Case Study

Two weeks ago was Michele Munroes first day as Executive Director of
Canada Basketball. After co!leting her kinesiology degree and s!ort
adinistration certificate at "ork #niversity$ Michele went on to earn a Masters
degree in %!ort Manageent fro &hio %tate #niversity. After graduation she
co!leted several contract !ositions in s!ort !rior to getting a 'ob as technical
director for (ater %kiing Canada. After ) years and lots of acco!lishents at
(.%.C.$ she co!eted for and was offered the 'ob at Canada Basketball. %he has
a'or !lans for action and change*.a new logo$ i!roved arketing !lans$ new
doestic !rograing and a !artnershi! with the +BA for both national teas.
The coittee$ who a!!ointed her$ and the Canada Basketball Board of
Directors$ had ade ention of terrific e!loyees and their co!lete confidence
in the nine staff ebers under her direction.
By noon hour$ Michele was feeling alared as only , staff ebers had as
yet shown u!. A week later she had the co!lete !icture. These so-called .terrific
e!loyees/ were co!letely unotivated. A grou! living within the !ast where
!roises were not ke!t$ where nothing uch ha!!ened and the ex!ectations for
activity existed only when the Board of Directors cae in for eetings twice !er
year. There was$ without a doubt$ no otivation to succeed$ and co!laints about
ine0uities and unfairness abound.
Damned If You Do; Damned If You Don't
1ran 2ibson$ 3,$ has s!ent 4) years with the +u5ife 1itness Co!any. %he has risen
through the ranks to her current !osition as a regional anger$ overseeing 6 fitness clubs and
earning nearly 7448$888 annually. 1ive weeks ago she was contacted by an executive 9search
fir about a vice-!resident and regional anager !osition with a national fitness club chain.
After : eetings with to! executives at the fitness club chain$ 1ran is infored that she is one of
two finalists for the 'ob.
This is a drea 'ob for 1ran. +ot only would her salary nearly double$ but she be the
only feale vice-!resident. ;n this role she could be a ore visible role for woen and ethnic
inorities in fitness anageent. The only !erson in her current co!any that knows of this
news is her good friend and colleague <en =ailton$ the director of finance for +u5ife 1itness.
1ran what to kee! the 'ob search a secret and has asked <en$ who she trusts co!letely$ to
write her a reference. <en !roises to write 1ran an excellent recoendation. 1ran is well
aware that talking to another co!any ight 'eo!ardi>e her chances for !rootion with +u5ife
1itness.
The following day 1ran is !resented with the following ethical and !olitical dilea.
?ennifer Chung$ has been a financial analyst in <ens de!artent for the !ast ) onths. 1rans
i!ression of ?ennifer is 0uite !ositive. ;n fact she strikes 1ran as a lot like she was 48 years
ago. (hen ?ennifer coes to 1rans office she nervous and uncofortable and it is obvious
soething is wrong. ?ennifer ex!lains that about a onth after she 'oined <ens de!artent he
began aking off-colour coents when they were alone. The behaviour then escalated to
leering$ !utting his ar over her shoulder when reviewing re!orts and even !atting her on the
bu. Every tie one of these incidents ha!!ened$ ?ennifer re0uested that he sto!. =er re0uests
fell on deaf ears. The final straw cae yesterday when <en reinded ?ennifer that her @ onth
!robationary review was coing u!. =e told her that if she didnt slee! with hi that she
shouldnt ex!ect a very favourable evaluation.
?ennifer doesnt know what to do or to who to turn. %he has coe to 1ran for hel!
because she is aware that 1ran and <en are friends. Also$ ?ennifer is the highest ranking woan
in the co!any. 1ran had never heard anything like this about <en before$ but neither did she
have any reason to sus!ect that ?ennifer was lying.