Business Communication Case Study: Senior Team Conflict and Feedback

This case study analysis examines the negative impact of poor communication and biased feedback within a senior management team at Barker Sports Apparel. The analysis focuses on the misuse of the 360-degree feedback system, highlighting how personal conflicts and biases undermined team performance and trust. The study emphasizes the importance of anonymous, unbiased feedback and the detrimental effects of departmental conflicts and personal attacks. The author provides a critical evaluation of the case, referencing relevant literature to support the arguments. The conclusion underscores the need for maintaining employee morale, fostering trust, and ensuring feedback mechanisms are used appropriately to achieve strategic goals. The study highlights the importance of effective leadership in managing team dynamics and resolving conflicts to enhance overall organizational success.

Running head: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
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Introduction
The paper analyses about the case study of how lousy blood affect the team
performance and value of a team in an organisation. The bad blood over here is the team
conflict and the distrust on a team. The paper also discusses the 360-degree feedback system
which is the central crust of the case study and how it is a conflict issue break a team.
Discussion
Through this case study from Harvard Business Review, article “Bad Blood on the
Senior Team”, the following points to take into consideration:
1. The feedback system should be anonymous
2. The rating should be un-biased while providing feedback
3. Personal conflict should not be on par with organisational and team goals
4. The senior leader should be considerate and observant on the behaviour
and goals of the team
From, the case study the 360-degree feedback system as a part of the feedback
mechanism system in the organisation has misused through biased rating towards an
employee in the team and judging his skills and abilities. The feedback system should
function like this. The employees who have got the feedback rating should also not check
who has rated them. There should be anonymity in the feedback system. We can see how
Lance has got stressed over how much rating and feedback he got from the sales department
head, Ahmed. We see how there has been departmental and team conflict. The departmental
conflict between sales and finance department was although not apparent but it created an
effect on the achievement of customer service and sales target goals with the interrelation
between the financial goals of the organisation.

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We also see how the personal conflict and biasness over a team member by targeting
him always make the particular employee lose his morale and question his abilities. The team
members have no trust on each other, in the feedback system, they all have used the rating
system to point fingers at each other which proved harmful at the realisation of long-term
goals of the company. The conflict over how to perform a task can produce debate on a team
but conflict over personal issues and using the power and status of the position or designation
in the company to demean another member is at a lower grade is a very toxic behaviour.
It is not always that the 360-degree feedback system is inadequate in functioning and
instigate the team conflict; Lance got positive feedback from the team regarding his
optimistic visionary perception and passionate style of working. However, the comments on
his leadership and biased thinking of big picture instead of monitoring the mall details made
him earn low points from the people of the company. This system of feedback makes a
person aware of the style of working and the impact of behaviour produced by them on
others. It is an excellent self-reflection method based on other’s judgments on oneself.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the whole concept the team trust and the maintenance of a proper
feedback system are essential to maintain employee morale and loyalty on a senior team
which has the responsibility towards strategic goal execution. Personal conflict and personal
biasness should not get reflected in providing feedback.

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Bibliography
Church, A. H., Dawson, L. M., Barden, K. L., Fleck, C. R., Rotolo, C. T., & Tuller, M.
(2018). Enhancing 360-degree feedback for individual assessment and organisation
development: Methods and lessons from the field. In Research in organisational
change and development (pp. 47-97). Emerald Publishing Limited.
Groysberg, B., & Connoly Baden, K. (2019). Bad Blood on the Senior Team. Harvard
Business Review, 2-4.
Karkoulian, S., Assaker, G., & Hallak, R. (2016). An empirical study of 360-degree
feedback, organisational justice, and firm sustainability. Journal of business research,
69(5), 1862-1867.
Peng, A. C., & Zeng, W. (2017). Workplace ostracism and deviant and helping behaviours:
The moderating role of 360-degree feedback. Journal of Organizational Behavior,
38(6), 833-855.