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Case 2-2
Better Boston Beans
Better Boston Beans is a coffee shop located in the Faneuil Hall Marketplace near the waterfront and Government
Center in Boston. It specializes in exotic blends of coffee, including Sumatra Dark Roast Black, India Mysore “Gold
Nuggets,” and Guatemala Antigua. It also serves a number of blended coffees, including Reggae Blend, Jamaican
Blue Mountain Blend, and Marrakesh Blend. For those with more pedestrian tastes, the shop serves French Vanilla,
Hazelnut, and Hawaiian Macadamia Nut varieties. The coffee of the day varies, but the most popular is Colombia
Supremo. The coffee shop also serves a variety of cold-blended coffees.
Cindie Rosen has worked for Better Boston Beans for six months. She took the job right out of college because
she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to go to graduate school before beginning a career in financial services. Cindie
hoped that by taking a year off before starting her career or going on to graduate school, she would experience “the
real world” and find out firsthand what it is like to work a 40-hour week. (She did not have a full-time job during her
college years because her parents helped pay for the tuition.)
Because Cindie is the “new kid on the block,” she is often asked to work the late shift, from 4 p.m. to midnight.
She works with one other person, Jeffrey Lyndell, who is the assistant shift supervisor. Lyndell has been with Boston
Beans for three years but recently was demoted from shift supervisor.
For the past two weeks, Lyndell has been leaving before 11 p.m., after most of the stores in the Marketplace
close, and he has asked Cindie to close up by herself. Cindie feels that this is wrong and it is starting to concern her,
but she hasn’t spoken to Lyndell and has not informed the store manager either. However, something happened one
night that is causing Cindie to consider taking the next step.
At 11 p.m., 10 Japanese tourists came into the store for coffee. Cindie was alone and had to rush around and
make five different cold-blended drinks and five different hot- blended coffees. While she was working, one of the
Japanese tourists, who spoke English very well, approached her and said that he was shocked that such a famous
American coffee shop would only have one worker in the store at any time during the workday. Cindie didn’t want to
ignore the man’s comments, so she answered that her coworker had to go home early because he was sick. That
seemed to satisfy the tourist.
It took Cindie almost 20 minutes to make all the drinks and also field two phone calls that came in during that time. After
she closed for the night, Cindie reflected on the experience. She realized that it could get worse before it gets better because
Lyndell was now making it a habit to leave work early.
At this point, she realizes that she has to either approach Lyndell about it or speak with the store manager. She feels much
more comfortable talking to the store manager. In fact, in Cindie’s own words, “Lyndell gives me the creeps.”
NOTES
This case causes students to consider the loyalty to a co-worker versus loyalty to the employer; telling versus
tattling.
Ethical Issues
Rights perspective: Cindie has a right to expect help from her co-workers especially at busy times. Lyndell has a
right to be warned of complaints against him and a chance to reform. Lyndell has a right to expect that his
confidence of alcoholism to be treated respectfully, particularly if it is considered a disability or disease rather than a
character flaw.
Six Pillars: The values include trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness and caring. These values are
particularly important in dealing with Lyndell’s alcoholism. Cindie has two dilemmas with Lyndell’s alcoholism.
Will Cindie be harming him more by hiding his secret or will she benefit him, at least in the long run, by turning him
into the manager. The dilemma for Cindie is how to help Lyndell but not get him fired.
Questions
1. Consider Kohlberg’s six stages of moral development. What would Cindie do and why if she
reasoned at each of the six stages?
Stage 1: Cindie would not tell because it would keep either Lyndell or the store manager from being mad at her.
Stage 2: Cindie would tell the store manager and would probably be rewarded with his job. Stage 3: Cindie would
warn Lyndell and, out of loyalty, give him a chance to change. Stage 4: Cindie would tell the store manager – rules
2. Assume that Cindie approached Lyndell about her concerns. Lyndell tells Cindie that he has an
alcohol problem. Lately, it’s gotten to him real bad. That’s why he’s left early—to get a drink and
calm his nerves. Lyndell also said that this is the real reason he was demoted. He had been warned
that if one more incident occurred, the store manager would fire him. He pleaded with Cindie to
work with him through these hard times. How would you react to Lyndell’s request if you were
Cindie? Would you honor his request for confidentiality and support? Why or why not? What if
Lyndell was a close personal friend—would that change your answer? Be sure to consider the
implications of your decision on other parties potentially affected by your actions.
Lyndell is appealing to Cindie based on co-worker loyalty to overlook his lapse. Ask students if they have been
placed in a similar situation at work. This request is complicated by the fact that Lyndell is asking Cindie, out of
loyalty, to become a “co-conspirator in handling his alcoholism problem. This puts her in a difficult position. What if
3. Assume that Cindie keeps quiet. The following week, another incident occurred: Cindie got into a
shouting match with a customer who became tired of waiting for his coffee after 10 minutes. Cindie
felt terrible about it, apologized to the customer after serving his coffee, and left work that night
wondering if it was time to apply to graduate school. The customer was so irate that he contacted the
store manager and expressed his displeasure about both the service and Cindie’s attitude. What do
you think the store manager should do? Support your answer with ethical reasoning.
The manager should talk to Cindie about the complaint and the situation. He should ask what is going on with the
evening shift. Cindie should be honest with the manager about the challenges of being alone on the night shift.
Cindie should not allow loyalty to mask responsibility and jeopardize her own position. The case is similar as if an
