Cynthia Marshall at Dallas Mavericks: Leading the Way in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I)
| Case Code: HROB261 Case Length: 13 Pages Period: - Pub Date: 2024 Teaching Note: Available |
Price: Rs.400 Organization: Dallas Mavericks Industry: Countries: United States Themes: Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership and Change Management, Discrimination |
Abstract Case Intro 1 Case Intro 2 Excerpts
Excerpts
Toxic Culture
On February 20, 2018, following an extensive investigation, American sports magazine Sports Illustrated (SI) published an article reporting multiple allegations of sexual harassment and other workplace misconduct by former and existing employees of Mavericks. According to the report “Inside the Corrosive Workplace Culture of the Dallas Mavericks”, the business division of the franchise nurtured a hostile work environment and a corporate culture rampant with misogyny, inappropriate behavior, and sexual harassment. As a result, female employees reportedly felt unsafe at work, prompting many to quit. SI’s month long investigation was based on interactions with many former and existing employees in different departments. According to the report, a toxic work culture characterized by harassment and abusive leadership was allowed to thrive in the front office of the Mavericks under the leadership of Ussery, and other key executives..
Enter Marshall
Marshall, the fourth of six children, grew up in a public housing project in Richmond, California. She and her family suffered domestic violence at the hands of her abusive father. After a string of violent incidents, her mother moved Marshall and her siblings out of their home. And when she was 15, her parents got a divorce. Marshall graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with degrees in Business Administration and Human Resources Management and held four honorary Doctorate degrees. Marshall was the first Black woman to be a cheerleader at Berkeley, as well as the first Black member of her sorority, Delta Gamma..
The Turnaround
When Cuban cold-called Marshall in February 2018 to offer her the job of CEO, she was unaware of who he was and ignored his call. According to Marshall, “He said he was Mark Cuban, and I said, ‘OK, who is that?’ My kids know him, they watch Shark Tank, and they said, ‘Ma, you missed Mark Cuban’s call?’ I’m like, ‘Who is that?’” Then her husband had to explain that he was a businessman and owner of Mavericks. Later she received his call. Cuban spent nearly an hour on the phone to convince her that she was the person he needed to transform the culture within the business division of his basketball franchise and make it a good place to work. Initially, Marshall was not very keen on taking up a key position in an unfamiliar industry and at a company that had just been through an internal crisis. “I read that article [in SI] and I thought, What woman in her right mind would want to work there?” she said..
The Road Ahead
NBA commissioner Adam Silver (He) lauded Marshall for bringing about a drastic change in culture at the Mavericks and recommended her tactics to all of the NBA teams. As a result, most NBA teams reevaluated their own cultures and some teams directly approached Marshall for tips and perspective. The NBA too conducted a thorough review of its existing policies and procedures related to respect in the workplace, and directed all NBA teams to do the same. In addition, the league established a confidential hotline for team and league employees to report workplace misconduct, including sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. According to Silver..
Exhibits
Exhibit I: Dallas Mavericks Winning Percentage (1991-2015)
Exhibit II: NBA 2022-23 Regular Season Standings (Western Conference)
Exhibit III: Cynthia Marshall : Awards & Recognitions
Exhibit IV: Dallas Mavericks: Inclusion Pillars
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