week 1The purpose of this assignment is to get you started doing online research using UMUC’s library. I want to be sure that you are all able to access and use the UMUC databases. (If you have taken a previous class with me, then you are surely familiar with the online library–but please complete the assignment anyway.)You may find the library to be a good source of information for your writing assignment. (I will post detailed information about the writing assignment during the first week of class.)There are many excellent online sources you can use when researching your topic. UMUC’s online library is just one such source–but a good one.Instructions:Go to UMUC’s online library at .umuc.edu/library/”>http://www.umuc.edu/library/. (You can also access the library directly from this classroom. You will find the link to the library in the dropdown menu to the right of the “Resources” tab, above.)Using the “UMUC Library OneSearch” box, conduct a search on a topic which is related to some aspect of this course. It can be something covered in this week’s .homeworkminutes.com/question/view/92990/umuc-bmgt496-week-1-and-week-2-online-assignment-latest-2015#”>reading or anything else relevent to the course.You should get a list with various types of sources–some of which might be books. Please select an .homeworkminutes.com/question/view/92990/umuc-bmgt496-week-1-and-week-2-online-assignment-latest-2015#”>article (e.g., from a scholarly journal). Finally, post a response to this topic giving the name of the article, the publication, the author, and the date of the article and a one or two paragraph summary of it. (Please do not just copy and paste the article, or portions of it, word-for-word.)You do not need to respond to your classmates’ postings for this assignment, but feel free to do so if you wish.week 2Our discussion here focuses on the ethical considerations implicated in global supply chain, including the use of labor by globalized industries.For this assignment, I’d like you to watch a talk by Auret van Heerden and then discuss various aspects of it with your classmates and me.As the head of the Fair Labor Association, Mr. van Heerden seeks to convince corporations and NGOs to protect labor in global supply chains. You can read his full bio here: .ted.com/speakers/auret_van_heerden.html”>.ted.com/speakers/auret_van_heerden.html”>http://www.ted.com/speakers/auret_van_heerden.html.ted.com/speakers/auret_van_heerden.html”>Specific Instructions:Please go to the following link and listen to Mr. van Heerden’s talk:.ted.com/talks/auret_van_heerden_making_global_labor_fair.html”>http://www.ted.com/talks/auret_van_heerden_making_global_labor_fair.htmlPlease post a response in which you addressone of the following questions:What are some of the products we use/consume that have components derived from child labor? Were you surprised by any of these?Van Heerden talks about the “supply chain … not being goverened in a way that would satisfy us that we can engage in ethical trade or ethical consumption.” How is the case of the drug “heparin” an example of this?In the case of the drug “heparin”, why didn’t a regulatory/governance system play a role in ensuring that the product was safe?How has van Heerden’s organization been successful in getting multinational companies to “do the right thing”?Explain the process of “trust but verify” with respect to getting multinational companies to act ethically.Van Heerden describes a situation in which global industries–and not governments–are stepping in to protect human rights. Any thoughts about that? Please discuss any other aspect of the talk that you find interesting or relevant to the course material.IMPORTANT: When responding, please change the title of your response to reflect the particular question you’ve chosen to answer (e.g. “Question 1”).In addition, please respond to at leastone of your classmates’ postings.If you have any questions about this assignment, please let me know.Thanks!week 3For this assignment, we’ll be exploring the topic of ethical leadership in organizations.According to Ferrell, Fraedrich, and Ferrell (Business Ethics, 2009*), strong ethical leaders have certain characteristics, as follows:Seven Habits of Strong Ethical Leaders:Ethical leaders have strong personal character.Ethical leaders have a passion to do right.Ethical leaders are proactive.Ethical leaders consider stakeholders’ interests.Ethical leaders are role models for the organization’s values.Ethical leaders are transparent and actively involved in organizational decision making.Ethical leaders are competent managers who take a holistic view of the firm’s ethical culture.For this assignment, I’d like you to critique the leadership of someone you know in terms of how it conforms to these seven characteristics.Specific Instructions:Think of a “leader” with whom you are personally familiar. It could be a supervisor at your current or former job, the head of an organization you belong to, a school administrator, a .homeworkminutes.com/question/view/92991/umuc-bmgt496-week-3-and-week-5-online-assignment-latest-2015#”>small business owner, the manager of a store/restaurant, a local elected official, etc. Now, please post a response in which you do the following:Assess that person’s performance (in terms of ethical leadership) in each of the seven areas discussed in the text (or in as many as you’re familiar with). Please give specific examples of how the person met–or failed to meet–the criteria of an ethical leader. Remember, even something small like promptly responding to phone calls or e-mails from customers, suppliers, or other stakeholders has ethical implications.Overall, given your assessment, do you think the person you chose is an ethical leader? Do you see any positive or negative affects of this person’s leadership on any of the organization’s stakeholders? Explain.There is no requirement to respond to any of your classmates’ postings for this assignment, but please do so if you wish.week 5There is a relationship between an organization’s corporate culture and its ethical behavior–or lack thereof. While it would be difficult to determine what the actual corporate culture of a particular organization is, we can easily find its stated values and business principles–in other words, what it claims is its corporate culture. For this assignment, you’ll be analyzing the situation at a particular organization, to see whether the organization actually conforms its behavior to its claimed values/principles. IMPORTANT: This assignment requires more effort than the others and it is worth double the points of the other assignments.Specific Instructions:Please check the list below to determine which organization you’ve been assigned. Then, look at the organization’s stated values/principles, which you can find by clicking the provided link.You should now search online (either using a search engine like google.com or using UMUC’s online library) for two articles that reveal something about the company’s ethical practices–or lack thereof.Now post a response in which you do the following:State which organization you’ve looked at.Summarize (in your own words), what the organization’s stated values/principles are.In at least one substantive paragraph, analyze whether these values/principles are met in light of the information you found in the two articles.Provide information about your sources (.homeworkminutes.com/question/view/92991/umuc-bmgt496-week-3-and-week-5-online-assignment-latest-2015#”>article name, publication, URL, etc.)If you’d like, provide further comments or opinion. In addition, please respond to at least one of your classmate’s postings.IMPORTANT: When responding, please change the title of your response to reflect the particular organization you’ve been assigned (e.g. “Facebook”).Name of OrganizationLink to Organization’s Stated Values/PrinciplesNameFacebook.fb.com/documentdisplay.cfm?DocumentID=10737″>http://investor.fb.com/documentdisplay.cfm?DocumentID=10737Jean-Felix AristideGoldman Sachs.goldmansachs.com/who-we-are/business-standards/business-principles/”>http://www.goldmansachs.com/who-we-are/business-standards/business-principles/Keocher ArroyoThe Body Shop.thebodyshop.com/values/index.aspx”>http://www.thebodyshop.com/values/index.aspxGilbert De La CruzMorgan Stanley.morganstanley.com/globalcitizen/priorities.html”>http://www.morganstanley.com/globalcitizen/priorities.htmlJoseph DuranMcDonalds.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/csr/about/values.html”>http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/csr/about/values.htmlGregory FieldsDow.dow.com/investors/corpgov/conduct/index.htm”>http://www.dow.com/investors/corpgov/conduct/index.htmBlair FlowersTarget.target.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=65828&p=irol-govconduct”>http://investors.target.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=65828&p=irol-govconductJerry HarperCitigroup.citigroup.com/citi/citizen/approach/”>http://www.citigroup.com/citi/citizen/approach/Amos JenkinsBP.bp.com/en/global/corporate/about-bp/company-information/code-of-conduct.html”>http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/about-bp/company-information/code-of-conduct.htmlMickeal JenkinsTupperware Brands.tupperwarebrands.com/company/vision-und-strategy”>https://www.tupperwarebrands.com/company/vision-und-strategyPaul JusticePhilip Morris.pmi.com/eng/about_us/how_we_operate/pages/how_we_operate.aspx”>http://www.pmi.com/eng/about_us/how_we_operate/pages/how_we_operate.aspxSumeet SinghStarbucks.starbucks.com/assets/eecd184d6d2141d58966319744393d1f.pdf”>http://globalassets.starbucks.com/assets/eecd184d6d2141d58966319744393d1f.pdfDwayne SuberExxonMobil.exxonmobil.com/en/investors/corporate-governance/code-of-ethics-and-business-conduct/our-code”>http://corporate.exxonmobil.com/en/investors/corporate-governance/code-of-ethics-and-business-conduct/our-codeMichael WebbGoogle.exxonmobil.com/en/investors/corporate-governance/code-of-ethics-and-business-conduct/our-code”>http://investor.google.com/corporate/code-of-conduct.htmlTaylor