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HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

School of Business and Accountancy
#Holy Angel Avenue, Sto. Rosario,
Angeles City
A.Y. 2021-2022

Case Study Analysis No. 2: Kelly Meyers’ Dilemma

Submitted By:

Asirot, Jerome

Henson, Bea Marie

Malang, Jhubert

Mitra, Maria Sarah Luciae

Seguin, Ronald

Section:

MK-331

Submitted to:
Professor Jobert Placiente
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Summary of the Case

In this case study, Kelly Myers, the main character, has prepared for several
months for a bid that will be deemed important for the company. With this, Kelly Myers
met with Janet Williams, the purchasing agent, to discuss the said bid. Following the
meeting, Kelly Myers' boss suggested she see Williams again. And since her boss
wanted to know who the other bidders were, Myers asked about them but was not able
to receive a direct response from the purchasing agent. In addition, Williams said other
bids were received while reviewing the files and her recommendations. Suddenly,
Williams' boss knocked on the door and requested to speak with her momentarily. While
leaving to attend to the call of her boss, Janet Williams left the files open, which Myers
could easily see. Once Williams had returned, they fell into conversation. After
conversing with Williams, Myers assumed she would not win because she had seen
the information in the file and came to realize that she and her company had the lowest
bid. However, a week later, she was surprised to learn she had won the bid.

Statement of the Problem

As seen in this case, Kelly Myers has been gathering information for an
important bid for months. She asks her client about the other submitted bids when the
chance arises, but they are unable to communicate. Myers has to think about the moral
and practical implications of her choice. Hence, the case study presents the main
problem of confidentiality in keeping important client information to oneself. This is the
identified problem because there is a violation of the privacy and confidentiality of the
other bidders by using private information to compromise the bid submission process.
So, the case seeks to look into the moral and practical implications as well as, again,
note the breach of confidentiality by Kelly Myers.

It specifically seeks the following statement:

1. To identify the core cause of Kelly Myers confidentiality breach upon being left

with the file of the officially submitted bids.

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Analysis of the Problem

The problem in Kelly Myers’ case revolves around confidentiality and trust—
whether Kelly should use her own knowledge of other bids to her advantage or view
the information in the file and disclose it to her boss and other bidders. With this, Myers
has access to details that might give her an edge during the bid submission process,
but using them could be problematic and unethical. Moreover, if the experience of
privacy is essential to human dignity and well-being, it is something individuals with a
choice should not discard or give away carelessly (Allen, 2023). However, Myers has
raised questions regarding the submitted bids of the other bidders. At the very least,
Kelly needs to respect the decision of her purchasing agent. Since respect for persons
is a modern moral concept (Weber et al., 2017). As a representative of her company,
Kelly Myers should have known that.

Moreover, the problem that had arisen was because of a dilemma that Kelly
Myers, the main character of the case, had experienced. With this, an ethical dilemma,
also known as a moral problem or ethical paradox, arises when a person must choose
between two possibilities, none of which are wholly and ethically acceptable (Corporate
Finance Institute, 2023). The dilemma that Myers was faced with revolved around the
decision on whether she should have viewed and used the submitted bids’ information
to her advantage or instead maintained the confidentiality of the buyer’s information.
This is because, as stated in the case, Myers has been gathering information for the
success of this bid. However, in this context, one of the terms that buyers would define
as trust is confidentiality. In which this aspect was already violated by Kelly Myers. So,
one of the main reasons for the stated problem would be because of the dilemma that
Kelly Myers was faced with.

