Gucci’s Closest Competitor

Fundamentally CONTRAST THE KEY ELEMENT OF GUCCI’S MARKETING STRATEGY TO ITS CLOSEST COMPETITOR. Legitimize WHY YOU HAVE CHOSEN THIS COMPANY AS GUCCI’S CLOSEST COMPETITORS Gucci is one of the most remarkable pioneers in extravagance style advertise. Gucci is established by Guccio Gucci in 1921 in Florence, Italy. Presently, Gucci is the piece of Gucci Group and Pinault Printemps Recloute (PPR). The globalization of the design condition and lift in the western economies change Gucci from a little Italian organization in to huge extravagance style brand in worldwide level. In 1980s, Gucci had lost its allure and turned into a tasteless brand and was likewise in profound money related emergency. Be that as it may, Tom Ford raised Gucci from dead and discovered the company’s driving status and keeps up their client faithfulness. He made Gucci’s picture as: smooth, hot, and brave. What's more, Frida Giannini the new inventive chief of Gucci after Tom Ford changed the picture of Gucci from attractive to erotic nature. There are different sides to a brand like Gucci: the fabulous, entirely chic side yet in addition with its underlying foundations and legacy of 90yrs history and craftsmans working for Gucci. (Frida Giannini , The Times, sept 5, 2009) For the Gucci’s resurrection advertising blend assumes an essential job. The idea of 4Ps or the advertising blend is to clarify the relationship of item, value, advancement and spot with in the brand/business. The promoting blend is set of showcasing devices that the firm uses to seek after its advertising destinations in the objective market. Along these lines, this hypothesis suggests that all brands/business need the correct item, sell that item at right cost, in the perfect spot, utilizing the most appropriate advancement. Essentially marks utilize this idea to pull in their objective purchaser to coordinate their needs and requests. Out of these 4Ps item is primary centered territory of advertising blend on the grounds that the item is mix of substantial and impalpable offer that a brand offers to client to bring in cash. Item tends to the need of customer. The item must have the correct highlights like: it must look great and function admirably. â€Å"When all around structured, great quality item is at the base of the promoting effort it frequently includes a level of credibility and genuineness to the advertising methodology. † (Gary Aspden †Adidas) For instance: customer needs to fit in with the companion gathering and the issue of how best to do this is unraveled by wearing specific brand’s stylish item. Acing Fashion Marketing, Tim Jackson, 2008). As referenced before that item is the principle component of the advertising blend and in that item classification footwear is the fundamental centered zone. â€Å"Shoes are consistently the most significant thing since they are what your iden tity is. They change the manner in which you walk, the manner in which you move. † †Tom Ford The market for the footwear classification is United Kingdom. The explanation for picking this market is that the United Kingdom footwear showcase, the estimation of this market is arrived at a record high of over ? bn in 2008. The UK is one of Europe’s driving footwear markets, representing about 19% of the European footwear deals. PRODUCTSGUCCIPRADACHANELLouis Vuitton Women’s wear Men’s wear Shoes Hand Bags Jewelry Fragrance Watches Eye wear Beauty items X Hats Tie Scarves Based on the previously mentioned table Gucci's rivals are Prada, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. The explanations for taking just these brands are these four brands are exceptionally mainstream in extravagance advertise everywhere throughout the world. In this way, through this table get the essential thought of the item savvy examination in these four brands. All the four brands have practically comparative items however the character is extraordinary. Gucci is substantially more like Prada as far as brand picture and item examination. The brand picture of Gucci and Prada is alluring, ground-breaking, cultivated, hot and chic. Where as Chanel and Louis Vuitton have keen, exemplary, refined and develop character. As far as costs Gucci and Prada go connected at the hip while Louis Vuitton and Chanel are very costly as contrast with Gucci and Prada. While looking at the brand estimation of these brands and the positioning of Top 100 Brands Louis Vuitton remains on seventeenth position with the brand estimation of $21,120millions, Gucci remains on 45th position with the brand estimation of $3530 millions, Chanel remains on 60th position with the brand estimation of $6040 millions and Prada remains on 91th position with the brand estimation of $3530 millions. Along these lines, as looking at the brand worth and rank of top 100 brands Chanel will be the nearest contender of Gucci. Be that as it may, here the examination depends on the item in this way, Prada will the Gucci’s nearest contender in light of the fact that according to the product offering and brand picture Prada is Gucci’s nearest contender. GucciPrada As, referenced prior in the product offering Prada is the nearest contender of Gucci. Here, the pictures from Prada and Gucci men’s footwear assortment of Spring Summer 2010. The plan of the item is comparative, state of the shoes is additionally comparative, and material they utilized is likewise same. The cut detail of the outside counter of the shoes is likewise comparable. From the top view both the shoes look fundamentally the same as The sewing point of interest is comparable however Gucci gave dull shading channeling on