Scenario 4: Perceptions & Personality

Kelly Jarvis continued to drum her fingers on her desk. She had a real problem and wasn't sure what to do next. She had a lot of confidence in Jack Black, but she suspected she was about the last person in the office who did. Perhaps if she ran through the entire story again in her mind she would see the solution. Kelly had been distribution manager for Jackson Industries for almost twenty years. An early brush with the law and a short stay in prison had made her realize the importance of honesty and hard work. Henry Jackson had given her a chance despite her record, and Kelly had made the most of it. She now was one of the most respected managers in the company. Few people knew her background. Kelly had hired Jack Black fresh out of prison six months ago. Kelly understood how Jack felt when Jack tried to explain his past and asked for another chance. Kelly decided to give him that chance just as Henry Jackson had given her one. Jack eagerly accepted a job on the loading docks and could soon load a truck as fast as anyone in the crew. Things had gone well at first. Everyone seemed to like Jack, and he made several new friends. Kelly had been vaguely disturbed about two months ago, however, when another dock worker reported his wallet missing. She confronted Jack about this and was reassured when Jack understood her concern and earnestly but calmly asserted his innocence. Kelly was especially relieved when the wallet was found a few days later. The events of last week, however, had caused serious trouble. First, a new personnel clerk had come across records about Jack's past while updating employee files. Assuming that the information was common knowledge, the clerk had mentioned to several employees what a good thing it was to give ex-convicts like Jack a chance. The next day, someone in bookkeeping discovered some money missing from petty cash. Another worker claimed to have seen Jack in the area around the office strongbox, which was open during working hours, earlier that same day. Most people assumed Jack was the thief. Even the worker whose wallet had been misplaced suggested that perhaps Jack had indeed stolen it but had returned it when questioned. Several employees had approached Kelly and requested that Jack be fired. Meanwhile, when Kelly had discussed the problem with Jack, Jack had been defensive and sullen and said little about the petty-cash situation other than to deny stealing the money. To her dismay, Kelly found that rethinking the story did little to solve his problem. Should she fire Jack? The evidence, of course, was purely circumstantial, yet everybody else seemed to see things quite clearly. Kelly feared that if she did not fire Jack, she would lose everyone's trust and that some people might even begin to question her own motives. Scenario 4 Questions

1. According to our class theories and concepts, explain the events in this case in terms of perception and attitudes. Does personality play a role?
2. According to our class theories and concepts, what should Kelly do? Should she fire Jack or give him another chance?