Vanderbilt University Ethics on The Golf Course Case Study

Job Interview question:  How would you have handled a cheater?

Leaders influence the lives of others; thus, leadership carries moral dimensions and an enormous ethical responsibility. Northouse notes that in addition to the leader’s authority to make decisions, he/she should use this authority for the common good. As leaders have more power and control than their followers, they need to be particularly attuned to how their leadership impacts others. (p 229.)

Read the case study below, It’s Your Call, and respond to the questions below.

Case Study: Ethics on the Golf Course – Job Interview question: How would you have handled this ethical dilemma if you were in the job?

1. Kenzie was excited to be called in for a second interview as an Events Coordinator at a big environmental firm. With her pending degree in Environmental Planning and her interests in community service, Kenzie was hoping that this position would help her zero in on her true passion. As this was a second level interview, the meeting was more about ‘fit’; the employer wanted to determine would Kenzie fit within their organization. Likewise, Kenzie was asking herself the same question ‘Is this a good place for me to work? What can I learn here?  Will this position help me clarify my goals?’
2. As she was ushered into the conference room, Kenzie couldn’t help but notice all the memorabilia, photographs and trophies around the room celebrating the company’s many past events. Upon meeting Maurice Vega, the Director of Marketing and Outreach, Kenzie learned that the company hosts several fundraising events throughout the year to generate good will, raise funds to support local charities and provide opportunities for the community to have some fun.  Maurice Vega noted “Our biggest event is the golf tournament which is highly visible, attracting players from all over the state.  It is expensive for the golfers to enter but the tournament allows them to showcase their talent. It pays off in bragging rights for the golfers and of course,  revenue for the charities we support.”

As Events Coordinator this job would entail overseeing the Golf Tournament from start to finish. Kenzie’s experience with golf was nil except for the time she volunteered at the Nursing Home and some of the retirees there would reminisce about the game.  She had watched the final round of the US Open with her grandfather a few years back and recalled him saying that the game entailed skill and adherence to very specific rules and a code of conduct (golf etiquette).  Clearly, golf represented a real cultural shift for Kenzie, but here was an opportunity to expand her horizons, network in a totally new arena and gain valuable work experience with a highly reputable company.

Unexpectedly Maurice posed an ethical dilemma question to Kenzie during the interview.  He explained “One of the many rules of  golf rules states that ‘if a player who is on the green putts their ball and then their ball hits another player’s ball which is already on the green, the player who putted is penalized 2 strokes”.  As Kenzie’s eyes glazed over, he added “This can be a costly mistake”.   Maurice then shared that last year one of their biggest supporters, “Mr. Big”, entered the Tournament and unfortunately, he made this mistake. Although the other three players in his group witnessed the error, “Mr. Big” did not record the penalty strokes on his score card.  In the game of golf the lowest score wins, so without this penalty Mr. Big would win the Tournament.  The win would, of course, come as the result of his cheating, a serious breach of golf etiquette, but he is a BIG supporter of the event….

1. Maurice asked Kenzie, “How would you have handled this?”
2. Assessment Questions

Consider Kenzie, Maurice and Mr. Big.  How does character come into play in this case study?

A leader’s goals reflect their values. Consider Kenzie, Maurice and Mr. Big.  What are each of their goals?  What values are or are not reflected in their goals?  

How could power come into play in this scenario?

If you were Kenzie, how would you respond to this interview question: “Kenzie, based on the scenario I just explained to you, what would you have done if you were the Event’s Coordinator last year?”  

How would her actions described in response #4 support or reinforce her own goals as well as those of Maurice and Mr. Big?