South Africa as a tourist attraction – A study into the internal ethical state of organisations across sectors

Abstract

South Africa is regarded as a major tourist attraction with tourism contributing immensely to the country’s economy, although it is being hampered by relatively high levels of crime and corruption. These aspects are very complex and does not form part of this study. This study explores a new concept of perceived ethical capacity (PEC). PEC is a combination of ethical climate (EC) and ethical leadership (EL) within organisations in South Africa. Some ethical barometer (in terms of expected ethical treatment) when tourists decide to visit the country is provided. The concept is derived from a multi-level perspective, supported by the social learning, social exchange and behavioural isomorphism theories. This conceptualisation is intended to supplement and not to replace other ethics-related conceptualisations or models. The data from two independent studies (a total of 2123 respondents, across 36 organisations in both the private and public sectors) was analysed. The results, based on scientifically validated measurements within the South African context, showed that the PEC is relatively positive, with close to 40% rating it high (although a slight, but significant difference between the sectors was found, with respondents from the public sector rating it less favourably). The results of this study indicate that tourists can expect ethical treatment and conduct from organisations in general (including its leaders and employees), in both the private and public sector.