Case 3.1 Hy Dairies
Case Study 3.1 HY DAIRIES, INC.
Discussion Questions:
1. Apply your knowledge of stereotyping and social identity theory to explain what went wrong here.
The case covers issues of how perceptions affect individual decision-making process. As an introduction, Syd Gilman, the vice marketing president at Hy Dairies perceived Rochelle Beauport as a potential marketing staff responsible to improve the sagging sales of Hy’s gourmet ice cream brand, thus decided to reward her with a new post of a marketing research coordinator that was taken by him as a valuable post in marketimg field. Rochelle Beauport, unfortunately had a different perceptions and expectations that leading her into a difficult decision making situation of whether to confront Gilman on perceived discrimination issue or to leave the company.
What went wrong in the case were the organizational conflicts that stemmed from merely misperceptions by Syd Gilman and Rochelle Beauport who had differing background, characteristics and work experiences, thus different social identity. These, therefore had shaped their differing social identity and engaged them in stereotyping. Gilman misperceived that Beauport would like his proposal because he had previously gone through the process which he adored very much without recognizing Beauport’s different self and social concepts as enlisted below.
Factors that developed Gilman’s and Beuport’s stereotypical perceptions:
|Gilman |Beauport |
|Male & white |Woman & colored |
|Longevity in Hy Dairies |Newness in Hy Dairies |
|Hold a top management post |Hold a middle management post |
Discussion Questions:
1. Apply your knowledge of stereotyping and social identity theory to explain what went wrong here.
The case covers issues of how perceptions affect individual decision-making process. As an introduction, Syd Gilman, the vice marketing president at Hy Dairies perceived Rochelle Beauport as a potential marketing staff responsible to improve the sagging sales of Hy’s gourmet ice cream brand, thus decided to reward her with a new post of a marketing research coordinator that was taken by him as a valuable post in marketimg field. Rochelle Beauport, unfortunately had a different perceptions and expectations that leading her into a difficult decision making situation of whether to confront Gilman on perceived discrimination issue or to leave the company.
What went wrong in the case were the organizational conflicts that stemmed from merely misperceptions by Syd Gilman and Rochelle Beauport who had differing background, characteristics and work experiences, thus different social identity. These, therefore had shaped their differing social identity and engaged them in stereotyping. Gilman misperceived that Beauport would like his proposal because he had previously gone through the process which he adored very much without recognizing Beauport’s different self and social concepts as enlisted below.
Factors that developed Gilman’s and Beuport’s stereotypical perceptions:
|Gilman |Beauport |
|Male & white |Woman & colored |
|Longevity in Hy Dairies |Newness in Hy Dairies |
|Hold a top management post |Hold a middle management post |