YoungI look forward to .homeworkminutes.com/question/view/92991/umuc-bmgt496-week-3-and-week-5-online-assignment-latest-2015#”>reading your responses!week 6This assignment is based on the case study “An Ethical Dilemma: Promotion Decision”. Here is that case study:One of the problems that Lael Matthews has had to deal with in trying to climb the corporate ladder is the glass ceiling faced by minorities and women. And now, in her current position, she must decide which of three mangers to promote, a decision that, as her superior has informed her, could have serious repercussions for her future. The following people are the candidates.Liz is a 34-year-old African American, divorced with one child, who graduated in the lower half of her college class at Northwest State. She has been with the company for four years and in the industry for eight years, with mediocre performance ratings but a high energy level. She has had some difficulties in managing her staff. Her child has had various medical problems, so higher pay would be helpful. If promoted, Liz would be the first African American female manager at this level. Although Lael has known Liz only a short time, they seem to have hit it off; in fact, Lael once babysat Liz’s daughter, Janeen, in an emergency. One downside to promoting Liz might be a perception that Lael is playing favorites.Roy is a 57-year-old Caucasian, married with three children, who graduated from a private university in the top half of his class. Roy has been with the company for 20 years and in the industry for 30, and he has always been a steady performer, with mostly average ratings. Roy has been passed over for promotions in the past because of his refusal to relocate, but that is no longer a problem. Roy’s energy level is average to low; however, he has produced many of the company’s top sales performers. This promotion would be his last before retirement, and many in the company feel he has earned it. In fact, one senior manager stopped Lael in the hall and said, “You know, Lael, Roy has been with us for a long time. He has done many good things for the company, sacrificing not only himself but also his family. I really hope that you can see your way to promoting him. It would be a favor to me that I wouldn’t forget.”Quang Yeh, a single, 27-year-old Asian American, graduated from State University in the top 3 percent of her class and has been with the company for three years. She is known for putting in 60-hour weeks and for her meticulous management style, which has generated some criticism from her sales staff. The last area that she managed showed record increases, despite the loss of some older accounts who, for some reason, did not like dealing with Quang. Moreover, Quang sued her previous employer for discrimination and won. Lael had heard that Quang was intense and that nothing would stop her from reaching her goals. As Lael was going over some of her notes, another upper-management individual came to her fofice and said, “You know, Lael, Quang is engaged to my son. I’ve looked over her personnel files, and she looks very good. She looks like a rising star, which would indicate that she should be promoted as quickly as possible. I realize that you’re not in my division, but the way people get transferred, you never know. I would really like to see Quang get this promotion.”As she was considering the choices, Lael’s immediate supervisor came to her to talk about Liz. “You know, Lael, Liz is one of a very few people in the company who is both an African American woman and qualified for this position. I’ve been going over the company’s hiring and promotion figures, and it would be very advantageous for me personally and for the company to promote her. I’ve also spoken to public relations, and they believe that this would be a tremendous boost for the company.As Lael pondered her decision, she mentally went through each candidtate’s records and found that each had advantages and disadvantages. While she was considering her problem, the phone rang. It was Liz, sounding frantic. “Lael, I’m sorry to disturb you at this late hour, but I need to you to come to the hospital. Janeen has been in an accident, and I don’t know who to turn to.” When Lael got to the hospital, she found that Janeen’s injuries were fairly serious and that Liz would have to miss some work to help with the recuperation process. Lael also realized that this accident would create a financial problem for Liz, which a promotion could help solve.The next day seemed very long and was puncutated by the announcement that Roy’s son was getting married to the vice president’s duatuger. The wedding would be in June, and it sounded as though it would be a company affair. By 4:30 that afternoon, Lael had gone through four aspirins and two antacids. Her decision was due in two days. What should she do?