Scenario: Cheri was a quality control supervisor for the manufacturing company C

ID: 380608 • Letter: S

Question

Scenario: Cheri was a quality control supervisor for the manufacturing company Corley Lawn Mower based in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Corley specialized in small push lawn mowers that were gas powered, but eco-friendly. Cheri began her career at Corley immediately after high school by working on the assembly line. Her first role was organizing the parts of the lawn mower for shipping, and ensuring every part was included and boxed before sealing. Similar to many manufacturers, Cheri moved from area to area in the plant, and she was eventually promoted to the Quality Control Unit.
The Quality employees were responsible for warranty testing. Its employees examined the engines for safety and “guaranteed performance” for four lawn cutting seasons. The testing protocol required the team to start and stop a mower’s engine 10,000 times without fault. The team tested the mowers on rocks, branches, thick grass, and other objects that a lawn mower would scrape when cutting grass or lawns. Cheri enjoyed what she did and was satisfied with the job. Her career path was slow but steady, and she continuously learned something new each day.

Once Cheri was in the Quality Control Unit, she networked and made extensive contacts throughout the organization as quality and safety were the key attributes of the Corley product lines. In fact, Corley’s sales and marketing brochures featured Cheri’s department and emphasized the rigorous quality initiatives of their machines.
One of the Corley Vice Presidents, James Harlan, was impressed by Cheri’s high energy, and they started dating. He was fascinated by her creative marketing ideas and often set up extra discussion time to understand the reasoning behind her marketing suggestions. After a year and a half of courtship, Cheri and James were married in Las Vegas in a small but lavish wedding with several of the Corley senior executives in attendance.
Not long after, James was offered and accepted a position in Shanghai, China as a Senior Vice President for a three-year assignment. It was a difficult decision because Cheri was two months’ pregnant. This meant she must stay back in the United States or have the baby in China. She was apprehensive about the medical care in China, only because she had an established obstetrician back in Minnesota. Cheri was familiar with the local hospital and knew what to expect during the delivery of the baby. After much soul-searching, the couple decided that they wanted to be together. Both Cheri and James would have jobs in China, and each would be garnering a salary with potential performance bonus incentives. They would be expatriates and the experience would be foundational for additional promotions in the future.

