Victoria Pilate, Ph.D.
Shoebox Projects (7-9) - Supplement Information
Shoebox 7 -- the Office Party
You work for a third generation family owned business. This year is special for
several reasons. The company just inked a multi-million dollar deal with a
Korean company and a Japanese company. The founder is still alive and will
celebrate his 100th birthday. Four events are planned: a celebration of the
Korean-Japanese deal which will occur on July 1, a celebration of the founder’s
birthday which is November 2nd. And the usual anniversary party (May 1) and
Christmas party. All will be family events (e.g., families of employees are invited).
Your job is to plan these events including the timing (date and time of day) and
menus. The only guidance you have is on the party for the Korean-Japanese
deal, the CEO wants to have also a Fourth of July celebration as well with
traditional American foods (hot dogs, apple pie, jello, peanut butter) as well as
some Japanese and Korean foods to honor the visiting business partners.
Below are the demographic characteristics of your company which considers
itself a leader in diversity.
50% nonHispanic Caucasian
25% African descended
20% Asian (half of which are Indian)
5% Hispanic
About half of the workforce is female. Though the company doesn’t track it,
based on how employees dress and what you know about them personally,
there are at least 10 Muslims and 20 Hindus in the workforce (5% and 10%
respectively of the workforce). The founder and his family are Orthodox; there are
at least 20% Orthodox employees of which at least five are Orthodox Copts.
There are at least five Jews and sixteen Catholics who work for the company.
Muslims do not eat or drink during daylight hours during Ramadan. (for 2005,
9/25 through 10/25)
Orthodox do not eat meat during Advent (the four weeks before Christmas).
Catholics do not eat meat on Fridays during Lent.
Observant Jews do not eat pork, rabbit nor lobster.
Observant Muslims do not eat pork nor drink alcohol.
Observant Hindus do not eat beef.
The Orthodox Christmas is in early January (January 7).
At the July party, everything goes well. You offer a hot dog to a Korean business
man and he replies, “Yes we Koreans do eat dog but not that part.” Come up
with a response.
Jello has been suggested as being the quintessential American food. It was
invented in this country. It is extremely popular. See website for details. Note
jello is not kosher.
http://www.kraftfoods.com/jello/main.aspx?s=&m=jlo_history
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bljello.htm
Similarly peanut butter is also considered very “American.” It has its origins as a
food staple in this country and is consumed in large proportions by American
children and adults alike. The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is true American
cuisine. So American is peanut butter, social scientists measure assimilation
of immigrants by how soon peanut butter enters their diets.
You’re asked by the Japanese partner about the jello and peanut butter bars.
Roleplay how to explain the food choices to the Japanese partner.
Shoebox 8 -- the Albino Reptile
You work for a Midwest zoo. The zoo has just arranged the loan of an albino
alligator. Upon its arrival, it has turned pink during transit. The resident
zoologist explains stress causes that species to change colors from white to
pink and that its color will be back to normal in a few weeks. Animals de-stress
much the way humans do, taking a few days to get over a stress event.
The zoo director had planned a big welcome ceremony (also read as fundraiser)
for this unusual animal. What are the zoo’s options?
Animal rights activists periodically picket zoos including your employer as they
feel zoos are unethical and violate the rights of animals. Defenders of zoos say
they actually preserve animal species which would have already become extinct
in the wild. As well, they say zoos actually extend animal lives, providing medical
care that enables animals to live when injured or become sick. Scientific data
support the belief that the quality of life for animals is better in zoos than the wild
as far as medical care and expected life expectancies is concerned. However,
quality of life, usually measured by visible animal stress and depression, varies
according to the species and quality of care at a given zoo.
The zoo’s attorney is concerned that the stress event of the albino will create
problems from animal rights activists. Speak to this. Consider in your answer
that the zoo director wants to go forward with an exhibit of the animal with an
educational component about why it’s pink. Other than its color, the animal is
healthy.
The zoo director wants to have an exhibit in which many albino animals are
featured including human albinos. Such an exhibit of albino animals can be
quickly arranged by borrowing animals from other zoos. Speak to the inclusion
of human albinos. Albinos can occur with any race but it is most notable with
African descended people. Speak to the ethics of this idea. Frankly, does the
inclusion of albino humans begin to feel like a circus freak show? Or
alternatively is this a unique educational opportunity? Speak to this. Note the
attached article on the plight of albinos.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2646967.stm
www.ipsnews.net/sendnews.asp?idnews=14122
As well, if the human component is added, speak to how you would attract
albino participants and how to protect their feelings as skin color and reactions
to skin color continue to be a sensitive issue in America and across the globe.
Do you have ethical responsibilities to the human participants?
http://www.dfw.com/mld/tallahassee/8804559.htm?
template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
Shoebox 9 -- Minor League Baseball Team
You work for your father who is a venture capitalist/entrepreneur. He has just
agreed to buy a minor league baseball team of the neighboring larger city. The
team suffers from low attendance and low revenue. Discuss ways of turning
around the team.
The team offers a discount for senior citizens and for Little League players if they
come in uniform with their parents. The Little League discount is for weekday
games only. Dad wants to offer a discount for anyone who brings in a program
from a religious service (it may be a Christian, Jewish or Muslim, etc service).
What do you think about that idea? Are there ethical implications?
One option your brother has suggested is to push advertising either in the game
program or through advertising around the stadium. For some time, the
previous owners had been approached by the local Unitarian-Universalist
congregation and the local Gay Pride organization to buy advertising. Using his
managerial discretion, he refused to sell advertising to them. To the Gay Pride
organization, his response was that he wanted to avoid a backlash from
religious conservative organizations. Suppose you are approached by the two
groups for advertising. What is your thought process and what do you decide to
do about their offers?
