"Roseanne" Gets Cancelled After Racist and Islamophobic Tweet

The revival of TV show "Roseanne has gotten a lot of press, and now there's more, but not for good news. The new season addressed political and social issues, with Roseanne, on the show and in real life, a Trump supporter, and she has a transgender and a black grandchild on the show.

But Roseanne crossed the line in a tweet, criticizing former President Obama's adviser Valerie Jarrett as a mix between "muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes.” The missive was part of a series of tweets about Roseanne's view that Jarrett covered up inappropriate actions during the Obama Administration. 

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At first, she defended her post as "a joke": “ISLAM is not a RACE, lefties. Islam includes EVERY RACE of people.” Roseanne eventually apologized.

ABC Network's response was swift and direct. CEO Robert Iger announced that the show will be cancelled. 

Although Roseanne was ABC's most popular show, it was suspiciously not mentioned during the network's recent earnings call until someone asked a question. Perhaps issues existed before this tweet.

Discussion: 

  • What's your view of the tweet? Does Roseanne's role as a comedian excuse it? Is she just being her authentic self? Or something else?
  • Did ABC make the right decision? What are the consequences either way?

University of Oregon Apologizes for Statement About Student Death

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University of Oregon leadership missed the mark in its statement about a student's death during a lake trip. Although the university offered sympathy in the original notice, the statement included language that seemed to blame the student:

It is important to point out that this tragedy is connected to an unauthorized tradition among many college students. Students from many institutions have a history of demonstrating poor life choices during visits to Lake Shasta. These activities are contrary to the values of the University and Fraternity and Sorority Organization.

When criticized for the tone and insensitivity, leaders published a new statement, which excludes this paragraph, and posted their regret on Twitter.

University officials may have wanted to use the student's death as a lesson or a warning to others. On the face of it, this strategy wasn't all bad. After all, Shasta Lake is a known partying site and has been in the news for tents and other debris left by college students. One Twitter user commented, "I think the first statement was more appropriate. Although this young man's death is tragic, bad choices have bad consequences."

Discussion:

  • What's your view? Was it wrong for the university to include that statement? Why or why not?
  •  If not in this statement, what should the university leaders have done differently if they did want to focus on future safety?

Ghostwriting for Dating Ads?

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Ghostwriting is moving beyond celebrity biographies to customer service emails, employment negotiations, and posts on dating sites.

Online dating coach Erika Ettin admits, "I write to potential matches. I respond. I delete the inappropriate people.” She'll also rewrite profiles and swipe on her clients' behalf. She defends the practice:

I know sometimes people paint ghostwriting in a negative way. They say it’s disingenuous. But it’s a trend that’s going to continue. People don’t always know what to write and how to put their best foot forward.

A few years ago, actor George Takei was criticized for using a ghost writer. His 4 million Facebook followers were upset when they learned he paid $10 a joke. 

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Discussion: 

  • When do you think it's appropriate to hire a ghostwriter, and when does the practice cross a line? 
  • Ettin mentions the argument that using a ghostwriter is "disingenuous." Do you agree? Why or why not? Is it authentic? What's the difference? 
  • Would you hire a ghostwriter for dating or for job communications? Why or why not? 

MSU's Denial as a Cultural Issue

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A Chronicle of Higher Ed article blames Michigan State University's ambitions and culture for their leaders' lack of response to years of sexual abuse on campus. More than 12 people knew of complaints against physician Larry Nassar, but the abuse continued for years.

Lou Anna K. Simon's leadership is questioned in the article. Although clearly a committed leader to the university, Simon is criticized for focusing so much on "two decades of status-climbing" that a culture of denying any wrongdoing evolved. One of the trustees summed up the issue in a letter and emphasized "We must embrace our obligation to apologize and offer justice."

Apologizing may be a sore subject for the trustees because Simon avoided it in the case of Larry Nassar's victims, according to the Chronicle article:

She talked about how “it is virtually impossible to stop a determined sexual predator and pedophile, that they will go to incomprehensible lengths to keep what they do in the shadows.” She often used “regret,” “sympathize,” and “acknowledge” in her written statements, but not “apologize.” She emphasized that sexual assault is a societal problem, not a Michigan State one. She highlighted all of the steps the university had taken to prevent sexual misconduct.

