Skip to main content
Log in

Hospitality Ethics: Responses from Human Resource Directors and Students to Seven Ethical Scenarios

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examines the responses of human resource directors and hospitality students to seven different ethical scenarios. Both groups were asked to rate these situations on their ethicality using a Likert-type scale. The directors and students decided that an act of theft was the most unethical, followed by sexual harassment, and an attempt to obtain proprietary information from another company. Expressing racial preferences in terms of servers was fourth. Directors rated all the scenarios ethically lower than did students, indicating that experience and heightened sensitivity to possible litigious situations may have played a role in perceptual differences.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beck, R. A.: 1992, 'Forward', in S. J. Hall (ed.), Ethics in Hospitality Management (Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Motel Association, East Lansing, MI), p. 3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornish, E.: November-December 1997, 'Ethics Under Pressure', The Futurist, 11.

  • Damitio, J. W. and R. S. Schmidgall: 1993, 'Hospitality Professionals' Responses to Ethical Situations', Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly 34(4), 40–43. Ibid., p. 14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, S. J. (ed.): 1992, Ethics in Hospitality Management (Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Motel Association, East Lansing, MI).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, S. and L. Enghanen: 1991, 'Ethics in Hospitality-Two Tested, Full Credit Models for Teaching', Annual CHRIE Proceedings, 252–253.

  • Hoche-mong, R.: 1997, 'What Would You Do? A Discussion on Ethics', Innkeeping 15(12), 4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, S. and H. Collingwood: 20 July 1987, 'Business Week/Harris Poll: Is an Antibusiness Backlash Building?', Business Week, 33–35.

  • Kent, W., K. Lian, M. Kahn and J. Anene: 1993, 'College's Hospitality Programs: Perceived Quality', Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administrative Quarterly 34(6), 90–95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kraemer, A. M.: 1995, May, 'The Influence of Ethics on Leadership', Executive Housekeeping Today 16(5), 10–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kwansa, F. and A. Farrar: 1991, 'A Conceptual Framework for Developing a Hospitality Educators' Code of Ethics', Annual CHRIE proceedings, 49–50.

  • Lipset, L. and W. Schneider: 1987, The Confidence Gap (The Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore).

    Google Scholar 

  • McAneny, L.: 1992, 'Pharmacists Again Top “Honesty and Ethics” Poll; Ratings for Congress Hit New Low', The Gallup Poll Monthly 322, 2–4.

    Google Scholar 

  • McAneny, L.: 1993, 'Pharmacists Retain Wide Lead as Most Honorable Profession', The Gallup Poll Monthly 334, 3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, G. and J. S. Lubin: 5 June 1996, 'New GM Rules Curb Wining and Dining', The Wall Street Journal, B1, col. 3–5.

  • Stevens, B.: 1994, 'An Analysis of Corporate Ethical Code Studies: Where Do We Go from Here?', Journal of Business Ethics 13, 63–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, B.: 1997, 'Hotel Ethical Codes: A Content Analysis', International Journal of Hospitality Management 16(3), 261–271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, B.: 1999, 'Communicating Ethical Values: A Study of Employee Perceptions', Journal of Business Ethics 20, 113–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, D.: 1996, 'Cesar Ritz and Auguste Escoffier vs. the Savoy Hotel Company', International Journal of Hospitality Management 15(1), 29–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyson, T.: 1992, 'Does Everyone Believe that Everyone Else is Unethical have an Impact on Work Behavior?', Journal of Business Ethics 11, 707–717.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stevens, B. Hospitality Ethics: Responses from Human Resource Directors and Students to Seven Ethical Scenarios. Journal of Business Ethics 30, 233–242 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006449526584

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006449526584

Navigation