Maverick Electronics was a very successful corporation in the United States. However, after a few years, Maverick was having a hard time competing with Japanese organizations, which were making better products at a faster rate. In addition, they were able to sell their products for significantly less than Maverick Electronics could. Not being able to profit in their sale, the executives at Maverick Electronics decided to sell their corporation to the Japanese. The workers at Maverick were very upset and protested to the new Japanese owners. The workers were part of a union and felt that the Japanese expected too much from them. The workers did not like the new style of management and the new operations that the Japanese were trying to enforce. They were used to the old way of doing things and did not want change. On the other hand, the new Japanese investors thought that these union workers hindered them from producing better work conditions and products. The Japanese managers thought American workers did not take pride in their work, were only interested in a paycheck, and didn't care about the organization or their overall work. It is apparent that there are two very distinct viewpoints here, and there needs to be a solution.

Can you identify what might be the core issue presented via this case study? 

Pretend that you are hired as a consultant. What recommendations would you make to improve the communication based on the above response?

 
If you were asked to be a negotiator in this situation, how would you resolve the conflict?