Opening Vignette Exercise: The opening vignette describes how Abercrombie & Fitch engaged in “creative” recruiting to fill sales jobs with candidates who matched the company’s carefully constructed marketing image. The high-profile clothing retailer staffed its stores with good-looking young white men and women and touched off a lawsuit that ultimately cost the company $40 million and a barrage of bad publicity.

Working alone or in a group of three to five students, answer the following questions. Be prepared to share your answers with the class.

a. Do you think Abercrombie should be allowed to staff its stores in a way that reinforces its marketing image? Why or why not?

b. What are some alternative ways Abercrombie can staff its stores legally and still project a desirable image?