Describe a situation or situations in which conflict occurred and explain how power was abused

A Situation in Which Conflict Occurred
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
A Situation in Which Conflict Occurred and How Power Was Abused
When I was undertaking the initial research for my project during my internship at Pique Company, I discovered a strange practice by one of the departments. The head of the HR department used to destroy accounting information, an act that I considered unethical. Since I recognized that the practice was unacceptable in the business world, I met with the general manager (GM) to discuss the issue and how to solve it. The manager requested me to document my findings and forward them to her. After delivering all the information I knew about the unethical practice, the GM dispatched it to the director of the company. It was tough for me to be involved in solving the issue since I was a mere intern. Regardless of my position at the company, I knew I had the responsibility to stop unethical practices in the workplace.
Influence tactics allow leaders to communicate effectively and persuade their followers into not only accomplishing predetermined goals but also embracing certain behavioral aspects. In this case, the specific strategies that could have prevented the unethical practice from happening are rational persuasion and inspirational appeals. Rational appeal entails the use of data, logical arguments, and facts to persuade others into believing in a certain point of view as the best alternative (Swaim & Henley, 2016). The directors and head managers should have instilled a culture of discipline in the company by persuading employees to observe ethics by engaging in logical arguments regarding the consequences of indiscipline.

Inspirational appeals focus on emotions, beliefs, and values to realize support for a specific course of action (Swaim & Henley, 2016). Company heads should have been authentic and enthusiastic about observing organizational rules and code of ethics.

Reference
Swaim, J., & Henley, A. (2016). The use of influence tactics and outcome valence on goal commitment for assigned student team projects. Journal of Management Education, 41(1), 118-145.