MLB Players Dispute Response to Cheating Scandal

Several players have criticized how Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred handled the recent cheating scandal. Calling the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing “the biggest scandal in the sport since the steroid era,” an ESPN writer concludes that “fallout continues.”

In an interview, Manfred explained the decision to recall the Astros’ 2017 World Series title and how the first apology didn’t go over very well. Manfred referred to the World Series trophy as a “piece of metal.” Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels spoke against Manfred’s reference:

“For him to devalue it the way he did [Sunday] just tells me how out of touch he is with the players in this game. At this point, the only thing devaluing that trophy is that it says ‘commissioner’ on it.”

Manfred has since apologized:

“In an effort to make a rhetorical point, I referred to the World Series trophy in a disrespectful way, and I want to apologize for that. There’s no excuse for it. I made a mistake. I was trying to make a point, but I should have made it in a more effective way.”

NBA star LeBron James weighed in on Twitter, encouraging the MLB to “listen to your players speaking today about how disgusted, mad, hurt, broken, etc etc about this.” As expected, some appreciated his perspective, while others didn’t.

Manfred image source .

Discussion:

• What’s your view of the controversy? Are you also critical of Manfred’s handling of the situation?

• How well did Manfred handle the criticism of his “piece of metal” comment?

• Should LeBron James have entered the debate, or should he have avoided it, as some suggest? Why or why not?

Barnes and Noble Changes Course on Black History Month

To celebrate Black History Month, Barnes and Noble bookseller altered classic book covers with people of color. Reactions were not positive. The author L.L. McKinney explains her position:

“They're essentially just slapping a cover on it to 'celebrate diversity.' But a lot of us felt that you're just trying to cash in on the fact that it's Black History Month, and now all of a sudden, black faces and brown faces will sell books. Just maybe one, two years ago, people were saying in meetings, 'Yeah, you can't put black people on covers. It's not going to sell the book.'“

Discussion:

• What’s your view of the original campaign? How would you describe the backlash?

• Assess the statement from Barnes and Noble. How well did the company address and respond to concerns?

Communications About Kobe Bryant

NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven others died in a helicopter crash, and many are mourning the loss. At the Emmy’s, celebrities paid tribute to his life, and the NBA postponed a Lakers—Clippers game.

The helicopter company, Sikorsky, owned by Lockheed Martin, posted two tweets and a short statement on its website:

We extend our sincerest condolences to all those affected by the January 26th Sikorsky S-76B accident in Calabasas, California. We have been in contact with the NTSB and stand ready to provide assistance and support to the investigative authorities and our customer.  Safety is our top priority; if there are any actionable findings from the investigation, we will inform our S-76 customers.

Discussion:

• Analyze the Sikorsky messages. Who are their primary and secondary audiences? What are the communication objectives, and how well did the company achieve them?

• Have you seen other communications from Sikorsky? Should the company do or say more? If so, what?

Boeing's Crisis Communication Plan

During the holiday break, several news items about Boeing were relevant to business communication and character. In one article, the New York Times revealed internal Boeing documents showing a company trying to rebuild its image after two MAX crashes within a year..

The documents give us an inside view of how the company plans to use persuasive strategies to win back customers. In one graphic, we see customers’ willingness to fly. In another, we see customer concerns and ways Boeing can address them, for example, with FAQ cards, “pilot confidence videos,” or personal connections (for example, “Flight attendant offers comfort and information on the safety of the MAX”).

Discussion:

• What persuasive strategies does the company plan? Try to find examples of logical argument, emotional appeal, and credibility.

• What are the consequences of this information becoming public? Does it likely endear the public to the company’s concerns, embarrass the company, or something else?

JPMorgan Recorded Phone Conversation

Jimmy Kennedy, an African-American former National Football League player, tried to open a private wealth account at JPMorgan but had trouble getting attention. He recorded a conversation with an African-American employee, Richardo Peters, who said, “You’re bigger than the average person, period. And you’re also an African-American. We’re in Arizona. I don’t have to tell you about what the demographics are in Arizona. They don’t see people like you a lot.”

