Supporting SME Growth Through Inclusion: Leading a Young Female Professional During Divorce

This teaching case explores the managerial challenges faced by a young female professional going through a divorce while working at a growing small- to medium-sized enterprise (SME). Using divorce as an example of a significant personal life event, the case illustrates how external demands can spill over into employees' concentration, well-being, and work performance, oftenremaining largely unknown to colleagues and managers. Students are encouraged to explore how managers can respond to such situations through fair and inclusive people management, drawing primarily on organisational justice theory, without assuming employees' private lives or treating all employees experiencing divorce the same way. Additionally, the case emphasises the realities of growing SMEs, where people-management practices may be relatively informal, and substantial responsibility often falls on line managers. Designed for undergraduate and graduate courses in human resource management, organisational behaviour, social sustainability and diversity management, the case is accompanied by teaching notes. It encourages students to consider whether supporting employees through significant life events should be viewed as an individual accommodation or as an investment in the organisation, its talent retention and sustainable SME growth. Prior knowledge: No prior knowledge of specific theories is required. The Key Concepts section at the end of the case briefly explains the key concepts used in the discussion questions (the four dimensions of organisational justice, the motherhood penalty and fatherhood premium, and flexibility stigma).The case relates to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being; SDG 5 – Gender Equality; SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth; and SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities. Teaching notes for this case are available for educators/trainers at ResearchGate.net