Wendy Peterson Case Solution

The main problem identified in this situation is the difference in Wendy and Fred’s personalities. The source of conflict between them is that of power. In this case, Fred’s working style is conflicting with that of Wendy. This is the reason she feels that her power base is threatened. Furthermore, the different communication style adopted by Fred is a problem in this case. This is because Fred was born and raised in China that is a high-context culture. Compared to Fred, Wendy belonged to a low-context culture.

Fred is now asking for an assistant, but Wendy has to decide the way things should go forward. If she does not fulfill his requirements, she could lose him to the competitors.

2. Alternative Suggestions

The first alternative is to cave into the demand that Fred has. The demand is to get an assistant. However, as per the company policy, the high-level executives get an assistant. The pros of this situation are that if Peterson agrees to Wu’s demands, she will be able to retain him. With the success that he has had in his first year, the company will gain more clients if Wu is retained in the organization. He would serve as an asset to the organization against the competitors. However, the cons of this situation are that it would be a deviation from the company policy. This would have a negative impact on the other employees who are on the same level as Fred. They might also demand assistants. If their demands are not fulfilled, the other workers’ motivation will decrease. Furthermore, if their demands are met, the costs for the company will increase.

The second alternative is to terminate the employee or not fulfill his demands. With these demands, it shows that Wu is not very comfortable with the working environment that Account back has and that he has already decided to leave. The pros of this situation is that the company would not have to deviate from their policy to agree to Wu’s demands. This will not have a negative impact on the other employees. Furthermore, the company’s culture will be maintained. Wu’s working style is impacting the culture of the organization. If he is terminated, the culture will be preserved, and the working efficiency will remain the same as it was previously.

The cons of this situation are related to the loss that the company would have lost an employee who got them a major client in the Chinese market. He has been born and raised in China. Therefore, the expansion of the Chinese market requires someone like Fred Wu.

The third alternative is to negotiate with Fred. This could include promising him a promotion in the next year if he maintains his performance levels. The demand for the assistant might be a demand made because Wu knew that it would not be fulfilled, and he could leave the organization.  The questioned intentions seem to be the major issue that Fred had had. Since he belongs to a high-context culture, this might be his way to indirectly indicate that he wanted to leave the company.