(Source: Ethical Decision Making in Business, Fraedrich, Ferrel, Ferrel, 9th Ed., p. 251-2.)Specific Instructions:Please check the list below to determine which question(s) you’ve been assigned. Then, answer the question(s) you’ve been assigned by posting a response below. Your answer should be at least one substantive paragraph long. In addition to responding to your assigned question, please read your classmates’ postings for further viewpoints, information, and clarification, and then respond to at least of one their postings. IMPORTANT: When responding, please change the title of your response to reflect the particular question you’ve been assigned (e.g. “Question 1”).week 7This assignment is based on the case study which deals with an ethical dilemma related to the topic of global business. Here is that case study:At the Dun and Ready (D&R) Company, Sid was responsible for monitoring the Japanese stock .homeworkminutes.com/question/view/92993/umuc-bmgt496-week-6-and-week-7-online-assignment-latest-2015#”>market to determine patterns and identify stocks that could become active. One of 10 company representatives in Japan, Sid, who was of Japanese descent and fluent in the language, had been assigned to Tokyo. Being relatively new to the firm, he was told to gather information for his boss, Glenna. Glenna had been with D&R for 10 years, but because of the cultural barriers, she was not enthusiastic about her Tokyo assignment. Glenna encouraged Sid to get to know the Japanese brokers, traders, and other key people in the business. Thanks to his background, he found that he blended easily into the culture.In Japan, ceremony and giving favors is a strong part of the culture. Sid learned that, by observing Japanese customs and perfecting his Japanese, he became not only an information resource on the Japanese stock market and its players for his company but also a resource for the Japanese who wanted to invest in the U.S. market. He found that the locals would talk to him about important investments rather than coming into the office to see Glenna.Sid’s duties included taking key customers to bars, restaurants, and vacation spots for entertainment. One day a government official in the group that Sid was entertaiing hinted that he and the others would like to play golf on some famous U.S. courses. Sid understood what the government official wanted and relayed the request to Glenna, who told him that granting a favor of this kind would normally be against policy, but because such favors seemed to be the custom in Japan, they cold do some “creative bookkeeping.” “When in Rome, right, Sid?” was Glenna’s response to the whole situation. By pulling some strings, Glenna managed to enable these officials to play at 10 of the most exlclusive U.S. golf coures. Later, several officials passed the word to people in Japan’s elite financial circle about Sid’s helpfulness.Six months later, Glenna was transferred back to the States. Rumor had it that expenses were too high and revenue too low. Her replacement, Ron, didn’t like being sent to Japan either. In his first week on the job, he told the staff that he would shorten his tour in Tokyo by slashing expenses and increasing productivity. Ron was a “by-the-book” person. Unfortunately, company rules had not caught up with the realities of cultural differences. After two months with Ron, seven of the original 10 company representatives had quit or been fired.Sid was barely surviving . Then one of his contacts in the government repaid a favor by recommending several stocks to buy and sell. The information paid off, and Sid gained some breathing room from Ron. Around the same time, some of Sid’s Japanese clients lost a considerable amount of money in the U.S. markets and wanted a “discount”–the term used for the practice in some large Japanese brokerage houses of informally paying off part of their best clients’ losses. When Glenna was still in Tokyo, she had dipped into the company’s assets several times ot fund such discounts. Because everything required Ron’s approval, Sid and his colleagues believed that this practice would not be tolerated. However, late one afternoon Sid and a few others provided the proper forms, and Ron signed them without realizing what he had done.Several months passed, and the three survivors resorted to lowering their expenses by using their own funds. This in turn led to Sid “churning” some of his accounts; that is, he bought and sold stocks for the express purpose of incerasing his own revenues. Churning was tolerated in Japan, along with other practices that would be deemed questionable in the United States. Ron was oblivious to what Sid was doing because his focus was on reducing expenses.The previous month, a group of important D&R clients had thrown a party for a few of their favorite brokers at one of their local haunts. After the customary toasts and small talk, it was suggested to Sid that a Japanese cartel might be interested in D&R. Sid was cautious and nothing else was mentioned. Several weeks later at another party, Sid and the two remaining D&R people were told that a takeover was imminent. But to make the takeover painless, the