For Excellence in Hospitality

Education

Language Department, Office of General Education, Faculty of Hospitality Industry

Principles of Communication
Chapter 2: Ethical Communication
Arj. Zeph Norrish
 SCOPE
Following the Chapter 2 lecture and discussion, you will be able to:

• Define Ethics
• Describe Types of Ethics

• Consider Ethics in Making Decisions

• Describe Critical Thinking

• Understand Importance of Ethics in the Hospitality Industry

Chapter 2 Case Study

• Instructor Review

• Student Q&A

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No

 2.3 Ethics
Ethics is that set of values that guides one in the conduct of
life.

Ethics comprise the rules of execution for the SIDAL

loop…

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No

 2.3 Ethics
Descriptive ethics is a value-free approach to ethics, which
examines ethics not from a top-down priority perspective,
but rather observations of actual choices made by moral
agents in practice.

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No

 2.3 Ethics
Applied ethics is a discipline of philosophy that attempts to
apply ethical theory to real-life situations. The discipline has
many specialized fields, such as bioethics and business
ethics.

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No

 2.3 Ethics
Sometimes ethics in a society are based on pre-established
aesthetics, etiquette, and arbitration rather than theories of value
or of conduct.

Ethical codes are the personal morals applied by various groups

in a societal structure through art and storytelling… tradition.

Observed choices made by ordinary people, without expert aid

or advice, who vote, buy, and decide what is worth valuing.
Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No
 2.3 Ethics
Organizational (business) ethics are the fundamental
elements, or a set of beliefs, which lie behind a corporation
as an organization.

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No

 2.4 Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is a well-established process for identifying

and thinking about issues and is strongly related to the notion
of systems thinking, otherwise known as problem solving.

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No

 2.4 Critical Thinking
The decision window comprises…
1. The event that occurs.
2. The recognition that the event has occurred.
3. The analysis of the impact.
4. The identification of alternative response to the event.
5. The selection of an alternative response.
6. The implementation of the
alternative.
7. The trigger the alternative
generates upon implementation.
This can be thought of as a
message which generates
another event.

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No

 2.4 Critical Thinking

Why gather data without a purpose?

Determine the critical issues that need to be investigated to
reach the end.
Identification of the issues will bring to mind key
hypotheses.

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No.

 2.4 Critical Thinking

Famous Hypotheses
“I think therefore I am.”
Descarte

I am able to think, therefore I exist. A philosophical proof of

existence based on the fact that someone capable of any form
of thought necessarily exists.

2
E=MC

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No.

 2.5 Ethics in Hospitality
In 1898 Cesar Ritz and his Auguste Escoffier manager and
chef respectively were discharged from London’s Savoy
Hotel for accepting less weighing food deliveries and
extorting commissions from suppliers thereby using the
hotel for their own gain and profit (Fennel & Malloy, 2008).

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No.

 2.5 Ethics in Hospitality

How/what do the actions of Hospitality Staff

communicate to guests?

http://youtu.be/s3aR3yP4aKg

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No.

 2.5 Ethics in Hospitality

Environment

Reputation
CSR
Corporate Social Responsibility

Local
Guests Human Resources Competitors Owners
Community

!
Reputation
Reputation is is much
much
easier
easier toto lose
Society than
than itit is
lose
is to
to build.
build.
Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No.
 2.5 Ethics in Hospitality

Challenge: a) You have fifteen minutes to sort the ‘ethical issues’

provided into 4 discrete categories.
b) Give four examples where an ‘ethical code’ may
assist in solving a problem relating to the issue.

Child
Child Labour
Labour

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 2.5 Ethics in Hospitality

True or False?: Employees Don’t Mean to Act Unethically

• It’s such a small thing, who will notice?

• It really won’t hurt anyone.
• I don’t feel comfortable doing this, but if this
is what it takes to get ahead…
• Everybody else does it so why not?

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No.

 2.5 Ethics in Hospitality

There is a positive relationship between profitability and ethics.

Ethics should cut across:
• Housekeeping
• Front Office
• Security
• Food and Beverage
• Marketing
• Purchasing
• Yield Management
• Public Relations

Excellent hospitality leaders ensure that the vision, mission, values as

well as the ethics of the hotel reflect a socially responsible culture.
(Smith & Colman, 2006). Slide No.
Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013
 Ethical Dilemma

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No.

 Ethical Dilemma

You will now be asked to select one from a range of ethical

considerations.

In pairs, discuss the situation and decide if you think the

action described is ethical.
Agree Unsure Disagree

Present your justification for your decision.

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No.
 Ethical Dilemma

Hotel Managers' Responses to Ethical Dilemmas

Raymond S. Schmidgall Ph.D., CPA
Michigan State University, schmidga@bus.msu.edu

From a survey of 400 responses from Hotel Managers,

the following data was found.

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No.

 BREAK!

Now, take a 30-minute break and then return to the class to

work on your term paper focus.

Enjoy!

Take a
Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No.
 Handout Review
You will now be given a handout with comprehension
questions.

Use the book and the notes you’ve taken to answer the
questions as best as possible.

You have 45-minutes to complete the handouts and return

them to the instructor at the end of class.
Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No.
 HOMEWORK!

Go to the copy shop next to the canteen and get a copy of

Unit 3: The Communication Process.

Read Unit 3 and complete sections 3.1 Key Vocabulary and

Chapter 3 Review: Case Study.

Principles of Communication Second Semester 2013 Slide No.