Contemporary Topics in Organizational Behavior Case Study

Gizem graduated from a university in Istanbul with a degree in business administration. She
aspires to work in a bank because of her interest and talent in finance. That's why she followed the
recruitment announcements of the banks and sent her resume. She passed the written exam for the
position of assistant inspector of a well-known bank, and now it's time for the interview. Gizem arrived
at the building 15 minutes before the scheduled interview time and waited in the waiting room. After a
while, she realizes that the interview of the male candidate before her is over and that he is leaving. The
gentleman who did the interview came to the door with the male candidate, shook his hand with a smiling
face, and bid him farewell. While leaving, he told the candidate that he hoped to meet him at the weekend
at the university's alumni club they graduated from; then, he went back to the interview room. Gizem
thought that the candidate before her had a very successful interview and continued to wait on the spot
with some impatience and some anxiety, hoping that she would be successful too. She entered the room
after the interviewer called his assistant to let her in.
Mr. Ahmet, the human resources expert who conducted the interview, motions to sit down and
asks her to talk about herself. Gizem starts to tell that she graduated from university with a degree and
mentions her internships. Mr. Ahmet begins to examine Gizem while talking and begins to look carefully
at the tattoo on her wrist. Although Gizem is not sure that Mr. Ahmet is listening to her, she continues
to talk. When Gizem's speech is over, Mr. Ahmet asks Gizem when she got the tattoo on her wrist and
whether she regrets having it. Although Gizem is a little surprised by this question, she says that she had
the tattoo done a few years ago with her friends in the school orchestra, of which she was the soloist,
and that her tattoo is a small microphone. She adds that she certainly did not regret it. Mr. Ahmet thinks
that those who have tattoos are frivolous and will have difficulties in conditions requiring discipline. He
remains silent in the face of Gizem's answer.
Mr. Ahmet then asks Gizem if she has any idea about the job description of the inspection board.
He emphasizes that the working hours of the Inspection Board are long and require an intense and
disciplined work tempo. He also says that he went to branches in various cities and sometimes stayed
for a month or two. He adds that men adapt more quickly to this intense pace and travel conditions and
that they are more resistant. He says that things get harder for women, especially when they get married
and have a child. He adds that due to these conditions, many female inspectors quit their job or requested
to be transferred to other units. He emphasizes that the investment made by the bank in female inspector
candidates is therefore wasted. He asks Gizem if she can withstand these conditions and if she has any
plans to marry soon. In the face of these questions, Gizem says that she knows the requirements of the
job, that she did the necessary research before applying for the job. She emphasizes that she is well
aware of these conditions. She says that she has no plans for marriage in the short term but that even if
she gets married and has a child, she has a character and discipline that will help her balance her work
and private life. She adds that her private life will not disrupt her responsibilities towards her job. She
underlines that she will have as much difficulty as men and that she can cope with this situation as much
as they do. Mr. Ahmet replies, "I just hope," and he feigns a smile on his face. Mr. Ahmet remembers
the conversations he had with his colleagues in the past and thinks about his observations. He has always
heard and seen that women prefer their family and therefore neglect their work. However, when male
candidates performed poorly in their jobs, he did not attribute the reasons to their family; he generally
thought that they left the job or had problems for reasons that he thought were acceptable. How well the
interview he had with the previous candidate went, and it turned out that they graduated from the same
school. The conversation flowed spontaneously in a friendly atmosphere.
Mr. Ahmet thanks Gizem and ends the interview. Gizem thanks him and leaves the room, but she
feels that she will not be accepted for the job. Indeed, Mr. Ahmet makes his mind and expresses a
negative opinion about Gizem.
Questions
1) What factors came into play in Mr. Ahmet’s perception of Gizem?
2) Which shortcuts did Mr. Ahmet use in his perception of Gizem?
3) Which shortcuts did Mr. Ahmet use in his interview with the male candidate before Gizem?
4) Was rationality effective in Mr. Ahmet's decision not to accept Gizem?
5) Are there biases and errors in Mr. Ahmet's decision not to accept Gizem? Please explain.