個案資料

In February 2018, the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the East Coast in eastern Canada was faced with the challenge of managing a protest by one of his professors. Tension had been brewing between the two for a few months because of inappropriate expense claims and complaints of sexual harassment. However, because of the way the dean had been appointed, he was in a weak position and could not depend on his superiors for help in solving the problem. As a result, donors were complaining, prospective students were changing their minds about applying, and department chairs were beginning to complain. The dean wondered what he should do to bring his faculty back to a normal functioning state. What should he do about the protesting professor, the apparent fraud, and the reactions of potential employers, potential students, and donors? How could he improve the image of his faculty and the university?

This case is suitable for use in senior-undergraduate- or graduate-level courses on organizational behaviour, leadership, and human resource management. The case can also be used for training upper-level educational administrators, health administrators, and senior executives in for-profit organizations. The case deals with managing difficult people, conflict, and organizational reputation in a higher educational institution. After working through the the case and assignment questions, students will be able to do the following:<ul><li>Identify some of the challenges of managing a large professional organization.</li><li>Explain the limits of formal power in an institutional environment where command and control may not be effective as a leadership style.</li><li>Describe the challenge of dealing with difficult people in an organization.</li><li>Identify the kinds of pressures that a manager can face at any one time, and outline the difficulty of finding neat solutions.</li><li>Explain how events within an organization can affect the organization’s reputation.</li></ul>

• Conflict Management, Leadership, , employee relations.