Case Study

The Case of Jessica Chang

Stephen Chen FrederickT. L. Leong

The case of Jessica Chang is a composite case study that has been used in different organizations for cultural diversity management training related to Asian Americans. The case was originally con- structed by the first author as a case study for a Real World Ethics course, taught by Professor Caroline Whitbeck at MIT in the spring of 1992. Chen based the case on incidents he encountered in his personal and professional experiences. These events were experi- enced by a number of different individuals. This case has become a permanent part of that course. Leong was invited to one of the work- shops at AT&T/Lucent, where the case was presented. With the permission of Chen, b o n g began using the case study in his con- sulting practice and career counseling courses. It has been used by the authors together and separately in more than 24 workshops, seminars, and courses focusing on issues faced by Asian Americans in the work environment. Workshop participants have found the case to be an excellent source

regarding the culture-related issues of Asian Americans in the work- place. The case of Jessica Chang has captured many of the issues of Asian Americans in a single composite case, which makes it ideal for cultural diversity training with both manager-supervisors and career counselors. We are presenting the case in The Career Devel- opment Quarterly so that career counselors and trainers may use it as a case study in their work concerning career development for Asian Americans. We are fortunate to have three distinguished scholars discuss different issues that emerge in the case, which adds to the value of the case as a training tool.

Stephen Chen is the Director of Gateway Systems at Lucent Tech- nologies, Bell Laboratories, in Naperville, IL. Frederick T. L. Leong is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Ohio State University in Columbus. Correspondence regarding this ar- ticle should be sent to Frederic Leong, Ohio State University, De- partment of Psychology, 1885 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210- 1222.

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These workshops have evolved, and currently follow the format described below: 1. Before the workshop, participants read the case and are asked

to formulate responses to a set of enclosed questions. The discussion questions used with the case are presented at the end of the case description below.

2. The workshop, which typically lasts 3-4 hours, begins with the facilitator providing the background of the case study and describ- ing the logistics for the session. 3. Participants are then moved into discussion groups of 5-10 par-

ticipants. We strongly suggest that these groups be homogeneous. This type of grouping facilitates discussion and accelerates group bonding.

4. The groups are asked to discuss previously supplied questions, or any other set of questions they develop. Their task includes selec- tion of a scribe and spokesperson who will summarize their discus- sion in an oral report later in the day. Typically, 90 minutes are allowed for this part of the workshop.

5. The groups reconvene, and each group spokesperson presents a synopsis of the discussion. This is an opportunity for members to react to other groups’ deliberations. 6. The session facilitator offers several key observations and leads

a problem-solving session on issues that have been raised. If there is insufficient time to complete Step 6, then the action items are used as a basis for discussion.

The workshops have been well received, as evidenced by surveys, where participants have reported greater awareness of issues faced by Asian Americans, especially as related to stereotypes. The use of supportive video and printed material is particularly effective. In addition to articles from the press and Asian American studies courses (Wu, 19931, a video of a speech given by former New Jersey Senator BillBradleyaboutAsianAmericansasaninvisible(n0nconfkontational) minority (Bradley, 1994) is a powerful reminder of the progress re- garding tolerance that has yet to be made. Listed below is a repre- sentative sampling of the issues and topics of discussion that we have experienced in the course of delivering these seminars and workshops:

1. Lack of role models in the home for integrating into mainstream American society

2. Use of Asian language at home 3. Home life centered around a largely immigrant community 4. Poorly developed social skills (especially in dating and interact-

5. Asian American college admission quotas 6. Problems faced by mixed race couples 7. Asian American stereotyping in the media 8. Harmful effects of the “Model Minority“ stereotype 9. Competition with other affeded classes, zero-sum mentality

ing with the opposite sex)

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10. Sexual harassment 11. Asian American lesbians and gay men 12. Stereotypes of Asian American men and women 13. “Selling out” as a means of getting ahead 14. Humility and perceived lack of aggressiveness in the workplace 16. Lack of appropriate role models 17. “Glass ceiling” effects for Asian Americans 18. Stereotyping of Asian Americans by non-Asians 19. Stereotyping of Asian Americans by native (i.e., foreign born)

