restaurant. However, the different types of language which they use cannot be
mastered by Barry and therefore it is a serious issue which he faces according to the given case
study (Rahim 2017).
Another challenge which Barry experiences is psychological barrier. Personal problems
and worries need to the lack of concentration, memory loss, and other issues. Emotional situation
at a specific point in time also impacts the communication at that time point (Olekalns and Adair
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2013). It happened with Barry that he was upset due to the problems which he had been facing at
home and he could not help feeling disturbed at the time when he had come to work.
In addition to this, Barry also witnessed certain perceptual differences in the organisation
because; he found that the certain employees had different levels of perception. In case different
employees perceive messages differently they are bound to confuse their manager. In this
particular it can also be said that expectations and prejudices also lead to false assumptions.
People often make improper assumptions and therefore cause issues in the workplace. Barry also
faces age barriers as the employees which work under him at the back of the restaurant range
from an age of 16 to 55 years of age.
In this particular case study it is seen that despite Barry explaining several times to the
employees to demarcate between food items which have to be kept hot or cold, they have caused
problems. Barry also found several trays of uncooked meat which was kept in the kitchen area.
This frustrates Barry as he is unable to realize how to react and what to do. Despite clearly
explaining to the employees the importance of food safety and the significance of measuring
temperature of the food, the employees have not met with the needs and requirements to
maintain food safety (Almeida Marodin and Saurin 2015).
Thus it can be said that Barry faces several barriers and challenges to communication that
challenge his credibility as an effective leader and communicator.
Answer 2:
There are several ways in which Barry can overcome the language barrier to
communication. As the employees working under Barry in the restaurant come from diverse
social and cultural backgrounds, the documents in the restaurant which the employees need to
abide by can be translated in the primary language of the employees. Websites are also available
which can translate documents into several languages. This can also be utilized to make the
commands understandable by the employees (Cahn and Abigail 2014).
Another possible option to get rid of the barriers in communication is the usage of a
particular interpreter. This can ideally even be a person of the organisation who is capable of
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speaking both the languages fluently. The interpreter however needs to be someone who is
capable of being trusted by the managers in the organisation.
Proper and regular language classes need to be provided to the employees in order to
make them capable enough of understanding the basic language requirements of the business
industry they are a part of. It needs to be ensured that every employee has a sufficient survival
crash course in the predominant language of the workplace which can help Barry communicate
properly and manage his responsibilities better.
Visual modes of communication can also be utilized to make the restaurant requirements
understandable to the employees. The demonstration of what a person wants and then having the
employees perform accordingly is a suitable way in which the employees can be explained the
rules which they need to abide by. In case pictures are used, this helps the employees clearly
understand what they need to follow and need to do. The pace of communication needs to be
slow for the people to understand the needs of manager (Pruitt 2013).
In order to overcome interpersonal barriers to communication the messages conveyed by
the managers need to be in simple language. In order to have an effective procedure of
interpersonal communication, language needs to be simplified (Cahn and Abigail 2014). No
person particularly likes to decipher every spoken word and hence the deciphering need to be
converted to writing and at the time of speaking the words needs to be simple and easy to
understand. As heads of the employee the managers need to keep a proper composure at the time
of communicating whatever they feel.
The managers also need to provide constructive criticism which implies that the manager
in this case Barry is communicating with their subordinates on a much more personal level. This
helps in effective inter-personal communication (Shockley-Zalabak 2014).
With respect to the psychological barriers and overcoming them it can be said that the
sole power lies with the individuals themselves. In this particular case study, Barry the manager
is facing psychological barriers due to the issues which he is facing at home. This is because of
the fact that he is not being able to move himself from the incidents or happenings which are
hurting him. Thus he needs to be build his self confidence and if possible take a short vacation in
order to come back rejuvenated and at peace.
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Finally overcoming cultural barriers in the workplace comprise of determining which
behaviours are relevant and important for their fulfilment in the workplace and which are not. A
little effort also needs to be given to learn other cultures and how to effectively understand the
differences and move ahead in the workplace.
Answer 3:
The standard operating procedures which would be suitable for Barry to implement and
enforce comprise of the following:
The messages which Barry needs to give out have to be linked to the strategy and goals
of the organisation. The employees need to be explained clearly about the impacts of
mishandling of food or the unhygienic conditions. The message which Barry has to deliver in
this particular situation needs to comply with the goals of the organisation. Every organisation
has a set of goals which need to be complied with at every stage of the organisation’s journey
and therefore it is expected that the manager has the best understanding of what he needs to
convey to his employees. In case each individual member has an understanding of what the goals
are for the organisation, they can perform accordingly. The employees are also bound to feel
connected towards the needs of the organisation. The knowledge of unhygienic conditions and
the ways in which this can be prevented also needs to be properly provided to the employees
(Shockley-Zalabak 2014).
The attention of the audiences need to be held at all steps of the organisation There need
to be suitable eye catching symbols and signs which catch the employees’ eye. The signs need to
be strategically placed as they need to be clearly visible to the employees in order to abide by
them at each step of the organisation. The messages also need to be clearly understood to ensure
that they are being followed and the situation is being bettered.
