FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

MGT430

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

CASE STUDY (20%)

HY DAIRIES. INC

&

DIANA’S DISAPPOINTMENT: THE PROMOTION STUMBLING BLOCK

PREPARED BY

STUDENT NAME ID NUMBER GROUP PROGRAMME

PREPARED FOR

MADAM MUNA WADHIHA BINTI MOHD FAUZI

SUBMITTED ON

14 MAY 2023

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 3

ISSUES AND RELATIONSHIP OF THE ISSUES WITH ORGANIZATIONAL 5

DISCUSSION 7

CONCLUSION 12

REFERENCES 13

APPENDICES 14

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INTRODUCTION

HY DAIRIES, INC

In this case study, Rochelle Beauport, an assistant brand manager who was assigned to the
brand last year, is credited with helping Hy's gourmet ice cream sales increase. Syd Gilman,
the vice president of marketing at Hy Dairies, is delighted with the results.

Beauport's effort has impressed Gilman, who decides to reward her by granting her the role of
marketing research. He thinks this technical support position will further Beauport's career at
Hy Dairies.

However, Beauport is shocked by the news, as she enjoys brand management and believes
that marketing research is not the route to top management in most organizations. She fears
that she is being side-lined because of her gender and race, as she is one of the few women of
colour in marketing management at Hy Dairies.

Beauport thinks Gilman's remarks about the coordinator job being good for her are just a way
of saying that she cannot go any further in brand management at Hy Dairies, similar to how
her previous employer also promoted women to technical support roles after a brief stint in
lower brand management jobs.

Beauport must now make the difficult choice of staying with Hy Dairies or confronting
Gilman about the company's sexist and potentially racist practises.

Overall, the case study sheds light on the problems of racial and gender discrimination in the
workplace and the obstacles minorities and women experience in reaching top management
positions.

It also emphasises how crucial it is for managers and their staff to have open lines of
communication and mutual understanding in order to prevent misunderstandings and
guarantee career development possibilities are in line with individual aspirations and goals.

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DIANA’S DISAPPOINTMENT: THE PROMOTION STUMBLING BLOCK

The case study is about Diana Gillen, who is waiting for the outcome of her promotion
interview for the district manager position at the Cobb Street Grille. She has worked her way
up from a server to a general manager over 12 years.

Although she is confident about her qualifications, she is anxious because she did not get the
promotion last time she applied. Diana suspects the decision was based on corporate politics
and an outside candidate was hired instead of her, despite her successful track record.

Diana believes that she is the obvious choice for the position and that her people skills have
improved since her last interview. She runs her restaurant by the book, adhering strictly to
policies and procedures, and controlling expenses.

Her sales are growing, and she receives few customer complaints, but her employee turnover
is high because of her high standards. She is willing to fire employees who do not meet her
expectations, even if they are otherwise good employees.

Diana's boss, Julie, has suggested that she should try creating a friendlier work environment
and that employees refer to her as the "Ice Maiden" behind her back. However, Diana
believes that her successful management strategy should not be modified by such childish
things.

Although she has lost more employees than average due to personality differences or
miscommunications, her superiors seem to be satisfied with the strong bottom-line results she
consistently delivers every month. Diana is worried that she might not get the promotion this
time, and she wonders how her employees will respond if she doesn't get it.

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ISSUES AND RELATIONSHIP OF THE ISSUES WITH ORGANIZATIONAL
BEHAVIOUR PRINCIPLE

HY DAIRIES. INC

1. Individual differences: Rochelle Beauport's different career aspirations from Syd Gilman
may have caused confusion and frustration for both parties. Employees have different career
goals and aspirations, and it is important for managers to understand and acknowledge these
differences. This can lead to increased employee satisfaction and motivation.

2. Perception: Rochelle Beauport perceived the offer of a marketing research position as a

3. Leadership: Syd Gilman's decision to offer Rochelle Beauport a new role without
consulting her demonstrates a lack of effective leadership. Effective leaders understand the
importance of employees' career aspirations and take them into account when making
decisions. Leaders should communicate regularly with their employees to understand their
goals and provide development opportunities that align with these aspirations.

4. Organizational culture: The case study highlights the potential for discriminatory practices
in Hy Dairies' organizational culture. A positive organizational culture that values diversity
and inclusion can help prevent discriminatory practices and create a more welcoming and
productive workplace.

5. Communication: The lack of communication between Rochelle Beauport and Syd Gilman
regarding her career aspirations and the expectations of the new role is a significant issue.
Communication is key to a successful organization. Managers must communicate regularly
with their employees to understand their career aspirations and provide development
opportunities that align with these goals. Open lines of communication can help prevent
misunderstandings and build trust between managers and their employees.

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DIANA’S DISAPPOINTMENT: THE PROMOTION STUMBLING BLOCK

1. Promotion practices: Diana Gillen's previous unsuccessful application for the district
manager position, despite her successful track record, suggests that promotion practices at
Cobb Street Grille might not be based on merit and performance. It could indicate a
preference for outside candidates or corporate politics in decision-making.

