Karen is an administrative assistant to the executive vice president of an organization whose mission is to serve the professional needs of its members. Karen has exceptional computer skills and seems to have a real talent for technology. Not only does she complete each task in record time, but she has also independently developed spreadsheets, management reports, and other useful documents in impressive formats that are consistently error free. She is an extremely valuable asset to the organization and to her boss. The organization has recently undergone a major computer system conversion, and Karen seems to be one of the few employees who have mastered the new system. She is often called on to troubleshoot for other employees who are experiencing difficulties grasping the new technology. But Karen is often moody, irritable, and brusque with clients and coworkers. She is especially disagreeable when answering the telephone, which she views as a major disruption to her work. Hardly a week goes by that Karen's boss does not receive complaints about Karen's interpersonal skills when dealing with clients and coworkers. Karen's boss has had repeated conversations with Karen about her behavior, but to no avail. Karen's negative attitude has not discernibly improved, but Karen's boss is reluctant to press the matter further because she values Karen's other skills, which make her own work so much easier.

2.1 What are the ethical, legal and human resource issues in this case?

2.2 What management and/or HR mistakes were made in this case?

2.3 What steps can be taken within this organization to remedy these mistakes?