Rachel Frank - Conflicted at Work

An early-career engineer is first befriended by, and then becomes romantically entangled with, a more senior and more powerful colleague at work, leading to a number of conflicts of interest.

The case can be used to help develop career skills that may be useful to achieving long-term success, such as:

• Managing conflict / Respectful confrontation
• Cultivating resilience in the face of adversity
• Understanding Workplace Conflicts of Interest

Upon completion of this case, students will be able to:

• Understand relationship conflicts of interest in the workplace and identify common risks;
• Formulate a strategic multi-step plan for action using a decision tree model;
• Recognize the value of an intentionally developed professional support network;
• Preserve one’s career trajectory in the face of an adverse and conflicted relationship at work.

• Cultivating resilience in the face of adversity
• Managing conflict - Respectful confrontations
• Workplace conflict of interest