Critical Thinking in Management: Case Study Analysis

This report analyzes the complexities faced by the manager Susannah Winslow due to an employee's disparaging remarks on social media. The report presents alternative solutions and recommends discussing the issue with the employee in person as the best course of action.

Running head: CRITICAL THINKING IN MANAGEMENT
Critical Thinking in Management
Assessment 3: Case study Analysis
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1
BCO6185 MOBILE AND EXECUTIVE COMPUTING
Executive Summary
This report aims at solving the issue raised due to the unethical situation raised when an
employee tries to hamper the reputation of the organization at the social media platform.
Different course of actions have been presented in the context of this situation. The report
concludes that the best course action would be having conversation with the employee in person
and solving the raised issue. An ethical dilemma can be solved considering the various course of
actions while determining the alternative solutions for the raised issue in the whole scenario of
the proposed case study.

2
BCO6185 MOBILE AND EXECUTIVE COMPUTING
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Background......................................................................................................................................3
Case study Scenario.........................................................................................................................4
Alternative Solutions.......................................................................................................................4
Recommendation and Conclusion...................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................7

3
BCO6185 MOBILE AND EXECUTIVE COMPUTING
Introduction
Reputation of the organization is the most crucial aspect for the long run of the business
in the real world and social media has provided a better option for gathering feedback and
suggestions from the stakeholders. This report aims at analyzing the complexities being faced by
the manager Susannah Winslow at the social media platform because of one of the employee.
One of the employee of the organization has been making disparaging remarks and thus,
impacting the reputation of the organization at the social media platform.
Background
Susannah Winslow is the general manager of one of the large company that is facing a
reputational issue because of the comment made by one of the employee at the social media
platform. This paper has been proposed from the point of view of the ethics officer considering
the current situation (Crane & Matten 2016). Such issues can influence the other stakeholders
connected with the organization through the social media. Hampering the reputation of the
organization at the social media platform can be a critical concept for the organization in making
better relationship with the customers. The general manager have many ethical issues facing the
situation such as firstly, the employee is expressing his or her own feeling and he has the right to
speech. Secondly, the employee might be violating the rules of the company about exposing the
internal information on an open platform (Farell & Fraedrich 2015). Either, she could convince
the employee about the positive side and aspects of the organization or she should just
interrogate the employee and fire him or her. These so many situations and options led to the
obstacle and hurdle in deciding the policies those should be implemented to stop this ethical
dilemma in future. Whatever, be the condition or the solution to this ethical dilemma, the

4
BCO6185 MOBILE AND EXECUTIVE COMPUTING
organizations interpretation must be disturbed in front of many other customers (Trevino &
Nelson 2016). Setting a policy related to such ethical dilemma must consider the impacts on the
stakeholders in various situations and the best solution should be executed that can lead no harm
to the organization and the stakeholders.
Case study Scenario
Facing this situation while dealing with the employee could be a hard decision for the
general manager in manner to identify the best course of the action. Social media is an open
platform where every connected individual can look after the statement made by the company
and should be considered as a point of concern for restoring the faith of the customers
(Armstrong et al. 2015). The course actions stated in the above section of the report expresses
how difficult could be the decision as every action will lead to different outcomes those could be
reflected on the reputation of the organization. Firing the employee seems to be the best course
of action however, it will only enhance the rage of the employee and he or she might start
blowing this on the social media. The manager will have to decide a course of the action that can
be helpful in restoring the reputation of the organization (Caroll & Buchholtz 2014). There are
many possible actions those could be taken by the organization other than mentioned above
however; identifying the best course of action can be categorized in the gambling section that
can alternatively further hamper the reputation of the organization.
Alternative Solutions
Firing the employee: The advantage of this solution is that the employee might feel
regret and stop hampering the reputation of the organization at the social media platform. Second
advantage is that the company can claim that the individual was not an asset for the organization

5
BCO6185 MOBILE AND EXECUTIVE COMPUTING
and his misleading has influenced the reputation of the organization (Lunnay et al. 2015, p. 106).
The disadvantage of this solution is that the consumer might feel rage and start hampering the
reputation of the organization in many other ways and being more engaged on the social media
platform.
Being engaged with the employee’s conversation on the same platform: The
advantage of this solution is that the other customers looking at the engagement could realize the
real aspects of the situation and thus, take decisions accordingly. This will be helpful in retaining
the reputation in front of other consumers (Christains eta al. 2015). The advantage can be stated
as, this solution can motivate the employee to be more open and other internal affairs might be
exposed those could alternatively hamper the reputation of the organization.
Discuss with the employee about the issue and try to resolve it: Conversation in
personal can be an effective way for understanding the situation of the employee and resolving
the issues for gaining the loyalty from the employee (Weiss 2014). The disadvantage of the
solution is that other than the organization representative and the employee, there will be not any
individual who will be informed about the situation.
Take legal action against the employee about exposing and hampering the
reputation of the organization: It could result in solving the problem legally however; the
loyalty of the employee will be lost regarding the organizational behavior and culture.
Recommendation and Conclusion
Discussing with the employee in person can be recommended as the best course of the
action regarding solving the raised issue.

6
BCO6185 MOBILE AND EXECUTIVE COMPUTING
Based on the above report it can be concluded that the general manager will have to
select the best course of the action that is capable of solving this issue and regaining the
reputation at the social media platform. The future course of the actions must be determined
while solving an ethical dilemma.

7
BCO6185 MOBILE AND EXECUTIVE COMPUTING
References
Armstrong, G, Kotler, P, Harker, M and Brennan, R, 2015 Marketing: an introduction Pearson
Education
Carroll, A & Buchholtz, A, 2014 Business and society: Ethics, sustainability, and stakeholder
management Nelson Education
Christians, CG, Richardson, KB, Fackler, M, Kreshel, P & Woods, RH, 2015 Media Ethics:
Cases and Moral Reasoning, CourseSmart eTextbook Routledge
Crane, A & Matten, D, 2016 Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability
in the age of globalization Oxford University Press
Ferrell, OC & Fraedrich, J, 2015 Business ethics: Ethical decision making & cases Nelson
Education
Lunnay, B, Borlagdan, J, McNaughton, D & Ward, P, 2015 Ethical use of social media to
facilitate qualitative research Qualitative Health Research, 25(1), pp99-109
Trevino, LK & Nelson, KA, 2016 Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it
right John Wiley & Sons
Weiss, JW, 2014 Business ethics: A stakeholder and issues management approach Berrett-
Koehler Publishers