Marcia Bastion got what she considered her dream job right out of college and at just the right time. Scratch Exports (SE)^[1], was in the import business, sourcing suppliers and handling the sale, distribution, and delivery of personal protective equipment (PPE), with disposable vinyl gloves its primary product. The job challenged Marcia who was responsible for her own accounts and included overseeing the supply chain of some of its importers.

Located in a temporary office in East Los Angeles Marcia's new company had entered the PPE market about four years earlier and Marcia joined in 2019, the year the U.S. had used 228,000 disposable gloves every minute, 328 million gloves a day and 120 billion gloves every year, or about 40-50% of the world's production. She had been sent out to visit a few of the manufacturing sites in Asia as part of her orientation and came back thinking about whether greater oversight of the production might be necessary to improve glove quality as well as the working conditions in the factories.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and as Marcia struggled to deliver the large and profitable orders she had negotiated, her concern grew to include SE's entire PPE supply chain. While her only real connection was by Zoom she could imagine what was taking place in the factories located in far-flung places that were primitive, employing exhausted workers run by questionable supervisors, and with poor quality control. The deal-making required included watching factories change hands frequently with some unsavory characters who seemed intent on maintaining a low profile while meeting demand.

Marcia knew the job had the potential to be lucrative but also addressed an important need, so she was willing to work hard. Six months in, however, Marcia read an article in an industry magazine that noted the increased demand for PPE had made it even more difficult to ensure safe workplaces and ethical labor practices globally. Then a little later she saw a piece by the World Health Organization saying that there were places in the world where the shortage of PPE meant that choices would need to be made of who to treat based upon the seriousness of the need for protection. They recommended that health providers take steps such asextended use of PPE, prioritizing patients, and limiting the use of supplies. She tried to let go of thinking about it, rationalizing that after all, she was doing her best to get orders filled as fast as possible.

No one else at Scratch Exports seemed to share her concerns and Marcia's main worry became the quality of the gloves. On more than one sale's call she pulled out samples that were mangled together and completely useless or stuck to the box and in shreds. Marcia's boss Beryl insisted that she only had to get orders, get them filled in time, and deliver the profits. But her disquiet grew.

One Monday morning Beryl announced that Scratch Exports staff were required to attend a meeting at the office that Friday. When Marcia walked into the conference room federal agents were there and notified the staff that they were investigating the importation of disposable gloves and other PPE.

The agents provided more information than Marcia wanted to know. Not only was there the issue of forced labor at factories operated by one of the largest producers in Malaysia, (which had resulted in banning imports of that glove), but there was also involvement in counterfeit and substandard medical equipment, including PPE. Incredible to her, it appeared that organized criminal groups used the opportunities arising from the pandemic to exploit the vulnerabilities and gaps existing in health and criminal justice systems, and quickly adapted by providing substandard and falsified medical products. Some had sold non-existent supplies of products to defraud individuals and procurement agencies. One case in Europe involved EUR 15 million worth of face masks.

Deeply shocked, Marcia texted her resignation to Beryl by the end of the day. She had a few months of salary saved, wanted to stay in the industry, but emphatically wanted to work at a place where her conscience could be clear.

That evening online she foundEagle Protect PBC (EP), a firm founded in New Zealand with a branch in California. EP supplied approximately 80% of the primary food processing Industry in New Zealand with responsibly sourced disposable gloves and protective clothing. They seemed to have thought of most of these issues - and others, such as what to do about the disposal of gloves. EP seemed to have devised a business model that addressed many of them proactively - something Marcia was keen to experience. Anxious to send off an application, Marcia sat down to write out ideas for her cover letter. She wanted to frame her knowledge of the industry's abuses while connecting to EP's strengths.

Questions to consider reflect her own ethical position on company behavior and the fit between them, her personal responsibility to clients. And what she has learned that she can transfer to a new position recognizing the importance of learning experiences on the job.

1. What do you think she wrote down as "knowledge acquired" from her previous job?

2. After reviewing Eagle Protect's (EP) business at the link provided and their perspective in the article provided, how would you, if you were Marcia, demonstrate interest in EP's business model in contrast to your previous experience?

3. How would you state - briefly - your professional objective at the top of your resume if you were Marcia?

4. Are you optimistic she will get a job with Eagle Protect? Why or why not?