Case Study: Will Work for Food - Northern Arizona University



Case Study: Will Work for Food – 1

Review the Organizational Chart for FOI:

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In Will Work for Food, Judy has returned to work after hurting her back when she slipped on a banana. We were given insight into the thoughts of Jorge on Nancy, Judy's replacement at the pool. Jorge ruminated on how Nancy, in spite of her looks, was "pretty cool" after he got to know her. Jorge’s experience getting to know and like Nancy reinforced his belief that it was "plain stupid" to dislike someone simply because of the way they looked . . . or because they were Hispanic, like him, and so forth. Jorge was forced to confront the fact that the same ignorance he saw in others, he was guilty of as well.

Judy returned to work because her Workers' Comp payments had ended. She was wearing a back brace and obviously in a lot of physical pain. In passing through the pool area, John, the G.M., noticed her struggle to put drinks down and later asked why she’d come back to work while still quite obviously unable to perform her duties. Judy told him in tears, "I hafta work, John. I got bills to pay. What am I s'posed to do? Huh? You tell me."

John has a decision to make here. He can opt to do nothing. He can tell Judy to go home, with or without pay, and come back when she's better. He can also assign Judy to some other job until she can handle her regular duties again.

John's decision can affect Judy, Guests, other employees, John, and FOI. Analyze the decision to do nothing. Fill in the blank form below with the decision option, stakeholders, ethical principles involved in the situation, and the possible consequences of the decision to do nothing. The following are the questions you can ask to come up with the possible consequences. Please answer them and any others you can think of and write them on the form before looking at the key at the end of this case.

Judy

Was it Judy's fault she got hurt? How does she feel about having to work while still disabled? Would she expect John to do something? Will she be able to make the same amount of tips as when she wasn't hurt?

Guests

Would guests know she was hurt and in pain? How would they feel about her waiting on them? (Some would probably not want to ask Judy for service, fearing that it would cause her discomfort. Others might make this same judgment yet feel resentment towards FOI for providing lame help. Customers for the most part don’t really want to have to think about their servers, they just want to be served.)

Other Employees

Would other employees know that Judy was hurt on the job and forced to come back to work prematurely? How would they feel about it?

John, G. M. (Decision Maker)

Is John aware that Judy got hurt on the job and that it wasn't her fault? Does he know that her Worker's Comp payments have ended and she has no choice but to come back to work? How do you think he feels about this? If John found himself in Judy's shoes, what do you think he would like his boss to do?

FOI

It is possible that Judy could sue FOI if she is required to return to work before she has healed from the accident that occurred on the job. Or she could re-aggravate the injury and be idled again.

Ethical Principles

Which of the Ethical Principles below are violated by John's decision to do nothing? Write them on the form.

We have to think twice about any decision we are considering if it violates any of the Ethical Principles. There are too many possible negative consequences that can occur. The decision to do nothing violates most of the Ethical Principles and may not be a wise one.

Other decision options:

The other decision options could be analyzed and then the one that has the fewest negative consequences for the fewest people could be chosen.

1. Tell Judy to go home with pay until she can do her job.

2. Tell Judy to go home without pay until she can do her job.

3. Reassign Judy to a job she can handle until resumption of her duties.

All decision options have costs. Though it may cost more initially to do the right thing, it is often less costly in the long run. But what if Judy's condition turns into a long term thing? Would that change things for management? Yes, actually it would. We are in business. We are not a social agency. Employees have to be able to do something to warrant their pay.

Ethics Analysis Form

Decision Option:

|Stakeholders |Principles |Consequences |

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Ethical Principles for Hospitality Managers

Honesty: Hospitality managers are honest and truthful. They do not mislead or deceive others by misrepresentations.

Integrity: Hospitality managers demonstrate the courage of their convictions by doing what they know is right even when there is pressure to do otherwise.

Trustworthiness: Hospitality managers are trustworthy and candid in supplying information and in correcting misapprehensions of fact. They do not create justifications for escaping their promises and commitments.

