role-playing game

Role-playing Game: To be Completed Individually

Read the following scenario and answer the questions. Be honest and answer as truthfully as you can. Simply circle the answer on the course of action that you would probably take. At the end, transfer your answers to the Wrap-up sheet, briefly explain your responses, put your name and scan and attach the Wrap-up sheet to this assignment in Blackboard.  

  An  RFP  for  Your  Agency  

    Imagine  you  are  a  senior  account  manager  in  a  marketing  or  advertising  agency   near  Los  Angeles.  It  has  been  a  tough  couple  of  years  and  business  has  been  slow.   You  have  just  received  a  RFP  (Request  for  Proposal)  from  a  large  company  in   Chicago.  If  you  land  this  account,  it  will  mean  large  commissions,  new  opportunities   for  the  agency  and  a  secure  future.       You  are  asked  to  lead  the  account  team.  You  work  tirelessly  for  several  weeks,   putting  together  what  you  hope  is  a  wining  pitch  and  campaign.  If  you  don’t  win  the   account,  your  future  with  the  agency  is  in  question.     The  time  has  come  to  fly  to  Chicago  to  make  your  presentation.  You  board  your   flight,  take  your  seat  and  begin  the  flight  to  Chicago.     During  the  flight,  a  couple  of  people  sitting  directly  in  front  of  you  and  dressed  like   executives  are  having  a  conversation.  Based  on  what  you  can  pick  up,  you  realize   they  are  from  a  competitive  agency  in  Pasadena;  they  have  also  been  asked  to  pitch   the  same  account  in  Chicago  and  in  fact,  they  are  on  the  way  to  present  to  the  client,   probably  before  or  after  you.       Realizing  these  are  your  direct  competitors  for  the  account,  what  do  you  do?   (Remember,  you  need  this  account  very  much)     Options:    

1. Actively  try  to  listen  to  their  conversation…  Any  advantage  you  can  gain       could  be  helpful  

  2. Ignore  the  conversation  completely,  put  in  your  ear-­‐buds  and  listen  to  

your  iPod.     The  plane  lands  in  Chicago.  You  wait  for  a  few  minutes  for  the  plane  to  clear.  As  you   get  up  and  start  forward,  you  look  down  where  the  two  competitors  were  sitting   and  see  a  full-­‐color  PowerPoint  presentation,  printed  and  bound  sitting  on  the  seat.      

RFP  page  2    

  You  realize  it’s  your  competitor’s  presentation  that  they’ve  left  behind.  You  look  up   and  see  they’ve  already  left  the  plan.       What  do  you  do?    Options:    

1. Grab  the  presentation  and  put  it  into  your  laptop  bag;  it’s  a  valuable   resource  and  could  give  you  an  edge  and  they  left  it  behind.  

  2. Ignore  the  presentation  and  leave  it  there.  

    You  grab  a  taxi  to  your  hotel,  and  as  you  are  checking  in,  you  realize  the  team  from   the  competitive  agency  is  checking  into  the  same  hotel.  They  have  not  seen  you  or   even  know  who  you  are.    They  check-­‐in  and  send  their  bags  up  to  their  room  and   then  head  into  the  restaurant  across  the  lobby.     What  do  you  do?  Options:    

1. Head  into  the  restaurant  and  get  a  table  near  your  competitor  to  listen  to   what  they  might  have  to  say;  it’s  an  open  and  public  area.  

  2. Head  to  another  restaurant  to  have  dinner  and  think  about  your  

presentation.       After  dinner,  you  head  to  your  room.  As  you  round  the  corner,  you  see  your   competitors  heading  into  their  room;  in  fact  it’s  next  to  yours.  You  enter  your  room   and  see  that  there  is  a  door  between  the  rooms  for  when  people  want  to  share   rooms.  You  realize  that  you  can  almost  hear  them  talking  next  door.       What  do  you  do?  Options:    

1. Grab  a  glass  from  the  counter  and  press  it  up  to  the  door,  capturing  the   conversation  on  the  other  side.  Any  information  that  can  give  you  an  edge   is  critical.  

  2. Turn  on  the  TV,  watch  some  news  and  try  to  relax  for  tomorrow.  

    End          

BUS  520:  Managerial  Ethics:  RFP  Scenario  Wrap-­‐up  Sheet     Name:  ___________________________________________________________       Option  1:  Listening  on  the  plane     Your  Answer:     1     2     Why  (briefly):  _______________________________________________________________________________     ________________________________________________________________________________________________     ________________________________________________________________________________________________       Option  1:  Pick  up  the  PowerPoint  Presentation     Your  Answer:     1     2     Why  (briefly):  _______________________________________________________________________________     ________________________________________________________________________________________________     ________________________________________________________________________________________________       Option  3:  Listening  at  the  restaurant     Your  Answer:     1     2     Why  (briefly):  _______________________________________________________________________________     ________________________________________________________________________________________________     ________________________________________________________________________________________________       Option  4:  Listening  through  the  hotel  room  door     Your  Answer:     1     2     Why  (briefly):  _______________________________________________________________________________     ________________________________________________________________________________________________     ________________________________________________________________________________________________