El Diablo: The Corner Cleaner Affair

This case involves the decision of a publishing company, El Diablo, to target a traditionally underserved market with a series of books about gang life and street vigilantism. The decision has repercussions within the firm, as collegial relationships are tested by office politics, and outside of the firm, where community response to the project is less than positive. Civil rights groups challenge the company's development of pulp fiction targeted at black youths as unethical and likely to lead them to violence. Also, the hiring of a minority candidate by the minority director of the new products division is questioned by top management. The case raises difficult questions: Does a corporation have a civic duty to its target audience? How might that manifest itself? At the intersection of profit and responsibility, who has the right of way? (Role-play opportunities are explained in the teaching note.) Excerpt UVA-E-0218   El Diablo: The Corner Cleaner Affair Her morning had started out uneventfully. Certainly Lourdes Velez, director of the new products division (NPD) at El Diablo Publishing in New Jersey, could not have known what was in store for her that day. But as she hung up the phone at exactly 7:30 p.m. on June 5, 2001, Velez knew she had to sort out the day's events. Twelve hours earlier, at 7:35 a.m., Velez pulled the key out of her gym locker, pitched her used towel into the hamper, and tossed her duffel bag over her shoulder. She slid her cat's-eye Ray-Bans on and stepped out of the locker room into the main lobby of the health club. Velez set her course directly for the club's frozen yogurt and juice bar located in the far corner of the lobby. As she stepped to the counter, the chrome blender buzzed loudly. “I know you're going to love this,” Rafael, who ran the breakfast counter, said with a grin. “Strawberries, bananas, mango, wheat germ, kiwis, and a touch of honey. I made it just for you.” Velez took a tentative first sip and replied: “Delicious! Bravo, Rafael. Bravo. The shakes you concoct with a blender, fruits, and vegetables are truly evidence of pure genius. Kiwis, strawberries, and mango? Who knew?” Rafael answered. “I did, and that'll be $ 3.25. By the way, Ms. Velez, isn't that your company that those civil rights people are protesting?” . . .