the toe top and gave same shading sewing where as Prada gave differentiate shading sewing itemizing which is very observable. The shades of these shoes are diverse Gucci utilized Bordeaux shading in softened cowhide material which gives dull look while Prada utilized same material in Red shading which gives exceptionally brilliant and savvy look. Prada likewise gave a logo on side of the shoe while Gucci gave green, red and green shading web stripe. The enumerating on the tongue of the shoes is likewise unique Gucci gave crisscross look on the edge which gave a harsh look however its completed where Prada gave exceptionally completed look sewing which give extremely refined look. The covering of the both the shoes are additionally comparative as far as shading and cowhide in sole logo. The shade of the sole is likewise comparative however enumerating is distinctive Gucci gave their own image logo specifying on the elastic sole where as Prada utilized decent itemizing on drive sole. The cost of Gucci’s shoes is $530 where as Prada shoes cost around $557. Great structure and shading and with reasonable value Prada is better than Gucci in this examination. Gucci Prada This promoting effort is for Autumn Winter 2009/10 for Prada and Gucci for the footwear assortment. In both the promoting effort both the brand concentrated uniquely on the item. Gucci’s items are glossy and alluring which speaks to urban, delightful, youthful and chic look. Where as Prada shoes are propelled by Trojan cap/headgear which gives smart and cool look and more spotlight on item enumerating. Gucci ( Gucci’s store show window is exceptionally essential with fragrance bottle shape with yellow light and purse shape with pink light and setting is enlivened with Gucci logo. In the presentation Gucci show packs and shoes together. The vibe and the light impact give extremely rich look to Gucci’s show window. In the showcase window Gucci just showed their essential and great sack and shoes. Though Gucci’s picture is extremely arousing, smooth and hot, yet through this window show Gucci can not pass on its image picture. Yet, the light impact, climate and item supplement one another. Be that as it may, this presentation doesn't Whereas Prada’s window show is absolutely inverse to Gucci’s window show. Prada give more spotlight on their item in the presentation window. Prada utilized six silver mannequins to show their footwear and which gave popular look. Indeed, even the shade of footwear is decent and eye appealing when it put on those silver mannequins. The position of the mannequins is additionally extremely pleasant, they showed 3 mannequins the correct way and rest of 3 mannequins they simply flip it so the item can feature more. What's more, they utilized white lights for the presentation. In this way, through this window show Prada pass on their image picture which exceptionally in vogue, savvy, attractive and arousing. Therefore, to finish up we can say that Prada is Gucci’s nearest contenders. The explanation for this is Prada offer practically all the item which Gucci offers and the brand picture of Gucci and Prada is same which is extremely provocative, smooth, arousing and keen. In product offering in a similar season Gucci and Prada offers practically comparative shoes however Prada’s shoes are brilliant and stylish where as Gucci’s shoes give exceptionally dull look. Thus, from that correlation Gucci can't keep up their image picture where as Prada’s shoes are straightforward yet Prada keep up their image picture which is keen. While looking at the promoting effort and the store show window, Prada and Gucci go inseparably as far as pass on the message through publicizing effort and furthermore feature their picture through store feel. Be that as it may, Gucci has 278 stores all around the globe where as Prada have 128 stores far and wide. Along these lines, universally Gucci is more renowned than Prada. The brand estimation of Gucci is more than Prada. Reference: Websites: http://bwnt. businessweek. com/interactive_reports/best_global_brands_2009/file. asp? sortCol=rankid=1=2=50 http://www. stanforddaily. com/2009/03/06/milan-design week-genders out/http://www. researchandmarkets. com/research/34a553/footwear_market_re Books: Journals: Images: Prada Display: http://williamyan. com/blog/2009/7/24/retail-prada-window-show in-soho. html) Gucci show: http://www. bobbintalk. com/2009/11/window-shopping-gucci. html

ACQUISITION OF JAGUAR AND LAND ROVER

Obtaining OF JAGUAR AND LAND ROVER In a changing world the main steady is change. The world despises change however, yet it is the main thing that has brought progress. Charles Kettering (Brainquotes.com) Change is an unavoidable impact. We are altogether dependent upon persistent difference in some structure. Change is an inevitable piece of both social and hierarchical life. (Mullins, 2007:909) Authoritative change implies critical modification in any at least one of the assignments, procedures, structures and individuals of the association. (Saiyadain, 2003:174) Change is acquainted either with improve adequacy or to adjust to outer changes. Chiefs face intricate and testing weights and openings while presenting change in an association. They should guarantee the proficient utilization of assets and, simultaneously, discover methods of ensuring the drawn out adequacy of the associations for which they work. Arranging, executing and adapting to change has been, and appears to probably stay, one of the fundamental difficulties confronting administrators, in both the private and open parts, today. In assembling, banking, training and human services change