Corporate Ethics: Introduction and Relevance to Hospitality

The term corporate ethics refers to a given set of beliefs or standards with which a company or organization adheres with. Importantly, the broad scope of the definition of such a term refers to a given code of conduct that dictates the manner in which a company conducts business within the various environments. A point to note, a given number of companies or organizations follows the provided operating conduct of conduct within the diverse environments of the contemporary society (Said, Crowther & Amran, 2014). However, there exists a number of companies that do not comply with the set rules and regulation of business operation. Instead, these set of companies engages in malpractice with an intention to gain profits by deceiving the community or environment of operation. Given such realization, there is a need to point that the desire to generate income without much struggle usually results in backlashes that consequently attracts heavy fines.

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The introductory segment presented in this paper develops a case to argue in the sense that there is continued malpractice within the hospitality industry given the case that people would want to dominate in the ever changing competitive markets. As such, different companies and organizations would develop unconventional ways that would help the companies to match their competitors in another platform (Hodges, 2015). Importantly, there is a need to point out that some hospitality companies view the intuition of an ethical approach to be a constraint on their given profitability. On the same note, there is need to concur that the hospitality industry exposes their professionals to ethical dilemmas in the case that it is a sophisticated industry that deals with continuous cash transactions on the normal working hours. In this view, there is need to discuss the matter given that the ethical issue is a growing concern for leaders in the hotel industry.

Analysis of case study#1

The case study presented elaborates unethical practice of a chemical giant industry known as the DuPont. Importantly, the case study presented involved an environmental lawsuit with a corporate defense attorney know as Rob Bilott. The events surrounding the case are of significance for analysis and discussion gave that case that they actualize the discussion of unethical corporate practices. A point to note, the organization in question is DuPont, which had engaged in malpractices for a long duration of time. On the same note, a complainant that raised the raised the issue was known as Wilbur Tennant, a farmer who owned a cattle farm near the operating environment of the chemical giant industry (Rich, 2016). Importantly, the case to argue in such a discussion revolves around legal malpractice in the case that the companied managed to control lawsuits against their unethical behavior through prominent lawyers. In this view, such an example case has relevance to the discussion on unethical corporate practices that are recurrent within the contemporary society. Importantly, it points to the fact that some business entities would stretch an extent further to cover their tracks in the case that they would not want to be exposed or face the challenges of running looses.

A good example that presents the argument on the case that large industries would stretch an extent further to cover up their malpractices develops in the critical analysis of Robert Bilotts defense position in the environmental complaint. Firstly, he was a minor individual in the case that the case against a worlds giant company would take a professional with many years of experience and connection to sue them (Hodges, 2015). The case to argue in such a discussion develops in the sense that he equally realized the risk in the sense that he had worked for eight years while representing such industries. Importantly, he understood the risks of challenging a leading corporate industry without much connection. On the same note, there was the threat that such a company would find their way out of the case without much trouble.

The events the followed the decision to file the case against DuPont developed in the sense that there was a hidden reality that he later acknowledged upon mention of certain facts. The complainant, Wilbur Tennant, was from Vienna the same place that Bilott had visited his grandmother over. In this view, there is the connection that Bilott wanted to help the farmer out of the goodwill. On the same case, there was the possibility that he wanted to help Wilbur Tennant in the case that he knew their family and was a friend from the long days of his childhood. Given such an understanding and order of events, the environmental attorney (Bilott) came to the realization that he needed to act given that it was a moral responsibility. Subsequently, the manner in which Tennant presented the case touched Bilott in the sense that he immediately acknowledged his responsibility (Rich, 2016). Evidence to justify such reasoning develops in the manner that when DuPont bought the land adjacent to the farmer, they wrote a letter assuring Tennant that there would not be any form of the hazardous landfill. On the contrary, the farmers cows had died from the same hazardous landfill. Such an occurrence pointed to the fact that DuPont had engaged in a deceptive agreement with the farmer. Consequently, the farmer incurred losses given the several of his cows had died from a poisonous substance emitted by the chemical industry. On the same note, Bilott could not easily view the case as a world class action complaint.

