CASE STUDY - The story of the orange
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Here is a well-known CASE STUDY that will help you reflect on the partial view that we often use to resolve a conflict.
In the case study just mentioned, the mother, already unnerved by the fighting, takes the orange and divides it into two, giving one half to each daughter. To her great surprise, her ‘resolution’ of the conflict is not well received by her daughters, who continue fighting.
In your opinion, what could have happened?
The mother’s solution seems to be a ‘logical’ choice, aimed at putting an end to the conflict quickly.
Unfortunately, it was not effective for resolving the conflict, as she stopped to listen to her daughters’ demands (“I want the orange”), without asking about what they were really interested in.
If she had done so, she would have discovered that:
- the first daughter wanted an orange juice;
- the second daughter only needed the peel for a school assignment.
The conflict could have been resolved satisfying both parties.