Running head: Land’s End Case Analysis Fair Practice Case Analysis of Land’s End Managerial Communications October 5, 2010 Abstract Land’s End a clothing manufacture failed to comply with a University’s Code of Conduct. A code policy which calls for fair and just business practices consistent with the university’s Jesuit tradition and mission of social responsibility. The primary facility in question was Land’s End factory in Primo, El Salvador. Over a number of years Land’s End work integrity and compliance of worker codes have been question.
In 2004 Lands’ End was cited by Daniel Porterfield the vice president of public affairs and strategic development at Georgetown University Georgetown declared the company’s failure to uphold the code and to “recognize and respect the right of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining. ”(Aryanpur, 2004) Land’s End efforts are to ensure that worker discrimination does not occur at their El Salvador factory in question and to ensure that all other factories which supply Lands’ End clothing will respect all workers’ rights.
Fair Practice Case Analysis of Land’s End The company has come a long way from 1963 were they sold racing sailboat equipment as well as duffle bags, rain gear, and other various pieces of clothing’s from a basement in Chicago, Illinois. When they founder their business it was just a couple of guys now the company has grown worldwide with over 4,900 employees and over 290 stores (Casper, 2010). With the growth of a company there is a growth and development process within management, employees and overall company ethics.
As with any management practice, the most important outcome is behaviors preferred by this company. The best of ethical values and intentions are relatively meaningless unless they generate fair and just behaviors in the workplace. In a letter dated January 22, 2004 Lands’ End received notice from the vice president for public affairs and strategic development at Georgetown University stating the university would indefinitely suspend its contract with Lands’ End. (Aryanpur, A. , 2004) When a potential employee was denied a job in El Salvador Land’s End supplier and complained he was black listed.
Step 1: Recap and analyze the relevant facts Land’s End is a wide geographical located company with multi-cultural classes regarding their employees. This in itself leads to several problems within a company in balancing worker personalities, environment and hiring practices. The root of managing and controlling favorable conditions begins with adequately trained mangers. Experienced managers can realize use of the deliverable standards of management practices with hiring, planning, organizing and motivating these are only a partial representations of a well developed company.
This is why a company will need to generate lists of ethical values, or codes of ethics, must also generate hiring policies, procedures and training that translate those values to appropriate behaviors. Step 2: Determining the Root Problem & Step 3: Identifying the Problem Components After reviewing aspects of this case there are two basic problems. The first is that there are certain procedures in place for employers to follow if they decided to hire individuals for potential employment.
These are produces are based upon quality decisions by including diverse interests and perspectives, and increases the credibility of the decision process and outcome by reducing suspicion of unfair bias. The second is having managers trained in such practices as codes of ethics and codes of conduct. The training develops sensitized employees to ethical considerations and minimizes the chances of unethical behavior occurring in the first place. Step 4: Generating Alternatives (THE WHAT/Setting Objectives)
There are several possibilities that come to mind that could have prevented this situation. First, it is vital that the company’s employees feel a sense of participation and ownership in the program if they are to adhere to its ethical values. Therefore, we want the best intentions and growth for our company. Secondly, organize a committee that would oversee hiring practices, and the ethical process of equal opportunity employment. Third, appoint one or two key people within the job qualification/duties to interview, evaluate and give feedback on the potential employee.
Step 5: Evaluating Alternatives The first two of the above alternatives would have prevented this situation from happening. In the presence of proper training practices and ethical hiring methods there would be less potential failure of the code of conduct. Following these rules, the interviewers would have considered properr hiring procedure so to be ethical in nature, without issues in regards to respect, fairness and honesty. Identify the behaviors are needed to resolve these issues. Identify which values would generate those preferred behaviors.
There may be values included here that some people would not deem as moral or ethical values, such as requesting race, religion or marital status, these practical values may add more relevance and utility to a code of ethics. The last alternative would add a sense of involvement of the current workforce and a different outlook other than from the managerial level. Step 6: Choose an Alternative The most effective implementation that would avoid future problem, as well make a fair and unbiased work environment would be to reorganize the hiring practices.
This ensures the company is not (or is not near) breaking any of code of conduct guidelines. Identify these issues and implementing new procedures as well identify which behaviors would generate the most preferred outcomes. Step 7: Implementation Plan (THE HOW) These new procedures should include the entire workplace in regards to the developing change in personnel hiring policies, reflecting on what are ethical values the company would like to promote within their organization’s and then include these policies in standard protocols. Implementing these policy changes can be in the form of; 1.
Orient new employees to the organization’s ethics program during new-employee orientation. 2. Review the ethics management program in management training experiences. 3. Involving staff in review of codes is strong ethics training. 4. Involving staff in review of policies (ethics and personnel policies) is strong ethics training. (Howard, & Korver, 2008; Jones & Gendron, 2004) Step 8: Alternative Choice Depending on the size of the organization, certain roles may prove useful in managing ethics in the workplace. These can be full-time roles or part-time functions assumed by someone already in the organization.
Small organizations certainly will not have the resources to implement each the following roles using different people in the organization. However, the following functions points out responsibilities that should be included somewhere in the organization. Land’s End is a large worldwide company and needing to be well versed in Code of Conduct procedures. Conclusion In conclusion, the conflict in this case could have been easily avoided if Land’s End followed the Code of Conduct in the work place. The starting point in any conscious attempt at rational decision making must be the recognition that a problem exists.
While effective meetings are essential to getting work done, most meetings leave us still looking for a decision. Establishing a committee which to regulate fairness and unbiased hiring conduct and procedures. This should facilitate in decision making, assist others in taking responsibility, and contribute to building team effort within the company. The committee begins with defining the problem. Identifying the problem is very crucial. It is important to not define a future problems so there is no question of following fair and unbiased equal rights. References AMA Strategic Case Analysis. Retrieved October 1, 2010, from www. manet. org Hattersley, M. , & McJannet, L. (2008). Management Communication: Principles and Practice (3rd ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Company. Aryanpur, A. (2004) Land’s End Loses Contract. Retrieved from http://www. thehoya. com/news/lands-end-loses-contract/ Casper, M. (2010, October 4). Public Relations, Land’s End, Interview. Howard, R. & Korver, C. , (2008). Choose Action: Systematic Ethical Decision Making. Retrieved on October 3, 2010 from http://hbr. org/product/choose-action-systematic- ethical-decision-making/an/7799BC-PDF-ENG? Ntt=alternatives%2520to%2520 ethical%2520%issues%2520
