MGMT 663
October 10, 2022
Problem analysis
- Failed leadership, caused by approval of an ad that did not resonate with women, who are part of the company’s customer segment.
- Sexual harassment against female employees.
- Abrupt firing of employees
- Creation of a workplace that demeans women. Men discussed women genitalia in their presence, making them inferior.
- Female employees were being referred to with unpleasant names, like stupid bitch. Female employees underwent mistreatment.
- There was gender discrimination against women, especially when it came to promotions at work.
Possible solutions
- Restructuring of the leadership. For instance, the human resource manager who is said to be doing nothing about female employees’ harassment should vacate the position and be given to a person who is ready to serve impartially (Fuhl n.p.).
- Establishment of work ethics, and utilizing employee workshops to train them on the importance of creating an inclusive working environment for everybody, and the impact of the same in the betterment of the company.
- Put in place strict policies that impose heavy penalties on people who harass female employees at the company (Ammerman and Groysberg n.p.). These policies may assist the company to establish a culture favorable to all, which will improve the morale and productivity of the workers on site.
Action Plan
The first step will be to restructure the managerial section of the company, since it seems not be listening and addressing the complaints from the employees. The board of directors, together with the top executives of Nike have to collaborate in installing an effective managerial structure. The team should be able to put workers wellbeing into consideration, by swiftly addressing their complaints, and create a work environment that encourages employee growth, talent support and worker retention (Martin 121). Under better conditions, workers will feel comfortable, thus increased productivity.
Secondly, drafting of gender neutral policy has to be put in place, and everyone made aware. The human resource team, in collaboration with the top executives should develop a policy to guide how the company treats employees, in terms of gender to ensure equity and equality in given scenarios. For instance, the policy should be part of the contracts signed by employees when they start working, to show their commitment. Hefty penalties to employees who go against these policies should be effected, as a consequence to those with a female harassment habit. Workshops, seminars and regular training sessions will also be carried out, to enable the employees understand the magnitude of the situation at Nike, and how that could affect their business standings (Stamarski and Son Hing 7).
Thirdly, incorporate the changes into the company’s working culture, by ensuring that subsequent recruitment understand the core values of the company. The human resource department has to make it an objective to ensure all recruits understand and are willing to abide to the policies established. They should build their careers on Nike’s core values in place, to enhance the working environment that respects everyone and gives them the opportunity to grown career-wise.
A concise summary of the company and its current situation
Nike is an international company, specializing in sports resources. It is based in the United States, and is one of the respected companies. However, the company has recently found itself in problems, after information emerged about harassment and discrimination of female employees. The organization is enormous, employing a good number of employees, since it deals in many products. However, the fact that it stopped manufacturing golf balls shows that it is downsizing, hence leading to many workers being let off. The leadership of the organization is however not effective, since it does not take a firm response against the complaints from various female employees about undergoing sexual harassment and gender discrimination. The discrimination against female employees, especially on promotions has therefore led to senior women leaving the company and joining its rivals, as it allows them to grow, unlike while at Nike.
The main characters in the case study are the employees and the managerial team of the company, including the human resource manager. Male employees seem to harass their female counterparts, hence creating a poor and non-conducive work environment. They discuss sexual related topics in presence of their female counterparts, while still at work, something which demeans them, making them look inferior amongst their colleagues. Therefore, the work environment limits talent exploitation and reduces the capabilities of employee retention, as the top female employees opt to resign to seek other options where they feel valued and respected and can grow in their careers through getting promotions.
Works Cited
Ammerman, Colleen, and Boris Groysberg. “How to Close the Gender Gap.” Harvard Business Review, 13 Apr. 2021, hbr.org/2021/05/how-to-close-the-gender-gap.
Fuhl, Jessica. “10 Ways to Eliminate Gender Bias in the Workplace.” Sage Advice United Kingdom, 8 Sept. 2022, www.sage.com/en-gb/blog/eliminate-gender-diversity-workforce/.
Martin, Jeffrey A. “Dynamic Managerial Capabilities and the Multibusiness Team: The Role of Episodic Teams in Executive Leadership Groups.” Organization Science, vol. 22, no. 1, 2011, pp. 118–140., doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1090.0515.
Stamarski, Cailin S., and Leanne S. Son Hing. “Gender Inequalities in the Workplace: The Effects of Organizational Structures, Processes, Practices, and Decision Makers’ Sexism.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 6, 2015, doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01400.