Components
Trinity Classical Academy: A teaching case in three parts
This case primarily explores issues related to a multi-party, multi-faceted, escalating conflict that occurred at Trinity Classical Academy (TCA), a private, non-profit primary and secondary school. The case consists of a sequence of three parts, each with its own separate narrative, discussion questions and decision point for the protagonist, the school’s headmaster. The backdrop to the case is the newness of the institution, the complex web of relationships among its founders, faculty, and community, and the unique hybrid structure in which the school operates. The over-arching goal of the case is to have students understand the nature of conflict in organizations, the dimensions that can classify it, the circumstances that make it more or less likely to occur, and the characteristics that make it more or less easy to resolve.
- Identify and describe the nature of interpersonal and organizational conflict as it occurs within a specific context.
- Identify and describe the progressive stages of conflict as they occur within a specific context.
- Analyze the contextual conditions in an organization to determine which features of the organizational context make conflict more or less likely to occur.
- Identify and describe the characteristics of a specific interpersonal or organizational conflict that make it more or less easy to resolve.
- Recommend a course of action to address conflict within a specific organizational context.
Application: This case is most appropriate for undergraduate or graduate courses in organizational behavior or organizational development. It could also be suitable for upper-level undergraduate or graduate courses in leadership.