20. Penalties for the violation of cultural stereotypes 21. Incidents of prejudice and discrimination 22. Lack of an Asian American culture 23. Inability to break into social networks at work 24. “Foreignness” of second generation Asian Americans 25. Clash of Eastern and Western values 26. Western education system in the United States 27. Acculturation conflicts--becoming Americanized versus remain-

28. Being passive and not using assertiveness like many White Ameri-

Asians

ing traditional

can colleagues

THE CASE OF JESSICA CHANG

Background

Personal History. Jessica is a second generation Chinese Ameri- can who was born and raised in Storrs, Connecticut. Both of her parents are originally from Taiwan, and are now U.S. citizens. Her father is a physics professor at the University of Connecti- cut, and her mother teaches science at a local high school. She has one younger brother. Neither of Jessica’s parents are active in community affairs. Their social life centers around the small Chinese immigrant community in Storrs. Gatherings with non- Chinese people are rare. High School Accomplishments. Jessica was salutatorian of her

class, and a National Merit finalist. She also participated in the following: all-state chorus, playing the flute, gymnastics lessons, and volunteering as a hospital candystriper. She was rejected from Yale, but was admitted to Cornell.

Higher Education. Jessica was graduated from Cornell with B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering and computer sci- ence. She met and married a fellow graduate student, Barton Buchanan, 111. Employment. Upon completion of her Ph.D., Jessica accepted a

job offer as design engineer at Dynamo Disk Incorporated, the world‘s second largest manufacturer of disk drives for personal computers. Her husband works for another high technology firm in the Boston area.

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Early Years at Dynamo

Jessica’s first assignment was a project to reduce the cost of Dynamo’s popular but mature product, a 5 1A” floppy disk drive. She initially encountered problems, because her first supervisor was having an affair with a member of Jessica’s group. He also tried to seduce Jes- sica. He finally left the company as a result of his behavior. Jessica’s career was adversely affected by the supervisor’s behavior. Jessica contributed well to the company under her new supervisor.

She was a quick study, and made suggestions that were later imple- mented. One year later, the project had exceeded its objective of a 20% cost reduction largely as a result of Jessica’s ideas. However, her supervisor credited others more than her. Jessica’s subsequent assignments were similar. She worked well on small teams, with her contributions generally underestimated due to her supervisors’ perception that her quietness was a sign of lack of understanding or confidence. Because she rarely complained, her supervisor thought that she was satisfied with her job. Having been at Dynamo for 5 years, Jessica observed that many of

the people who joined the company when she did, and even after her, had already moved into managerial positions. Her husband was now a department head at his company. She believed that she was doing an excellent job, and wondered why her opportunity to move up did not arise. What Jessica did not know was that her peers were effectively

networking. They belonged to the same churches and outside orga- nizations as their bosses. Their children played together and many were active in various social groups. Jessica scheduled a meeting with her supervisor to discuss her career.

Mid-Career Crisis

During that discussion, Jessica stated her belief that she was not keeping up with her peers, most of whom were one or two promo- tions ahead of her. Her supervisor expressed surprise that Jessica was interested in becoming a manager. He said that she always seemed to be happy with her work, and that Jessica reminded him of the wife of one of his “closest” friends, Wang. He described Mrs. Wang as a wonderful cook and mother. When pressed, Jessica’s supervisor said that she was not “leaderlike,” and that she needed to be more assertive. This meeting angered Jessica, who later discussed it with her hus-

band. After a period of soul searching, Jessica selected Marge Ross, one of only two women managers at Dynamo, as a role model. Jes- sica was uncomfortable with some of Marge’s behaviom, which she considered masculine, but she became more outspoken. She began to interrupt her colleagues at meetings, learned to hold the floor when others tried to break in, and honed her presentation skills. She developed a thick skin when encountering sexual and racial jokes, especially during customer meetings and business trips.