is the standard. (Carnall, 2007) Overseeing change under the most favorable circumstances is a test since it goes past the domains of rationale and digs into the domains of discernment. Individuals are normally disposed over hundreds of years of molded conduct to be agreeable in the present and any declaration of progress causes them to see new circumstances, new individuals, new places, and more up to date security issues. Indeed, when man is approached to think outside his usual range of familiarity, his first observations are generally protective and negative, henceforth overseeing change is a test. Overseeing change in an individual or family condition is troublesome enough considering changed conditions, changed monetary status, and changed connections. In any case, there is once in a while any seriousness or a danger of conservative or passionate security from ones precious ones. None the less, the two focuses referenced in the prior section about man seeing change adversely stay a test. The procedure of authoritative change can be started purposely by supervisors, it can develop gradually inside a division, it very well may be forced by explicit changes in arrangement or systems, or it can emerge through outside weights. Change can influence all parts of the activity and working of the association. Most arranged authoritative change is activated by the need to react to new difficulties or openings introduced by the outer condition. Arranged change speaks to a deliberate endeavor to improve, in some significant way, the operational viability of the association. Hence, the essential targets of overseeing authoritative change are: Adjusting the standards of conduct of the individuals from the associations Improving the capacity of the association to adapt to changes in its condition. It is additionally significant for the executives to comprehend the explanations behind, and nature of, opposition and to embrace a plainly characterized procedure for the inception of progress. The fruitful administration of progress is an inexorably significant administrative obligation. (Mullins, 2007) The merger and obtaining blast has welcomed change following right after its all through industry and business. A significant part of authoritative change can be seen in an obtaining. So as to comprehend this feature, I contemplated the instance of an Indian organization obtaining a UK one; the Tatas getting Jaguar Land Rover. Goodbye apparently values its workers as much as its benefits, and highly esteems equity and reasonable administration. After a lot of offering and exchanges, the Tatas purchased the prior Ford claimed Jaguar Land Rover, for an incredible USD 2.3 billion. Both the organizations went into shared understandings seeing different angles, for example, bolster offices like IT, plan and advancement of the cars to keep the uniqueness unblemished. By considering this authoritative change, I dissected and concentrated on, how smooth correspondence and comprehension can prompt duplicating with obstruction of any sorts. Writing REVIEW The idea of hierarchical change is a wide change rather than little changes. Instances of wide change may remember a change for a strategic, activities, new advancements, mergers and acquisitions, re-building and so on change ought not be accomplished for change its a technique to achieve some general objective. (www.managementhelp.org) Commonly there are solid protections from change. Individuals fear the obscure. Frequently there are clashing objectives in the association. Associations wide changes regularly conflict with the very qualities held dear by individuals from the association. That is the reason hierarchical change talks about required changes in the social part of qualities and convictions. Arranged Organization Change Process:- (Conduct Modification) Authoritative change requires an adjustment in the individual conduct of the workers. Any hierarchical change whether presented through another auxiliary structure or new innovation endeavors to cause workers to alter their conduct in light of the fact that except if the standards of conduct change, there will be next to no effect on the adequacy of the association. Kurt Lewin thought of a three-stage procedure of conduct alteration to actualize arranged change. Change in Organization Requires Change in the conduct of people Calls for Unfreezing Development Refreezing (Ahmad, Gilkar and Darzi, 2008) Unfreezing The way toward unfreezing is the hardest stage where one needs to conquer the idleness of agreeable practices and lack of concern to persuade others that the change isn't simply essential yet alluring as well. Lewin accepts that change ought not come as an amazement to individuals from the association, unannounced change would be socially damaging and contradicted by the individuals. (Cole, 2005) The administration must make ready by unfreezing the circumstance, with the goal that individuals would be willing and prepared to acknowledge the change. Thusly any protection from change can likewise be killed. Development Once the unfreezing procedure is finished and the individuals from the association acknowledge and perceive the necessity of progress and have been completely arranged to acknowledge the equivalent, their personal conduct standards must be upgraded. (Kumar and Mittal, 2002) This should be possible by setting up new revealing connections and making reward/motivating force systems.