cartel needed certain sensitive information. Sid’s reward for providing it would be a high position in the new, reorganized company and a “wink/nod” agreement that he could go anywhere in the world for his next assignment.That week Ron announced that headquarters was pleased with the productivity of the Tokyo group. “It’s only a matter of time before I get transferred, and I want out of Tokyo,” he told them. The office knew that if Ron succeeded, his next position would be that of vice president. Ron also informed the group that corporate representatives would be coming to Tokyo the following week.”It seems they’ve heard rumors of a possible hostile takeover attempt on D&R from someone in Japan, and they want us to check it out,” Ron said, with a tight smile. “There will be some changes next week.”Sid suspected that this meant there would be even fewer people working even harder. It might also mean, however, that someone knew that Sid and the other two representatives had been talking to the worong people. Or maybe one of the three had sold out the other two. If Sid was to gather the information sought by the cartel, he would have to act quickly.(Source: Ethical Decision Making in Business, Fraedrich, Ferrel, Ferrel, 9th Ed., p. 419-21.)Specific Instructions:Please choose one of the ethical issues presented in the case study and answer the following questions by posting a response below:What is the ethical issue that you’ll be discussing?Which of the D&R employees is involved in the ethically-questionable activity you’ve described?What are the pressures that have caused this ethical issue to develop?How could this ethical issue be resolved, if at all? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of any choices that could be made in resolving the issue.In addition to responding to your assigned question, please read your classmates’ postings for further viewpoints, information, and clarification, and then respond to at least of one their postings.week 1The purpose of this assignment is to get you started doing online research using UMUC’s library. I want to be sure that you are all able to access and use the UMUC databases. (If you have taken a previous class with me, then you are surely familiar with the online library–but please complete the assignment anyway.)You may find the library to be a good source of information for your writing assignment. (I will post detailed information about the writing assignment during the first week of class.)There are many excellent online sources you can use when researching your topic. UMUC’s online library is just one such source–but a good one.Our discussion here focuses on the ethical considerations implicated in global supply chain, including the use of labor by globalized industries.For this assignment, I’d like you to watch a talk by Auret van Heerden and then discuss various aspects of it with your classmates and me.As the head of the Fair Labor Association, Mr. van Heerden seeks to convince corporations and NGOs to protect labor in global supply chains. You can read his full bio here: .ted.com/speakers/auret_van_heerden.html”>.ted.com/speakers/auret_van_heerden.html”>http://www.ted.com/speakers/auret_van_heerden.html.ted.com/speakers/auret_van_heerden.html”>Specific Instructions:If you have any questions about this assignment, please let me know.Thanks!For this assignment, we’ll be exploring the topic of ethical leadership in organizations.According to Ferrell, Fraedrich, and Ferrell (Business Ethics, 2009*), strong ethical leaders have certain characteristics, as follows:Seven Habits of Strong Ethical Leaders:For this assignment, I’d like you to critique the leadership of someone you know in terms of how it conforms to these seven characteristics.Specific Instructions:There is a relationship between an organization’s corporate culture and its ethical behavior–or lack thereof. While it would be difficult to determine what the actual corporate culture of a particular organization is, we can easily find its stated values and business principles–in other words, what it claims is its corporate culture. For this assignment, you’ll be analyzing the situation at a particular organization, to see whether the organization actually conforms its behavior to its claimed values/principles. IMPORTANT: This assignment requires more effort than the others and it is worth double the points of the other assignments.I look forward to .homeworkminutes.com/question/view/92991/umuc-bmgt496-week-3-and-week-5-online-assignment-latest-2015#”>reading your responses!week 6This assignment is based on the case study “An Ethical Dilemma: Promotion Decision”. Here is that case study:One of the problems that Lael Matthews has had to deal with in trying to climb the corporate ladder is the glass ceiling faced by minorities and women. And now, in her current position, she must decide which of three mangers to promote, a decision that, as her superior has informed her, could have serious repercussions for her future. The following people are