In a New York Times article that published the recording, Peters recounted a specific example of discrimination against a Black customer. When he was trying to bring on another new client, who had received a large settlement, his manager said, “You’ve got somebody who’s coming from Section 8, never had a nickel to spend, and now she’s got $400,000, What do you think’s going to happen with that money? It’s gone.” His manager’s position was that the customer would not invest money with the bank.

Other incidents at the bank led to Peters’ termination, and he is suing for racial discrimination. JPMorgan also recently settled a class-action lawsuit for $24 million to Black employees who claimed discrimination: according to a New York Times report, “in some cases by isolating them from colleagues and dumping them in poorer branches.”

A few days later, CEO Jamie Dimon addressed the situation in a memo to employees.

Discussion:

• How do you assess this situation at JPMorgan? Read more in the NYT article.

• A February Essence article describes and praises JPMorgan’s Advancing Black Pathways program to support the Black community. What’s your view of the effort in light of this news?

• How do you assess CEO Jamie Dimon’s response in the memo? We don’t see the entire memo, but CNBC posted quotes.

Communications Criticized at Syracuse University

A Chronicle of Higher Education article says that communications at Syracuse University “didn’t help” the racial issues. In the past few weeks, videos, slurs, and drawings, such as swastikas, culminated in a rumor that a “white-supremacist manifesto” was sent to students’ phones. The manifesto was said to be a copy of the one associated with the March New Zealand shootings, and Chancellor Kent D. Syverud responded, “It was apparent that this rumor was probably a hoax, but that reality was not communicated clearly and rapidly enough to get ahead of escalating anxiety.”

The response didn’t address student concerns, which have been bubbling for years. Syverud was criticized for his response in 2014 during campus protests about climate. To the recent racist incidents, students are demanding quicker and more direct action. The chancellor’s choice of words is also at issue, as expressed by Mona Lisa Faz, a graduate student of communications:

“Since when did calling someone the n-word or creating a swastika in the snow ever count as bias?” she wrote in an email to The Chronicle. She called Syverud’s response “a whitewashing and playing down of what is really happening. I get you don’t want to alarm people, but I’m a Latina, and when you play down a hate crime, THAT is alarming to me and my community.”

The University is trying to catch up, posting a chart showing students’ demands and actions taken.

Notes image source.
Protest image source.

Discussion:

• Read more about the Syracuse University situation. What were the administration’s major missteps? How can they best recover now?

• What’s your view of the chart? What works well about this approach, and how might it fall short?

• Some are calling for the chancellor to resign. Should he? Why or why not?

• What leadership character dimensions are illustrated by this situation?

Prince Andrew's BBC Interview Does Not Go Well

Prince Andrew took a BBC interview to explain his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, who had served prison time for having sex with a minor. The Duke of York spent a night at Epstein’s mansion, which some victims called a ”House of Horrors.” The Duke is shown in photographs, along with photos of young women coming into and leaving the house. One woman claims that, when she was 17, she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew. Since that time, Epstein committed suicide in jail, where he was facing sex trafficking charges.

Prince Andrew told the BBC interviewer, “I kick myself for on a daily basis because it was not something that was becoming of a member of the Royal Family and we try and uphold the highest standards and practices and I let the side down, simple as that."

When asked about his stay at the mansion, Prince Andrew replied, "It was a convenient place to stay. I mean I've gone through this in my mind so many times. At the end of the day, with a benefit of all the hindsight that one can have, it was definitely the wrong thing to do. But at the time I felt it was the honourable and right thing to do and I admit fully that my judgement was probably coloured by my tendency to be too honourable but that's just the way it is."

He also referred to Epstein’s behavior as unbecoming: “Do I regret the fact that he has quite obviously conducted himself in a manner unbecoming? Yes.” When questioned, he said, “I’m sorry. I’m being polite. I mean in the sense that he was a sex offender.”

Responses to the interview have been negative. Since the interview, AON, Cisco, KMPG, and a British charity have removed or are considering removing their brand affiliations with the prince’s name and his work.

