The #Blacklivesmatter Movement: Balancing Stakeholders at Techteen
4 Pages Posted: 23 Feb 2021 Last revised: 24 Nov 2021
Abstract
Alyssa Harris was the CEO of TechTeen, a Washington, DC, nonprofit. Like many organizations during summer 2020, TechTeen issued a statement supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. A valuable board member expressed concern, threatening to resign over the statement, which escalated discussions among staff and volunteers. The case considers how Harris should manage and respond to these issues. Harris must consider each of her stakeholders, how they might be affected, what to communicate, and how to communicate. This case enables discussion of values in addition to managing public opinion.The teaching note for this case guides the instructor to: (1) map the issues, stakeholders, and potential actions relevant to the case; and (2) critically assess the multiple aspects of the case that apply in business settings.
Excerpt
UVA-BC-0276
Feb. 11, 2021
The #BlackLivesMatter Movement: Balancing Stakeholders at TechTeen
The Situation
Alyssa Harris sighed as she read a text message at 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday. A board leader had updated her: “30 min. conversation with Melanie—she's clearly been thinking about this for a while, not sure we'll change her mind.”
As the CEO of a Washington, DC, nonprofit, TechTeen, Harris spent about 50% of her time managing staff, 25% managing the advisory board, and 25% of her time in the community. Her relationship with the advisory board was a complicated one because the board members volunteered their time, provided Harris with valuable guidance, were significant financial contributors, and were responsible for hiring (and firing) the CEO. TechTeen was about to lose Melanie Hobson as a board member, which presented a thorny problem.
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Keywords: diversity, equity, communication, nonprofit, not-for-profit, leadership, crisis communication, values, ethics, disagreement, public opinion, stakeholders, conscience, faith, resignation, Black Lives Matter, stakeholder management
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