Professional Ethics on Hotel and Restaurant Management in Cabanatuan City: An Implication to Industry Patronage
Submitted by:
Ramonchito Del Rosario Agustin MBA
Submitted to:
Mrs. Germina E. Santos Ph.D Professor
Chapter I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING
1.1 Introduction
Business ethics is the behavior that a business adheres to in its daily dealings with the world. The ethics of a particular business can be diverse. They apply not only how the business interacts with the world at large, but also their one-on-one dealings with a single customer.(wiseGEEK 2011)
Many businesses have gained a bad reputation just by being in business to some people, businesses are interested in making money and that is the bottom line. It could be called capitalism in its purest form. Making money is not wrong in itself. It is the manner in which some businesses conduct themselves that brings up the questions of ethical behavior.
If a company does not adhere to business ethics and breaks the laws, they usually end up being fixed. Many companies have broken anti-trust, ethical, environmental laws and received fine worth millions. The problem is that the amount of money these companies are making outweighs the fine applied. Billions dollar profits blind companies to their lack of business ethics. In the
end, it may be up to the public to make sure that a company is making large amounts of money they may not wish to pay too close attention to their ethical behavior. There are many companies that pride themselves in their correct business ethics. But in the competitive world, they are becoming very few and far between.
The professional ethics is partly comprised of what a professional should or should not do in the workplace. It also encompasses a much greater part of professional life. (toolbox.com)
There is a growing interest in the effectiveness of code of ethics in guiding individuals’ behavior in the workplace. Much of the recent attention has centered on improving the code of ethics of individual corporations, including hotel firms. Few analyses have been done focusing on the codes put forth by professionals associations which are often responsible for maintaining professionalism and integrity among their members. Given the decreasing loyalty of employees toward individuals, firms and the increase in loyalty about the potential impact of including key ethical values in order to guide member’s action. (International Journal of Hospitality Management 2001).
In the hospitality industry ethical issues abound both for the business itself and the community at large. Business ethics is a complicated subject that can be described as the behavior that a business adheres to in its daily dealings with the world. The ethics of a particular business can be diverse. They apply not only to how the business interacts with the world at large, but also to their one-on-one dealings with a single customer (wiseGEEK, 2009). Now the hospitality industry in general and hotels specifically have seem to be behind most businesses when it comes to ethics in concern to going green, human rights, diversity, human resources, and hotel relationships.
When it comes to the environment, from a business ethics standpoint, are hotels doing enough to help the environment? This question is at the heart of an ethical dilemma concerning the hospitality industry. Is a green program such as bedding enough? Do hotels do enough to conserve water, electricity, and gas? These are very important issues to the world, but as a business the expense does not always calculate in the cost to the rest of the world when changing out a toilet to low flow, or creating a save the planet bedding program, or using fluorescent bulbs and energy efficient air conditioners. These changes to a hotel are very expensive undertakings, and again the cost to the
business owners does not always include the benefit to the world in their decision to implement or not to implement. Human rights, is another area where hotels have ethical issues to deal with. Some ways that human rights issues are ethically affecting hotels include child and bonded labor, workplace health and safety, commercial exploitation of children, exploitation of migrant workers, discrimination, and displacement of indigenous people (Roner, 2009). These issues vary from country to country, but as a whole something that needs to be looked upon. Just like going green many hoteliers do not look at the benefits to the world while
looking at their costs.
Human resources are another ethical dilemma to look upon. When a hotel makes major changes to the heavier and more labor intensive items in rooms, such as bigger fluffier beds, more pillows, more amenities, more amenities, more amenities, but when it comes to the labor force involved in keeping up with these amenities there is not an increase in any way and expect the labor to do everything in the same amount of time. This will lead to more on the job injuries and more exhaustion. It is all about keeping up with the Jone’s in the aspect of giving guests more to get them to stay or keep staying, but on the other hand,
they want to keep costs down to a minimum hurting their workforce. The human factor is also affected by these changes or non-changes in longevity of keeping workers. Ethical and moral
dilemmas abound.