Loyalty: Hospitality managers demonstrate loyalty to their companies in devotion to duty and loyalty to colleagues by friendship in adversity. They avoid conflicts of interest; do not use or disclose confidential information; and should they accept other employment, they respect the proprietary information of their former employer.

Fairness: Hospitality managers are fair and equitable in all dealings; they do not abuse power arbitrarily nor take undue advantage of another’s mistakes or difficulties. They treat all individuals with equality, with tolerance for and acceptance of diversity and with an open mind.

Concern and Respect for Others: Hospitality managers are concerned, respectful, compassionate and kind. They are sensitive to the personal concerns of their colleagues and live the “Golden Rule.” They respect the rights and interest of all those who have a stake in their decisions.

Commitment to Excellence: Hospitality managers pursue excellence in performing their duties and are willing to put more into their job than they can get out of it.

Leadership: Hospitality managers are conscious of the responsibility and opportunities of their position of leadership. They realize that the best way to instill ethical principles and ethical awareness in their organizations is by example. They walk their talk!

Reputation and Morale: Hospitality managers seek to protect and build the company’s reputation and the morale of its employees by engaging in conduct that builds respect and by taking whatever actions are necessary to correct or prevent inappropriate conduct of others.

Accountability: Hospitality managers are personally accountable for the ethical quality of their decisions as well as those of their subordinates.

KEY – Ethics Analysis Form

Will Work For Food

Decision Option: To Do Nothing

|Stakeholders |Principles |Consequences |

|Judy | |Judy was injured on the job through no fault of her own. She is |

| | |dealing with pain and financial hardship. It could feel very unfair. |

| | |She would probably want John to help and make it all better, but she |

| | |might not really expect it. |

| | |Working in pain may negatively affect Judy’s job performance, |

| | |resulting in fewer and/or lower tips. |

| | |Judy could resent FOI’s treatment of her to the extent where she |

| | |initiates a lawsuit. |

|Guests | |Guests could feel uncomfortable asking an invalid to wait on them. |

| | |Guest's could wonder why management was allowing an employee to work |

| | |while obviously in pain. They still need service, though, and could |

| | |resent FOI for putting them in such a position. |

|Other Employees | |Other employees would know that Judy was hurt on the job and that she |

| | |had to come back before fully healed. They might think it was unfair |

| | |that FOI wasn't helping Judy since the injury wasn't her fault. |

| | |They could fear similar treatment if they got hurt on the job. This |

| | |could result in less loyalty to the company and, perhaps, increased |

| | |turnover. |

|John, G. M. (Decision |Integrity |John knows that it was not Judy's fault and feels terrible for her. He|

|Maker) |Trustworthiness |knows she has been dealt a nasty blow. |

| |Loyalty |If John were in Judy's shoes, he would probably want the company to |

| |Fairness |help him through this. |

| |Concern & Respect |John could lose the respect and trust of other employees if he |

| |for Others |mishandles this situation. If he does nothing to alleviate Judy’s |

| |Leadership |work-caused pain and distress, it could be seen as a cavalier attitude|

| |Reputation & |towards the staff’s lot in life. They could view John’s stewardship of|

| |Morale |FOI as a bad one. |

|FOI | |Judy could sue FOI if she is required to return to work before fully |

| | |healed. |

| | |Judy could re-aggravate the injury and be idled again. |

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Freshwater Oasis Inn Management Organization

Sous Chef

Dardina Traylor

Exec Housekeeper

Kathy Lawhorn

Front Desk Mgr.

Gabe Deflores

Dining Rm. Mgr.

Tony Marziano

Bar Mgr.

Mike Scales

Executive Chef

Eric Altman

Chief Engineer

Bill Gardner

Bookkeeper

Edna Duncan

Asst. Gen. Mgr.

Heidi Bell

Business Mgr.

Lex Lilly

General Mgr.

John Fallin

Owner

Frank Stratton

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