ANALYSIS ON

WE GOOGLED YOU

Should Fred hire Mimi despite her online history?

By Diane Coutu
Written Analysis and Communication

A report on

We Googled You
By Diane Coutu
Submitted To:

Professor Abha Chatterjee

by

Dhruvi B Unadkat
2019PGP131
Section B

On
14th November, 2019
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Letter of Transmittal

Prof. Abha Chatterjee

Department of Communication
Indian Institute of management,
Indore

Subject:

Dear Madam,

I am pleased to submit you the analysis on: HBR Case: We

Googled You by Diane Coutu.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work on the
given case.

Looking forward to your valuable feedback on the same.

Sincerely,

Dhruvi B Unadkat
2019PGP131

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Executive Summary

The CEO of Hathaway Jones is looking for a strong team

for the company’s aggressive entry into the Chinese market.
He likes confident Mimi with impressive qualifications who
is also the daughter of his old roommate and friend. The
VP-HR, Virginia comes across newspaper articles of her
protests regarding WTO and China’s treatment of a
journalist while searching for Mimi online. Fred can hire
Mimi anyways, ask her upfront about her role in the protest
or hire her for a different position. Based on company’s
image, pressure of forming a good team and legal issues, the
report recommends not hiring Mimi as a lead for the
China’s expansion team.

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Table of Contents

1. Situation Analysis ........................................................ 5

2. Problem Statement ....................................................... 5
3. Alternatives.................................................................. 6
4. Criterion for Evaluation ............................................... 6
5. Evaluation of Alternatives ........................................... 7
6. Recommendation ......................................................... 9
7. Implementation Plan .................................................. 10
8. Contingency Plan ....................................................... 10
9. Appendix ................................................................... 11

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Situation Analysis

Hathaway Jones, a luxury apparel retailer, was worried

because of the declining sales of its high priced designer
clothes, and a rusting image across US market. China
showed the prospects of being the fastest growing market
with newly rich people in search of something to do with
their money. Hence the CEO, Fred was looking for a strong
team for the company’s expansion project into China. Mimi,
the daughter of Fred’s old roommate is interested to lead the
team. She is confident, vocal and has expensive tastes along
with impressive qualification and knowledge of local
dialects. Fred was intrigued after the first meeting but
Virginia, the HR, found online newspaper articles of Mimi
leading a protest against WTO and against China’s
treatment of a journalist which led to Fred rethinking about
her candidature.

Problem Statement
How should Fred react to the online content against Mimi
while choosing the best for the company?

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Alternatives

1. Hire Mimi to lead the team in China anyways

2. Ask Mimi to justify her side of the story regarding the
protests and hire her if her views have changed now
3. Not to hire Mimi as a leader of the team

Criterion for Evaluation

1. Company’s image
2. Formation of the best Winning team
3. Legal Issues

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Evaluation of Alternatives

1. Hire Mimi to lead the team in China anyways

 Criterion 1: Company’s image

Mimi is audacious and opinionated.
The company is setting up its first
ever store in China. Chinese do not
generally accept an expatriate as their
leader and hence may alienate
themselves. Moreover, anyone can
get hold of online newspaper articles
and it can have serious business
consequences.

 Criterion 2: Formation of the best winning

team:
Given Mimi’s impressive letter of
recommendations and her education
in Modern Chinese History from Ivy
League schools, it is tough to reject a
candidate only on the basis of some
online newspaper articles. She has 2
successful brand relaunches. Not
picking her would mean losing out
on a good candidate.

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 Criterion 3: Legal Issues:

Free trade and human rights are very
sensitive topics with regards to
China. An important position like
this will lead to media’s negative
backslash and legal issues for the
company

2. Ask Mimi to justify her side of the story regarding the

protests and hire her if her views have changed now

 Criterion 1: Company’s image

Chinese people look up to their
leaders and this being a strategically
important center, it is risky to hire
Mimi as a lead.

 Criterion 2: Formation of the best winning

team:
Even though Mimi is no longer the
teen that she was 8 years ago, it is
next to impossible to hide the
newspaper articles about her. She
must make efforts to repaint the
image on the internet by writing
blogs etc. The company is at stake
even if she knows the local dialect.

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 Criterion 3: Legal Issues:

The case begins with an article in the
newspaper highlighting how the
insurer rejected a women’s claims
based on psychologist’s notes. US
has very stringent privacy laws and a
firm can be sued by the candidate if
they are searched online and denied
an offer solely based on the same.

3. Not to hire Mimi as a leader of the team

 Criterion 1: Company’s image:

Company might not lose much if
Mimi is just an employee.

 Criterion 2: Formation of the best winning

team:
Mimi not being the leader but an
important part of designing the stores
will enhance the team and will be a
win-win situation. Later she can be
promoted as a lead in company’s US
divisions.

 Criterion 3: Legal Issues:

The media might not catch attention
as she is another employee and
usually the acts of the employee are
independent of the employers. The
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company cannot be challenged
legally by Mimi for privacy laws
related to internet searching.

Recommendations
The report recommends hiring Mimi for a different position and
not as a lead on the China project.

Implementation Plan

1. Mimi must go through all the processes of the

interview and then be told that she is considered for a
position in US to revive the brand or not as a lead on
the china project.
2. Mimi can be told to write articles on China’s economy
online so that she can revive her image.

Contingency Plan

Mimi might not consider the role offered to her and in that case
the company must be ready to give her an attractive offer and
work.

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