Another ethical dilemma is in taking advantage or misusing professional acquaintances and equipment. I found that special offers to group planners to stay at a particular property, or giving complimentary rooms to planners for their own recovery or use, or even asking for a favor for oneself, an example of personal gain. These types of programs are affluent in the hotel industry and are a regular business practice. Are these programs ethical? That is for others to determine, they are common business practices from the experiences of those who have worked
in the industry.
Atul Sharivastava 2010 about The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (GCET) a comprehensive set of principles who purpose is to guide stakeholders in tourism development: central and local governments, local communities, the tourism industry and its professionals, as well as visitors, both international and domestic. The Code was called for in a resolution of the UNWTO General Assembly in Istanbul in 1997. In October, 1999 the
resulting 10 point Global Code of Ethics for Tourism- the culmination of an extensive consultative process was approved unanimously by the UNWTO General Assembly meeting in Santiago. The Global Code of Ethics for tourism sets a frame of reference for the responsible and sustainable development of world tourism. It drawn inspiration from many similar declaration and industry codes that have come before and its adds new thinking that reflects our changing society at the beginning of the 21st
century.
Hotel business is a big business and it affects so many people. Therefore, it is the privilege of the people to know the theories and practices of hotel management. The rough-sketch line for picturing the hotel- a shelter that is secure where one can rest and relax mind and body. The basic trick in hotel-man ship is to provide facilities for these basic needs in the best possible manner at a reasonable profit. The hotel has been called a city within a city, a self-contained community providing guest with all the services expected in their own homes and communities.
While restaurant business is a commercial enterprise committed to sale of food for profit. It is an establishment
where food is regularly served outside the home.( C. Carino, R. De Vera,2009). According to Wikipedia.com It is an establishment that prepares and serves food, drink and dessert to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearance and offerings, including a wide variety of the main chef's cuisines and service models.
Cabanatuan City, just like any other big developing city in the Philippines, has become a part of the growing hotel and restaurant industry in the country. Because of the rapidly increasing population, particularly travelers’ population, the city manifests its needs of industries like hospitality industry.
It is because of the foregoing circumstances that the researcher got interested in undertaking a study about the professional ethics of the hotel and restaurant industry in the city. He is also get interested to know if there is some kind of relationship between the professional ethics and industry patronage.
The concept of professionalism cannot be easily separated from the study of ethics. The term 'ethics', which means character, is derived from the Greek word 'ethos'. In its basic dimension, the study of professionalism is concerned with 'taking the correct action' in a situation. This stance has roots in Immanuel Kant's categorical imperative, which implies that an individual's actions should be based, not on rightness or wrongness, but on 'good will'. At an optimum outcome, behaving in a professional manner involves acting in a normative manner that result in a positive service occurrence.
Professionalism in the Hospitality industry is highly sought after by service providers in lodging accommodation, travel agencies, tour companies, airlines, food service, transportation, entertainment and attractions, as well as in education and Hospitality-related associations. The very nature of the industry requires that an individual, immediate work group and organization act in a socially responsible manner. Given this view, the desire to act in a professional manner has become a primary mandate for hospitality service providers. However, professionalism is not easily defined. Clearly, the degree of professionalism within an occupation is rooted in the values and norms that individuals bring into an occupation, are
exerted by individuals within the context of the immediate workplace, and are developed from societal values, proscriptions
and prescriptions.
Some researchers have attempted to define professionalism by determining the factors that when taken collectively are seen as indicators of accepted behavior. These factors encompass a code of ethics, presence of formal and informal workplace sanctions, reaction to community sanctions, presence of a reward system that reinforces ethical behavior, an educational degree or specialized training within an appropriate discipline, dedication to the highest level of customer service possible, behaving in a socially responsible manner within a public service setting, a high degree of prestige and a high degree of competence within the field. In essence, these factors have been shown by research conducted from the 1970s to the 1990s to advance an individual in an occupation to a professional standing. Overall, the cumulative combination of these factors has advanced the image of the individual working in the tourism industry. The net result is that the individual and the profession as a whole are viewed as credible by the consuming public.
