Contentious isues can be ralsed in business meetings. DOING BUSINESS AT OZ WIDGET COMPANY Ted Walker, marketing manager sad, ‘Well, tha’ t, except next manth is our golf day with our biggest customer Ace Manufacturing. I want to review the arrangements just to make sure that everything goes off without a hitch. These Ace guys work hard and play hard and expect tobe treated lke kings. tisup tous tomake sure that we do everything to keep ther business. Our widgets are "me-t00" products. Gwen the cutthroat competion and the global economic downturn, the only competitive advantages we have are ‘our price, our service, andthe relationship we have withthe customer. We have to do everything to keep a ‘major customer like Ace Manufacturing happy. We have to give them the best of personalised service. "ve ‘asked Sam Seiznick, our account manager for Ace Manifaturing, to review the arrangements. ‘Sam spoke up. Well, as Ted has mentioned, Ace Manufacturing is our bread and butter. They make ‘up SO per cent of our Australian sales. It critical that everything goes of like clockwork or we wil all bbe out of ajob. As you are aware, we keep detalled records on the key people at Ace Manufacturing. We know where their kids go to school and when ther wives! birthdays are. We know them inside out. If they want box seats atthe football r tickets to the theatre, we arrange {Af they need household ‘appliances ora scholarship for their kids to attend a private schoal, Oz Widget Company is there, We do everything possible tote them to our company, “want to stress’ Ken Flavell, managing director of Oz Widget Company intertupted, "hiss a ‘elationship busines. We want to do everything that we can to increase our influence over this customer. We want them to be martied to us. Corporate entertainment is pact of every managers job description in tis coinpany, itis our point of cifference I's what keeps us all in our jos. Ted and Sam have finalised the arrangements regarding the resort stay and all that i left re the “three Gs" Everyone laughed, except for Robin Chambers, the newly appointed manager of human resources. ‘As inthe past’ continued Sam, Il take responsibilty forthe golf arrangements and Ted wil ook after things with the casino. That leaves "G” number three. Because gis come under human resources, | think that should be Robin responsibilty’ ‘Almost everyone laughed and looked at Rabin, who was shocked. ' bet they didn't tell you that was part of your job description’, smiled Sam. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Ifyou were Robin, what would you do? Why? 2, Do the activites described constitute ‘legitimate’ job responsibilities? Why or why not? ‘8. What cultura, ethical and management isues are raised in this case? Stone, RJ. 2014). Human Resource Management (Sth e.) John Wiley and Sons Australia, Lid, pp-200-201,