In relation to this, after analyzing the situation, Janet Williams was very pleased
with the impression that Myers had given her. As such, in general, when one is
impressed with a certain person or occurrence, they would want to see more, and
perhaps in business, they would purchase the item that left an impression on them
(Thimothy, 2016). So, in correlation to this, from the perspective of Kelly Myers, one
would think that Janet Williams may have intended to leave the list of competitive bids
out on the table. This is because Janet knew who Kelly was; she is a prospective bidder.
With that, the stated problem has arisen because this has somewhat led to Myers’
dilemma. It is as if this caused a domino effect. Williams had left the files for Myers to
ponder, leading her to be tempted to view the information. Accordingly, there are
knowledge bases that Myers possessed, such as competitor knowledge, promotion
knowledge, and price knowledge. However, in accordance with her integrity, which is
the state of having strong moral principles, she has used this knowledge in a way that
is not ethically correct. This is because when faced with such a situation, self-control
judgments that entail deciding between smaller, more immediate outcomes and larger,
longer-term outcomes are at the core of temptations (Kalkstein & Fujita, 2020). Hence,
due to this, she had breached the confidentiality of her purchasing agent. To conclude,
Kelly Myers and Janet Williams’ actions in leaving the files have caused a problem of
confidentiality.
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Alternative Courses of Advantages Disadvantages

Action

Have Kelly Myers 1. By providing a 1. Sending employees to

undergo a trust-building workshop that focuses on
workshop to help regain trust-building agendas, it
buyer trust. can help in ensuring that
the employee or Kelly
Myers will not breach any
rules set by the firm.
Furthermore, by doing so,
strong trust gained from
the workshop will deliver
success and well-being in
the workplace (Insight
Coaching, 2023).
workshops or seminars is
already considered an
investment. This is
because, due to logistics,
facilities, travel, potential
meals or refreshments,
and an increased demand
for materials, in-person
workshops are typically
more expensive than other
options (Rogers, 2022).

2. One of the terms that

buyers use to define trust
is reliability. By attending
this workshop, Kelly Myers
may be able to fully build
upon her integrity and
moral values and eliminate
the need to face ethical
dilemmas (Kollo &
Baynton, 2021).

Refrain from seeking Advantages

important information
regarding confidential 1. This would show that Kelly Myers exhibits
data trustworthiness and will ensure a state of confidentiality
since the bidder will not view the data regarding the
submitted bids. Since she is able to keep the buyer’s
information a secret (Schwegman, Lundberg, &
Woessner, 2021).

2. By refraining from viewing confidential data, Kelly

Myers can continue to benefit the organization since
earning customers trust is becoming a competitive
strategy to close sales and bids (Duarte, 2021).
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Recommendation

The recommended alternative would be the second course of action. Namely,

"Refrain from seeking important information regarding confidential data." By taking this
course of action, there may simply be no more dilemma that would be faced by Kelly
Myers. This is because the main problem in the dilemma revolved around the
confidentiality that Myers had broken due to the information she had seen. In this case,
Myers had viewed confidential data containing vital information regarding the bidding
that was supposed to occur the following day. So, by refraining from doing so, there
would be no ethical issue present in this case. Taking this alternative will also display the
main character’s integrity, and she can showcase to the purchasing agent that she
exhibits one of the terms that define trust: confidentiality. With this, the alternative chosen
would also allow Kelly Myers to show her competence in making the right decisions.

Furthermore, taking this course of action can earn Myers a professional

reputation by maintaining honesty and adhering to ethical standards. This is crucial for
building long-term customer relationships, as trust is now a competitive advantage
(Duarte, 2021). In selling and marketing within the business sector, trust is now a key
foundation that both the buyer and seller are seeking. In line with this, refraining from
looking into the file of the submitted bids can showcase that Myers exhibits the qualities
of candor and customer orientation. This is because Myers will stay true to her word and
herself to not breach any confidentiality, while the character is also able to showcase to
the purchasing agent that she would care for the customer relationship they are both
working towards. To conclude, taking this action will further highlight the integrity of Kelly
Myers. In which the purchasing agent’s trust can enhance the bidder's reputation, which
can help attract and retain customers and help the company become more attractive and
competitive (Farnham, 2021).

Learnings:

Jerome Asirot
The Kelly Myers dilemma, as seen in this case, highlights the challenges faced in the
selling market. From my perspective, I have learned that this case emphasizes the
importance of our individual assessment of our own moral, ethical, and legal
considerations. Furthermore, I have learned that successful salespeople should prioritize
improving communication and creating a trust-based customer relationship to boost
sales and referrals. With this case study, I have learned through Kelly Meyers that it is
important to focus on ethical concerns, events, and potential solutions to address any
selling situation.