Prince Andrew has since tweeted his sympathy and decision to “step back from public duties for the foreseeable future.”

Discussion:

• Describe the arguments for and against Prince Andrew’s decision to take the BBC interview.

• Looking at the BBC interview, do you think he could have handled the situation better? What could he have done differently?

• Analyze the prince’s tweet. What’s your view of that decision and communication? How well is the prince managing the fallout?

• What leadership character dimensions are illustrated by this situation?

Letter from WeWork Employees

As WeWork plans layoffs, employees are asking for input into what happens to them and their peers. Referring to themselves as WeWorkers Coalition, the employees wrote a letter to the management team.

To the We Company Management Team:

WeWork’s company values encourage us to be “entrepreneurial, inspired, authentic, tenacious, grateful and together.” Today, we are embracing these qualities wholeheartedly as we band together to ensure the well-being of our peers.

We come from many departments across the company: building maintenance, cleaning, community, design, product, engineering and more. We believe that in the upcoming weeks we have the unique opportunity to demonstrate our true values to the world. This is a company that has inspired many of us, challenged us, and has been a formative personal and professional experience for those of us who began our careers here. WeWork has been not just a workplace, but a source of friendships and inspiration along the way.

We also believe our product can have a lasting positive impact on the world. We want to improve workplace happiness for millions of office workers and support small and medium sized businesses in their entrepreneurial efforts. We have been proud to support these goals and dedicate our time and talent to achieve them. This has been our story so far.

Recently, however, we have watched as layers are peeled back one-by-one to reveal a different story. This story is one of deception, exclusion and selfishness playing out at the company’s highest levels. This is a story that reads as a negation of all our core values. But this story is not over.

Thousands of us will be laid off in the upcoming weeks. But we want our time here to have meant something. We don’t want to be defined by the scandals, the corruption, and the greed exhibited by the company’s leadership. We want to leave behind a legacy that represents the true character and intentions of WeWork employees.

In the immediate term, we want those being laid off to be provided fair and reasonable separation terms commensurate with their contributions, including severance pay, continuation of company-paid health insurance and compensation for lost equity. We are not the Adam Neumanns of this world — we are a diverse work force with rents to pay, households to support and children to raise. Neumann departed with a $1.7 billion severance package including a yearly $46 million “consulting fee” (higher than the total compensation of all but nine public C.E.O.s in the United States in 2018). We are not asking for this level of graft. We are asking to be treated with humanity and dignity so we can continue living life while searching to make a living elsewhere. In consideration of recent news, we will also need clarity around the contracts our cleaning staff will be required to sign in order to keep their jobs, which are being outsourced to a third party. Those of us who have visas through WeWork need assistance and adequate time to find a new employer to sponsor our respective visas.

In the medium term, employees need a seat at the table so the company can address a broader range of issues. We’ve seen what can happen when leadership makes decisions while employees have no voice. We will need to see more transparency and more accountability.

We also need the thousands who maintain our buildings and directly service members to receive full benefits and fair pay, rather than earning just above minimum wage.

We need allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment to be taken seriously, acted on immediately and resolved with transparency.

We need diversity and inclusion efforts to materialize into real actions, not just talking points at company meetings.

We need salary transparency so we can surface and address systemic inequalities.

We need an end to forced arbitration contracts, which strip employees of their right to pursue fair legal action against the company.

We need all of this, and more.

In the long term, we want the employees who remain at WeWork, and those who join in the future, to inherit something positive we left behind. We want them to never find themselves in this position again, and for that to happen, they need a voice.

With this letter we are introducing ourselves, the WeWorkers Coalition. We are taking full advantage of our legal right to establish this coalition, and in doing so, we hope to give the future employees of WeWork the voice we never had.

We want to work with you. Please join us in writing a better ending to this chapter of the WeWork story.

By this Thursday at 5:00 p.m. EST, we would like to receive confirmation of your receipt of this letter and an indication of your willingness to meet us.

The WeWorkers Coalition

@weworkersco • info@weworkersco.org • #weworkers-coalition

Image source.