You work for a third generation family owned business. This year is special for
several reasons. The company just inked a multi-million dollar deal with a
Korean company and a Japanese company. The founder is still alive and will
celebrate his 100th birthday. Four events are planned: a celebration of the
Korean-Japanese deal which will occur on July 1, a celebration of the founder’s
birthday which is November 2nd. And the usual anniversary party (May 1) and
Christmas party. All will be family events (e.g., families of employees are invited).
Your job is to plan these events including the timing (date and time of day) and
menus. The only guidance you have is on the party for the Korean-Japanese
deal, the CEO wants to have also a Fourth of July celebration as well with
traditional American foods (hot dogs, apple pie, jello, peanut butter) as well as
some Japanese and Korean foods to honor the visiting business partners.
Below are the demographic characteristics of your company which considers
itself a leader in diversity.
50% nonHispanic Caucasian
25% African descended
20% Asian (half of which are Indian)
5% Hispanic
About half of the workforce is female. Though the company doesn’t track it,
based on how employees dress and what you know about them personally,
there are at least 10 Muslims and 20 Hindus in the workforce (5% and 10%
respectively of the workforce). The founder and his family are Orthodox; there are
at least 20% Orthodox employees of which at least five are Orthodox Copts.
There are at least five Jews and sixteen Catholics who work for the company.
Muslims do not eat or drink during daylight hours during Ramadan. (for 2005,
9/25 through 10/25)
Orthodox do not eat meat during Advent (the four weeks before Christmas).
Catholics do not eat meat on Fridays during Lent.
Observant Jews do not eat pork, rabbit nor lobster.
Observant Muslims do not eat pork nor drink alcohol.
Observant Hindus do not eat beef.
The Orthodox Christmas is in early January (January 7).
At the July party, everything goes well. You offer a hot dog to a Korean business
man and he replies, “Yes we Koreans do eat dog but not that part.” Come up
with a response.
Jello has been suggested as being the quintessential American food. It was
invented in this country. It is extremely popular. See website for details. Note
jello is not kosher.
http://www.kraftfoods.com/jello/main.aspx?s=&m=jlo_history
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bljello.htm
Similarly peanut butter is also considered very “American.” It has its origins as a
food staple in this country and is consumed in large proportions by American
children and adults alike. The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is true American
cuisine. So American is peanut butter, social scientists measure assimilation
of immigrants by how soon peanut butter enters their diets.
You’re asked by the Japanese partner about the jello and peanut butter bars.
Roleplay how to explain the food choices to the Japanese partner.
Shoebox 8 -- the Albino Reptile
You work for a Midwest zoo. The zoo has just arranged the loan of an albino
alligator. Upon its arrival, it has turned pink during transit. The resident
zoologist explains stress causes that species to change colors from white to
pink and that its color will be back to normal in a few weeks. Animals de-stress
much the way humans do, taking a few days to get over a stress event.
The zoo director had planned a big welcome ceremony (also read as fundraiser)
for this unusual animal. What are the zoo’s options?
Animal rights activists periodically picket zoos including your employer as they
feel zoos are unethical and violate the rights of animals. Defenders of zoos say
they actually preserve animal species which would have already become extinct
in the wild. As well, they say zoos actually extend animal lives, providing medical
care that enables animals to live when injured or become sick. Scientific data
support the belief that the quality of life for animals is better in zoos than the wild
as far as medical care and expected life expectancies is concerned. However,
quality of life, usually measured by visible animal stress and depression, varies
according to the species and quality of care at a given zoo.
The zoo’s attorney is concerned that the stress event of the albino will create
problems from animal rights activists. Speak to this. Consider in your answer
that the zoo director wants to go forward with an exhibit of the animal with an
educational component about why it’s pink. Other than its color, the animal is
healthy.
The zoo director wants to have an exhibit in which many albino animals are
featured including human albinos. Such an exhibit of albino animals can be
quickly arranged by borrowing animals from other zoos. Speak to the inclusion
of human albinos. Albinos can occur with any race but it is most notable with
African descended people. Speak to the ethics of this idea. Frankly, does the
inclusion of albino humans begin to feel like a circus freak show? Or
alternatively is this a unique educational opportunity? Speak to this. Note the
attached article on the plight of albinos.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2646967.stm
www.ipsnews.net/sendnews.asp?idnews=14122
As well, if the human component is added, speak to how you would attract
albino participants and how to protect their feelings as skin color and reactions
to skin color continue to be a sensitive issue in America and across the globe.
Do you have ethical responsibilities to the human participants?
http://www.dfw.com/mld/tallahassee/8804559.htm?
template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
Shoebox 9 -- Minor League Baseball Team
You work for your father who is a venture capitalist/entrepreneur. He has just
agreed to buy a minor league baseball team of the neighboring larger city. The
team suffers from low attendance and low revenue. Discuss ways of turning
around the team.
The team offers a discount for senior citizens and for Little League players if they
come in uniform with their parents. The Little League discount is for weekday
games only. Dad wants to offer a discount for anyone who brings in a program
from a religious service (it may be a Christian, Jewish or Muslim, etc service).
What do you think about that idea? Are there ethical implications?
One option your brother has suggested is to push advertising either in the game
program or through advertising around the stadium. For some time, the
previous owners had been approached by the local Unitarian-Universalist
congregation and the local Gay Pride organization to buy advertising. Using his
managerial discretion, he refused to sell advertising to them. To the Gay Pride
organization, his response was that he wanted to avoid a backlash from
religious conservative organizations. Suppose you are approached by the two
groups for advertising. What is your thought process and what do you decide to
do about their offers?
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