CASE STUDY: New Market Communications, New Market, MN
CASE DETAILS: [Note that the merger of Elko and New Market, Minnesota are real. However, the companies and people people mentioned in this case are entirely fictional.] This case is suitable for an ethics class, ethics assignment, or critical thinking assignment.
New Market Communications is a father-daughter family business that provides small business clients with customized, networked computers and software and with training. Joe and Leanne started the business two years ago after Joe retired from Hewlett-Packard's Information Technology (IT) training center [real organization] in Minneapolis. Leanne graduated, in 2005, from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus [real organization] with a B.S. in Computer Science. Joe and Leanne's business responded to a need for a personal IT touch for small businesses (starting with friends) with computer needs. Joe and Leanne's most important current client is Martha Fields [see the New Market Real Estate case study], a realtor who is computer-phobic and who had a bad experience with a large, Minneapolis communications company. Martha wants IT solutions by people who will not treat her as if she were "a brain-dead idiot." In spite of the devotion of their clients, Joe and Leanne are struggling to make their business a financial success. Joe and Leanne have two problems, one requiring a design solution and the other requiring a report solution.
One problem that needs to be resolved is a design for the company's stationery. The small cities of New Market and Elko are merging in 2007, and Joe and Leanne have been getting along with no formal stationery or forms. Leanne has been producing their documents with their computers and printers. They decided that the city merger is a good excuse to add a professional touch to their business with a logo, stationery, order forms, and an advertisement in the yellow pages. Neither father nor daughter has any document design experience or inclination. Their printer wants the design soon in order to meet the company's printing deadline. The printer will accept the design in a MS Word file. In the initial R&A interview, Joe stated, "I want a design that is friendly and folksy. I want the design to project the idea that we are not your usual IT types, that we are human and treat our clients like human beings. I see rounded lettering that almost smiles at those who look at it. I don't much care about colors, but I think earthy tones would be good, especially here where the scenery is mostly white." Leanne stated, "Earthy colors are good. I like to look at green! I have no idea what the logo should look like. I don't really see it having a picture or drawing, probably just our company initials and contact information. I just don't know anything about this sort of thing."
The second problem for Joe and Leanne requires a report. They are facing an ethical situation for which they need solutions. Martha hired them to build new computers with wireless Internet connection for her office (three computers: one for her, one for her office manager, and one for her part-time associate, Monty Lewis). Joe and Leanne's job includes re-installing all of Martha's software. Martha provides them with a packet of software documentation, rather dusty from lack of use since she first set up her office six years earlier. In the process of installing and checking the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) software, they discover that Martha and Monty have both been using the MLS with the same login and password. The license agreement is only for one agent. They realize that this is a a violation of realtor and business ethics standards and law. Joe and Leanne are uncertain about how to proceed. They have been talking about what action to take. The solutions that they have been considering are (a) to complete the job without saying anything even though they are leaving their friend in an unethical situation, (b) to turn in Martha to the Minnesota Department of Commerce [http://mn.gov/commerce/], or [c] tell Martha and leave the decision to her. They do not know if Martha is deliberatly violating the law, if this is accidental, or if Monty is accessing Martha's MLS account without her knowing he does not have his own. They are hoping that R&A can provide more possible solutions or at least research these ideas and flesh out the consequences for them so that they can make the right decision for their company.
Teacher Options: For a visual design assignment, students can create a logo. For the ethical situation, students would need to research the consequences of the available options and compile a report. This case is not recommended as an editing assignment.
For a richly populated index of ethics case studies, see http://dornsife.usc.edu/dilemmas-and-case-studies/
Use the drop-down list in the navigation bar to access other case studies.
New Market Communications is a father-daughter family business that provides small business clients with customized, networked computers and software and with training. Joe and Leanne started the business two years ago after Joe retired from Hewlett-Packard's Information Technology (IT) training center [real organization] in Minneapolis. Leanne graduated, in 2005, from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus [real organization] with a B.S. in Computer Science. Joe and Leanne's business responded to a need for a personal IT touch for small businesses (starting with friends) with computer needs. Joe and Leanne's most important current client is Martha Fields [see the New Market Real Estate case study], a realtor who is computer-phobic and who had a bad experience with a large, Minneapolis communications company. Martha wants IT solutions by people who will not treat her as if she were "a brain-dead idiot." In spite of the devotion of their clients, Joe and Leanne are struggling to make their business a financial success. Joe and Leanne have two problems, one requiring a design solution and the other requiring a report solution.
One problem that needs to be resolved is a design for the company's stationery. The small cities of New Market and Elko are merging in 2007, and Joe and Leanne have been getting along with no formal stationery or forms. Leanne has been producing their documents with their computers and printers. They decided that the city merger is a good excuse to add a professional touch to their business with a logo, stationery, order forms, and an advertisement in the yellow pages. Neither father nor daughter has any document design experience or inclination. Their printer wants the design soon in order to meet the company's printing deadline. The printer will accept the design in a MS Word file. In the initial R&A interview, Joe stated, "I want a design that is friendly and folksy. I want the design to project the idea that we are not your usual IT types, that we are human and treat our clients like human beings. I see rounded lettering that almost smiles at those who look at it. I don't much care about colors, but I think earthy tones would be good, especially here where the scenery is mostly white." Leanne stated, "Earthy colors are good. I like to look at green! I have no idea what the logo should look like. I don't really see it having a picture or drawing, probably just our company initials and contact information. I just don't know anything about this sort of thing."
The second problem for Joe and Leanne requires a report. They are facing an ethical situation for which they need solutions. Martha hired them to build new computers with wireless Internet connection for her office (three computers: one for her, one for her office manager, and one for her part-time associate, Monty Lewis). Joe and Leanne's job includes re-installing all of Martha's software. Martha provides them with a packet of software documentation, rather dusty from lack of use since she first set up her office six years earlier. In the process of installing and checking the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) software, they discover that Martha and Monty have both been using the MLS with the same login and password. The license agreement is only for one agent. They realize that this is a a violation of realtor and business ethics standards and law. Joe and Leanne are uncertain about how to proceed. They have been talking about what action to take. The solutions that they have been considering are (a) to complete the job without saying anything even though they are leaving their friend in an unethical situation, (b) to turn in Martha to the Minnesota Department of Commerce [http://mn.gov/commerce/], or [c] tell Martha and leave the decision to her. They do not know if Martha is deliberatly violating the law, if this is accidental, or if Monty is accessing Martha's MLS account without her knowing he does not have his own. They are hoping that R&A can provide more possible solutions or at least research these ideas and flesh out the consequences for them so that they can make the right decision for their company.
Teacher Options: For a visual design assignment, students can create a logo. For the ethical situation, students would need to research the consequences of the available options and compile a report. This case is not recommended as an editing assignment.
For a richly populated index of ethics case studies, see http://dornsife.usc.edu/dilemmas-and-case-studies/
Use the drop-down list in the navigation bar to access other case studies.
Rhettime: Rodgers & Associates by http://rhettime.weebly.com/r--a.html is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
Note: Contributions to this case study were provided by J.E. Warren.
©Ida L. Rodgers and J.E. Warren., 2006
Updated January 15, 2012
©Ida L. Rodgers and J.E. Warren., 2006
Updated January 15, 2012