the candidates.Liz is a 34-year-old African American, divorced with one child, who graduated in the lower half of her college class at Northwest State. She has been with the company for four years and in the industry for eight years, with mediocre performance ratings but a high energy level. She has had some difficulties in managing her staff. Her child has had various medical problems, so higher pay would be helpful. If promoted, Liz would be the first African American female manager at this level. Although Lael has known Liz only a short time, they seem to have hit it off; in fact, Lael once babysat Liz’s daughter, Janeen, in an emergency. One downside to promoting Liz might be a perception that Lael is playing favorites.Roy is a 57-year-old Caucasian, married with three children, who graduated from a private university in the top half of his class. Roy has been with the company for 20 years and in the industry for 30, and he has always been a steady performer, with mostly average ratings. Roy has been passed over for promotions in the past because of his refusal to relocate, but that is no longer a problem. Roy’s energy level is average to low; however, he has produced many of the company’s top sales performers. This promotion would be his last before retirement, and many in the company feel he has earned it. In fact, one senior manager stopped Lael in the hall and said, “You know, Lael, Roy has been with us for a long time. He has done many good things for the company, sacrificing not only himself but also his family. I really hope that you can see your way to promoting him. It would be a favor to me that I wouldn’t forget.”Quang Yeh, a single, 27-year-old Asian American, graduated from State University in the top 3 percent of her class and has been with the company for three years. She is known for putting in 60-hour weeks and for her meticulous management style, which has generated some criticism from her sales staff. The last area that she managed showed record increases, despite the loss of some older accounts who, for some reason, did not like dealing with Quang. Moreover, Quang sued her previous employer for discrimination and won. Lael had heard that Quang was intense and that nothing would stop her from reaching her goals. As Lael was going over some of her notes, another upper-management individual came to her fofice and said, “You know, Lael, Quang is engaged to my son. I’ve looked over her personnel files, and she looks very good. She looks like a rising star, which would indicate that she should be promoted as quickly as possible. I realize that you’re not in my division, but the way people get transferred, you never know. I would really like to see Quang get this promotion.”As she was considering the choices, Lael’s immediate supervisor came to her to talk about Liz. “You know, Lael, Liz is one of a very few people in the company who is both an African American woman and qualified for this position. I’ve been going over the company’s hiring and promotion figures, and it would be very advantageous for me personally and for the company to promote her. I’ve also spoken to public relations, and they believe that this would be a tremendous boost for the company.As Lael pondered her decision, she mentally went through each candidtate’s records and found that each had advantages and disadvantages. While she was considering her problem, the phone rang. It was Liz, sounding frantic. “Lael, I’m sorry to disturb you at this late hour, but I need to you to come to the hospital. Janeen has been in an accident, and I don’t know who to turn to.” When Lael got to the hospital, she found that Janeen’s injuries were fairly serious and that Liz would have to miss some work to help with the recuperation process. Lael also realized that this accident would create a financial problem for Liz, which a promotion could help solve.The next day seemed very long and was puncutated by the announcement that Roy’s son was getting married to the vice president’s duatuger. The wedding would be in June, and it sounded as though it would be a company affair. By 4:30 that afternoon, Lael had gone through four aspirins and two antacids. Her decision was due in two days. What should she do?(Source: Ethical Decision Making in Business, Fraedrich, Ferrel, Ferrel, 9th Ed., p. 251-2.)This assignment is based on the case study which deals with an ethical dilemma related to the topic of global business. Here is that case study:At the Dun and Ready (D&R) Company, Sid was responsible for monitoring the Japanese stock .homeworkminutes.com/question/view/92993/umuc-bmgt496-week-6-and-week-7-online-assignment-latest-2015#”>market to determine patterns and identify stocks that could become active. One of 10 company representatives in Japan, Sid, who was of Japanese descent and fluent in the language, had been assigned to Tokyo. Being relatively new to the firm, he was told to gather information for his boss, Glenna. Glenna had been with D&R for 10 years, but because of the cultural barriers, she