Some hostility has been occurring among your work team as Sarah and James always receive the weekend off, and the rest of the team is required to work both Saturdays and Sundays. The other employees are beginning to resent Sarah and James for always receiving the weekend off work. The team rarely works with Sarah and James due to this rostering, and when they do, there is conflict. The other employees hold fixed opinions about Sarah and James and as a result, the working environment has become tense and there has been a lot of gossip. The conflict has not been resolved, and is therefore increasing in severity. As a result, arguments have occurred between Sarah and other employees. There has been a notable decrease in productivity.

1.During the initial stages of this conflict, team members were uncomfortable about the rostering situation but did not argue about the issue. Describe the stage of conflict that this situation has reached. What will happen if it is ignored further?