Since Cheri was also pregnant, Corley would pay for all health care costs, a full-time live- in nanny, and private educational costs (up to $15,000 annually) for their child once old enough to attend school. This relocation assistance also included a “double move package.” Because Cheri and James were both employees of the company, this meant they received a moving allowance for two employees, instead of one. The second relocation payment, worth several thousand dollars, was an unexpected surprise and was put aside for their child’s college education fund. Although there was no job opening for a Quality Controller at the Shanghai plant, Corley Lawn Mower Company created a position for Cheri as a Quality Control Reviewer.
Cheri had never lived in Shanghai, so she was worried about creating a support network. Fortunately, she befriended a neighbor at the local coffee and tea shop and they became confidants. She learned that Padama, an engineer and Xpat from India, lived with her family on the same street as Cheri’s family. This comforted her. She also discovered that they lived in a neighborhood that included expatriates from different English-speaking countries, and all children from kindergarten through high school attended the same private school. Padama reassured Cheri she would assimilate quickly into the new culture and make friends.
In China, Cheri and James had different work schedules, and they were driven to the factory at separate times by a professional car service. It allowed Cheri to get ready in the morning leisurely. As Cheri approached her first day of work, she set aside the same clothing she would wear back home, namely a short skirt and tight-fitting top. Many might consider her choice inappropriate for a manufacturing facility.
At the Shanghai Corley factory, the workers wore company-provided uniforms (coveralls) with flat shoes. This included all middle management. Cheri barely noticed this, but her husband was very aware of her differences in work attire. He mentioned to Cheri how unusual it was that the employees in China wore the Corley uniform and that the company paid for laundering. Each person changed into the coveralls daily in the morning and out of them at the end of workday. However, Cheri was oblivious to her husband’s gentle suggestions, and continued to wear her personal clothing to the factory. Gossip was frowned upon in the workplace, but Cheri’s clothes seemed disrespectful to many employees and they were unsure of how to behave around her.
Cheri often came in late and had a short workday because the job created for her was very basic and could be completed very quickly. She was to review quality results twice weekly and recommend changes. Since the Corley Company had focused on quality as its foundation for success, it was rare that Cheri needed to provide a recommendation. After four weeks (which was only eight working days), Cheri knew that she had much free time. Most of the expatriate wives on her street did not work, so when Cheri was invited to attend a lunch or a book club “get together,” she left the factory early and enjoyed a relaxing time with her Xpat friends.
While overseas, Cheri and James took advantage of their free weekends and visited other parts of China. James also traveled to other countries in Asia, and since he was a Senior Vice President, he was allowed to invite his wife to accompany him. This meant that Cheri would miss work, but she already knew her work could be finished easily and rapidly. She assumed missing work would not be an issue because she was an efficient employee.
On these “business” trips, Cheri enjoyed shopping and visited many historical and tourist landmarks. Even though she had not delivered her baby yet, their nanny traveled with them and acted as a translator. The nanny also provided help if Cheri needed assistance with her pregnancy or running the household. She was told by Corley management to respond to any of Cheri’s special requests. As Cheri tired more easily during her last trimester, Corley Lawn Mower Company wanted no distractions for James while working abroad. So, the nanny serviced the couple with cleaning, cooking, shopping, and entertaining (although this only happened one time).
In anticipation of her child’s birth, her neighbor Padama planned a baby shower for Cheri. To her surprise, the decorations followed an American nursery rhymes theme, and the food and dessert (cupcake mix and frosting) were all from the United States. Finding familiar products from the United States in China was difficult, but Padama had secured a way that Cheri soon learned was common practice. Padama coordinated with another friend, an expatriate’s wife visiting California, and the items traveled back with her. Some of the items were used to coordinate the baby’s new nursery which couldn’t have made Cheri any happier! It was like being home in the United States. Cheri delivered her baby one week later, and the couple was thrilled with their new daughter, Anita.
Life was pleasant in China and James thrived in his position at the Chinese Corley plant. Cheri couldn’t believe that they had been in China for over two years now. She continued to work two days a week, and their new baby kept her busy while James traveled. The nanny was a tremendous help to Cheri, and she depended on her not only as the baby’s caregiver, but to be a translator at Anita’s regular doctor’s visits.
At twenty-two months old, Anita became very ill and developed unusual swelling of her cheek and neck. Cheri was very worried about Anita as she was crying constantly and not eating. She and the nanny took Anita to the pediatrician who referred her to an oncologist. Tests were performed and the conclusion was that Anita suffered from a rare form of mouth cancer! Cheri was devastated and Corley immediately arranged for her to return home. She was granted a family leave of absence from work, and quickly flew back to the United States.
Once home, Cheri was referred to a pediatric oncologist at Mayo Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. Thankfully, Anita received an expedited appointment to see the doctor that week. Sheri provided the diagnostic paperwork that had been translated into English by the nanny. After reading the documents and evaluating the blood test results, the doctor was surprised that the lab values contradicted a cancer diagnosis. On further physical examination, the oncologist determined the young girl had infected gums and an abscessed baby tooth—not cancer! The diagnosis was incorrect. It had caused much emotional turmoil and lost work days for Cheri. Although relieved with the positive health outlook, Cheri told Corley she wanted to leave her position in Shanghai immediately.
Corley Lawn Mower Company, however, wanted her to return to China. They had invested in both her husband and her, and the factory was exceeding its production target for the year. Cheri conceded and after spending a month in the United States arrived back in Shanghai. She did not want to return to work at the factory and leave her daughter with the nanny after the trauma of her illness. Fortunately, Corley allowed her husband to bring the quality reports home to Cheri, and he would return the documents the following day to Cheri’s supervisor, Shao Fen. Her manager did not have any Chinese employees working from home, so he was angered that she was given permission to handle her work in this manner. Mr. Fen was exasperated because Cheri rarely came to the factory before the baby was born, and now without his permission, she was working from home! He was also frustrated because he did not speak English, and she did not speak Chinese, and to communicate they required the assistance of an interpreter. Cheri seemed happy with this arrangement but clearly her supervisor was not!

Questions:

1. Corley was a multinational company that transferred both Cheri and James overseas, and created a special job for Cheri. Is it possible that Cheri was a “pawn” to ensure her husband’s acceptance of the job abroad? Explain.

2. Cheri ignored the required work uniform (coveralls) provided by Corley Lawn Mower Company. Do you believe she made a conscious decision to wear her own clothes daily, or was she simply ignorant of the custom?

3. Assume Cheri knew of the dress decorum. What would be her motives for wearing her own clothes? What negative consequence occurred or could have occurred because of her refusal?

