At this stage, the foundation for conflict exists but has not been openly expressed or acknowledged by either side. For example, perceptions of how an employee talks to their boss may interfere with basic communication between the two individuals. In the case study, there was a potential conflict between Stan and Andrew. Stan didn’t agree with Andrew’s initial reaction to the collision, and there was also the potential for conflict between Andrew and Mark, if Andrew decided to fire Miranda, an excellent worker, from her job.