Bea Henson
In this case, I have learned that I need more than the highest bid I can offer. This is
because a higher number does not always mean a higher customer value. Perhaps Kelly
won the bid as she had a pleasant conversation and left a lasting impression on the
purchasing agent as opposed to other bidders. I have also learned that, despite my
interest, I should always respect someone's privacy. Furthermore, I learned not to
condemn something because I knew how quickly it would end. Only some things we
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currently know will turn out precisely as we expect. I could use these lessons to develop
into someone who respects boundaries and does not pass judgment.

Jhubert Malang
In going through this case study, I have also learned a lot. For example, I am reminded
that trust and integrity are important in building a good brand. Indeed, trust is one of the
building blocks of a good and valuable brand. Although, truthfully speaking, I am
conflicted about where the line between having a competitive edge and having an
integral and honest brand is. However, even if that is the case, there is a possibility that
one day I'll see the line between these two so that I can be the best entrepreneur and
marketer that I can be in the near future.

Luciae Mitra
With this case, it has taught me how important it is that, as people engaging in sales and
marketing, we must not lose ourselves. Yes, it is possible that we will lose clients and
bids in the future, but it is important that we always remember our morals and ethics.
This is because trust is, again, one of the building blocks of any relationship. So, that
thought must always be embedded not only in our minds but also in our hearts.
Furthermore, I have learned how important self-control should be when engaging in bid
wars or submission processes. This is because no matter how important our client must
be, we must have the self-control to always play fairly and justly. To end, I have learned
that ethics and trust are aspects that must always be present within us.

Ronald Seguin
I've learned a lot of personal lessons from Kelly Myers situation. As such, I realized how
crucial it is to uphold both confidentiality and professional relationships with clients. This
is to further show how trustworthy a salesperson can be. Furthermore, prioritizing client
confidentiality and protecting private information are key to building trust between the
buyer and the seller. In addition, I have also learned that, through this case, encouraging
trust, protecting business documents and data, communicating clearly, and, lastly,
building trust between sales representatives and managers are crucial.
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REFERENCES:

Allen, A. L. (2023, March 24). Protecting One’s Own Privacy in a Big Data Economy.
Harvard Law Review. https://harvardlawreview.org/forum/vol-130/protecting-
ones-own-privacy-in-a-big-data-economy/

Corporate Finance Institute. (2023, May 8). Ethical Dilemma.

https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/esg/ethical-dilemma/

Duarte, L. (2021). Trust — the new competitive advantage. www.linkedin.com.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/trust-new-competitive-advantage-laurence-
duarte/

Farnham, K. (2021, June 3). Business integrity: What does it mean, and why does it
matter? Diligent. https://www.diligent.com/resources/blog/business-integrity

Insight Coaching. (2023, April 24). Trust Building Workshops | Insight Coaching.
https://insightcoaching.com/trust-building-workshops/

Kalkstein, D., & Fujita, K. (2020). Temptation. ResearchGate.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343615170_Temptation

Kollo, A., & Baynton, M. A. (2021, August 17). Building trust for leaders. WSMH.
https://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/resources/building-trust-
for-leaders
Rogers, E. (2022). The Advantages and Disadvantages of In-Person Training. Find
Courses. https://www.findcourses.com/prof-dev/in-person-training-pros-cons-
11151
Schwegman, Lundberg & Woessner. (2021, November 17). Protecting & Handling
Confidential Information | Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner. Schwegman
Lundberg & Woessner. https://www.slwip.com/resources/protecting-handling-
confidential-information/

Thimothy, S. (2016, October 31). Why brand image matters more than you think.
Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2016/10/31/why-
brand-image-matters-more-than-you-think/?sh=457bdc0010b8

Weber, S., Giorgini, G., & Irrera, E. (2017). Aristotle and Respect for Persons. In The
Roots of Respect. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110526288-005