COM 597 Reading Guide Questions for June 11 - Irwin Mallin, IPFW Communication

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COM 597, Summer 2007 – Reading Guide Questions for June 11

For Kolb (1992):

1. What does she have to say in the article’s intro about formal v. informal disputing in organizations? What is the significance of that distinction? Is it consistent with what authors we’ve already read have said (pp. 63-65)?

2. Please put in your own words the three things she says distinguishes “informal peacemaking” from formal workplace conflict interventions ( bottom p. 65-top p. 66).

3. Please put in your own words her three suggestions as to why the study of conflict has focused on the formal methods. Do each of these make sense to you (pp. 66-68)?

4. How did she get to know the peacemakers she studied? How did she gather her data (pp. 68-70)?

5. Read each of the three cases: Olivia Lane, Patricia Loomis, Betty Armstrong. For each:
a) What specific things did she do to foster unofficial peacemaking?
b) What phenomena or concepts that we have already talked about in this course do you notice in their stories?

On Monday night, we’ll put you in groups to compare notes and come up with good examples for each (pp. 70-77).

6. Kolb notes that informal peacemaking isn’t in the job description for any of the three women, then suggests three reasons people ask then to be involved. Please put each in your own words (pp. 77-78).

7. Kolb also identifies three reasons these women find it beneficial to get involved in informal peacemaking. Please put each in your own words (pp. 79-80).

8. Are women expected to play this role in the organizations you’ve been part of? Are any men? Are the people who play these roles where you worked asked to for the same reasons as in Question 6 above? Do they do it for the same reasons as in Question 7 above?

9. What are the four major types of activities Kolb says the informal peacemakers engage in? What examples does she offer for each? Do the informal peacemakers where you work engage in these activities? In others (pp 80-84)?

10. What are the rewards and problems Kolb’s informal peacemakers find in this role? Would the informal peacemakers where you work agree? Would they add anything to that list (pp. 84-86)?

11. What are the costs and benefits Kolb suggests for engaging conflict informally? Do you agree (pp. 86-88)?

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