Ethics in the Hospitality Industry: Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

Practitioners in the hospitality sector rate ethics as one of the most important issues faced by the industry. Many scholars argue that the hospitality sector is open to frequent unethical practices. Managers and employees, due to intensive face-to-face interactions with clients, confront many ethical dilemmas in their day-to-day operations. Previous research confirms that a positive ethical climate nurtures a healthy organization by increasing manager and employee job satisfaction, enhancing customer experience, and increasing the organization's profit. Despite its crucial role, studies on ethics in the hospitality industry are limited compared to those undertaken in the more general business area. This manuscript reviews the literature on ethical perceptions and practices among hospitality managers, employees and students (future professionals), and proposes a research agenda. This critic review intends to increase awareness and knowledge on the importance of this issue and give some orientations for scholars towards several important topics for future research in the area of hospitality ethics.

New directions in the sociology of tourism

“…The ethics of tourism have been examined at various levels of conceptual abstraction, from concrete issues of practical ethics in the running of tourist establishments to in-depth philosophical deliberations. The works of Knani (2014) and Caton (2012) illustrate these contrasting approaches. Knani (2014) has recently reviewed the various concrete, empirical ethical problems facing the hospitality industry, such as the ethics of front-line employee behaviour and the ethical orientation of managers of hospitality enterprises.…”

“…The works of Knani (2014) and Caton (2012) illustrate these contrasting approaches. Knani (2014) has recently reviewed the various concrete, empirical ethical problems facing the hospitality industry, such as the ethics of front-line employee behaviour and the ethical orientation of managers of hospitality enterprises. But Knani (ibid) writes from an instrumentalist standpoint, common in business studies, which stresses the importance of ethics in hospitality as a means to achieve organizational goals; but he does not question those goals themselves.…”

“…While the studies reviewed by Knani (2014) might help to improve the conduct of the staff and management of tourist establishments, it is the ethics of the neoliberal politics of tourism development, especially in the emerging world regions, with its rapid commercialization of nature and local cultures, which needs increased attention in tourism studies.…”

The Effect of Employee Turnover in the Hospitality Industry: Quantitative Correlational Study

“…Commercially, the hospitality industry has existed for almost 4,000 years. The hospitality industry remains a billion-dollar industry that depends on the disposable income and availability of its customers (Knani, 2014). The hospitality industry consists of various service fields that include lodging, restaurants, event planning, theme parks, transportation, cruise lines, and others.…”

“…They have argued that although the retention strategies of other industries could apply in the hospitality industry, the industry has some unique challenges, making turnover a persistent problem (Mapelu & Jumah, 2013, Knani, 2014. First, the industry needs to attract efficient and suitable labors that can work effectively with diverse populations of consumers (Grobelna, 2015).…”