Case Study: Ethical Dilemma at Harcourt Resort Hotel, Sustainability

This case study explores an ethical dilemma within Harcourt Resort Hotel, focusing on its sustainability practices. The hotel, part of the MyVacation chain, emphasizes environmental and socio-economic sustainability, including waste management contracts and local employment. Wen Jie, a housekeeping employee, discovers potential mismanagement of waste by the contracted company, WasteWorks, which could harm the hotel's reputation and sustainability goals. The case examines Wen Jie's dilemma: whether to report her concerns, risking her job and potentially her partner's, who works for WasteWorks, or remain silent. It applies ethical theories, like deontological ethics and the triple bottom line, to analyze the situation, emphasizing the importance of whistleblowing and ethical decision-making in sustainable development. The study highlights the need for open communication and stakeholder engagement to maintain the hotel's sustainability commitments and reputation.

Running head: SUSTAINABILITY DILEMMA
SUSTAINABILITY DILEMMA
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author's Note:

1SUSTAINABILITY DILEMMA
This case study is based on the ethical dilemma of one of the employees of Harcourt
Resort Hotel that questions the successful operation of the hotel with its stakeholders as well as
the organization under which it performs. In this case, there are several important stakeholders
present who in their own place are seem to be satiated and successful with their ability and
connection with the reputed brand chain MyVacation. As this brand provides the advantage of
marketing and advertising, it requires that its licenses will be operating to essential quality
standards. Therefore, Harcourt Resort Hotel has gradually built its reputation to have a strong
sustainable goal for which it has signed some essential and genuine contract with one of the most
reputed waste management organization namely WasteWorks to manage the waste of the hotel
and keep the area pollution free.
The hotel does not only take care of the sustainable growth from the environmental
perspective but also the socio- economic perceptions. It has employed the local staffs by
providing essential trainings to enhance skills so that they can become the part of the hotel’s
operations effectively. The hotel authority also allows these staffs other stakeholders to share
their perceptions for the sustainable growth of the organization. There are no payment issues
with the employees or other associates, the employees get enough facilities for their refreshments
and the issues of lay offs do not get support to create problems. Hence the hotel staffs work in a
peaceful and supportive environment and see the future with this particular hotel. Among the
population, the actions of his hotel are well-known as this takes care of providing drinking water
by reducing usage of bottled water and employed a local laundry operator, Quality Laundry
Services, in supplying linen in a daily contract. Thus, Harcourt Resort ensures that its
sustainability goals are achieved and maintained properly.

2SUSTAINABILITY DILEMMA
The company perfectly caters the needs of the stakeholders. It follows the triple bottom
line process which includes people, profit and planet. In doing business successfully, each
company aims to earn profit and, in this case, the resort is not also exception. However, it does
nit only focuses on the profit earning mechanism but talks care of its people which includes its
employees, customers and supply chain. The employees are given full priority in the decision-
making process and allowed to choose shifts for their convenience. The clients are also given full
priority with all the facilities. The organization focuses on providing best quality services to the
clients so that there is no scope for client dissatisfaction. Moreover, this company also takes care
of the planet as it has heavily invested on the reduction of pollution through waste management.
Therefore, it can be stated that the organization not only seeks to develop itself but aims to have
an all-inclusive growth. It has been effectively following triple bottom line process to attain
sustainable development.
As the theory of sustainable development states, that the hospitality sector only flourish
when it operates in the three most important aspects of sustainability. These include economic,
ethical and ecological. All the aspects though seem to be well catered, the case points out an
issue of dilemma in the mind of Wen Jie who works in the housekeeping department of Harcourt
Resort. As she has close connection with Jose, an employee of WasteWorks, she knows some
suspicious information that none of the resort knows. The resort has been working under contract
with WasteWorks for waste management of the resort which is a prime aspect of the hotel’s
sustainability campaign. To Wen Jie, the waste materials are not properly handled by the
company responsible and this can hamper the reputation of the resort or even leads to the loss of
license with MyVacation chain. However, thinking over this matter she feels helpless as she
cannot make any decision whether she should deciare her doubt or keep it secret from her own

3SUSTAINABILITY DILEMMA
benefit. In this case, the whistle blowing aspect initiated by the ground level employee is
important to discuss. Wen Jie if wants to save her career in this company must share his
knowledge to the upper level authority. As a whistle blower she will be saving the reputation of
the company in one hand and contribute in the sustainable development aim of the Harcourt
Resort. The act of whistle blowing regrading any unethical operation of the company can
effectively support the sustainable development process.
In this regard the theories of ethical dilemma can be referred. To Jafarkarimi et al. (2016),
ethical dilemma is a situation in which a decision must be made in the face of conflicting moral
duties (Schwartz, 2016). The deontological ethical theories state that individuals must adhere to
their obligations as well as duties when engaged in decision making when ethics are in play
(Trevino & Nelson, 2016). In this particular case Wen Jie, cannot make decisions as her own
interest is associated with this she does not want her partner Jose to be affected by her actions but
if she does not make the authority of Harcourt Resort, she may lose her on job as the resort will
lose its license and will be obliged to lay off its temporary employees like her.
In this regard, Wen Jie must find out that there are other ways to make the hotel
environment free by promoting and investing in reforestation, minimizing wastes and make
informed choices (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2016). She must directly contact to the resort authority
as they empower the staffs to take part in the decision-making process. She needs to make the
higher authority know about the problem with the waste management program so that the
reputation of the resort does not get hampered. Despite the fact there are risks to jobs of both
Wen Jie as well as Josh but she can convince her management to assure a place for Josh if she
acts ethical and honestly to her own organization. Thus, Wen Jie can manage her dilemma in one
hand and rescue her job and relation on the other.

4SUSTAINABILITY DILEMMA

5SUSTAINABILITY DILEMMA
References:
Jafarkarimi, H., Saadatdoost, R., Sim, A. T. H., & Hee, J. M. (2016). Behavioral intention in
social networking sites ethical dilemmas: An extended model based on theory of planned
behavior. Computers in Human Behavior, 62, 545-561.
Schwartz, M. S. (2016). Ethical decision-making theory: An integrated approach. Journal of
Business Ethics, 139(4), 755-776.
Shapiro, J. P., & Stefkovich, J. A. (2016). Ethical leadership and decision making in education:
Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas. Routledge.
Trevino, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2016). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do
it right. John Wiley & Sons.