Statement of the Problem
This study support to discover the
Specifically, this study sought answers to the following questions:
1. How important Professional ethics in the organization especial in the restaurant and hotel?
2. What impact it have on the business and customers?
3. How does the profile of the respondents affect their professionalism?
3.1 age
3.2 gender
3.3 civil status
4. What is the possible solution encountered in the current organizational relationship?
Significance of the Study
This study may be useful not only to the hotel owners but also to several people and groups who may be interested in knowing how to manage the people who worked in the industry.
Since this study aimed at discovering professional ethics of the people working in the hotel or what we called hoteliers, in the city, some insights into how the industry is run may be discover for the use of interested people like researchers, students, prospective hotel operator and other people.
This study may also be important to teachers who teach hotel and restaurant management, and to those who aim to establish and operate hotel, it may be a source of information regarding hospitality management, hence, enabling them to acquire knowledge as to actual practices compared to the theories learned in school.
This study may also be important to self-supporting students who wish to work and support their studies because information will be gathered from the findings could help them find a suitable job in any of the hotels and restaurant which their qualifications may be suited.
The findings from this study may enrich the organizational/administrative know-how of managers, assistant managers, internal and night managers, supervisors, and employees of the hotel and restaurant.
This study is limited to the most famous hotel and restaurant located in Cabanatuan City namely:
a. La Parilla
b. De Luxe
c. Greenland Leisure and Suites
d. Village Inn e. Amada Hotel f. Microtel g. Rustica h. Vicenticos i. Maxx’s
This study is focus on the six hotel and three restaurant in Cabanatuan City and limited to the condition and problems as well as solution seen by the managing staff of the mentioned hotels and restaurants. Therefore some costumers of this establishment can be a source of information.
Hypothesis of the study
Definition of Terms
For the purpose of clarification and better understanding of this study, the following terms are hereby defined:
Hotel- is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation
Restaurant-prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearance and offerings, including a wide variety of the main chef's cuisines and service models.
Management- Authorities agree that management is a distinct type of work and that all true management perform same functions, broadly speaking, regardless of what they are managing. In this study, management is conceptualized as a) management of people and not of things b) decision-making c) a process of organizing and employing d) one that includes resources to accomplish pre-determined objectives from the initial letter of management functions as planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting and budgeting.
Ethics- as used in this study it is a complex of moral precepts held or rules of conduct followed by an individual
Hospitality Industry-The hospitality industry is one that is primarily focused on customer satisfaction. For the most part, it is built on leisure or is luxury-based, as opposed to meeting basic needs. Hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines and other various forms of travel, tourism, special event planning, and restaurants all generally fall under the realm of the hospitality industry.
Chapter II
METHODS OF RESEARCH AND SOURCES OF DATA Methods of Research used
The investigator uses the descriptive methods of educational research. This involved fact-finding and study of existing phenomena and realities about hospitality industry in Cabanatuan City. As described in mbaknol.com Descriptive research is used to obtain information concerning the current status of the phenomena to describe “what exists” with respect to variables or conditions in a situation. The methods involved range from the survey which describes the status quo, the correlation study which investigates the relationship between variables, to developmental studies which seek to determine changes over time.
The descriptive method is said to be present-oriented because it is designed to study the present status. The rationale for the descriptive survey is the fact that the information provide for is in itself the answer to the research problem. For surveys, the research problem must be one for which the need information does not exist, but the situations or respondents do exist.
Instrument for Data Gathering
The questionnaire is the principal instrument use in data gathering, however interview, on-the-site visits, and
observation, supplement the principal instrument as well as validate the answers given.
The questionnaire is devised by the researcher for the purpose of getting the need data for the respondents, the researcher sought to help of his adviser on improving the construction of the instrument.
Instrument is also undertaken in order to cross-check the answers given to the questionnaire and to gather additional data. The researcher will interview all the managing staff of the hotels and restaurant to be study, the researcher will also ask the respondents about the code of ethics of the Hospitality Industry imposed by the Department of Tourism. Likewise, direct observation and on-the-spot visits will conduct while the researcher is visiting for the respondents to answer the questionnaire. This is undertaken in order to reinforce whatever information the respondents will give in the questionnaire and to get the added data.
