Ethical and Legal Dilemmas in Management: The Case of the Tourism Industry During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to analyse situational dilemmas in organizational management. A dilemma is now a fundamental analytical tool in managerial ethics. The authors focus on the issues faced by the tourism industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, as this sector and time have concentrated key dilemmas of business ethics like a lens. The primary characteristics of situational dilemmas (complexity, unpredictability, decision-making risk, stress, and time pressure) position them at the centre of contemporary management psychology. Design/methodology/approach: The article presents an analysis of ethical dilemmas based on selected aspects of the game theory. The contemporary approach must consider non-rational factors influencing the behaviour of individual players; thus, the concept of generalized game is enriched in the article with an analysis of emotional intelligence (EQ), social psychology, moral psychology, and cultural anthropology. This interdisciplinary approach allows for an expansion of the classical perspective with new elements. Conclusions: Situational dilemmas are gaining significance in light of complex decision-making problems. The tourism industry during the COVID-19 pandemic serves as a particular example of such dilemmas. The more complicated the issue, the more challenging it becomes to choose the right solution, which often means selecting the lesser evil. Dilemmas provide analytical tools that enhance the ability to accurately assess complex ethical problems and respond quickly to changes. Practical implications: In all types of organizations, in light of the crisis of traditional normative-code ethics, there is an increasing demand for practical ethics in everyday managerial practice. Situational dilemmas can serve as an appropriate tool for such practice, enabling effective education and the sharing of experiences. Originality / Value: The article proposes a new, interdisciplinary analysis of business ethics issues. The authors move away from the classical perspective focused on the concept of objective, universal norms and concentrate on situational ethics, taking into account context and the analytical application of the game theory.