Case Analysis: Managing for ethical conduct

SHORT CASE

You’ve recently been promoted into the position of marketing manager in the

communications division of your company. Your new job involves managing a staff

and creating the publications and marketing materials for insurance sales professionals

in three regions.

You have met the directors of the three regional sales forces before, and now

you ask each one for a meeting to discuss in depth how your team can best meet their

needs. Two of the sales directors were very cordial, and each explained what the

technical demands of their areas are and how your department can best meet their

needs.

However, during your meeting with Bill—the sales director of the third region and

one of your firm’ s bigge st moneymakers— he lays down the law. He says that his area

is the largest of the thr ee regions, and it produces significantly more revenue for your

company than the other two regions combined. “You and your people need to know

that when I say, ‘Jump,’ ” he says, “they need to ask, ‘How high? ’”

In return, he says, he’ll recomm end you and your people for every award the

company has to offer. In addition, he says he’ll personally give you a monetary bonus,

based on your team’s performance, at the end of the year. Although you have never

heard of a manager giving someone a bonus out of his own pocket, you suspect that

your company would frown on such a practice.

Case Questions

1. What are the ethical issues in this case?

2. What are some reas ons the decision maker in this case might be inclined to go

along? Not go alon g?

3. If you were the decision maker, how would you handle the situation?

4. Would you report the conversation to your manager ? Why or why not?

600-700 words