Working Paper Series

Abstract: The legal and ethics subject is one of the discipline subjects being offered in the hospitality and tourism programs. To investigate the effectiveness of this subject, this paper aims to examine, based on the hospitality and tourism students? perceptions in Hong Kong, (1) based on their work experiences; how much emphasizes their employers stress on those legal issues, and whether there are any discrepancies between students? perception and reality; (2) the usefulness and importance of law subject in general; and (3) what legal issues students face in their workplaces. From sixteen legal and ethics issues, students perceived a greater importance of those issues than the companies? emphasis. The most discrepancies are employment law, insurance law, and tort. However, students have no different perception in legal issue of ?duty to protect guests? properties.? 63% of students agree that the law subject is the most important subject; and 68% of them believe that the law subject should be assigned to the compulsory category. Students have encountered in various legal issues such as ?employment law,? ?hygiene & safety,? ?duty to protect guest,? and ?contract law?; whereas, students have less encountered in legal issues of discrimination, copyright, and agency relationship. The legal and ethics subject is essential for hospitality and tourism students to apply those legal issues in the workplaces. The contents should focus in employment law, hygiene and safety, and duty to protect guests. In addition, the hospitality and tourism companies can provide more training legal knowledge, so that they can meet the employees? perceptions of those legal applications.