2. Employee turnover: Despite her successful track record and excellent sales, Diana's high
standards and willingness to fire employees who do not meet her expectations lead to a high
employee turnover rate. High employee turnover can result in low morale, decreased
productivity, and higher costs to recruit and train new employees.

3. Management style: Diana's strict adherence to policies and procedures, coupled with her
no-nonsense approach to management, is an effective management strategy that produces
strong bottom-line results. However, her lack of concern for creating a friendlier work
environment could be a cause of low employee morale and high turnover.

4. Employee motivation: Diana's employees might be demotivated if she doesn't get the
promotion, especially if they believe that she deserved it. Demotivated employees can lead to
decreased productivity and lower quality of work, which can have a negative impact on the
restaurant's performance

5. Communication: Diana's employees referring to her as the "Ice Maiden" behind her back
suggests a lack of communication and trust between her and her employees. Open
communication and a positive work environment can increase employee satisfaction and
motivation, leading to improved performance.

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DISCUSSION

QUESTIONS (HY DAIRIES, INC)

1. Apply your knowledge of stereotyping and social identity theory to explain what went

wrong here.

Stereotyping is the act of attributing certain characteristics or traits to a group of people based
on their membership in that group. In this case, it appears that Syd Gilman may have
stereotyped Rochelle Beauport based on her gender and race, assuming that a technical
support position would be more suitable for her than brand management.

Social identity theory suggests that people tend to identify with and derive their self-esteem
from the social groups to which they belong. In this case, Beauport's identity as a woman of
colour may have contributed to her perception that she was being side-lined due to her gender
and race.

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2. What other perceptual errors are apparent in this case study?

In this case study, we can observe the occurrence of perceptual errors such as selective
perception and the halo effect. It appears that Gilman may have overlooked Beauport's
interest in brand management and disregarded her career goals and aspirations when offering
her the marketing research position.

Additionally, the halo effect may have influenced Gilman's decision-making, as he may have
been overly impressed by Beauport's success with the gourmet ice cream brand and assumed
that she would excel in a technical support role as well.

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3. What can organizations do to minimize misperceptions in these types of situations?

To minimize misperceptions in these types of situations, organizations can implement the

• Provide training to managers and employees on how to recognize and avoid biases
and stereotypes.

• Encourage open communication between managers and employees to ensure that

• Ensure that performance evaluations are fair and objective, and based on job-related
criteria.

• Foster a culture of diversity and inclusion, where all employees feel valued and
supported regardless of their gender, race, or other personal characteristics.

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QUESTIONS (DIANA’S DISAPPOINTMENT: THE PROMOTION STUMBLING
BLOCK)

1. Apply your knowledge of the four emotional intelligence dimensions to discuss the

likely reasons why Diana wasn’t offered a promotion.

Based on the four emotional intelligence dimensions, it is likely that Diana was not offered a
promotion because she may have lacked in her social awareness skills. This means that she
may have difficulty understanding and responding to the needs and emotions of her
employees, which could lead to higher turnover rates. Additionally, her low level of empathy
towards her employees and their concerns could also be a factor.

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2. What skills does Diana need to develop to be promotable in the future? What can the

company do to support her developmental efforts?

To become more promotable in the future, Diana needs to develop her emotional intelligence
skills, specifically in the areas of social awareness and relationship management. This can be
done through training and coaching programs that focus on emotional intelligence
development.

The company can support her efforts by providing resources and opportunities for her to
attend such programs, and by offering regular feedback on her performance and progress in
developing her emotional intelligence skills.

Additionally, the company could consider creating a more collaborative and friendly work
environment to address Diana's high turnover rates and improve overall employee
satisfaction.

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CONCLUSION

The case study about Rochelle Beauport and Hy Dairies highlights issues of gender and race
discrimination in the workplace, and the challenges that minorities and women face in
reaching higher positions of management. This case emphasizes the importance of open
communication and mutual understanding between employees and their superiors, to ensure
that career development opportunities align with individual aspirations and goals.

Similarly, the case study about Diana Gillen and her promotion struggle at Cobb Street Grille
highlights the importance of emotional intelligence and leadership skills for career
advancement. It also shows the importance of companies supporting the development of their
employees to help them achieve their potential and advance their careers.

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REFERENCES

Robbins, S. P., Coulter, M., & DeCenzo, D. A. (2017). Fundamentals of management (10th
ed.). Pearson Education.

Schneer, J. A., & Reitman, F. (2015). Hy Dairies, Ltd. Ivey Publishing.

McShane, S. L., & Von Glinow, M. A. (2018). Organizational behavior: Emerging

Robbins, S. P., Judge, T. A., & Millett, B. (2019). Organizational behavior. Pearson.

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APPENDICES

Mays, V. M., Cochran, S. D., & Barnes, N. W. (2007). Racial and gender discrimination in
the stress process: implications for African American women's health and well-being. Du
Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race, 4(2), 229-243.

"Career Path: The Case of Diana Gillen" by Maria T. H. Yau and Charles S. H. Wang (2013).
This article, published in the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education

"Diana's Disappointment: The Promotion Stumbling Block" by Luis R. Gomez-Mejia, David

"Managing Human Resources" by Luis R. Gomez-Mejia, David B. Balkin, and Robert L.

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