The Hotel Manager’s Dilemma Scenario
TASK B: A scenario setting up an ethical dilemma
The hotel manager’s dilemma.
For the last two years you have been manager of a golfing hotel and spa, Whitehouse Hotel (WH), leading a team of 20 committed employees, located in a rural village in the North of Scotland.
Twelve months ago WH was bought by a large multinational hotel chain, Budget Breaks (BB). BB now wants to develop the hotel and its grounds into a water park resort, and is applying for planning permission. The development will include an indoor water park, a new conference centre, an outdoor adventure playground and will increase the number of hotel beds from 100 to 400. It is anticipated that this expansion will benefit the local economy, significantly increasing visitor numbers (mainly from the UK but also international visitors), and creating much needed jobs in both the construction of the resort and in resort staffing once it is operating.
Many local residents are opposed to the development, arguing that it will change the character of the hotel and the local area. WH is the only large historical manor house in the area, its grounds have many ancient public footpaths running across them, which the proposed development will close. In addition, the last remaining traditional hay meadows in the area will have to be built on, with negative effects on local biodiversity. The planning proposal does not provide for much on-site parking, with the intention being that the resort will offer a shuttle bus service to and from Inverness Airport (approximately 100 miles to the south). Local residents are concerned that most UK visitors will be driving to the resort, and will not use the shuttle bus.
Before you became aware of the proposed new resort you were pleased that WH had been bought by BB. Being part of BB’s hotel chain creates exciting career prospects for you and many of your staff. You are clearly valued by BB, since it is not their usual practice to retain staff from businesses they have taken over. At the same time both you and many of your staff are from the local area, have relatives in the area, and are aware of people’s concerns. A development team from BB’s international HQ is arriving at WH in one month for an in-house strategy meeting on the planning process.
As hotel manager you need to decide what position you are going to take about the proposed development and how you should act as a result of the position that you take.
Your answer should demonstrate a capacity for moral reasoning and in your decision making process you MUST explain and apply EITHER African Ethics OR the Ethics of Care or another recognised ethical perspective which you have researched independently. You may NOT refer to any of the ethical theories which you used to evaluate the business model in Task A.
If you intend to use another ethical perspective (rather than that of African Ethics or the Ethics of Care) to answer this question please check first with the module leader to ensure that it is a recognised perspective.
The word limit for this essay is 1500 words and the essay is worth 40% of the module marks.
Please structure your essay as follows:
1. Briefly summarise relevant facts from the scenario, and identify all stakeholders affected by the situation in the scenario.
2. Identify and explain the ethical issues raised by the scenario.
Note: an issue is a matter of debate; ethics is the study of concepts of right and wrong; therefore: ethical issues= matters that raise debates about right and wrong.
To identify ethical issues you should start with the facts of the scenario but also refer to relevant sources that can help justify your identfication of the issues.
3. Introduce and explain either African Ethics or the Ethics of Care.
You will need to draw on discussions from good quality academic sources that consider the ethical theories in depth.
4. Apply your chosen ethical theory to the ethical issues in the scenario, in order to reach a morally justifiable decision on the position that ‘you’, (the manager) should take in relation to the proposed development.
5. Identify actions that you could take, their possible challenges and how you might overcome them to reach a conclusion on the question how you should act as a result of the position that you (the manager) are taking on the proposed development.
You should here use relevant academic business literature to identify the challenges and options that might be open to you as hotel manager in this situation.
Below are links to stories/events which provide some real life background to this type of situation, which can occur anywhere in the world. They should help you understand some of the ethical issues raised. You are strongly advised to use these links as a starting point and to research the scenario presented along with the ethical issues that it raises in more depth before writing your assignment. You should also undertake further reading on ethical theories and ideas, using the module readings and your own research. Whatever sources are used MUST be cited.