Title: Case study: when a bright idea creates a business dilemma

Authors: Lee Tyner; M. Suzanne Clinton

Addresses: University of Central Oklahoma, 100 N. University, Edmond, OK 73034, USA ' College of Business, University of Central Oklahoma, 100 North University Drive, Campus Box 115, Edmond, OK 73034, USA

Abstract: Bright Lights has a history of success, but is at a pivotal point, facing the pains of strategic change. One salesperson has found a way to maintain sales and increase profit margin, but it requires operating between the lines of ethical boundaries. Ethics provides a choice between right and right as opposed to moral temptation of right and wrong (Kidder, 1996). As the case unfolds, Jim receives a mandate of which customers he can call on, reducing sales, profit margin, and customer satisfaction. A top performer, Jim finds a solution within company policy and the law, but although not hidden, is not entirely transparent. This creates two ethical decisions: 1) Should he be reprimanded or praised? 2) Should the company update policies to ban his actions, or promote his actions among other salespeople? This case clearly strikes the dilemma found in navigating the boundaries of a questionable business strategy.

Keywords: ethics; ethics case study; human resource management; human resource policy; human resource strategy; sales; sales policy; business dilemma; decision making; teaching case study.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTCS.2024.139178

International Journal of Teaching and Case Studies, 2024 Vol.14 No.4, pp.384 - 392

Received: 16 Oct 2023
Accepted: 14 Nov 2023
Published online: 24 Jun 2024 *

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