Two years later, she was offered a promotion.

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Maturity

Jessica encountered difficulties as a first line manager. Lacking a sympathetic mentor, she encountered unexpected opposition from her subordinates, who viewed her elevation as an “affirmative ac- tion promotion.” I t seemed that her staff was continually testing her. With fierce determination, Jessica found ways to support them (e.g., sending birthdays cards, congratulatory notes, and by using uncommonly attentive listening skills).

Slowly, she won them over, and her division developed an excellent reputation. She also impressed her peers by being better prepared for meetings than they were, underrunning her budget, and deliv- ering her key commitments ahead of schedule. However, Jessica’s success was occasionally tempered by self-doubt. Many of her high school friends were raising families, and her parents often hinted at their desire to have grandchildren. Her life also seemed a little out of balance, because she worked an average of over 60 hours per week, and rarely took vacations.

Nevertheless, Jessica’s reputation and good work caught the at- tention of a sympathetic sales director. He valued her strong tech- nical background and Chinese heritage. He asked if she would be interested in leading Dynamo’s negotiation team with a successful Taiwanese company that manufactured personal computers. Jes- sica eagerly took the job, approaching this new task with the same enthusiasm as she had with her previous assignments. She studied the history of the Taiwanese firm, talked to other suppliers, and studied their buying habits and idiosyncrasies. She reviewed her Mandarin Chinese at a night school class.

Jessica’s initial customer meeting was less successful than she hoped it would be. The customer, although polite, seemed strangely distant. Subsequent meetings resulted in little progress. Unable to understand the barrier that existed between her and the customer, Jessica befriended an engineer in the Taiwanese company who con- fided that Dynamo lost credibility by sending a woman, because their senior managers were more comfortable negotiating with a man. Her heritage presented them with another problem, because they expected that her loyalty would first be to the Chinese people, and only secondarily to Dynamo. However, they were impressed with her technical depth, and thought

that Dynamo’s offer was technically superior to those of Dynamo’s competitors. Unfortunately, it was also the highest priced offer they had received for this job. The engineer thought that ifJessica strength- ened the offer with “red envelopes” (containing money) given to the decision makers, that Dynamo would win the disk supply contract. He offered to help, and indicated that the amounts did not have to be large, but that the respect the act represented was important.

Jessica was shocked. She realized that the contract was critical to Dynamo’s survival. A recession in the United States had signifi- cantly impeded earnings, and rumors of more layoffs at Dynamo were rampant. She knew that such practices were commonplace in many parts of the world, and that other firms had found ways to

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hide the paying of these homages. Jessica finally decided to main- tain her integrity, and quietly informed her friend in Taiwan that “red enveloped’ were not forthcoming. The firm awarded the con- tract to Dynamo’s chief American competitor two weeks later.

The result of this loss was felt quickly. Dynamo announced major staffcuts. Jessica, unable to deal with the guilt and resultant stress, resigned from her position at Dynamo.

Discussion Questions

1. In Jessica’s early years at Dynamo, what were some of the ob- stacles she faced? What could Jessica have done instead? What could her supervisor have done?

2. Should Jessica have selected Marge Ross as her role model? Why or why not?

3. In many of the incidents, Jessica was the victim. What responsi- bilities did Dynamo, as a corporation, have, if any, to help her?

4. Some sociologists and psychologists have observed that the fail- ure of some Asian Americans in business results from factors in upbringing and environment. Select a few of these and discuss (e.g., lack of role models at home, emphasis on scholarship, rac- ism, sexism, etc.).

REFERENCES

Bradley, B. (1994) ‘Race Relations and the Asian American Community.” Speech given in Holmdel, New Jersey, July 6, 1994. Transcripts available as part of Congressional Record.

Wu, J. (1993) Student quotes from a course on ‘Breaking the Silence-Issues faced by Asian Americans.” Bryn Maw College, 1993.

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