You are the sales manager of a two-year-old electronics firm. At times, the firm has seemed on the brink of failure, but recently it has begun to be profitable. In large part, the profitability is due to the aggressive and talented sales force you have recruited. Two months ago, you hired Alice North, an honors graduate from the State University, who decided that she was tired of the Research Department and wanted to try sales.
Almost immediately after you sent Alice out for training with Brad West, your best salesperson, he began reporting to you an unexpected turn of events. According to Brad, ‘‘Alice is terrific: she's confident, smooth, and persistent. Unfortunately, a lot of our buyers are good old boys who just aren't comfortable around young, bright women.
Just last week, Hiram Jones, one of our biggest customers, told me that he simply won't continue to do business with ‘young chicks' who think they invented the world. It's not that Alice is a know-it-all. She's not. It's just that these guys like to booze it up a bit, tell some off-color jokes, and then get down to business.
Alice doesn't drink, and, although she never objects to the jokes, it's clear she thinks they're offensive.'' Brad felt that several potential deals had fallen through ‘‘because the mood just wasn't right with Alice there.'' Brad added, ‘‘I don't like a lot of these guys' styles myself, but I go along to make the sales. I just don't think Alice is going to make it.''
When you call Alice in to discuss the situation, she concedes the accuracy of Brad's report but indicates that she's not to blame and insists that she be kept on the job. You feel committed to equal opportunity but don't want to jeopardize your company's ability to survive. What should you do?