The Uncomfortable Business Trip

Tammy worked diligently Tammy for two years as a marketing assistant at Biotronics, a manufacturer of electronic equipment the health field. She was then promoted to sales representative, covering the entire state of Indiana. Tammy brought the good news home to her husband, Rick. As she explained the details of the promotion to him, Tammy noticed that Rick developed a glum expression. When asked why he was so unenthusiastic about her promotion, Rick replied:

"You may think that I'm being old fashioned, but I can see a lot of trouble ahead for you in your new job. You'll be forced into a good deal of overnight travel. In the process, you'll find yourself in some touchy situations with men from your company and also with strangers."

"Rick, I agree with one thing you said. You are being old fashioned. A woman who isn't looking to get involved with a man on a business trip will have no problem. I just read an article to that effect in a magazine for career women."

Rick and Tammy continued their discussion for 15 more minutes and then shifted to a talk about plans for the weekend.

Two weeks later, Tammy's boss arranged a business trip for him and Tammy to attend a medical conference in Indianapolis.

Tammy told Rick that she would be gone for three days on this important trip with "three people from the office."

Duane, Tammy's boss, invited her to have dinner with him the first night of the convention. Tammy said that she was so tired from the day's excitement that she would prefer to have a snack alone and then retire to her room. But

Duane persisted, and not wanting to offend her boss, Tammy met Duane for dinner. During dinner, Duane shifted quickly from a discussion of business topics to questions about Tammy's hobbies, personal interests, and how well she was getting along with Rick.

Toward the end of the dinner, Duane extended another invitation to Tammy: "Let's you and I go dancing next. The evening is young, and we're both adults, free to do what we want.

Besides that, I feel a lot of good chemistry between us. And if you and I were compatible, I would be more willing to get you assigned to some of our major customers in your territory."

Tammy felt a surge of uneasiness. She thought quickly,

"What do I do now? If I turn down Duane, the trip could turn into a disaster But if I go out with him, I'm sure I'll be facing another kind of disaster: fighting off the advances of my boss. And then if I tell Rick about this fiasco, he'll say `I told you so' and ask me to quit my job. I've got to say something to Duane right now, but I don't know what."

Case Questions

1. Precisely what conflicts is Tammy facing?

2. What on-the-spot tactic of conflict resolution can you recommend to Tammy?

3. What should Tammy do as a long-range solution to the problem of men trying to convert business occasions into social occasions, when she wants to keep them as business occasions?

4. Explain which type of sexual harassment appears to be evident in this case.

Instructions:

Read Case Study "The Uncomfortable Business Trip" Make certain your writing style is it clear and concise, well-organized, and grammatically correct. Answer the Minicase questions. Remember to provide a complete reason in defense of your answer.

Use the following format to do your assignment:

I. Introduction- in a few sentences describes the case and tells how your paper will be organized.

II. Analyzes the case questions- You must include the question in your answer.

III. Conclusion - Briefly summarize the essential difficulties posed in this case and the relevance of your recommended solutions.