Discussion:

• What principles of business writing do the employees follow?

• What persuasive strategies do they use in the letter? Find examples of logical argument, emotional appeal, and credibility.

• What do you consider the strongest and weakest arguments?

• What leadership character dimensions are illustrated in this situation?

Boeing CEO Responds to Questions

This week, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg answered lawmakers’ questions about the two Max 737 plane crashes in the past year. Facing families of deceased passengers, Muilenburg began his testimony with an apology:

“I’d like to begin by expressing my deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who were lost in the Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accidents, including those who are here in the room today. I wanted to let you know, on behalf of myself and all of the men and women of Boeing, how deeply sorry I am. As we observe today the solemn anniversary of the loss of Lion Air Flight 610, please know that we carry the memory of these accidents, and of your loved ones, with us every day. They will never be forgotten, and these tragedies will continue to drive us to do everything we can to make our airplanes and our industry safer.”

One of the most tense moments was when Senator Ted Cruz questioned Muilenburg (see video). Muilenburg also faced criticism as he was leaving. The mother of a victim of the second crash responded to his invoking his Iowa farm background:

“Go back to Iowa. Do that.” She also said, “I don't feel like you understand. It's come to the point where you're not the person anymore to solve the situation."

Discussion:

• Watch more of Muilenburg’s testimony. What are some examples of questions he addressed well, and how could he have done better?

• How well does Muilenburg balance emotional appeals, logical arguments, and credibility in his testimony?

• What leadership character dimensions are illustrated by this situation and by Muilenburg’s testimony?

• Muilenburg’s interaction with the mother is a difficult situation for anyone to handle, and we can certainly understand her grief and anger. How would you have responded?

  CNN reports:

  “In response, Muilenburg said he respects her viewpoint. "But I want to tell you the way I was brought up. And I'm just being honest here about it. I learned from my father in Iowa ... when things happen on your watch you have to own them and you have to take responsibility for fixing them," he said.

Layoffs Planned at WeWork

After a failed IPO and questions about its leadership and financials, WeWork is planning to downsize. New co-CEOs Artie Minson and Sebastian Gunningham warned employees to expect layoffs but said they will be handled “humanely.”

The new leadership had already prepared employees: "While we anticipate difficult decisions ahead, each decision will be made with rigorous analysis, always bearing in mind the company's long-term interest and health." The new information gives employees a better sense of what will come.

But news stories aren’t consistent. Fortune reports 2,000 layoffs or about 16% of WeWork employees affected, while Dice reports 5,000. Dice acknowledges differences in reporting.

Affected employees could be in business segments that will be spun off, so they may still have a job. WeWork may try to sell Meetup, Managed by Q, and Conductor brands.

Discussion:

• Assess WeWork’s communications to employees so far. Even if the percentage were clear, the number of layoffs may change. Are the new leaders doing the right thing in giving an estimate now?

• Employees know layoffs are coming “soon.” Should they have more specific dates? Consider whether this is a good idea.

https://fortune.com/2019/09/25/wework-new-ceos-memo-employees/

Forever 21 Files for Bankruptcy

Retailer Forever 21 has filed for bankruptcy, and employees are not happy. In its Letter to Customers, posted on the website, the company explains the process:

This does NOT mean that we are going out of business – on the contrary, filing for bankruptcy protection is a deliberate and decisive step to put us on a successful track for the future.

Hundreds of employees are planning to unionize with United for Respect, which also represented employees from Sears and Toys R Us during their bankruptcies.

The Washington Post reports employees’ reactions to the Forever 21 decision:

[S]everal employees cited past instances where Forever 21 swiftly closed stores with little warning or explanation, which prompted their concerns over how the company would treat employees amid bankruptcy.

Unions are seeing opportunities in retail employees. Private-section union membership has been shrinking in the U.S. and is now only 6.4%, compared to 33.9% of government workers. As retail employees get discouraged by their employers, union organizing activity has been increasing.

Cover image source.

Image source here.

Discussion:

• Analyze the Letter to Customers. Which principles of communicating bad news are followed? How could the message be improved?