was not enthusiastic about her Tokyo assignment. Glenna encouraged Sid to get to know the Japanese brokers, traders, and other key people in the business. Thanks to his background, he found that he blended easily into the culture.In Japan, ceremony and giving favors is a strong part of the culture. Sid learned that, by observing Japanese customs and perfecting his Japanese, he became not only an information resource on the Japanese stock market and its players for his company but also a resource for the Japanese who wanted to invest in the U.S. market. He found that the locals would talk to him about important investments rather than coming into the office to see Glenna.Sid’s duties included taking key customers to bars, restaurants, and vacation spots for entertainment. One day a government official in the group that Sid was entertaiing hinted that he and the others would like to play golf on some famous U.S. courses. Sid understood what the government official wanted and relayed the request to Glenna, who told him that granting a favor of this kind would normally be against policy, but because such favors seemed to be the custom in Japan, they cold do some “creative bookkeeping.” “When in Rome, right, Sid?” was Glenna’s response to the whole situation. By pulling some strings, Glenna managed to enable these officials to play at 10 of the most exlclusive U.S. golf coures. Later, several officials passed the word to people in Japan’s elite financial circle about Sid’s helpfulness.Six months later, Glenna was transferred back to the States. Rumor had it that expenses were too high and revenue too low. Her replacement, Ron, didn’t like being sent to Japan either. In his first week on the job, he told the staff that he would shorten his tour in Tokyo by slashing expenses and increasing productivity. Ron was a “by-the-book” person. Unfortunately, company rules had not caught up with the realities of cultural differences. After two months with Ron, seven of the original 10 company representatives had quit or been fired.Sid was barely surviving . Then one of his contacts in the government repaid a favor by recommending several stocks to buy and sell. The information paid off, and Sid gained some breathing room from Ron. Around the same time, some of Sid’s Japanese clients lost a considerable amount of money in the U.S. markets and wanted a “discount”–the term used for the practice in some large Japanese brokerage houses of informally paying off part of their best clients’ losses. When Glenna was still in Tokyo, she had dipped into the company’s assets several times ot fund such discounts. Because everything required Ron’s approval, Sid and his colleagues believed that this practice would not be tolerated. However, late one afternoon Sid and a few others provided the proper forms, and Ron signed them without realizing what he had done.Several months passed, and the three survivors resorted to lowering their expenses by using their own funds. This in turn led to Sid “churning” some of his accounts; that is, he bought and sold stocks for the express purpose of incerasing his own revenues. Churning was tolerated in Japan, along with other practices that would be deemed questionable in the United States. Ron was oblivious to what Sid was doing because his focus was on reducing expenses.The previous month, a group of important D&R clients had thrown a party for a few of their favorite brokers at one of their local haunts. After the customary toasts and small talk, it was suggested to Sid that a Japanese cartel might be interested in D&R. Sid was cautious and nothing else was mentioned. Several weeks later at another party, Sid and the two remaining D&R people were told that a takeover was imminent. But to make the takeover painless, the cartel needed certain sensitive information. Sid’s reward for providing it would be a high position in the new, reorganized company and a “wink/nod” agreement that he could go anywhere in the world for his next assignment.That week Ron announced that headquarters was pleased with the productivity of the Tokyo group. “It’s only a matter of time before I get transferred, and I want out of Tokyo,” he told them. The office knew that if Ron succeeded, his next position would be that of vice president. Ron also informed the group that corporate representatives would be coming to Tokyo the following week.”It seems they’ve heard rumors of a possible hostile takeover attempt on D&R from someone in Japan, and they want us to check it out,” Ron said, with a tight smile. “There will be some changes next week.”Sid suspected that this meant there would be even fewer people working even harder. It might also mean, however, that someone knew that Sid and the other two representatives had been talking to the worong people. Or maybe one of the three had sold out the other two. If Sid was to gather the information sought by the cartel, he would have to act quickly.(Source: Ethical Decision Making in Business, Fraedrich, Ferrel, Ferrel, 9th Ed., p. 419-21.)
