For any organization, “Duty of Care” is the obligation to avoid or diminish any reasonably foreseen harm to customers and employees resulting from exposure to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. This obligation includes reducing or eliminating the spread of the disease. Standards in the form of protocols, processes, guidelines, and actions are currently being proposed and implemented by governments and organizations to “take care” to prevent infection and harm. Standards of care help to regulate employee behavior by providing clear expectations of behavior and decision-making criteria. Formalizing rules, procedures, standards, processes, and guidelines serve as a compliment to managerial oversight and help companies run smoothly with improved efficiency and coherence in Duty of Care activities.
Cathy A. Enz
Cathy A. Enz is the Lewis G. Schaeneman Jr. Professor of Innovation and Dynamic Management and emeritus professor of strategy. She served as the associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Hotel Administration. Her prior administrative roles included serving as associate dean for industry research and affairs, executive director of the Center For Hospitality Research, and school management area coordinator.
Gary Thompson
Gary M. Thompson is a professor of operations management in the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in service operations management. Prior to joining Cornell in 1995, he spent eight years on the faculty of the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah.
