Lecture 2 and Activity
Analysis and the Ethics Analysis Form
Analysis is a systematic way of figuring something out. If we're trying to figure out
whether or not something is ethical and what the best decision might be, no matter what
the situation, the analysis process will be the same. The following Ethics Analysis Form
can help us do the analysis.
Ethics Analysis Form
Decision Option:
Stakeholders
Principles
Consequences
The form has spaces for the decision option we are considering, the stakeholders (those
who may be affected by the decision), the ethical principles involved in the situation, and
the consequences of the particular decision on various stakeholders. Let's consider the
following situation:
A manager promotes a personal favorite employee without going through the usual
selection process.
Have you ever experienced something like this at any one of your jobs? Do managers like
some employees better than others? Do teachers like some students better than others?
(Of course!) We all like some people better than others. The key, though, is to keep in
mind what is best for business. As managers we may want to promote the employee we
like best. But, what we as managers should remember to do is think about our decision
before we make it. We ask ourselves: What are we trying to accomplish? Is what we are
trying to accomplish okay? Will we be able to accomplish it with this particular decision?
We can use the Ethical Analysis Form to help us to systematically work through the
decision option.
Decision Option and Stakeholders:
The first step is to identify the decision option. In this case the manager decided to
promote his or her favorite employee without going through the usual selection process.
Enter this on a blank form. They key is below to serve as a guideline. Next we must
figure out who the stakeholders are. Who may be affected by the manager's decision?
(other employees, manager, the favorite employee who got the promotion, customers,
place of business) Write the Stakeholders on the form.
Consenquences:
Now, without looking at the key, please enter the possible consequences to each of the
stakeholders on the form. You can start your analysis by asking "What will each of the
stakeholders think or do and how will they feel if the manager does what he or she is
considering?" Write your answers on the form.
Ethical Principles:
Either use the Ethical Principles for Hospitality Managers in your text or print out the list
from Lesson one and see which of the Ethical Principles are violated by the decision to
promote a favorite employee without going through the usual selection process. The
manager is the decision maker in this situation. We are looking for principles that are
violated by the decision maker, so we enter them in the "principles" space in the Manager
row.
What about Integrity? Trustworthiness? Loyalty? Fairness? Commitment to Excellence?
Leadership? Reputation and Morale? Accountability? The decision to promote his or her
favorite employee without going through the usual selection process violates quite a few
of the ethical principles. It is possible that the other employees would not be bothered,
but the opposite reaction is more likely and that could affect their attitudes and
performance and eventually cause the manager problems. The idea is to avoid problems.
It would be better to go through the usual selection process and promote the employee
who is best suited and deserving of the promotion. It could turn out to be the favorite
employee, but if the selection process was indeed followed, the promotion would be seen
as fair and equitable, and possible negative consequences could be avoided.
Ethics Analysis Form - Key
Decision Option: To promote a favorite employee without going through the usual
selection process
Stakeholders
Principles
Consequences
Other
 The other employees might become
Employees
angry and resentful and feel less regard
for the job and the manager.
 They might be less cooperative.
 Service levels might decrease.
 They might tell friends which could
affect the reputation of the business as a
good place to work
 Absenteeism and turnover could
increase.
Manager
Fairness
 Other employees might see the
(Decision
Concern & Respect
promotion as unfair, and they could
Maker)
for Others
lose respect and trust for the manager.
Commitment to
 Other employees could become less
Excellent
cooperative, their service levels could
Leadership
fall, and absenteeism and turnover
Reputation &
could increase as morale falls. This
Morale
could negatively affect the manager's
Accountability
success in his or her position.
 If the manager's department suffers, he
or she could lose credibility with
superiors.
The Promoted
 The promoted employee could face
Employee
resentment and/or abuse from other
employees.
 If the promoted employee is to
supervise fellow workers, he or she
may be unable to gain their goodwill
and cooperation and ultimately fail in
the new position.
Customers
 The employees' work quality could fall,
their enthusiasm could diminish, and/or
their attitude could become negative.
 Customers could become dissatisfied
with the service, tell others, and
business could decrease.
The Company


The reputation of the company as a
good place to frequent or work at could
be tarnished.
The company could lose business and
have fewer, less qualified available
workers.