Introduction
Welcome to our blog on workplace diversity and dynamics! Now in today's fast paced environment, managers face the challenge of creating effective, productive and satisfying workplaces that will accommodate the workplaces diverse personalities, generational difference, and individual values.
In our post we will explore the scenario of Sandra, a young detailer and Alex, her experienced supervisor and American SteelCo. Our mission is to show how organizational behavior theories can help guide managers to resolve can guide managers to resolve conflicts in the workplace and also harness diversity for team success.
Management Challenge Overview
- Sandra, a new hire at American SteelCo, seeks a promotion despite having worked with the company for only three months. Although she seeks feedback from others, she struggles to communicate effectively, takes on too many tasks simultaneously, and does not exhibit the above-and-beyond attitude of a leader.
- Alex, an employee of American SteelCo for 20 years and Sandra's supervisor, feels overwhelmed with Sandra. Alex believes Sandra needs to work hard and show her worth before seeking a promotion. He questions the reasoning behind hiring Sandra in the first place. Others have also complained of Sandra distracting them from getting work done, which leads Alex to believe he needs to be more strict with Sandra in hopes that she will be more focused and disciplined.
- Sandra feels that Alex is underqualified for his job due to his lack of understanding of new technologies. She feels ignored and underused by Alex.
- Another employee, Juan, has observed this situation and sees that Sandra is not respecting the hierarchy of the company and needs to focus on achieving the company's goals. Juan also sees that Sandra can be a fun person to be around.
- Monte, the CEO of American SteelCo, has heard a lot about the situation from many sources. He has yet to act on anything.
- Without good communication and flexibility, the planning department will start to suffer from the conflicts that have arisen. Each employee, including the CEO, must be honest with their intentions and work together to solve the issue.
OB Theories & Concepts
- If we look at the way Sandra and Alex are behaving, there is defiantly a generational disparity. On one hand Sandra Believes Alex is technologically challenged and Alex thinks She's not a hard worker.
- On top of that they both are bringing in their own bias that can cause friction for sure. Now that we have a better idea of what's going on let's see what kind of theory's come into play.
- When looking at the "X and Y" theory Alex is an X manager. He sees Sandra as lazy and in need of discipline. Managers that look at their employees like this tend to miss important details about their staff. They also tend to dehumanize them using the "Carrot and the stick"" method to get their employees to "behave".
- Another theory to look into is "The Five Bases of Power" theory. When looking at the situation Alex has "legitimate power" steaming from his position and years with the company. On the other hand, Sandra has what we would call "referent power" because she is respected by her team and may have a technological edge on her older piers.
- With these theories in mind if I was the CEO, I would try to talk to both of them separately. I would mediate between them personally if things do not improve. In the conversation with Alex, I would first try to hear Alex's side of things to make sure I was reading him correctly. Then after some digging talk about how his "X" managerial approach feels to other people. Show him the errors in his approach while suggesting how a more "y" based approach would help him get things done while also keeping people happy. Then in my discussion with Alex I would try to let her know she is doing a good job but needs to respect her hierarchy within the company. If titles mean nothing, then how is one supposed to make it up the ladder.
If done correctly everyone involved will feel respected and heard. If everyone feels like they matter and can communicate in a respectful manner, then there are no issues
Analysis & Recommendations
1. Facilitate Structured Mediation Sessions
Why: Miscommunication and generational bias are fueling tension.
Action: Monte, the CEO, should organize one-on-one and joint mediation sessions with Sandra and Alex. These should be facilitated by HR or an external mediator trained in organizational behavior.
Goal: Create a safe space for both parties to express concerns, clarify misunderstandings, and agree on mutual expectations moving forward.
2. Implement Cross-Generational Mentorship & Training
- Why: Sandra feels undervalued due to her tech skills, while Alex feels Sandra lacks discipline.
- Action: Launch a mentorship program that pairs newer employees with seasoned staff to exchange knowledge—tech fluency from Sandra, institutional wisdom from Alex.
- Goal: Build mutual respect and reduce generational friction by recognizing and leveraging each other's strengths.
3. Define Clear Performance Metrics & Promotion Pathways
- Why: Sandra’s ambition is clashing with company norms and expectations.
- Action: HR should establish transparent criteria for promotions, including tenure, leadership behaviors, communication skills, and contributions to team goals.
- Goal: Help Sandra understand what “above-and-beyond” looks like at American SteelCo and give her a roadmap to earn advancement credible
The recommendations connect well to the theories and ideas mentioned earlier. Mediation helps with the generational gap and personal bias between Sandra and Alex by letting them talk things out and understand each other better. The mentorship program ties into the Five Bases of Power by balancing Alex’s legitimate power with Sandra’s referent power, showing that both have something valuable to offer. Setting clear promotion rules helps shift Alex from a Theory X manager, who thinks employees need strict control, to a Theory Y manager, who trusts people to work hard when given clear goals. Training Alex in Theory Y leadership also helps him become more supportive and less strict, which can improve teamwork and communication in the planning departments
These strategies help people work better together by clearing up confusion and building trust. When Sandra and Alex understand each other, they can focus more on their tasks and less on conflict. Clear rules for promotion give everyone a fair chance and keep them motivated. Training managers to be more supportive makes the workplace feel safer and more positive for everyone.
Visuals / Charts / Tables
(The Visionaries & ChatGPT, 2025, Chart A)
The visual supports the analysis by allowing a glimpse into how each theory helps explain conflict, and how they connect to a practical solution.
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(The Visionaries & ChatGPT, 2025, Chart B)
Conclusion
Managing diversity in the workplace is important because it helps people from different backgrounds work together, share ideas, and feel respected. When diversity is handled well, it leads to better teamwork, more creativity, and a stronger company overall.
The blog shows that poor communication and personal bias can cause problems between coworkers, like what happened with Sandra and Alex. It explains how different leadership styles, like Theory X and Theory Y, affect how managers treat their teams. It also talks about how power works in a company and why it’s important to understand each person’s strengths. The blog ends by saying that respect, honesty, and teamwork are key to solving workplace issues.
So, what kind of workplace would you want to be part of—one where people compete, or one where they grow together?
Reflection & Team Contributions
- Abigail introduced our blog and the challenges also created the layout of the blog
- Eric summarized the challenges that the American SteelCo management experienced
- Ashton summarized the five theories and briefly stated how SteelCO management could have benefited from them
- Ashton and Connor worked together to state how they believed that SteelCo management could resolve the issues that they have
- Sean added illustrations to support the analysis
- Ava fixing any mistakes in blog created reflection and team contribution section and did the secondary part of the assignment.
- Connor expressed the importance of managing diversity in a workplace, as well as summarized our blog
References
The Visionaries, & ChatGPT. (2025). Chart A: Theory application table. Organizational Behavior team project, East Tennessee State University.
The Visionaries, & ChatGPT. (2025). Chart B: Workplace conflict pie chart. Organizational Behavior team project, East Tennessee State University.
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