(Hunt Simms) The development procedure includes advancement of new mentalities or conduct and the usage of the change. (Mullins, 2007) Refreezing Change or development stage proceeds until another equalization is made between the powers driving and controlling change. Subsequently the point of refreezing is to set up this equalization at a more elevated level of execution. This is finished by supporting systems for instance approaches, structure or standards (Mullins, 2007:910) which decidedly strengthens the better approaches for working. (Chase Simms) During this stage, people disguise the new conduct created in the development stage. Protection from Change:- Change in an association can have various reactions. The most evident one is obstruction. Any change whether valuable or shallow, is probably going to meet some obstruction which is ordinarily from the individuals of the association, particularly if the current framework favors them. Regard for people and correspondence are the essentials required to assist individuals with adjusting to change. (Chase Simms) It could be said, protection from change is certain. It gives a level of security and consistency to conduct. In the event that there isn't some opposition, authoritative conduct would take on qualities of disorderly haphazardness. (Ahmad, Gilkar and Darzi, 2008) Protection from change can take numerous structures and it is regularly hard to pinpoint the specific explanations behind the opposition. The powers against change in work associations include: disregarding the necessities and desires for individuals; when individuals have lacking data about the idea of the change; or on the off chance that they don't see the need to change. Fears might be communicated over issues, for example, business levels and professional stability, de-skilling of work, loss of occupation fulfillment, wage rate differentials, changes to social structures and working conditions, loss of individual power over work, and more prominent administration control. (Mullins, 2007 Protection from change can be ordered into two classes: Singular obstruction Authoritative obstruction Explanations behind individual protection from change inside associations incorporate the accompanying: Specific observation: Peoples own translation of boosts may prompt specific discernment which further structure a one-sided perspective on a specific circumstance, and consequently cause protection from change. For instance, worker's organizations may have a generalized perspective on the board as conniving and in this manner restrict any administration change; anyway very much established may have been the goal. Propensity: individuals tend respond to circumstances in an acclimated way. Proposed changes to propensities, particularly if the propensities are settled and require little exertion, likely could be stood up to. Be that as it may, if there is a plainly seen advantage, for instance a decrease in working hours without loss of pay, there is probably going to be less, assuming any, protection from change. Burden or loss of opportunity: If the change is viewed as prone to demonstrate badly designed, make life progressively troublesome, lessen opportunity of activity or result in expanded control, there will be obstruction. Financial ramifications: People are probably going to oppose change which is seen as lessening their compensation or money related prizes, requiring an expansion in work for a similar degree of pay or going about as a danger to their professional stability. Security previously: in the midst of trouble or when confronted with new or new thoughts and strategies, individuals will in general think about their past to discover a suspicion that all is well and good. For instance, in bureaucratic associations, authorities regularly will in general spot confidence in settled strategies and procedures a

How to Avoid Common Mistakes When Handling an EEOC Complaint

How to Avoid Common Mistakes When Handling an EEOC Complaint If you run a big company long enough, complaints about harassment and discrimination at work are bound to find their way to your doorstep. It’s one thing when such complaints are handled internally.It’s quite another when you receive a letter from the Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) informing you that a discrimination charge has been brought forward by one of your employees and the commission is commencing investigations on the matter.EEOC complaints can have huge impacts on your business.If the matter goes to court, it turn out be a long, exhausting, and financially draining litigation process.In addition, it could completely tarnish your company’s image and drive away both customers and potential hires in future.It could also lead to high employee turnover as your best people start to look for greener pastures elsewhere.The point here is that EEOC complaints are no trivial matter.They must be handled with extreme care if you want your company to survive one without b eing scathed.In this article, we take an in-depth look into EEOC complaints and some common mistakes to avoid when dealing with an EEOC complaint.WHAT IS AN EEOC COMPLAINT? EEOC stands for Employment Opportunity Commission. It is the US federal agency responsible for administration and enforcing of civil rights laws in the event of discrimination at the workplace.The commission has the mandate to investigate cases of people suffering discrimination at the workplace because of their race, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, gender identity, genetic information, sexual orientation, as well as cases of retaliation after reporting, opposing, or participating in a discriminatory practice.In 2018, the EEOC received a total of 76,418 complaints.Most of these were retaliations.Other big offenders included race, sex, and