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Discussion:

  • Analyze the trustee's letter. What principles of business writing are followed? What are the strengths of the letter, and what could be improved?
  • The trustee encourages MSU leadership to listen. What does he mean by this, and how would listening help the situation?
  • What is the value of apologizing and admitting failure? What are the potential downsides, particularly for a university trying to improve its stature?
  • This story illustrates several failings of leadership character. Which can you identify, and which do you think are most relevant here?

Instagram's New Bully Filter

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Instagram has implemented a new technology that will not display comments considered bullying. The program, run by artificial intelligence (AI) technology, can detect “offensive and spammy” comments in English and in at least eight additional languages. Although the filter is set by default, users can "opt out" if they want to see such comments, or they can include specific words to screen out.

In an Instagram post, shown here, and in a longer post titled "Protecting Our Community from Bullying Comments," CEO and Co-Founder Kevin Systrom promised more diligence, particularly to protect young users: 

We also believe in promoting kindness — encouraging our community to support one another both on and off Instagram. On Saturday we will host a Kindness Prom to celebrate people in our community who are spreading positivity. These young leaders are inspiring their peers by helping kindness, acceptance and support grow on Instagram and in the world.

Research shows the danger of online bullying: of 2,000 middle schoolers in the study, those who experienced cyberbullying were twice as likely to attempt suicide than those who did not experience cyberbullying.

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Discussion:

  • Analyze Instagram's announcement of the filter. Who are the audiences, and what are the communication objectives? How well does the message achieve those objectives?
  • What's your view of Instagram's response to the problem of cyberbullying? Are the company leaders doing enough, or should they do more?
  • How does this news relate to the leadership character dimension vulnerability?

 

MTA Criticized for Lack of Transparency

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Commissioners at the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) questioned increasing costs and whether the agency has been transparent. Of particular concern are additional costs of about $1 billion and cost overruns for a project that resulted in 19 instead of 32 subway stations getting renovated. One commissioner said, “It is indefensible that we did not receive this information prior to it being reported in the press." The governing body discovered the information from a Wall Street Journal article.

Chairman Joe Lhota, who was appointed last summer, acknowledged that the agency has been working on being more transparent:

“Not a second in a day goes by when I don’t think about transparency at this agency and what we need to do to provide information to all of you."

NY Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson requested more transparency about spending and service improvement measurements and asked for monthly briefings and an "evaluation of efficacy."

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Discussion:

  • How would you define transparency, and how does it relate to accountability?
  • After reading more about the situation, how would you assess the agency's actions? Do you agree with the commissioners' assessment? If you believe a lack of transparency exists, do you think it's intentional? Does it matter if it is?
  • Why do organizations lack transparency? What do they potentially gain and lose?
  • What do you think an "evaluation of efficacy" means?

More About the Starbucks Bias Situation

After the arrest of two black men in a Philadelphia store, Starbucks announced that 8,000 stores will close on May 29 for racial-bias training. But are some skeptical about the impact that one day of training will have, and the company seems to be imitating Chipotle's decision to close stores for food safety training. On the other hand, the company could have blamed the employee who called the police, a crisis communication strategy we have seem in many other situations. 

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An article in the New York Times describes racial bias research in hospitality customer service and may tell us more about the incident in Philadelphia. In one study, researchers sent emails to hotels using different names that reflected gender and race, asking for restaurant recommendations. Responses indicated racial bias, as the authors describe: "Hotel employees were significantly more likely to respond to inquiries from people who had typically white names than from those who had typically black and Asian names."

In addition, researchers analyzed "politeness," for example, whether employees wrote "best" or "sincerely" before signing their name. They were more likely to use such words when responding to guests with names that sounded white, and the authors describe another finding for this group: 

They were three times as likely to provide extra information — even when the initial inquiry was just about restaurants — to white than to black or Asian people.

In addition to training, the authors suggest periodic customer service audits and consistent scripts and policies.

In a turn, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross has apologized to the two men who were arrested. In his original video, Ross defended the officers actions and said, based on a sergeant's experience at Starbucks, "they are at least consistent in their policy." But in the news conference, Ross says, "shame on me" and "I have to do better." 

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Discussion: 

  • What's your view of the research about customer service at hotels? What does the research potentially say about the situation at Starbucks?
  • Have you experienced bias in a customer service setting? What was the situation, and how did you handle it? 
  • How well does Ross handle the apology in the news conference? How does his identity factor into his response? How does he demonstrate authenticity, vulnerability, and other leadership character dimensions?

