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Case 9b :

"All in the Family"

Oscar feels very blessed to have such an intelligent and accomplished family. People recognize him as his father's son at conferences and it is common for people to inquire after his mother and sisters, too. The entire Herrera family made their mark on the field of anthropology in some way or another. The only downside to the family's fame is that it has taken them to so many far flung places that they have rarely seen each other in the past decade.

Fortunately, Oscar's department is currently searching for specialists in forensic and nutritional anthropology. These just happen to be the specialties of his wife Mei-Ling and his sister Magdalena, respectively.

Oscar's department chair has recently asked him to sit on the committee to search for the new colleagues, which places Oscar in an ideal position to encourage others to consider Mei-Ling and Magdalena as new colleagues. As Mei-Ling has been out doing fieldwork in Hubei, none of his colleagues know her and they elected not to change their surnames when they married. Magdalena took the surname of her husband Antonio, so she is now not immediately recognized as part of the Herrera family. Oscar is certain that both Magda and Mei-Ling are the best candidates for the job, and their family connection would mean they may stay longer than some of the other colleagues who could not culturally adjust to Hong Kong.

While Oscar is sure that his position on the committee might constitute a conflict interest if they interview his family members, if it means that the department gets great researchers who will stay, the situation will be better for all involved. Who cares if they are his family? Oscar knows he can be objective!

• What are some of the problems that might arise if Oscar remains on the committee?
• Would other candidates be disadvantaged? Why or why not?
• What university regulations might Oscar's failure to disclose this relationship contravene?
   

Imagine you are Oscar's department chair:

• Would you wish to know if Oscar's family members were applicants to a post? Why or why not?
• Would this bias your decision in any way?

 

Imagine you are either Mei-Ling or Magda:

• Would you wish that Oscar disclosed his relationship to you to other members of the search committee? Why or why not?