Case Study Questions Sale of Sand to the Saudi Should Joe offer the Job to Morris? Why might hilling Morris for the sales position be morally problematic? The Taboo of Women in Management Should B&M adopt the National Organization for Women’s suggestion? What would likely happen if B used the same standards it uses in the united States in other cultures such as Japan? Business Talk 2 Final Exam – Case Studies Joe Raymond position as sales manager for Granite Rock and Sand was in Jeopardy. His unit had been low performer in terms of sales for the last seven quarters.
Joey’s previous, UP Tom Haws, told Joe that he had through the next quarter to pull his unit out of last place. Haws also told Joe that Joe would have to be replaced If the Improvement did not occur. Joe and his wife had Just purchased their first home. With their mortgage payments totaling $1, 200 per month, the loss of Joey’s salary would mean ten loss AT tenet none. Hollowing loom’s warning, Joe Degas Interviewing candidates for a vacant sales position in his unit.
Joe had conducted three interviews when the final candidate, Jessica Morris, arrived.
During the interview with Morris, Joe earned that she was the victim of a layoff by a competitor, Silt, Sand and Such. Joe was not terribly impressed with Morris, but Just before she left, she opened her briefcase and offered Joe a sheet of paper bearing the name of an official in the Saudi Arabian government. Morris explained: When I was with Silt, Sand and Such, we started a program for finding innovative markets for our products. You know, we wanted to tap markets no one had ever thought of.
After a lot of research, we discovered that Saudi desalination plants need a particular type of sand they don’t have over there, but we have here.
We’re the only firm that knows about this. If you hire me, I can see the sale through for Granite. Morris added: “ Look, I need this Job. You need your sales up. Think about it and call me.
” After Morris left, Joe sat in his office and felt his problems were solved. Or were they? International management consulting firm Burns & McAllister is listed by Working Mother magazine as one of the top fifty firms in the United States for employment of working mothers and by Working Woman magazine as one of the top ten firms for women. The firm has earned this reputation for several reasons.
First, nearly 50% of its partners are women. Second, it has a menu of employee benefits that includes sun things as next noirs, academicals, Tamely leave, none-oases work, Ana part-time partner-track positions. However, B&M recently has been the subject of a series of reports by both the Los Angels Times and the New York Times that scrutinize its policy on female executives in certain nations.
B&M has learned, through its years of consulting, that certain countries in which it negotiates for contracts prohibit the use of women in the negotiation process.
The cultures of many of these countries do not remit women to speak in a meeting that includes men. Consequently, B&M has implemented a policy prohibiting women partners from being assigned these potential account negotiations and later the accounts themselves. Clerical help in the offices can be female, but any contact with clients must be through a male partner or account executive. For example, Japan still has a two-track hiring system with only 3% of professional positions open to women.
The remainder of the women in the Japanese corporate workforce become office ladies who file, wear uniforms, and serve tea.
Dents, Inc. A large Japanese ad firm, had a picture of the typical Dents “ Working Girl” in its recruiting brochure. Surrounding the photo are comments primarily about her physical appearance: such as (1) her breasts are “ pretty large”; and (2) her bottom is “ rather soft. ” In response to criticism regarding B&M’s posture, the head of the firm’s New York office has explained: Look, we’re about as progressive a firm as you’ll find. But the reality of international business is that if we try to use women, we can’t get the Job.
It’s not a policy on all foreign accounts.
We’ve Just identified certain cultures in which women will not be able to successfully land or work on accounts. This restriction does not interfere with their career track. It does not apply to all countries. The National Organization for Women (NOW) would like B to apply to all its operations the standards that it employs in the United States. No restrictions are placed on women here, NOW argues, and other cultures should adapt to our standards; we should not change our standards to adapt to their culture.
NOW maintains that without such a posture, change can never come about.