• Explain the ethics of a company filing for bankruptcy. Use an ethical decision-model, such as that in Chapter 1, to determine the effects.

• What’s your view of retail employees unionizing? What are the benefits to employees and potential downsides of union activity and of forming a union?

CEOs Advocate for Gun Safety

CEOs are encouraging senators to pass stricter gun regulations, such as background checks and a “Red Flag” law that allows guns to be taken from someone who poses a threat. The leaders of 145 companies sent a letter asking for the following:

“That’s why we urge the Senate to stand with the American public and take action on gun safety by passing a bill to require background checks on all gun sales and a strong Red Flag law that would allow courts to issue life-saving extreme risk protection orders.”

The Trump Administration has implemented a ban on bump stock devices, which allows a shooter to fire in more rapid succession, and President Trump has supported more thorough background checks for gun buyers.

Image source.

Discussion:

• What’s your view of CEOs taking on this activist role? What is driving them, and what are the potential risks?

• What observations do you have about the companies that are represented—and perhaps about those that are not?

• Analyze the letter by considering the audience, communication objectives, organization, writing style, and so on. What works well, and what could be improved?

United Air Kerfuffle

A United Airlines representative participated in an entertaining Twitter exchange about seat prices. The customer has a point: it’s silly to have empty seats on a plane. But United also has a point: the seats are more expensive, and this customer didn’t pay the extra fee.

The Lexus analogy is a curious one. The better analogy may be stadiums or theaters. In some cases, we will see people move closer to a field or a stage, but I understand (although I’ve never been) that this isn’t allowed at the U.S. Open.

Discussion:

• What’s your view of United Airlines’ policy? What other examples are similar? Can you think of a better analogy?

• What’s your view of the Twitter exchange? Is the customer right, antagonistic, rude, or something else? How about the United rep?

Dorian News Conferences

Local officials are holding news conferences about the impact of Hurricane Dorian.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced mostly good news for the city, but he also addresses the terrible impact on the Bahamas.

Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis announced worse news: five fatalities. Since then, the number has risen to 30.

Discussion:

• Compare these two presentations, particularly the content and tone. What differences do you notice?

• How effectively did each government official convey the news?

• What leadership character dimensions did they demonstrate?

Employees Pressure Walmart to Consider Role in Gun Violence

Walmart is in a tough spot after recent shootings. Some employees are pressing the company to do more to fight gun violence, but no policy changes are planned. After previous attacks, Walmart stopped selling assault-style weapons and raised the minimum age to purchase guns and ammunition, but it’s unclear whether the leaders will do more. Employees are asking Walmart to stop selling firearms and to disallow customers from carrying guns into the stores.

The company seems divided about employees’ activism. Chief Executive Doug McMillon wrote, ”We are proud to be woven into the American fabric as a place for all people. We are more resolved than ever to foster an inclusive environment where all people are valued and welcomed.” At the same time, the company blocked two employees’ access to Slack, encouraging employees to use “more constructive ways for associates to offer feedback such as emails or conversations with leaders.”

A study recently published in the International Journal of Business Communication found that employees are more likely to “express dissent to managers and coworkers” when they are more socialized in the company and when they believe their company is “more ethical and reputable.”

A Wall Street Journal article explains the risk for Walmart to take more action against gun sales:

“[A]ny change to its gun policies risks alienating Walmart’s core customers, who often live in more conservative-leaning rural and suburban communities. The company faced some consumer backlash after raising the minimum age to purchase guns to 21.”

Image source.

Discussion:

• How can the company balance employees’ and customers’ perspectives? What else, if anything, should company leaders say and do?

• Did the company do the right thing by blocking Slack access? In what ways are email and conversations more or less “constructive”?

• What leadership character dimensions are illustrated by this situation?

How to Deal with Being "Ghosted"

Too often, employers stop responding to candidates. Even after an in-person interview, candidates never hear back. The CEO of a job search platform advises people to follow up in a few ways:

• Send one email a week. Be thoughtful about your messages to express interest; maybe share new research about the company .

