Over a four-year period, a high-level manager received consistently positive performance reviews from her direct supervisor, earned
Question:
Over a four-year period, a high-level manager received consistently positive performance reviews from her direct supervisor, earned bonuses, received sizable annual salary increases, and was promoted to the senior leadership team. Some criticisms were made of her interpersonal dealings with others, but these problems were not emphasized in reviews of her performance. Subsequently, during a several-month period in which there was a restructuring and change in management, other members of the top management team grew more critical of the woman. She was passed over for a promotion that she had sought and a 37-year-old male with far less experience was chosen instead. Responsibilities were taken away from her and given to a male employee. She was told that she would no longer be part of the senior leadership team. A new, 9-point rating system was introduced at a meeting of executives. This “talent review poll” resulted in the woman being given the worst possible score. A manager described her as having “broke the record” by scoring so badly in the poll. This was the only time that this rating system was ever used by the company. During this meeting, the CEO said that he “wants her out legally” and he questioned “how do we explain this to a jury?” Following the meeting, the woman was removed from her position and replaced by a male. After no other acceptable position was found for her, she left the company. Managers’ explanations for the decisions made regarding the woman centered on the lack of support for her within the management team and a perceived lack of fit with the organization. Was this sex discrimination?
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