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Indian Institute of Management Indore

Written Analysis & Communication

Term-II

Case Analysis: A Question of Character

Section – B
Group 13

Arpan Guria – 2021PGP466

Chiranjibi Dalabehara – 2021PGP098
Dhriti Srivastava – 2021PGP110
Elten J Johni – 2021PGP120
Isha Garg – 2018IPM045
Sankarapuram Girish Khanna – 2021PGP320
Shashant Mangal – 2021PGPH014
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LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
This report “A question of Character” is written for the course Written Analysis and
Communication (WAC). The objective of this report is to provide the case analysis and
recommend an action plan for the company. This report is submitted to Prof. Sayantan Mukherjee
on 13th November 2021 including the contribution of all group members.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The image of Glamor-a-Go-Go's CEO has sparked debate among the company's Board of
Directors and executives. The issue is examined, as well as the plan of action to be taken in
response to it. The company has a number of options, including publishing a public statement
defending the CEO, conducting a comprehensive investigation, issuing a warning to him, or taking
drastic measures such as terminating the CEO or taking no action at all.
The possibilities are weighed against a number of factors, including the influence on the key Go
Girl campaign, the CEO's public perception, the time it takes to implement the strategy, and the
satisfaction of various stakeholders, including employees, customers, shareholders and the board
of directors. Three different options are analyzed to prescribe one course of action that handles the
situation well and manages the interests of different stakeholders.
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Table of Contents

S.No Topic Page

01 Letter of Transmittal 2

02 Executive Summary 2

03 Situation Analysis 4

04 Problem Statement 4

05 Suggested options 4

06 Criteria for evaluation 5

07 Evaluation of options 5

08 Recommendation 6

09 Action Plan 6
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SITUATION ANALYSIS
Glamor-a-Go-Go is a cosmetics store enjoying exponential sales growth through its "Girl Power"
line of private-label cosmetics. Roger Cushing is the head of the marketing group at Glamor-a-Go-
Go company. He was scrolling through the daily task of reading the newspaper. He came across a
photograph of his boss Joe Ryan C.E.O with a beautiful young woman. This incident is causing
some uproar among female company staff. Carol Tomkins thinks this is unethical behavior and is
against the ethical value of the brand, therefore, she raised this issue at the board room meeting.
Under Joe Ryan's (CEO) leadership, Glamor-a-Go-Go had positioned itself as a leading cosmetic
company with a strong culture of ethics and honesty. He has excellent business acumen and
compassionate nature, making Glamor-a-Go-Go a fun and exciting place to work.
Though a great CEO, it is a significant concern that his personal affairs might put the company in
an uncomfortable position in public views, open it to lawsuits and public embarrassment, and
hamper morale among its employees. With the company's brand identity at stake, some members
of the board raised the issue of CEO's character and integrity within and outside the organization.
With the company set for global expansion, the Board is concerned about the public image as well
as the future under new leadership.

PROBLEM STATEMENT
What course of action should the board members of Glamour-a-Go-Go adopt to preserve the image
of the company with respect to the CEO’s alleged unethical behavior under media scrutiny when
the execution of the global expansion plan is around the corner?

AVAILABLE OPTIONS
● The company can fire Joe Ryan for the unethical behavior showcased in the media, which
can deteriorate the company's brand identity as a Socially Responsible Company.
● The second option that the company board member may consider is to issue a warning to
Joe Ryan and let him continue as the C.E.O to maintain the financial stability
● The company can initiate an internal inquiry against Joe Ryan and relieve him from the
position until the inquiry is complete. For the time being, another member from the
company should be appointed as the CEO.
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CRITERION FOR EVALUATION

• Ethical Values
• Impact on Brand Identity
• Financial impact
• Shareholders interest
• Company reputation

EVALUATION OF OPTIONS
Option 1: Fire Joe Ryan
This option sets precedence of morals over financial gains. It is ethically aligned and indicates that
the company gives importance to ethical values and takes strict action against misconduct
irrespective of professional proficiency. This option is aligned with the brand identity adopted by
the company. Although initial reaction can go against the brand identity, it aligns with “Girl
Power” as CEO pays for his deeds. However, firing the CEO will have a severe impact on the
finances, threatening the future expansion plans and resulting in unsatisfied shareholders. Overall,
there would be a negative financial impact on the company but sends out a strong message of
morals over excellence aligned with brand identity.

Option 2: The Board warns Joe Ryan while he retains his position in the company
On grounds of ethical values, this option provides the benefit of doubt owing to the lack of
conclusive evidence regarding unethical behavior. However, this may have a negative impact on
the brand identity due to speculations and rumor-mongering by the media outlets. On the financial
front, there might be a negative impact due to the news but it would be smaller compared to firing
of the CEO. This option is also aligned with shareholders’ interests as Joe Ryan is being warned
for his behavior while no huge financial losses are being incurred. However, letting Ryan off the
hook with a warning may deteriorate the company’s reputation because the actions & environment
within are not matched with the campaigns and beliefs propagated to the public.

Option 3: Setup internal inquiry against Joe Ryan and appoint acting CEO.
This option stands true to ethical and moral values being propagated by the company through their
campaigns. It is indicative of fairness and justice because the matter will be investigated before
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action is taken. This option would enhance the company’s reputation and uphold the brand identity.
It will enhance the trust of consumers into the company. Some shareholders may express
disapproval towards this option if the company incurs major financial losses. Overall, this option
attempts to balance both the extremes and provides a middle ground without taking impulsive
action.

RECOMMENDATION
Based on the critical evaluation of available options, it is recommended that the company begins
an internal inquiry into the matter and appoint a new CEO. This option is best aligned with the
ethical and moral principles of the company while balancing the finances. This would send out a
strong message that the company upholds its values over professional proficiency. It shows that
character overrides success and all employees need to abide by the moral values. This plan evinces
that the company is bigger than any one individual.

ACTION PLAN
To execute the recommended strategy, firstly the board should recognize the issue and the
impending impact, if left unaddressed. Once the board agrees to act on the issues, a committee is
to be set up that investigates the alleged unethical behavior exhibited by Joe Ryan. This committee
should be unbiased and thorough in their investigation. On the other hand, the board should look
for probable candidates for the position of CEO to appoint instead of Joe Ryan. Once the list is
finalized, the new CEO should be selected. During this process, the PR team should carefully
manage the media and send out regular updates about the process while crafting messages aligned
with brand identity to highlight the company’s ideals.