develop a Workplace Diversity Strategy for Danford Products.

MINI-CASE: DIVERSITY AT DANFORD PRODUCTS

Headquartered in Chicago, Danford Products, Incorporated is a large, international corporation with refineries, storage, and distribution facilities throughout the U.S. and a number of foreign locations. The company is well-established in the industry and continues to grow.

Martin Roche, President and CEO, is a well respected, highly intelligent business leader with a reputation for toughness and outstanding executive skills. Given to conservative business practices, Mr. Roche is not pleased with a recent court order to increase the representation of minorities and women in Danfords workforce as a result of a number of employee and applicant complaints. In fact, he openly voiced displeasure with the ruling. In view of the companys status as a leader in its industry, Danford agreed to make a good faith effort to comply.

Marc Johnson is the Vice President in charge of the Investment Department for Danford. A graduate of an Ivy League college, he earned his MBA from a prestigious business school. He has been with the company for sixteen years. Johnson is highly regarded by both peers and superiors. Since taking over his current responsibilities six years ago, Johnson has turned his area into one of the more successful financial operations in the industry.

The Investment Department has only white males in its professional and management positions. Johnson has privately told some of his subordinates that minorities probably dont have the intelligence or training for the kind of technical and financially complex work in the department. He has also said he doubts that women have the proper temperament for this type of work. However, if he could find one or two exceptional minorities or women who were qualified, he would consider hiring them.

Danfords Human Resources Department, after having been notified that the company was being required by the federal government to increase the hiring of minorities and women, proceeded to aggressively recruit such candidates. They recruited Marita Rivera, a Hispanic female who recently received an MBA degree from the University of Puerto Rico, ranking first in her graduating class. Marc Johnson had agreed to interview Marita because he did not want to appear unwilling to hire minorities and women. However, it is Johnsons opinion that business education in Puerto Rico is pretty much second rate.

When Marita arrived, Johnson greeted her warmly and invited her into his office. Mispronouncing her first name, Johnson asked, Well Maryto, what makes you think you would like to work for Danford Products? While Marita was answering, Johnson was actually concentrating more on her physical appearance. Actually, shes dressed in appropriate business attire, Johnson thought, and she seems to be sophisticated. As Marita continued to respond in a well thought-out manner, Johnson was quick to note that Marita had a Spanish accent. Johnson thought that Maritas accent would keep her from communicating the right image and that some clients would have trouble understanding her.

As the interview continued, Johnson asked her more technical questions. He was surprised how well she answered them. He had not expected such solid answers to come so easily from a Hispanic woman. In order to show her that she wasnt quite as well prepared for this job as she seemed to be, Johnson posed a question that only a senior financial analyst could answer. When Marita was unable to answer, Johnson felt that his preconceptions were supported.

As the interview ended, Johnson asked if Marita had family in the Chicago area. She said that her family now lived on the South Side of Chicago. A picture of the South Side flashed in his mind. Everyone knew that most people living there were noisy, violent, and on welfarepeople who would obviously be unreliable employees. Since Johnson knew that his team was a close knit group who socialized and visited each others homes, he felt that they would never accept a Hispanic from the South Side. Johnson decided to end the interview.

Well, Maryto, as you know, we are considering other candidates for the position. Well complete our interviews in a couple of weeks. Ill notify you of our decision at that time.

The next day, Johnson met Mr. Roche who inquired about the Hispanic candidate. Johnson responded that although the candidate was technically qualified, he didnt feel there was a good fit. Johnson sent her a rejection letter a few weeks latter.