• Try different channels. For example, send a LinkedIn message instead of email, but only once.

• Reach out to others. Contact another recruiter or the hiring manager directly.

All of these actions come with risk, but the writer argues, and I agree, that the risk is worth it. None of these follow-ups are too annoying, and you may turn the tide in your favor.

Ghost cartoon image source.

Be a Human image source.

Discussion:

• Why do you think employers ghost applicants? Consider what incentive they have to follow up.

• What’s your view of these follow-up approaches? Which are you more or less comfortable doing?

Government Scandal in Puerto Rico

Gov. Ricardo A. Rosselló says he will not resign despite protests about private messages that included personal attacks and crude language. With 11 of his top aides, Rosselló participated in chats via the messaging app Telegram. Almost 900 pages of text are now public, and we see insults about other officials with references to people’s sexual orientation, gender, and weight.

The news comes after government corruption chargers earlier this week. The governor admitted, “I committed inappropriate acts,” but also said, “I have not committed illegal acts.”

In a news conference, Rosselló used the words “improper” and “shameful,” but didn’t agree with the reporter that the chats were unethical.

Discussion:

• Should the governor resign? Why or why not?

• What’s your view of the private chats? Should government officials be able to message each other freely? Why or why not?

• How well did the governor respond to the reporter’s questions? Did he convince you?

Suicide Among France Télécom Employees

Management couldn’t fire employees at France Télécom, so, according to critics, they harassed them hoping they would quit. But at least 35 committed suicide under the pressure, and some reports claim the number is closer to 60.

France Télécom was privatized and rebranded as Orange in July 2013. The company wasn’t keeping up with technological changes and, according to executives, were saddled with state employees, who are protected from termination. In 2007, Didier Lombard, the former chief executive of France Télécom, said they would get to their ideal number of layoffs “one way or another, by the window or by the door.”

A New York Times article describes the environment: “A grim universe of underemployment, marginalization, miscasting and systematic harassment was established at the huge company, according to testimony at the trial.” Managers tried changing job responsibilities for some workers, but employees were left without tasks or with tasks they couldn’t do.

With France’s high unemployment rate, employees felt they had few options. Union members, shown here, express their support during the trial in Paris. We’ll see whether the judges find company executives guilty.

Discussion:

• How did management justify its practices? On the other hand, how could they have acted differently?

• What experience do you have with international labor laws? Describe differences and how they might affect business decisions.

• Should France reconsider its lifetime employment protections?

• What leadership character dimensions are illustrated by this situation?

Harvard Rescinds an Offer

Harvard withdrew an admissions offer after discovering racist comments by the applicant online. The applicant, Kyle Kashuv, posted his version of events, including Harvard’s withdrawal and his responses before and after the final decision.

Kashuv became an activist for gun rights after he survived the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. He joined Turning Point USA, which The Chronicle describes as “a right-wing organization with chapters on many college campuses.”

Despite his explanation and apology, Harvard decided to rescind the offer. ]

Harvard College image source.

Discussion:

• Read Kashuv’s account of what happened as well as news articles. What’s your view? Did Harvard make the right decision? Why or why not?

• What, if anything, could Kashuv have done to prevent the withdrawal? Could he have been more persuasive in some way?

Restaurant Owner Forgives Manager for $4,710 Mistake

The manager of Hawksmoor Manchester steakhouse accidentally served a $5,000 bottle of wine when the guests ordered one priced at $290. The owner forgave her publicly, on Twitter.

Naturally, the conversation doesn’t end there. Jokes abound, one announcing that the manager has since been placed in an “on-site incinerator.”

Others pounced on the expensive wine and criticized the restaurant, to which the owner responded in a tweet:

I’m sure you’re all getting tired of this now, so one last thing, to the people who put homelessness in Manchester next to ‘£4500 wine?!’ and suggesting we have no values: we’ve raised well over £1m for @ACF_UK, work with @WoodSt_Mission and @notjustsoupMCR. We have values.

Discussion:

• What leadership character dimensions are demonstrated by this story?

• How well did the owner respond to criticism?