"Nut Rage": The Sequel

You may remember the so-called "nut rage" incident at Korean Airlines in 2015, when a company executive became enraged about how macadamia nuts were served on a flight. Cho Hyun-ah, a daughter of the company chairman, threw a document at the head flight attendant, forced him to kneel and apologize, and ordered the plane back to the gate so the flight attendant could be removed. Cho didn't know that the rules had changed: nuts were served in the bag instead of on a plate, as she expected, because of nut allergies. In February of this year, a Washington Post article details how the flight attendant has suffered since the incident. 

At the same, people were incensed by what they considered entitlement of the chaebol families, who run Korea's powerful conglomerates. Some believe they act as if they are "above the law," and this situation was symbolic of that criticism. 

This week, Cho's younger sister, Hyun-min, is criticized for losing her temper during a marketing department meeting. Some say she threw water at an employee's face, but the airline reports that she threw it on the floor.

Either way, unlike her sister, Hyun-min immediately apologized via text message to the employee and on her personal Facebook page: “I apologize with my head down for my foolish and reckless behavior."

Discussion:

  • How else should the company respond to this incident? What should executives have learned from the 2015 situation? 
  • How could you relate this incident to communication and character issues such as civility in the workplace, conflict management, and humility? 

Volkswagen Replaces Chairman

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Three years after the emissions scandal, Volkswagen is replacing another chairman. Matthias Müller replaced Martin Winterkorn, who was ousted soon after the news broke in 2015. But Müller was another insider and hasn't led the turnaround the board expected.

Like Winterkorn, Müller struggled with public relations. During a 2016 NPR interview, Müller claimed the company misunderstood the American environmental law: “We didn’t lie. We didn’t understand the question [at] first.” After much criticism, VW’s communications department asked for another interview, which was granted. He delivered a better apology but blamed the first interview on “all these colleagues of yours and everybody shouting.” In other words, it was noisy. 

As is customary in corporate change announcements, Chairman of the Supervisory Board Hans Dieter Pötsch spoke positively about the outgoing executive:

“Matthias Müller has done outstanding work for the Volkswagen Group. He assumed the chairmanship of the Board of Management in the fall of 2015 when the Company faced the greatest challenge in its history. Not only did he safely navigate Volkswagen through that time; together with his team, he also fundamentally realigned the Group’s strategy, initiated cultural change and, with great personal commitment, made sure that the Volkswagen Group not just stayed on track but is now more robust than ever before. For that, he is due the thanks of the entire Company.”

The new chairman, Dr. Herbert Diess, offers more hope. Diess joined the board in 2015 and is known for having conflicts with the union and for cost-cutting. He may shake up the status quo at VW and inspire real action. The company has aggressive plans, including building greener cars—for real this time.

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Image source (Diess).

Discussion:

  • Assess the company's statement about this change. Who are the primary and secondary audiences? What are the communication objectives? How well does the statement meet those objectives?
  • Why do these statements typically include positive quotes about outgoing executives, even if they are asked to leave or, as this statement indicates, they leave "by mutual agreement"?
  • What lessons do you think Volkswagen learned since the scandal?
  • Why would the board appoint someone who is considered divisive?

Howard University Reports on Misappropriated Funds

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Howard University's investigation has concluded that $369,000 had been misappropriated by six employees who were terminated last year. A full report by the university identifies how they "double dipped" by receiving both tuition assistance and university grants between 2011 and 2016.

In a cover letter to the report, President Wayne A.I. Frederick wrote, “Howard University is committed to uncovering any impropriety in the administration of university-provided financial aid and federal student aid, to remediating all problems identified during this investigation, and to maintaining a robust compliance program to prevent any inappropriate dealings in the administration of financial aid."

A Washington Post article reports that the university tried to avoid going public before the review was completed, but an article posted online made this impossible. Student protests, which went on for more than a week, also may have sped up the timing.

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Discussion:

  • What business writing principles does the report demonstrate and fail to demonstrate? How could the report be improved?
  • Assess the president's cover letter. Who are his primary and secondary audiences, and what are the communication objectives? How well does the letter achieve those objectives?
  • What can the university do now to restore trust?
  • How well does the university take responsibility for the situation?

