Product details

The case examines the controversy surrounding the charges of sexual harassment and unlawful termination made by an employee against Infosys, a leading Indian software company, during 2001-2003. Phaneesh Murthy, a top level executive and a director on the company board, was accused of sexually harassing and unlawfully firing his subordinate, Reka Maximovitch. The case provides information about the definition of sexual harassment and examines in detail the events that occurred from the time Maximovitch joined Infosys to the out-of-court settlement of the lawsuit. The reasons for the out-of-court settlement are discussed and the measures taken by Infosys to improve its internal policies regarding sexual harassment are described. The case is structured as to enable students to: (1) understand the nature of sexual harassment at the workplace and its legal implications in India as well as in the US; (2) understand the impact of sexual harassment on the victims and become sensitised to the issue; (3) explore how a leading company should handle sexual harassment charges against one of its key employees while balancing its economic and ethical responsibilities; (4) understand why Infosys opted for an out-of-court settlement; (5) analyse Infosys'' damage control moves to deal with Phaneesh Murthy''s accusations; and (6) understand why and how a global company needs to modify its internal systems to meet the requirements of the changing business environment. The case is aimed at MBA/PGDBA students, and is intended to be part of the business ethics and corporate governance curriculum. The teaching note does not contain an analysis of the case.