Many organizations have limits on the dollar amount for gifts and entertainment. Is your limit…
NO SET LIMITS
$25 PER ITEM PER VENDOR
13% 63% 13% 11%
$51 TO $100 PER ITEM
PER VENDOR
$26 TO $50 PER ITEM
PER VENDOR
PAY FOR THE STAY AND AMENITIES AND, IF YOU BOOK THE VENUE OR DESTINATION, HAVE THAT AMOUNT TAKEN OFF YOUR MASTER ACCOUNT
33%
IT’S NOT ETHICAL TO ACCEPT ANYTHING DURING A SITE VISIT
9%
ACCEPT COMPLIMENTARY IN-ROOM AMENITIES (SUCH AS WINE, FRUIT, ETC.), SPA TREATMENTS, AND/OR ROUNDS OF GOLF
63%
On a site visit, it is ethical for a planner to:
HAVE THE ENTIRE STAY (INCLUDING IN-ROOM AND MEALS) COMPED
65%
assessment tracks with our survey results: 61.4 percent of respondents said that the meetings industry “operates ethi- cally on balance, but there is still room for reform.” What about younger meeting professionals, and students
majoring in hospitality or event management? How are their ethics? Although Breiter takes care to qualify her response by saying that this is a “very hard” question and that she could be wrong, she theorizes that tomorrow’s planners may be desensitized to unethical behavior simply as a result of seeing so much of it all around them. “Whether it’s a celebrity
A Framework for Ethical Decision-Making
The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, in Santa Clara, Calif., concerns itself with developing tools and programs to address real-world ethical issues. While not specific to the meet- ings industry, the Markkula Center’s 10-step “Framework for Ethical Decision-Making” can serve as a useful “decision tree” for any planner to use when confronted with an ethical dilemma.
Recognize an Ethical Issue 1. Could this decision or situation be damaging to someone or to some group? Does this decision involve a choice between a good and bad alterna- tive, or perhaps between two “goods” or between two “bads”? 2. Is this issue about more than what is legal or what is most efficient? If so, how?
who’s doing something they shouldn’t be doing, or a sports figure who’s been taking performance-enhancing drugs, or a politician who’s been cheating on his wife, or bankers run- ning the mortgage business with sleight of hand—maybe sometimes [students] don’t get that there are real ethical issues,” Breiter says. “[Maybe] they just think that’s the way the world works.” Hilliard sees it somewhat differently. “I’m actually fairly
impressed with this generation of students,” she said. “I asked the students,…‘Is it okay to stab someone in the back
Get the Facts 3. What are the relevant facts of the case? What facts are not known? Can I learn more about the situation? Do I know enough to make a decision? 4. What individuals and groups have an important stake in the outcome? Are some con- cerns more important? Why? 5. What are the options for acting? Have all the relevant persons and groups been consulted? Have I identified creative options?
Evaluate Alternative Actions 6. Evaluate the options by asking the following questions: Which option will produce the most good and do the least harm? (The Utilitarian Approach) Which option best respects the rights of all who have a stake? (The Rights Approach) Which option treats people equally or propor- tionately? (The Justice Approach)