Mario Batali Wants to Move On

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Is it too soon? Mario Batali, accused of sexual harassment and removed from the company bearing his name, is exploring a new venture. In December, reports of sexual misconduct rattled the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group, and Batali admitted that accusations “match up with ways” he behaved. At the time, he emailed an apology but lost ground when he included a "P.S." with a recipe for making cinnamon rolls.

Now, about four months later, people report that Batali is exploring his options. Reports say he is considering moving to the Amalfi Coast, aiding displaced Rwandans, or creating a new company.

A New York Times article speculates that Batali may be in a good position to return to public life:

He still has legions of fans and colleagues who admire and respect his generosity, culinary knowledge and charisma. Many still post their interpretations of his recipes on Instagram, ask him for selfies on the street or urge his return to “The Chew” on Facebook. His restaurants continue to attract customers.

Friends also say that he is truly taking time to be introspective and to learn from his mistakes. But not everyone agrees that a comeback would be appreciated. Anthony Bourdain, for example, isn't ready:

Retire and count yourself lucky, I say that without malice, or without much malice. I am not forgiving. I can’t get past it. I just cannot and that’s me, someone who really admired him and thought the world of him.

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Discussion:

  • What's your view? Is it too soon, or is the time right for a Batali return? What should he consider in making this decision? What are the potential implications for women who complained about his behavior and for the company?
  • Batali mentions wanting to understand his "blind spots." What does he mean by this?

Heineken Pulls "Lighter Is Better" Ad

Heineken seemed to be playing with fire in a new beer ad, "Sometimes, Lighter Is Better." The commercial shows a bartender sending a light beer to a light-skinned woman. On its way down the bar, the beer passes darker-skinned people. The promotion was for 99-calorie Heineken Light.

Chance the Rapper is one of many who called the ad racist, and he accused the company of intentionally trying to attract attention.

An AdAge article explains that the ad traveled from Europe last summer, where it received little attention, to the recent release in the U.S. As one agency owner explains, "What sometimes is acceptable in Europe isn't acceptable in the U.S. and I think that a lot of time the failure comes in not really evaluating the impact that it is going to have in a particular region."

Heineken pulled the ad, and spokesman Bjorn Trowery published a statement:

"For decades, Heineken has developed diverse marketing that shows there’s more that unites us than divides us.

"While we feel the ad is referencing our Heineken Light beerwe missed the mark, are taking the feedback to heart and will use this to influence future campaigns."

Discussion:

  • Would you call the ad racist? Why or why not? 
  • Do you think Heineken intentionally created a controversial ad? What evidence do you find either way?
  • How is this an issue of authenticity and integrity for the company?

Advisor at Morgan Stanley Accused of Abuse

A New York Times article chronicles abuse allegations of a financial advisor and Morgan Stanley's decision to retain him. Douglas E. Greenberg is a member of the firm's “Chairman’s Club,” which recognizes top producers who meet identified "conduct and compliance standards.”

But, for years, Morgan Stanley executives knew of allegations of abuse against Greenberg—not by employees but by four women who had relationships with him and had sought protection against him. Greenberg has also been charged with violating restraining orders.

You may be thinking that these external relationships should not impact Greenberg's job. The article presents a different perspective: 

But employees in the finance industry—especially those who manage money for clients—are judged in part on their character. That puts the onus on companies, and regulators, to police their conduct even outside the office.

Only after an inquiry from a Times reporter did the company place Greenberg on administrative leave. A spokesperson said, "We are committed to maintaining a safe and professional work environment and will take appropriate action based on the facts of the matter.”

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Discussion:

  • How could Greenberg's behavior affect the firm?
  • What's your view of Greenberg's position at the firm? What should the executive team do?
  • How is this situation a potential matter of integrity for Morgan Stanley?

Profile of a Wells Fargo Whistleblower

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Duke Tran was a Khmer Rouge slave in Cambodia when he was 17 years old, but he made his way to the United States and eventually landed a job at Wells Faro. At some point, Tran received phone calls from customers about large payments due on loans ($90,000 and $165,000). In both cases, the customers said they didn't have a loan with the bank, and Tran couldn't find any documentation. When Tran asked his supervisor what to do, he was told, "It’s no problem. If the customer calls back, you tell them it’s a balloon [due all at once]." Tran refused to lie to the customers and got fired: “I told him this is a fraud. I cannot be a part of that. He got upset."

