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. In her current position, she must decide which of three managers 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 di faculties in managing her staff. In addition, 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. The downside to promoting Liz, though, 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. The reason why Roy has been passed over before was 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 in the past. This promotion would be his last before retirement, and many in the company feel that 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 of 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 that for some reason did not like dealing with Quang. 

Moreover, Quang sued her previous employer for discrimination and won. A comment that Lael heard from that company was 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 office 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 candidate’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 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 promotion could help solve. The next day seemed very long and was punctuated by the announcement that Roy’s son was getting married to the vice president’s daughter. 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?

QUESTIONS

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each candidate. 

2. What are the ethical and legal considerations for Lael? 

3. Identify the pressures that have made her promotion decision an ethical and legal issue. 

4. Discuss the implications of each decision that Lael could make.