Another important point of analysis in the case study developed in the sense that DuPont had sealed any chances of anyone associating their company with the emission of hazardous substances. Evidently, the company had paid of an environmental protection agency in the sense that they would not disclose important information that would build a case against them. For instance, DuPont managed to influence the environmental protection agency (EPA) in the sense that the bureau resolved after investigations that Tennants cattle died due to mismanagements. Importantly, the agency proved that there was no connection to any toxic substances discharge that would have contributed to the lawsuit. The case took a turn of events after a group of attorneys stumbled on a PFOA substance that proved toxic when ingested by humans and animals. The perfluorooctanoic acid also termed PFOA proved toxic thus justifying the fact that indeed the DuPont chemical industry had actually contributed to the death of the farmers cows. In this view, there was sufficient evidence that the chemical industry had participated in the emission of hazardous gases into the environment (Rich, 2016). On the same note, there was a connection to the entire case in the sense that there was an oversight that developed from the environmental authorities. Consequently, DuPont eventually lost the case in the case that they complainant was justified in their allegations. As such, the company paid an undisclosed figure as compensation to Tennant.

Personal Reflection and critical assessment

The contemporary society presents various challenges of various natures in the case that professionals would want to generate massive incomes at the expense of company reputation. Importantly, there is a growing urge for people to successfully dominate the global world market as expressed by the tourism industry. As an opinion, the case study presented is an important learning platform for managers and other business owners in the case that it clearly points to the detrimental effects of unethical practices (Alexander, 2015). A good point to note, if the company (DuPont) had managed to settle the issue within due course, they would not have suffered the penalties of paying the huge sum. In this view, there are several arising matters of discussion that link the case study to the hospitality industry.

Firstly, it is important to establish that the hospitality industry is very tempting for the wide range of workers or business managers. For example, the manager of a given hotel can easily establish a wide network of trusted suppliers and clientele groups given the everyday interactions. As such, the manager would want to earn more than the recommended wage in the case that they would want to coordinate malpractice with the supplier during company transactions. For example, when the particular hotel places an order for particular goods, the managed would want to cut the budget in the case that he is the overall supervisor. As such, they would divide the illegally acquired goods or funds for purchase given that they hotel would not be able to establish the loss (Sloan, Legrand & Chen, 2009). On the same instance, the manager would find themselves in a compromising situation in the case that valuable customer would come to the business premise seeking services that may be unavailable within the company. In such a given example, the companys manager would want to offer the said services at a given fee in the sense that they would pocket the finances without the knowledge of the hotel. In this given example, the hotel would suffer losses from its own management in the case that there is a high level of, malpractice involved.

Secondly, it is important to note that a good reputation for good ethics has influential effects on an organization or a given business entity. On the contrary, any given malpractice that would not follow the ethical standards would consequently result in a bad reputation. Such reasoning is evidently displayed in the case study discussed. Given such realization, there is a need to point that ethical problems that arise within the hospitality industry develop from a variety of issues. In my opinion, the most dominant cause for prolonged malpractice in the hospitality industry develops due to a difference in values and organizational culture. A good example to justify such reasoning develops in the sense that a company that would suddenly introduce a sophisticated change would consequently suffer in the case that employees would resist such a move. In the long term, the employees would retaliate against the new policies and company culture on the failure of the company to address their grievances (Sloan, Legrand & Chen, 2009). My understanding of such moral dilemmas develops in the sense that there is an interchangeable phase between the ethics and the moral obligations or duties.

Grounds to develop such argument generally originate from the fact that people usually have the perception of what should be done within a given circumstances. In the same view, other people tend to reason in the case that they have a moral responsibility in the sense that they behavior should dictate their beliefs and values. The two statements are developed from a divergent viewpoint in the sense that the first statement points to the fact that some people act as required by their institutions or organization. For example, a waiter would not ask for a tip for extra services in an environment that has strict rules. On the hand, another waiter would ask for the same tip in the case that they have rendered extra services to the customer given that the hotel management allows such practices. The developing contradiction between the two examples is that the first waiter would not ask for the tip given that their management does not accommodate such behavior for fear of losing their esteemed customers. Importantly, they would want the waiters to offer the extra services to the customers as a show of appreciation (Zoghbi-Manrique-de-Lara & Guerra-Baez, 2016). Notably, they would want to build a long-term reputation for the company in the case that they believe in organizational culture....