Form 2 Coursework

Case Study – A Group Assignment

• Students will be placed in groups to respond to this case study.

• Read the two articles below before answering the questions placed
at the end of this document.
• Students can also read other articles to develop their responses.

Article 1
Design Speaks: Transforming Conflict into Creativity
By Tyler Starrine, Associate Director, Creative Consulting, BMW Designworks

Nearly every business leader aspires to staff their organization with

team members who are not only talented, but also passionate about the
work they do and the company they do it for. Talent without passion can
feel like a jet with no fuel: all the necessary components to do the job, but
unable to get off the ground. While passion is celebrated for the ways in
which it enhances work quality and yields benefits to the organization,
passion can also lead to increased conflict. When team members are
passionate about their ideas, they often defend them with increased
vigor and may find it more difficult to accommodate others’ perspectives.

At BMW Designworks we have built our reputation on not only the

innovative work that we produce, but the passionate people that help us
create it. As a result, we find ourselves handling more than our fair share
of conflict. Rather than try to avoid, or worst yet—ignore, this conflict,
we’ve established a culture that embraces it as a natural outcome of
creative passion.

Of course, we must also distinguish between productive conflict that can

energize teams and push us towards bigger and better ideas –
and disruptive conflict that can distract from the intent of the work and
stall progress. When conflict results from the desire of a single individual
to pursue their own idea regardless of consensus or is rooted in

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problematic behaviors, it’s unproductive—when conflict results from
creative tension between ideas and among teams, it has the power to be
productive.

Reference
https://www.bmwgroupdesignworks.com/design-speaks-embracing-conflict-5-tips-for-
transforming-conflict-into-creativity/

Article 2
Types of Conflict Behaviour
Understanding the types of behavior that occur during conflict, and recognizing
which apply to you and your peers, can help you discover how to get the most
out of it. The types of conflict behavior are:

1. Competing: you have a high concern for personal goals and low
concern for relationships.
2. Collaborative: you’re interested in a mutually satisfactory solution.
3. Compromising: you’re willing to give something up if they are.
4. Avoiding: you delay and ignore the conflict, hoping it will resolve
itself.
5. Accommodating: you’re willing to make a sacrifice to avoid
confrontation.

Reference
https://www.webfx.com/blog/web-design/when-creative-conflict-is-a-good-thing/

Questions
1. Is it possible for someone who is passionate about designing to create a
masterpiece, such as a mask? Discuss using two or more paragraphs.
(10 marks)
2. Creating a mask was an individual project. If it was a group project, what
type of conflict could have developed within groups (Article 1)?
(2 marks)
3. Do you think the conflict you identified in the question above would have
hindered or benefited the group project. Why?
(8 marks)
4. If the conflict was disruptive to your group or any other group, what type of
conflict behaviour you would have suggested to your peers? Describe a plan
to demonstrate the behaviour proposed.
(10 marks)

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