MOTIONS AND OBJECTIVES:Hathaway Jones' primary objective is to improve the image of its stores. They hired Fred Westen as CEO to shake up the company and hopefully get the clothing chain to appeal to younger audiences. One way to achieve this is to hire an employee who has the right amount of experience and intuition to help the company enter the Chinese luxury goods market. Hathaway Jones plans to open a flagship store in Shanghai along with 2 other stores in major cities. Westen needs an employee who can handle the pressures of working for a company that makes billions in sales per year and the desire to freshen up the company's image. PROBLEM STATEMENT: As CEO of Hathaway Jones, Westen must decide whether he will hire an exceptionally qualified candidate, Mimi, despite learning compromising revelations about her on the Internet. After Vice President of Human Resources Virginia Flanders Googled Mimi, she found articles dating back to 1999 stating that Mimi was the leader of a “nonviolent but vocal” protest group against the World Trade Organization with particular attention to China. Since opening stores in China is a major goal for Westen, hiring him could potentially pose a risk. But it also raises the question of the legality of not hiring someone based on an Internet search. SOLUTION ALTERNATIVES: 1) The first course of action you can take is to simply hire Mimi and ignore the internet search altogether. Westen will not question Mimi about her background or mention that an Internet search was used during her hiring. Westen is confident that Mimi will keep her personal thoughts on China to herself, and her vision of creating the perfect Chinese “fashion fantasy” will remain the clear goal. If Westen wasn't thinking about his pa...... middle of paper ......, if this were to be treated as a criminal record, he wouldn't even have to report it since it happened over 8 years ago. But this was not a crime. It was a demonstration of something he believes in. Mimi believes she can change Hathaway Jones' image. He believes he can create a store that will revolutionize the fashion industry in China. Westen should believe in Mimi. ACTION STEPS: Westen and Flanders can create a policy that alerts future applicants that they will not only be subject to a basic search, but also an Internet search. They will have the opportunity to explain any concerns during an interview, before any decisions are made. If the decision is not to hire them, you will be notified and a justified reason will be provided. With this policy in place, Westen can engage Mimi to discuss the incident and inform her of his hiring.