Case Study 3.1 HY DAIRIES, INC. Syd Gilman read the latest sales figures with a great After a long silence, Beauport managed a deal of satisfaction. The vice president of marketing weak “Thank you, Mr. Gilman.” She was too be- at Hy Dairies, Inc., a large midwestern milk prod- wildered to protest. She wanted to collect her ucts manufacturer, was pleased to see that the mar- thoughts and reflect on what she had done wrong. keting campaign to improve sagging sales of Hy's Also, she did not know her boss well enough to be gourmet ice-cream brand was working. Sales vol openly critical. ume and market share of the product had increased Gilman recognized Beauport's surprise, which he significantly over the past two quarters compared naturally assumed was her positive response to hear- with the previous year. ing of this wonderful career opportunity. He, too, The improved sales of Hy's gourmet ice cream had been delighted several years earlier about his could be credited to Rochelle Beauport, who was temporary transfer to marketing research to round assigned to the gourmet ice-cream brand last year. out his marketing experience. “This move will be Beauport had joined Hy less than two years ago as good for both you and Hy Dairies,” said Gilman as an assistant brand manager after leaving a similar he escorted Beauport from his office. job at a food products firm. She was one of the few Beauport was preoccupied with several tasks women of color in marketing management at Hy that afternoon, but she was able to consider the Dairies and had a promising career with the com- day's events that evening. She was one of the top pany. Gilman was pleased with Beauport's work women and few minorities in brand management and tried to let her know this in the annual perfor- at Hy Dairies and feared that she was being side- mance reviews. He now had an excellent opportu- lined because the company didn't want women or nity to reward her by offering her the recently people of color in top management. Her previous vacated position of market research coordinator. Al- employer had made it quite clear that women though technically only a lateral transfer with a "couldn't take the heat” in marketing management modest salary increase, the marketing research coor- and tended to place women in technical support dinator job would give Beauport broader experience positions after a brief term in lower brand manage- in some high-profile work, which would enhance ment jobs. Obviously Syd Gilman and Hy Dairies her career with Hy Dairies. Few people were aware were following the same game plan. Gilman's com- that Gilman's own career had been boosted by ment that the coordinator job would be good for working as marketing research coordinator at Hy her was just a nice way of saying that Beauport several years earlier. couldn't go any further in brand management at Rochelle Beauport had also seen the latest sales Hy Dairies. figures on Hy's gourmet ice cream and was expect- Beauport now faced the difficult decision of ing Gilman's call to meet with her that morning. whether to confront Gilman and try to change Hy Gilman began the conversation by briefly mention- Dairies' sexist and possibly racist practices or to ing the favorable sales figures and then explained leave the company. that he wanted Beauport to take the marketing re- search coordinator job. Beauport was shocked by the news. She enjoyed brand management and par- Discussion Questions ticularly the challenge involved with controlling a 1. Apply your knowledge of stereotyping and so- product that directly affected the company's profit- cial identity theory to explain what went wrong ability. Marketing research coordinator was a techni- here. cal support position-a “backroom” job-far removed from the company's bottom-line activities. Market- 2. What other perceptual error is apparent in this ing research was not the route to top management in case study? most organizations, Beauport thought. She had been 3. What can organizations do to minimize misper- sidelined. ceptions in these types of situations?
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