Which term is a legal concept describing a failure to use reasonable care by a manager?

• A. Negligence
• B. Nonverbal communication
• C. No-show
• D. Contact List

Answer: (A)

Negligence is a legal concept describing a manager's failure to use reasonable care. In hospitality, a manager has a duty to keep guests and employees safe and to operate the business using proper standards. When that duty isn’t met—such as by neglecting maintenance, skipping essential staff training, or failing to follow sanitation protocols—a breach of duty occurs. If that breach leads to harm or damages and there’s a direct connection between the careless act and the injury or loss, liability can arise. A reasonable manager under similar circumstances would take concrete steps to prevent risk—keeping floors dry, supervising staff, adhering to food safety practices, maintaining equipment, and documenting incidents and corrective actions. The other terms don’t describe a legal failure of care: nonverbal communication is simply conveying information without words, a no-show is not showing up, and a contact list is just a directory of contacts.