Speaking up in a place where a majority consensus goes unchallenged, or where an issue has to be raised against a boss, can be especially challenging as an intern. In the Harvard Business Review case study, Susan Kim is faced with the difficult situation where her manager at Zantech, Mr. Moon, asks her to misrepresent herself while doing market research, presenting herself only as an MBA student while actually gathering competitive intelligence for the firm.
Through her conversations with her dad and Melinda, multiple perspectives on the issue are brought up and there is no simple right or wrong answer. Her dad represents a view many people share: do not spoil the opportunity you have been given, you need this job, and maybe the request is not that ethically dubious if you try to justify it.
Melinda and Susan are on the other side. Susan has a gut feeling that what she is being asked to do is wrong and it clearly evokes discomfort within her, and Melinda points out that while speaking up could cause her internship offer to be rescinded and upset her parents and future employers, going along with it could hurt her own reputation and reflect poorly on her MBA program if the truth comes out. Even if Susan framed her concern in a constructive way with suggestions to talk to customers, work with independent consultancies, or use other information sources, it is very possible that her suggestion could be taken poorly, especially given cultural differences in a Korea based company.
In terms of making a plan to speak up, it is first important to understand that speaking up is no simple task and will be psychologically difficult, especially when we are raised to respect obedience and authority. However, if it comes from a place of good intention and honesty, it can be worth it. Susan could then try to lessen the social threat by framing her concern around protecting Zantech and her school rather than blaming Mr. Moon.
A concrete plan might look like this: Susan thanks Mr. Moon for trusting her with important work and briefly says she is excited about the internship. She then explains that she is worried that not disclosing her Zantech affiliation could create risks for the company and her university if anyone finds out, and that she wants to represent both well. Finally, she proposes alternatives, such as using existing client relationships, public reports, or third party research firms to gather similar information, so she is not only saying no, but also helping the team find another way forward.
