Lakhasly

Nasira was 25 years old and less than a year out of graduate school, but had found a good job as
a Procurement Specialist. Money was tight and she wasn’t able to save much, but her job paid
enough to pay her bills and afford a small studio apartment in the city. She liked her work and
was on track to receive a promotion at her next evaluation – with any luck, she wouldn’t be
working paycheck to paycheck much longer.
She worked for K9 Dura-Corp, a small but growing firm that manufactured pet supplies like dog
beds, cat scratching posts, and pet carriers, among other items. Because K9 Dura-Corp (also
known as K9DC) was based in Michigan, the company relied heavily on “Made in America”
marketing for its products. In reality, the products were put together in their Michigan plant, but
K9DC didn’t make its own parts – just the final product. That’s where Nasira came in; as a
Procurement Specialist, it was her job to source the parts.
For some parts, this was easy, but her job was important because some parts were far more
challenging to find – especially at a cost that fit their product line. This week, Nasira was
working to find a new source for the fabric lining for their dog cots. Their old manufacturer had
gone out of business, and they were going to be at risk of manufacturing delays if she didn’t find
a new source immediately.
As she researched, Nasira actually found two sources for the style they needed. One supplier was
even located in the Midwest too, while the other was overseas. The overseas fabric, made by
Fab-Right Inc., was cheaper, and was touted as chew-proof, but Nasira had significant concerns
about the labor used to manufacture it. From what she could tell, Fab-Right paid its workers
almost nothing and exploited its employees in terrible working conditions. There was almost no
information available about the environmental impact of their manufacturing process, and Nasira
suspected they were hiding something.
But the Midwestern supplier, All-Fabric Inc., left her concerned, too. The fabric seemed to be
less durable from the samples the company had sent her, and the manufacturing process seemed
to be less than desirable. There were reports that the company was contaminating the local water
source, and local residents were trying to get the government to intervene. Nasira was also
concerned that a less durable fabric meant it would be a chewing hazard for dogs.
Neither company seemed ideal, and Nasira resolved to keep looking. But when she walked into
work on Thursday, she had an email from her supervisor that if they didn’t find a new source
immediately, they were looking at production delays. When she replied that she didn’t have a
good source yet, her boss called her. “Nasira, I’ll be honest – we’re operating on incredibly thin
margins right now. Sales have been down, and we can’t afford a manufacturing delay. If you
can’t find a source, we’re looking at lay-offs, at best.”
Her boss didn’t say it, but as Nasira reflected on the call, she unhappily realized her job was
probably at stake too. As one of the newest employees in the company, with less than 6 months
at K9DC, she didn’t have seniority.