Playing "chicken" with Gay Marriage

Chapter 13 Case Study: Playing “Chicken” with Gay Marriage

8 February 2015

1. 1)        Was the CEO wise in making his anti-gay marriage views known, exposing his company to such controversy? I don’t think that Mr. Cathy was wise in voicing his views the way he did. Since Chick-Fil-A has been around it has had a reputation as a faith-based company, so most people already assumed the beliefs he threw in the public’s face. Two years after the controversy exploded, Huffington Post published a follow-up article about the incident. “Chick-fil-A President and CEO Dan Cathy apparently laments getting the fast-food chain involved in the debate over marriage equality, but he isn't taking back his anti-gay comments (Sieczkowski, 2014).” Cathy also stated, “Every leader goes through different phases of maturity, growth and development and it helps by recognizing the mistakes that you make,” Cathy told the AJC. “And you learn from those mistakes. If not, you’re just a fool. I’m thankful that I lived through it and I learned a lot from it (Sieczkowski, 2014).” Even though the situation could have been avoided and should not have ever happened, it’s admirable to see Mr. Cathy recognize his errors and learn from his mistakes.
2. 2)        Had you been advising Mr. Cathy, what would you have counseled him? If I had the job of advising Mr. Cathy after making the comment he did I would’ve done everything I could to make him realize the impact his statement truly had. After he was aware of what it is he was doing to his and the company’s reputation I would’ve continued to discuss how he planned on handling the situation. I believe that things got out of control on both ends of the spectrum with the Appreciation Day and the Kiss-In. I believe it is important for people to stay true to who they are, their beliefs, and their values, but it is also just as important to be considerate, professional, and a noble leader. I believe Mr. Cathy needed to realize that while he may feel one, not all of his customers, employees, owners, etc. do.

References

Seitel, F. P. (2014). The Practice of Public Relations. Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA:        Pearson Education, Inc. .

Sieczkowski, C. (2014, March 17). Chick-Fil-A CEO Dan Cathy Speaks Out On Gay        Marriage Controversy. Retrieved February 8, 2015, from Huffington Post:        http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/17/chick-fil-a-dan-cathy-gay        marriage_n_4980682.html