A junior associate at a consulting firm is startled to realize that she may have accidentally sexually harassed a colleague during a passing conversation. She wonders if she was in the wrong and is left worried that her reputation and relationship with the person may be damaged. The case explores what to do when a workplace interaction goes awry, from both the victim and perpetrator perspective. The theoretical basis of the discussion relies on the importance of sense-making, perspective taking, interactional framing, and identity threat. Users of the case will learn techniques to reduce the likelihood of offending others, and how to respond effectively if offence is indeed taken.
Natalie Wilson, a human resources administrator at League Plastics, a manufacturer of parts for the recreational vehicle industry, was worried that she would be blamed by her supervisor for an increasing number of workers’ compensation claims. After gathering data on the ever-worsening safety record in the facility and taking notes about where injuries were occurring, Wilson knew she would need to act before the company’s workers’ compensation policy came due for renewal. She needed to put together a plan that would start reducing injuries for the rest of the year, and she needed to persuade her supervisor to implement it.
In this exercise, students are asked to assume the role of a project manager for Kaymak Consulting, a 210-employee management consulting firm located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Students must work in groups to determine how much of a merit increase each of six analysts should receive during their next salary review. They make their decisions while considering the values that the organization would like to encourage. Background information on each analyst, along with current salary, are provided in the exercise. The task is to determine the most fair and effective method for dividing the pool of funds for salary increase among the six analysts.
For this exercise, students are asked to assume the place of the two founders and owners of a web-based company called Good Authority. The venture was launched one year earlier and has been successful, although the two owners are finding it difficult to continue operating the company during their spare time while working full-time hours at their day jobs. Recently, an investor offered to fund the salary and payroll expenses for one employee, allowing the two owners more time to grow and expand the business. The students are tasked with effectively designing a job for the new employee to allow the two owners time and energy to focus on the future and success of the business.
Nora is an intelligent, hard-working employee in her first managerial role. As she attempts to move from a role as a contributor to that of a leader, she struggles to effectively manage her workload, her boss, and her team. While she is prepared to do what it takes to be successful, the characteristics that got her to her current level are not those that are needed in her new position. In other words, while she is technically adept, motivated, and customer-focused, this is no longer enough. Nora needs to identify what she can do—and what resources and support she should ask for—to fulfill her potential in this new role.
Many companies are very bad at hiring people—although they often don’t realize this—and they cannot get better if they don’t recognize that they need to improve. This note explores the common errors organizations make when attempting to hire employees and outlines the steps they should take to hire better and with improved diversity outcomes. The note is written from the perspective of someone who not only has interviewed thousands of job candidates but also is familiar with the literature on recruitment and selection. It serves as a practical guide that leans heavily on existing research.
This note can be used in any case class. A strong analysis should be followed by a solid action plan. Unfortunately, a lot of action plans are not worthy of the solution they are meant to support because they are vague and open-ended. A beautiful action plan is specific and clear, with lots of detail. This note offers careful instruction on how to build a beautiful action plan. For instance, action plan builders should ensure the action plan flows from the analysis; be specific, especially in the early stages; make steps realistic; plan on overcoming natural resistance to change; state and justify assumptions; address the short and long term; define critical steps; and outline ways to measure progress. Examples of good and poor plans are included.
This case has been written for use in undergraduate- and graduate-level modules pertaining to equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts. Particularly, it can be introduced in organizational behaviour, leadership, and communication courses. It is recommended that this case be taught early in the course or program.<br><br>This case involves international students’ experiences while studying at Canadian universities. The case is written to discuss the unique challenges international students face when entering a new country to study and intends to start the dialogue between domestic and international students to ensure that all students feel included in the cultures they are exposed to. This case will encourage students to be mindful of non-inclusive actions and behaviours (unintentional or otherwise) and their consequences, and then provide appropriate communication strategies and starting solutions to make students feel welcome and heard.
Intolerance and discrimination against LGBTQ+ identifying individuals are widespread in the workplace and in academic institutions. This case explores the consequences of intolerance and offers participants an opportunity to consider and practice how individuals can use inclusive language and mindful communication strategies to deal with episodes of intolerance. Learning how to break the silence when faced with taboo or challenging topics enables people to understand other individuals’ perspectives and draw them into a shared conversation, thereby fostering understanding. <br><br>The case focuses on the prevalence of common types of microaggressions and discrimination in the workplace and in academic institutions and enables participants to consider and role-play multiple mini cases connected to queer and trans experiences based on real-life events.
Like the society of which it is a part, the work world has not been immune to the plight of intolerance. Recognizing that while systemic changes are necessary, this case offers a powerful way to combat bias by empowering employees to speak up in order to share their concerns, discomfort, and frustrations with intolerance and bias in real time, as they see it happening. An organization is more than the sum of its policies, procedures, and other initiatives. A company is made up of many thousands of personal interactions, and much of the intolerance that marginalized employees experience occur within these moments. Learning to break the silence in these moments is key.
Rodey Wing, a partner at global management consulting firm Kearney, had to decide what to recommend to a struggling retailer client with over 200,000 employees. With the client’s optometry division suffering from an excess of employees partly due to a pandemic downturn, Wing had initially planned to cut 1,500 employees from the division---laying off those with the lowest performance review ratings. However, a disproportionate impact assessment of the plan showed that employees from protected classes would make up a much larger share of terminated employees than expected. Wing had to determine how this information should impact his recommendations to the important client.
The Maple Leaf Foods (MLF): Changing the System case explores how a major food processor pivoted its vision and operations in an attempt to become the world’s most sustainable protein company. Instead of focusing solely on financial goals, the organization's new purpose clearly recognized MLF’s potential impact on both society and the natural environment. In the anchor case, senior leaders considered the background and progress of this initiative. The supplemental cases (A to E) offer the perspectives of five stakeholders, each of whom is critical to the MLF initiative. Since an organization is part of an open system, these views allow a consideration of how the different parts of the system may experience, and impact, any change attempt.
Students need to practice talking about taboo topics. The ‘A’ case offers background on recent calls to end discrimination (e.g., #MeToo, Black Lives Matter protests) and highlights the struggles business schools, in particular, have faced in dealing with intolerance. It offers an opportunity for students to consider and role play eight mini-cases based on real events. Topics covered include gender, race, diversity/inclusion, socio-economic inequities, harassment, LGBTQ+ issues, white privilege, and ableism. The ‘B’ case asks students to consider similar past interactions in their own lives so they can personalize the process and make plans for how they will deal with such events in the future.