CHA Professional Ethics & Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The concept of 'ethical leadership' in hospitality management PRIMARILY involves:
- Maximizing profit margins at all costs
- Setting a moral example that guides staff behavior through consistent actions (Correct answer)
- Enforcing rules through strict penalties
- Delegating all ethical decisions to HR
Correct answer: Setting a moral example that guides staff behavior through consistent actions
Ethical leaders model the behavior they expect, creating a culture where staff are guided by example rather than fear.
Question 2: Under AH&LA professional standards, how should a hospitality manager handle receipt of a lavish gift from a major supplier?
- Accept it as a sign of goodwill and keep it private
- Disclose it to management and follow the organization's gift policy (Correct answer)
- Return it only if its value exceeds $500
- Accept it but recuse from all future vendor decisions
Correct answer: Disclose it to management and follow the organization's gift policy
Transparency and adherence to the organization's gift policy prevents conflicts of interest and maintains professional integrity.
Question 3: When implementing an environmental sustainability initiative, a CHA candidate should FIRST:
- Seek approval from the franchise brand only
- Assess stakeholder impact and align the initiative with both ethics and organizational goals (Correct answer)
- Focus solely on cost savings for the property
- Outsource the initiative to a third-party consultant
Correct answer: Assess stakeholder impact and align the initiative with both ethics and organizational goals
Evaluating stakeholder impact and strategic alignment ensures sustainability efforts are both ethically sound and organizationally supported.
Question 4: A CHA professional discovers that a subordinate has been submitting falsified tip-pooling records. The MOST appropriate immediate action is:
- Issue a verbal warning and monitor the situation
- Suspend operations and notify ownership before acting
- Document the findings and report to human resources or legal counsel (Correct answer)
- Quietly correct the records without confronting the employee
Correct answer: Document the findings and report to human resources or legal counsel
Tip-pooling fraud has legal implications; proper documentation and reporting to HR or legal protects the organization and affected employees.
Question 5: Which scenario BEST illustrates a breach of confidentiality in the hospitality industry?
- Sharing a guest's reservation details with another guest (Correct answer)
- Reporting a workplace injury to OSHA
- Providing aggregated occupancy data to an industry association
- Discussing safety procedures at a staff meeting
Correct answer: Sharing a guest's reservation details with another guest
Sharing a guest's personal reservation information with another guest directly violates privacy and confidentiality obligations.
Question 6: The MAIN purpose of an organizational Code of Ethics in a hotel is to:
- Replace legal requirements with internal standards
- Provide clear guidelines that align employee behavior with the company's values (Correct answer)
- Reduce the need for management oversight
- Serve as a marketing tool to attract guests
Correct answer: Provide clear guidelines that align employee behavior with the company's values
A Code of Ethics articulates expected behaviors and values, guiding employees in making decisions consistent with organizational principles.
Question 7: A hotel executive is offered a board seat at a competing property. Under professional ethics standards, the executive should:
- Accept if the compensation is attractive
- Decline automatically as it is always prohibited
- Disclose the offer to current employer and seek approval or guidance (Correct answer)
- Accept only if the competing property is in a different market
Correct answer: Disclose the offer to current employer and seek approval or guidance
Full disclosure to the current employer allows for proper evaluation of potential conflicts of interest before any decision is made.
CHA Professional Ethics & Standards 3
The concept of 'ethical leadership' in hospitality management PRIMARILY involves: