Week 3 Memos and Status Reports

Now that we have chosen an agency to represent our company the real work begins. 

You will write a memo and a status report for next week based on the following criteria:

 You will first write a status report on the development of the bid you have been asked to write
and then write a memo discussing the ethical issues and your resolution to it both for Sunday, June 10.

First - status reports

I have a video in our Week 3 file that outlines how to do a status report. Watch that video first then come to this video for more information and to reiterate some of the topics I mention.

Also, take a look at this website. It gets a little annoying with some pop-ups but push through them because there is some very good information that will help you.
Here is a second website that has some additional information. 
I would compare and contrast them as you create one of this assignment. Where ever you work that company has particular criteria to be included in a weekly status report. These links and the examples in Google Drive will give you a good overview. The Google Drive example includes a status report guide from the CDC for those of you interested in working in government.

The Assignment 

Write a fictitious status report based on the week you went to meet with the ad agencies. (See the examples in the Drive.) Use the information you already created for your memo to me - the CEO. This document's audience does not need all of the detail you gave to me but they do need to be updated (people on your marketing team, for example.)

Next - the ethical memo

Here is where the information from the reading from last week continues into this week. Read the pages from the text book starting on page 24 as outlined in the email. 

Outline of the case

You have recently become Head of Finance at Pop Chips, a company which provides snack foods and catering services to the public sector. Your previous employer was Crowley Widgets International where, as finance manager, you had the opportunity to work on areas relating to financial

accounting, procurement, contracts and bids. 

One of  Pop Chips'  major contracts is with Crowley Widgets International. The contract is now up for renewal, and Crowley Widgets Incorporated is preparing a competitive bid for this contract. You have been asked to lead the team responsible for bidding for this contract, but you are concerned that you might breach confidentiality if you accept this assignment. You also suspect that your 

knowledge and experience of Crowley Widgets International was seen as good reasons for appointing you to the position at Pop Chips. 

You do not want to let your new employer down. The loss of such a major contract would have 

a significant effect on the financial performance of Pop Chips and its performance-related 

bonus scheme for management.

Keys to think about:

Objectivity: Can you safeguard against the significant self-interest threat which arises from 

 Crowley Incorporated performance-related bonus scheme? 

Confidentiality: If you accept this assignment, can you ensure that you do not use confidential 

information relating to your previous employer to your advantage or to the advantage of your 

current employer?

Professional behavior: What can you do to safeguard your reputation and the reputation of 

your employer and your profession?

Identify relevant facts:

Your previous employment with Crowley International has provided you with information which may be of value to Pop Chips. You must consider your professional body’s code of ethics, 

applicable laws and regulations, your current and previous contracts of employment, and your 

employer’s policies and procedures. A self-interest threat arises because of the impact that 

losing Crowley Widgets International contract would have on Pop Chips' financial performance and reward policy. You may also be feeling that you would like to impress your new employer and help to make a successful bid for the renewal of the contract.

Identify affected parties:

Key affected parties are you, your line manager and the board. Other employees in the 

company may be affected due to the financial implications of the contract not being renewed.

Who should be involved in the resolution:

Your line manager, other relevant staff and, if necessary, the board should be involved.

Possible course of action

The principle of confidentiality prohibits the use of confidential information acquired as a result 

of your previous employment for your advantage or that of your current employer. While you 

have a responsibility to advance the legitimate aims of your employing organization, this 

should not extend to a breach of confidentiality. In this case, you (because of  Pop Chips' performance-related bonus) and  Pop Chips stand to benefit from the confidential information about how bids are assessed at  Shenandoah International. 

The principle would not be breached if you were in possession of information that was in the public 

domain, or if you were simply to use experience gained in your previous employment, so long 

as you do not use the confidential knowledge that you acquired as a result of that employment.

You should discuss the situation and your obligations with your line manager in the first 

instance, and ask for your involvement in the preparation of the contract bid to be limited. 

For example, you may be able to contribute to aspects of the bid that do not require you to refer to 

confidential knowledge about your previous employment. If your line manager fails to 

understand the conflict that you are facing, you should request that you both discuss the 

matter with a director or other member of staff. During these discussions, you should refer to 

the company’s ethical code, if it has one, as well as that of your professional body.

If there are no other formal channels available, you should make the board aware of your 

dilemma. 

If necessary, you must refuse to take part in the bid without necessary safeguards 

being implemented. Ultimately, disassociating yourself from Pop Chips may be the only 

solution. However, before taking such a step, you should seek legal advice on your employment 

rights and responsibilities(subject to the rules and guidance of your professional body).

You should document, in detail, the steps that you take in resolving your dilemma, in case your 

ethical judgement is challenged in the future. Looking at this issue from Pop Chips' 

perspective, it may be appropriate to suggest to your line manager that a policy on conflicts of 

interest be developed and that the remuneration and bonus policy be reviewed in light of this.