Case Study

Ian Case Study

Consider the following Case Study situation as if you were Ian.

Ian was a senior analyst at a major hotel company.  Although Ian worked mostly in corporate headquarters, he would occasionally travel to the field where he met with front-line employees and learned what was on their minds.

On a trip to Portland, Ian had the chance to speak with two people working at the front desk about what it was like to work at the hotel.  Daniel, the younger of the two had joined the staff recently; Ellen, the other employee (and Daniel’s supervisor), had been with the company for almost 15 years.  Both employees seemed particularly interested in talking with Ian because they rarely got a chance to talk directly to anyone from headquarters.

As the three discussed changes in the hospitality industry, Ellen and Daniel complained about their company’s aggressive cost control initiatives, spearheaded by the charismatic but frugal CEO, whose policies were occasionally unpopular.  After a few more minutes of conversation, Ellen casually said, “The CEO is so tight with a buck, I wonder if he is Jewish.”

As a Jewish person, Ian did not know how to react.  He had never actually experienced anything like this before, especially in a professional setting.  Ian’s instinct was not to be combative or hostile, but he felt a bit like a deer caught in the headlights.  Daniel looked a little surprised at his supervisor’s remark, but, laughing, he quickly changed the subject.  Smiling, Ian made an excuse to end or discussion and walk away.

The next day Ian woke up still bothered by Ellen’s remark.  While checking out, he saw Daniel at the front desk.  Ian mentioned to him that he may want to tell his supervisor to watch her remarks about other peoples’ ethnicity, to which Daniel replied, “I know what you mean because I am Puerto Rican, but I think that she meant it as a joke.”  Ian could see that Daniel just  wanted to smooth the issue over.