disability-related complaints.In that year alone, the commission received over 554,000 calls and emails, handled over 200,000 enquiries relating to potential di scrimination claims.In the course of the year, the EEOC filed 199 lawsuits, filed 29 amicus curiae briefs, and resolved 141 lawsuits.WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE FILES A COMPLAINT? The commission uses a variety of techniques to investigate a complaint â€" each case is different, with different circumstances requiring a different approach.If someone in your company files a discrimination complaint, the EEOC might send over an investigator to the office/workplace.Another case might involve talking to potential witnesses via phone or asking your company to give written information to the commission.The EEOC asks the employer to respond to the charge with a position statement (that is give their side of the story).Furthermore, the commission may also ask the company to produce documents and any other information that relates to the EEOC charge.If your company ever receives an EEOC charge or subpoena, this is the smart way to respond:Don’t blow off the charge.Call your lawyer.If you have taken insurance to cover such situations (employment practices liability insurance â€" EPLI), notify your insurance carrier about the charge.The commission usually offers the company an opportunity for mediation. Consider it seriously. In many cases, you can resolve the charge and get a general release, and save the money you would have spent litigating the claim in court.On the other hand, if you don’t wish to mediate or settle, do not ignore the EEOC’s request for documents or reply noncommittally. What you could do instead is contact the EEOC investigator and politely explain why the commission should narrow down and tailor its request. Consult your lawyer for advice on the best approach to take.Be reasonable, be selective â€" Do not object merely on grounds of principle. Develop a strong argument based on the information they are seeking and the scope of the filed complaint.Even when objecting, ensure you provide the commission with the information that they are entitled to receive.Keep good records of your negotiations with the agency in the course of the investigation. Send letters to confirm any verbal agreements and conversations. In case matters end up in court, you want to prove that you cooperated.WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON’T HANDLE EEOC COMPLAINTS PROPERLY?It is important that you handle an EEOC complaint properly.Failure to do so can have several negative repercussions for your company, including:Costly litigation â€" If you cooperate, you might resolve the issue through mediation or a settlement. If you don’t, the EEOC may sue you. Even if it doesn’t sue, the employee who filed the complaint has the right to do so. This will translate to a litigation that is costly in more ways than one, including steep legal expenses and bad publicity that eats into your bottom line.Penalties and indemnifications â€" Whether you resolve the case through litigation, settlement, or mediation, you as the employers are still required to pay penalties for th e EEOC complainants. You might be required to pay their back wages, reinstate them, and in some cases, promote them. You could even be ordered to pay their legal expense. If it goes to court and you lose, the court may award punitive and compensatory damages to the complainants. How you handle the situation determines how much you end up spending.Loss of reputation â€" This is particularly pertinent if you operate in a competitive market where customers are spoilt for choice. Customers stay with you because of their perception of your company. If your company’s reputation is ruined, this could result in some customers shunning your company. Potential employees will also have qualms about working for your company.Labor turnover â€" If you handle the EEOC complaint wrongly, your other employees will realize they work in an unfriendly work environment and will be more likely to leave, especially your best people.COMMON EEOC COMPLAINTS Source: Labor Day BlogCommon EEOC complaints are based on at least one or a combination of the following discriminations/situations: sex, race, religion, national origin, color, disability, age, equal pay, genetic information discrimination, or retaliations.Sex DiscriminationThis occurs when someone at a workplace (an applicant or employee) receives unfair treatment on account of their sex.It includes discriminating against them because of their gender identity and their sexual orientation.Race/ColorRace discrimination is when someone is treated unfairly because they belong to a certain race or have certain personal characteristics associated with race â€" like skin color, hair texture, or certain facial features.ReligionReligion discrimination pertains unfair treatment on account of one’s religious beliefs.The law protects those who belong to traditional, organized religions as well as those who have sincerely held religious, moral, or ethical beliefs.National OriginThis involves treating people unfairly because of their ethnicity, accent, country or part of the world they come from, or because they appear to belong to a certain ethnic background.It is unlawful for employers to hire only US citizens or lawful permanent residents unless the law, regulation, or government contract requires them to do so.DisabilityDisability discrimination is when a qualified person with a disability receives unfavorable treatment because of their disability.According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers should provide reasonable accommodation for employees or job applicants with disabilities, unless this would cause undue hardship for the employer.AgeThe Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects persons who are 40 and older from discrimination.While it does not expressly protect younger workers, some states do have laws that prohibit age discrimination among younger workers.Equal Pay/CompensationThe Equal Pay Act requires people to receive equal pay for equal work. The jobs don’t have to be identical, so long as they are substantially equal. Equality is determined by job content not job title. The law covers all forms of pay.PregnancyThis involves unfavorable treatment of a woman because of childbirth, pregnancy, or a medical condition related to the two.Women are protected from this kind of discrimination by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA).Genetic InformationThe Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) protects employees from genetic information discrimination. Employers should not use genetic information when making employment decisions.An example of genetic information is information about a disease or disorder in a person’s family medical history.RetaliationComplaints against retaliation are the highest in number of all EEOC complaints. Retaliation occurs when an employer retaliates against employees for doing any of the following things:Filing EEOC complaintsBeing a witness in an EEOC chargeCommunicating wi th a supervisor or manager about employment discriminationRefusing to obey orders that would lead to discriminationResisting sexual advances or intervening to protect someone else from sexual harassmentAsking for accommodation of a religious practice or disabilityAsking coworkers or managers about salary information in a bid to reveal potentially discriminatory wages.Answering questions during an investigation of alleged harassment at the workplaceCOMMON EEOC MISTAKES AND HOW TO AVOID THEMIf you own or run a company, there is a high chance you will get hit with an EEOC complaint at some point, if it hasn’t happened already.When this happens, there is a right approach and a wrong approach.Some employers react without prior deliberation, no plan, and it comes back to bite them when the case ends up in a courtroom.The following are the most common mistakes employers make and how you can steer clear of them:Ignoring the ComplaintUpon receiving a complaint from the EEOC, some employers may choose to ignore the complaints for a variety of reasons, such as assuming that the EEOC does not apply to their business because they employ less than 15 employees, or assuming that the charge is not something serious.Regardless of the number of people working under your company, or any other circumstances, you should take an EEOC complaint very seriously, and under no conditions should you ignore the complaint.For instance, racial discrimination cases have a law known as Section 1981 which supersedes the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Section 1981 covers all employees, regardless of a company’s size.Furthermore, Fair Employment Practices Agencies (FEPAs), which apply to counties and states, may offer protection to employees where the EEOC can’t.Our advice is that you should cooperate with the EEOC investigators.If you have a lawyer, call them, ask for their advice on how to approach the situation, learn what loopholes there are or what booby traps are in the law that you should watch out for.If you ignore the EEOC, they will probably slap your company with a subpoena, and if the matter does end up in court, the judge will have a simple decision to make since it will be clear that you did not cooperate at all or even communicate with the EEOC.In other words, you need to be strategic. Give in a little, but with your eye on the endgame.It will give you and your lawyers[s] time to come up with a plan of action and sort through your different options, which include objecting, mediation, or out of court settlement.Not Being ProactiveDon’t wait for the EEOC to do all the investigating. They could miss something or look in the wrong place.Since you know your own company better than they do, you are likely to find more information than they do.Once you are notified of the EEOC complaint, you should start your own internal investigation into the matter in order to find out the veracity of the complaint.Carrying out your own investigation will also help you to determine how deeply it goes, with the ultimate aim of putting an end to discrimination and harassment in your company.When carrying out your investigation, seek the counsel of your lawyers as well as the advice of human resource professionals. Be very careful who you select for the job of investigating.Look for someone who has a broad experience and a good understanding of discrimination law.It’s wiser to use outside consultants on the matter because you don’t want the investigator to have any connection to the allegations or any interest whatsoever in the outcome.Keep in mind that this person might be summoned as a witness in case of litigation.You need someone ethical, someone you can trust.Ensure the investigator has access to any documents relevant to the investigation â€" hardcopy, electronic documents, emails, personnel files, managers’ desk files and notes, performance reviews, HR policies, HR files that pertain to the complainant, the accused, the possible witn esses, and so on.Communicate to your people that no documents should be destroyed as this can ruin the investigation, both yours and the commission’s and put you in a precarious position in the eyes