Business Case Studies & Business Publications

Consulting Team: Chris Cummings

Clyman, Dana R., P...

Case

Consulting Team: Chris Cummings

Clyman, Dana R.; Pinto, David P.

QA-0566 | Published March 13, 2001 | 2 pages Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

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This set of three cases represents a mediation involving three professionals at a consulting firm: two disputants (a new MBA consultant and the manager of a group of programmers) both working on a client team, and an "interested" mediator with his own pressures and agenda, who would prefer to focus on business issues and resolve the dispute quickly. The dimensions of the dispute are both professional (whether changes should be made to a computer system being installed by the team) and personal (issues of respect and authority). The cases are designed to be used as part of a unit on mediation. We use the cases in a series of cases that permits each student to serve in disputant and mediator roles. Class discussion (see Teaching Note) focuses on skills, the process of mediation, resolutions reached, and the role of the "interested mediator," a role in which MBA graduates frequently find themselves.