In this scenario, you manage a work team of 10 people in a global information technology consulting firm. The
team is very diverse with people who reflect different gender identities, ethnicities, and age cohorts. By
completing this assignment, you will gain an understanding of each individual in the case and recommend
strategies for helping the members come to know each other, and then learn about each other and how their
differences inform their work. The goal of a manager and leader is to find ways by which conflict, steeped into
these areas of diversity, can be reduced in order for the team to function more effectively.
• Da’Jour is 24 years old and is relatively new to your company and the team. Team members consider him to
be an asset to both. Da’Jour is very talented, works hard, and shows great potential. Managers believe he will
have great opportunities and doesn’t want to lose him. He completes his work on time and at a high level of
quality. He also contributes to team goals. He is somewhat of a free spirit because he performs some of his
work from off-site; therefore, he arrives at the office late and often leaves early. This behavior has caused
complaint among other team members who see Da’Jour’s behavior as a lack of commitment to the company
and disregard for the understood working hours.
• Gabriela, who is 30, has worked in the company for 7 years. She prefers to complete projects on her own
even when the assignment calls for her to work with others. Her work meets team deadlines and is completed
as expected. She seldom participates in discussions in team meetings, but does not claim credit for completing
the assignment alone.
• Arthur, a veteran employee with 25 years on the job, makes no secret of his opinion that Da’Jour is a slacker
and Gabriela is not a “team player,” and Da’Jour and Gabriela think that Arthur micromanages. They often
refuse to work on team projects that Arthur is a part of, or with each other. What strategies might you use to
help these three workers understand each other and to work together as a team?
In a journal paper, outline the strategies you will impose to bring your team members together as a cohesive
and productive team.