Professor Emma Pover (a)

2 Pages Posted: 21 Oct 2008

See all articles by Patricia H. Werhane

Patricia H. Werhane

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

Jenny Mead

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business

Abstract

This case illustrates ongoing difficulties for women in high-powered investment banks. See also the B case (UVA-E-0182).

Excerpt

UVA-E-0181

PROFESSOR EMMA POVER (A)

Professor Emma Pover taught ethics at one of the top 10 graduate business schools,and over the years her students came to rely on her sound advice and real-world perspective. Former students, too, would turn to her for advice. A recent phone call from one such student had upset her.

Janet Sanderson had graduated the previous year and joined a New York marketing firm. Sanderson had done particularly well in her business school marketing courses, and the reward was one of the “plum” jobs. She thrived on the excitement of New York and working for a large, well-known firm. When she had arrived at the company, she had been assigned to a work group consisting of 10 other people, all of them men. Because Sanderson had grown up with four brothers, she did not expect to have any problems fitting in and saw this assignment as a challenge and an opportunity.

From the beginning, however, the men with whom Sanderson worked used explicit sexual language to describe their clients, the deals they were negotiating, and their successes and failures. When she commented on their inappropriate language, she was told that this was “just part of the business.” One of her former classmates in a similar situation at another company had “blown the whistle” on this type of behavior to upper management. The supervisor of that unit had been fired, but her friend became such a topic of conversation within the financial and marketing community that Sanderson doubted she would be able to advance in the firm. Although uneasy with this constant stream of explicit language, Sanderson nonetheless tried to ignore it and do her best work. It was work that she liked very much. Bonuses were to be paid in March, and Sanderson decided to stick it out until then; if the working with the group still proved to be too unsettling, she planned to look for another position in April.

On December 18, the supervisor of the unit invited everyone to a Christmas dinner at a fancy restaurant. It was just for the working group—no spouses or partners were invited, and none of the top management members of the firm attended. The dinner was wonderful with lots of wine, good food, and everyone in holiday spirits. Sanderson began to feel better about her colleagues and her work. After dinner, the group hailed taxis and headed to another nightspot. Looking forward to continuing the pleasant evening, she joined them. The taxis arrived at the destination, and everyone hopped out and went into the club, seemingly familiar with it. Sanderson sat down with three of her male colleagues, and, as she was ordering a drink, the “show” began. Only then did it become clear to her that she was in a “strip” club.

. . .

Keywords: ethical issues, investment banking

Suggested Citation

Werhane, Patricia H. and Mead, Jenny, Professor Emma Pover (a). Darden Case No. UVA-E-0181, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=908445 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.908445

Patricia H. Werhane (Contact Author)

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business ( email )

P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550
United States
434-924-4840 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.darden.virginia.edu/faculty/werhane.htm

Jenny Mead

University of Virginia - Darden School of Business ( email )

P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550
United States

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