Whatever messages are to be given to the employees need to be explained in clearly
understandable language. Meetings or common gatherings need to be carried out at significant
steps such that the decisions and commands are easily understandable to the people around. The
meetings should appeal to the people who are from different cultural backgrounds. The message
needs to be given on the all round development of the people. The meeting needs to focus on the
safety precautions in the restaurant, the demarcations between cold and hot food, proper training
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regarding the measurement of temperature of the foodstuff and in addition to this the hygiene of
the place of cooking needs to be maintained (Pruitt 2013).
Motivation tools need to be employed to help the audience accept and understand the
message which is being mentioned. The proper understanding of the messages needs to be
ensured at all times. There should be a certain amount of authority which needs to be employed
by the rational reasoning or by the utilization of motivational speeches which can help the pros
and cons of the mishandling of the food. The reasons for maintaining the safety and the possible
consequences for the organisation in case hygiene is not maintained are very important to be
understood by the employees. Motivation is a great tool to uplift employees as it is positive and
gives hope to the workers that they can do better.
The employees need to be inoculated against contrary messages and positions, which can
be done requesting the audience to perform and also properly pledge that they will comply with
the actions which have been laid out to them and also follow the specific rules of the
organisation with the utmost sincerity. In case the employees are asked to pledge that they will
abide by the rules of the organisation, there is an inherent wish within them to contribute
positively towards the needs of the organisation. The employees need to be sincere at all times
and for this they need to be aware of how they might contribute to the organisation (Van Kleef
2010).
Answer 4:
As a supervisor of the company it is the responsibility of Barry to ensure that he
motivates the employees working under him at each and every step of their lives. Barry needs to
ensure that he communicates effectively with his employees and motivate them positively to
ensure that they fulfil all the needs of the organisation in a positive manner. In case the managers
are encouraging, the employees are bound to look up to them and help them in gaining a proper
name for their organisation.
A way in which effective communication can be used for the motivation of employees is
by providing sincere and encouraging words at times when employees follow safe food handling
behaviours. A communication method suitable for an employee needs to be used by the
managers. The managers need to have a proper idea about the employees. The acknowledgement
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by the supervisors goes a long way in ensuring that they remain connected to their work.
Depending on the stature of the employee and the nature of the work which he or she has
performed for the organisation, there can be short text messages or little thank you notes to
ensure that their contributions have been acknowledged by the organisation.
Managers can also serve as role models by means of both verbal and non-verbal
communication. It needs to be ensured that the actions help in the conveyance of the message to
the employees. In case he needs the employees to be clean and hygienic, Barry the manager
needs to be clean and hygienic himself. The managers need to embody the personalities which
they want their employees to be. This is possible only when they abide by all the rules and
regulations successfully (Cahn and Abigail 2014).
Conclusion:
Effective communication is a crucial aspect of a manager in the workplace and proper
skills are necessary to maintain effective communication in all spheres of life. Communication is
effective at a time when the stimulus is initiated and is intended by the sender or source. Facing
problems in communication might cause people to become complacent towards their work and
this might negatively impact their overall performance and their ultimate success in the
organisation. Therefore it needs to be the aim of each person to ensure that they effectively
overcome the barriers to communication and perform their functions well.
Recommendations:
The standard operating procedures to be utilized is explained in the recommendations
section. The standard operating procedure is related to the new employee orientation (Wilkins
and Boxall 2014). The policy comprises of the fact that the employees will receive training on
the basic food safety procedures prior to or during the first day of their employment (Miller
2017). The procedure comprises of the following steps:
1. Meeting with the manager of the restaurant to receive training on the very basic processes
related to the food safety.
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2. Review of each point in the food safety checklist with the manager concerned. Each
process is to be discussed thoroughly with meanings for the safety of food which has
been described
3. Ask questions to the managers and supervisors in case the requirements are not clear
4. Read, sign or date the statements at the checklist’s end indicating a proper understanding
and agreement with the processes stated
5. Receiving a copy of the document which has been duly signed
The restaurant manager needs to:
1. Schedule 30 minutes for the purpose of orientation
2. Inform new employees about the time and the reason for the session
3. Explain the purpose of the checklist to the employees concerned
4. Discussion of each policy and procedure on the checklist
5. After a proper review of the procedures manager needs to ask the employees to read, sign
and date the statement at the end of the form
6. Provide a copy to each employee
7. Remind employees about a location of the copy
8. Thank each employee for their valuable participation
9. Emphasize the priority of food safety and involvement of each member of the staff
Another possible procedure can be regarding the employee health and their personal hygiene. It
is desirable for the employees to fulfil certain criteria for this which have been described as
follows:
1. Arrive clean to work
2. Maintain proper length of fingernails
3. Wash hands at all important junctures
4. Wash in the designated sinks for the purpose
5. Dry their hands with single use towels
6. Turn off faucets with paper towels to prevent hand contamination
7. They need to maintain a proper attire
8. Take off apron before using the restroom
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9. Change soiled aprons
10. Change disposable gloves as often as hand-washing is needed
11. Keep hair covered at all times
12. Refrain from using dangling jewellery
13. Keep beards and moustaches neat and trimmed.
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