This is one of many stories of retaliation against whistleblowers at the company, but Tran persisted. Rather than fight for his job back, Tran wanted the bank to admit wrongdoing. A New York Times article describes what Tran went through:

To further his lawsuit, he opened his life to intense scrutiny, used vacation time at his new job to attend meetings and court dates, and told and retold the story of his experiences at the bank, which maintained that Mr. Tran had been fired for poor performance and that there had been no cover-up of missing documents. He would not go away. . .

He couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t bring himself to tell his wife, Ann, and their sons, Justin and Jimmy, that he had been fired. When they asked why he wasn’t going to work in the mornings, Mr. Tran said he was on vacation. When that excuse no longer seemed plausible, he invented another.

“I thought, my God, I’ve lost my American dream,” he said.

His wife worked in a dental equipment factory. She earned $17 per hour, and it was suddenly the family’s only income.

Although he didn't want to, Tran eventually settled for what is estimated to be "seven figures."

Cover image source. Page image source.

Discussion:

  • Which character dimensions does Tran most demonstrate?
  • When have you been in a situation where you had to decide whether to speak out against a company practice? What was your decision process? How did it turn out?
  • HR told Tran he was fired for not responding to a customer whose call he had taken. How is this problematic?

Facebook Under Scrutiny

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Questions about Facebook's role in user privacy are getting increasingly serious, and shareholders are getting worried. Company shares fell 7% after the news that third-parties used FB users' personal information without permission.

Analysts say we know that Facebook monetizes users' data, but the number of people affected (50 million) and the extent of the violation is dramatic. One concern is how much additional regulation the company will face in the future. Already, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating whether Facebook violated a 2011 settlement in which the company promised to get users' consent before changing certain privacy settings.

We have no comment yet from Mark Zuckerberg or Sheryl Sanberg, and critics say they need to be out in front of this.

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Discussion:

  • A Bloomberg reporter called the company "tone deaf," but others say it's an impossible situation to fully address at this point. What's your view?
  • What, if anything, should company leaders say? What could explain their silence?
  • In what ways is this situation an issue of integrity for the company?

Toys R Us Closes

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Toys R Us will close its remaining 735 U.S. stores and will lay off about 33,000 employees around the country. The company tried to survive after a bankruptcy filing in 2017, but the retailer can't compete with large stores, such as Walmart, and online sellers, such as Amazon.

Critics say Toys R Us failed to generate excitement, as one analyst describes in The Washington Post article:

“The liquidation of Toys R Us is the unfortunate but inevitable conclusion of a retailer that lost its way. Even during recent store closeouts, Toys R Us failed to create any sense of excitement. The brand lost relevance, customers and ultimately sales.”

A professor of brand management echoed this theme:

“We know that customers are willing to pay more for an enjoyable experience — just look at the lines at Starbucks every day — but Toys R Us has failed to give us anything special or unique. You can find more zest for life in a Walgreens.”

New York Senator Chuck Schumer is asking for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to ensure that customers aren't left "holding the bag" if they can't cash in or buy products with gift cards, particularly those recently received in December for Christmas.

Toys R Us has only a short statement on its website announcing the liquidation.

Discussion:

  • Should the company leaders say more about the decision? What else, if anything, could be included in the statement?
  • In addition to legal responsibilities, do company leaders have ethical responsibilities to make good on outstanding gift cards? Why or why not?
  • In what ways has the company failed to learn from failure?

 

Fired by Tweet

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According to an NBC report, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson learned he was fired when President Trump posted a tweet. The President did call Tillerson in for a face-to-face meeting, but this happened "several hours after the president had publicly announced Tillerson's firing on Twitter." The White House claims that Tillerson was put on notice that his time was coming to an end, but Tillerson says he was shocked at the news.

The relationship had been rocky. The two disagreed over policy issues, such as the Russian's government's involvement in U.S. elections and negotiations with North Korea. In July of last year, Tillerson referred to President Trump as a "moron."

Of his termination, Tillerson said,

"What is most important is to ensure an orderly and smooth transition during a time that the country continues to face significant policy and national security challenges."