of the EEOC.After completing the investigation, determine if any discrimination occurred.Develop and implement a plan on how to address the inappropriate behavior, illegal or not.Inappropriate behavior, even when seemingly harmless is not something you want tolerate in your workplace as it can balloon into something undesirable.Meanwhile, the results of your investigation will determine what course you should take with the EEOC â€" go for an out of court settlement, mediation, or fully cooperate with the commission and await its decision.As with most situations in life and business, if you don’t take the reins and control the situation, you and your company will be passive participants who react to things instead of active participants who chart their own course.Being InconsistentIf you say one thing today and say another tomorrow, it hurts the perception you convey to the investigators and eventually, if matters take that route, to the court.That’s why it’s so important that you take the EEOC complaint seriously and be proactive in gathering all the necessary information you need with the help of your legal counsel, your human resource department, and an internal investigation.It’s important to think things through clearly, ensuring that you are not frivolous when articulating your position statement. You don’t want to leave out any important information or any reasons that explain the situation.If you leave out information in your statement and later after the initial confusion subsides you want to enhance your statement at court with new or different information, the court is likely to view such inconsistency unfavorably.It gives the court grounds to consider your reasons as pretexts and ultimately gives it a justification to decide against you.There fore, take great pains to ensure your position statement articulates everything accurately and clearly.RetaliationAs I mentioned, retaliations make up the bulk of EEOC complaints. Retaliating is the worst mistake you can make in handling an EEOC complaint.First of all, retaliation is itself one of the types of workplace discrimination that the EEOC has the mandate to investigate.Even if the original complaint lacked merit, retaliation makes the EEOC investigator and the court more likely to side with the complainant.Furthermore, it opens a new charge against you, which the court will most certainly convict you for, even when taking your side in the original discrimination charge.Destroying EvidenceThere is one thing about such cases â€" no matter how hard you press down on the lid, given enough time and a proper investigation, the truth will always reveal itself eventually.Destroying evidence may seem like a good decision at the time, but it is not so wise in the long-term.Any attem pts to conceal, destroy, or falsify documents/evidence are illegal and will come back to haunt you. Simply don’t do it.Refusing MediationAt the end of the day, remember you are running a business.What matters most in a business is the bottom line. You should make decisions based on how they affect your company’s profitability.A hardline stance may give you a good feeling of standing your ground, but if in the long run it leads to expenses which your company can’t afford to pay, is it really worth it?Some employers are skeptical of the EEOC’s mediation program, unable to conceive that EEOC mediators can act with any fairness to the employers.This is a mistaken point of view. EEOC mediators are, in fact, fair and savvy.It is their job is to facilitate economical resolutions where possible.Of course not every case should go the mediation route â€" sometimes clearing the company’s name is more important.Intentional DelayYes, we talked about being strategic, but some tactics ar e ultimately self-harming.Delay can be a legitimate strategy in some cases, but it’s generally not, particularly if you don’t have an endgame in mind.One way delaying cooperation can harm you is in the accrual of back pay and back benefits that you are expected to pay the complainant.In other words, the more you delay, the more money you will have to take out of your pocket to pay the complainant.Moreover, if the matter goes to court, your slow cooperation won’t win any points in your favors.Working on Your OwnWhat you need when a legal problem such as this crops up is practical, avoid the temptation to handle the matter by yourself.Solid advice from an experienced, knowledgeable legal professional â€" a lawyer who has a good understanding of discrimination laws and preferably experience dealing with such cases.In truth, many of the mistakes we have listed here would be avoided if you had a good lawyer in your corner to tell you what to do and what not to do.Furthermore, lawye rs have their own way of communicating with each other, and you will make faster progress if you have a lawyer communicating on your behalf with the EEOC lawyers.WRAPPING UPWhen faced with an EEOC complaint, it is of utmost importance to handle the complaint carefully. Do not react without thinking. Do not ignore the complaint, do not retaliate, and do not react with unnecessary aggression.Cooperate where cooperation is logical.Object where objection is logical. Talk to a lawyer. Conduct an internal investigation.You will also need to decide how you will play it. Will you wait for the commission’s decision, settle, or go for mediation?Think long-term, not short-term. Think of your company’s best interests.Above all, put in place mechanisms in your organization that ensure cases of discrimination either don’t happen or are dealt with swiftly before they escalate because in the long run they are very costly.