4. Cheri seemed to come and go to work as she pleased. For more than two years, she did not advance within the company, and her job status remained static. Is there any evidence she preferred or negotiated this freedom and independence?

5. If Cheri wanted her career in China to grow as it did in the United States, what actions or behaviors should she have exhibited to help her succeed? What would have been the advantages of immersing herself with her Chinese colleagues and their culture?

6. Near the end of the case, Cheri’s supervisor reveals his anger toward Cheri. Do you think it was warranted? Support your decision by reviewing facts from the last two years.

7. An enormous obstacle for Xpats is communication. Beyond having a nanny as a translator, how could Cheri have improved her communication skills at work? And, vice versa, how could Mr. Fen have improved his communication with Cheri?

Explanation / Answer

Answer1. As Corley was an multinational company it would be looking at the Chinese market as a big green pasture to earn and grow, and in order to carter to this huge market , which the cases suggests that was also a gateway to other Asian countries, certainly the company would want an "old hand" and that was James with prooven track record, they needed him badly on other hand Cheri was also an expert at her job and an oldie herself, she could have the only reson for James to deny overseas assingment thus the creation of post, flexiable working hours, lavish fringe benefits like all health care costs, a full-time live- in nanny, and private educational costs (up to $15,000 annually) for their child once old enough to attend school. This relocation assistance also included a “double move package.” were accorded to the couple. it seems that yes Cheri was motivated and used to confirm the husbands overseas assignment that also brought a promotion.

Answer 2. Asian countries are a bit conversative when its comes to dressing and Cheri openly ignored the system ,I think she made a consious decision to wear what she was used to or in other words what she felt suited her and she was comfortable in.Cheri dispite her husbands gentle reminders ignored the advise seems to an informed desion on her part to ignore even the rules that called for middle level managemt staff to wear the same uniform, as she her self was from middle management, thus it seems to be a conscious decision to wear her own clothes

3. Assume Cheri knew of the dress decorum. What would be her motives for wearing her own clothes? What negative consequence occurred or could have occurred because of her refusal?

Asnwer3. Assuming that Cheri knew of the dress decorum, her motives for wearing her own clothes can be,

1. out of habit.

2. her comfort level in her normal dress.

the negative consequences that occured/ might have occured can be.

1. disrespect to her position by other employees

2. feeling of uncomfort by other employees in her presence.

3. uneasy and thus lack of cooperation by other employees.

4. Disatisfaction among others in combined responce to her woking hours, post creation and her dressing habit.

5. and last of all communication gap due to the above reasons lead to the episode with Shao Fen.

Answer 4. it seems that Cheri had become accostemed to her new life style and was ready for the baby , and specially after the trauma of medical goof up in China her primary concern was the baby and not her professional growth, the only evidance of her negotation is evident in the effort to stay back in US, which eventualy she could not, Because Corley in order to retain her husband, themselfes offered her immense freedom, indepedence and comfort.

Answer 5. Had Cheri wanted to grow professionally in China as well it would have been advatagous for her to immerse in Chinese culture as the Corley policy of movement of employees from area to area in the plant, Cheri could have discovered something new as it is evident from case that James had fallen for her high energy and creative marketing ideas she could have easily moved to other departments and have grown, that the same time she would have generated respect, cooperation, communication and team sprite with her Chinaese counterparts thus the episode with Mr. Fen could have been avoided.

6. Near the end of the case, Cheri’s supervisor reveals his anger toward Cheri. Do you think it was warranted? Support your decision by reviewing facts from the last two years.

Answer 6. Mr. Fen was the immediate boss or supervisor seems to be annoyed it her for these reasons

1. Lack or rather gap of communication.

2. Cheri's diffiance to adher to Chinaese customs and culture.

3.Creation of special post for Cheri which company could have done away with

4. Special treatment accorded to her by the Comapny like a paid nanny.

5. her flexiable working hours.

6. and feeling of insubordiation as James was carrying official documents to home the Cheri allowed to work from home.

looking at the present circumstances the anger seems personal rather then professional , thus professionally speaking the anger was unwarrented as it had been the top management decision to do so.

Answer 7. Cheri made friends with english speaking people only thus did not try to learn the local language, her flexiable working hours added to absence from work place where she might have communiated with the co workers and learnt a bit. She had a nanny just as a translator , she could have taken the nanny's help to learn a little, as Mr. Fen is concerned he does not speak English , but seems to doing fine in his home country, it would have been better the communication existed even if with the help to interpreter, rather then having none at all.

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