Discussion:

  • What is the best way to deliver bad news?
  • We have heard of many business situations in which employees are fired by text message. How does this situation compare?
  • In what ways is this situation a matter of leadership character, for example, compassion or integrity?

 

Bias in Online Courses

A Stanford University study found biases in how instructors interact with students in online courses. In a review of 124 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in a variety of subjects, researchers found that responses to comments vary by students' race and gender: 

Each comment was randomly assigned a student name connoting a specific race and gender. We find that instructors are 94% more likely to respond to forum posts by White male students. In contrast, we do not find general evidence of biases in student responses. However, we do find that comments placed by White females are more likely to receive a response from White female peers. 

The study is significant because it identifies teachers' potential responsibility for different student learning outcomes. In other words, it's difficult to isolate why teachers respond differently to students because the students may, for example, be less prepared or have less ability. But in this study, the issue is clearly isolated: teachers tend to favor students based on race and gender, which were randomly assigned by way of fictitious names.

Discussion: 

  • How well do these results match your own experience as a student?
  • What are the implications of this study for instructors?
  • What potential flaws or issues do you identify with this study? 

United Backs Off of Bonus Plan

United announced moving to a lottery system for employee bonuses, but backlash caused management to rethink the plan. President Scott Kirby had distributed a memo describing the new process:

"As we look to continue improving, we took a step back and decided to replace the quarterly operational bonus and perfect attendance programs with an exciting new rewards program called 'core4 Score Rewards.' " 

The new program would include cash and other prizes and one quarterly prize of $100,000, which would be given to a random, eligible employee. Following the criticism, a spokesperson tried to clarify:

"We announced a new internal program based on United meeting certain operational and dependability metrics as a way of offering meaningful rewards to our employees. We believe that this new program will build excitement and a sense of accomplishment as we continue to set all-time operational records that result in an experience that our customers value."

Employee comments were harsh:

"Why should I be happy watching another employee get rewarded for my hard work? How would you feel if Oscar (United CEO Oscar Munoz) played roulette with your incentive package and it went to another vice president through a lottery drawing."

"This is truly disappointing. The current program 'costs' the company approximately $150 per 75,000 employees per quarter, totaling over $11 million. This new 'improved' program that we are supposed to be so excited about will cost the company $3.5 million per quarter. This saves the company about $8 million per quarter. Does Willis Tower really think the average front-line employee is stupid?"  

In a second memo three days later, Kirby announced a pause on the program, saying they would "consider the right way to move ahead" and "will be reaching out to work groups across the company, and the changes we make will better reflect your feedback."

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Discussion:

  • What went wrong? Was it the bonus/lottery plan, the way it was announced, both, or something else?
  • One employee commented, "Wow. I thought our morale was already as low as it could go, but I guess that was naive thinking on my part. I'm finally starting to understand that there will always be room for management to make me feel even less appreciated than I already do. How many times must they be taught, that if the employees aren't happy, no one is happy." What should the company leaders do now?
  • The memos and employee comments were on an internal United system. What are the ethics of forwarding internal communications to the media?

President Trump Vs. Alec Baldwin

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Alec Baldwin is a frequent imitator of President Trump on Saturday Night Live, and the President doesn't like it. In a Twitter feud for the world to see, the two are trading insults.

The President's response followed Alec Baldwin's interview with The Hollywood Reporter

How much longer with you play Trump on Saturday Night Live?

Every time I do it now, it's like agony. Agony. I can't. If things don't go in the right direction for the midterms. … I could go out on the street, stand on any corner and tap 10 people on the shoulder. And all 10 of them, in all likelihood, would be more qualified — ethically, morally, intellectually and spiritually — than Trump. I'll vote for Mitt Romney. I don't care. Anybody over this guy. It doesn't matter. We have to get rid of him. And that's another project I'm working on. I was the keynote speaker at the Democratic Dinner in Iowa, and I'm gonna go do a couple more of those this year. My wife and I agreed that we're gonna give it everything we have. And then if, God forbid, he wins again in 2020, I'm wondering can I host a game show in Spain.

Not to be outdone, Baldwin responded in a few tweets, including this one:

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Discussion:

  • Should either or both of these men refrain from this type of argument on Twitter? Why or why not?
  • We could say the President lacks humility, including the ability to laugh at himself. Do you agree with this statement, or do you believe Baldwin is out of line, or something else?