Assessment Case Study-The Imperial Hotel London

This case study discusses the problems faced by The Imperial Hotel London and explores management theories and approaches to address these issues. It also provides strategies to improve technical skills, employee productivity, and create a friendly working environment.

Assessment Case Study-The
Imperial Hotel London

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Review on management theory...................................................................................................3
Justification of identified problems.............................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
RFERENCES...................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Imperial Hotel is a highly famous among other hotel in the London that is famous as
international branded chain of hotels in the UK. It is headquartered in the London, UK and offers
it’s hospitality services to international business and tourist guests who keeps high expectation in
the form of service standards (Barão and et.al., 2017). Organization posses’ wide portfolio of
services such as 500 bedrooms along with standard facilities, conference facilities more than
1000 people, leisure centre with swimming pool, 3 bars and 4 restaurants and 12 conference
rooms. To overview on case study related to Imperial Hotel determine that company faces
various problems such as poor guest satisfaction, more than 80% employees leaves job within
year, negative work culture, high sick leave and less productivity of staff members within
workplace, Front house of staff have poor team working, Back of house office perform very poor
operation and procedures at the workplace that influence operational cost. These issues become
major problem for the Imperial hotel because it unable to achieve high profitability on it’s
business activity which is used to achieved prior. In this report will highlight about Front of
house staff’s problem because they are backbone of the imperial hotel, so it is important to
resolve all issues related to front house then automatically above issues will be resolved. Further
this report will discuss over the management theories and principles through authors
perspectives.
Review on management theory
Management theory is the set of common rules and regulation that provides guidance to
the hotel managers to precisely manage hotel in the hospitality industry. The main goal of the
management theory is to support individuals to achieve company’s aims and objectives
effectively and align all people in such manner who leads advanced profit within company.
There are five management theories such as system theory, principles of administrative
management, bureaucratic management, scientific management etc. which guides employees to
achieve all goals of the business effectively. According to Pandey, (2019) bureaucratic
management theory is quite effective strategy as compare other management theory because it
directs managers to focus on two important elements of the business such as organizational
structure into a hierarchy and focus on effectively defined rules to support organization and it’s

members. This theory is proposed by Max Weber who stated that this theory is based on seven
principles such as traditional hierarchical structure, traditional rules and regulations, equality,
specialization, hiring based on capabilities and qualification and more focused on aims and
objectives. These are major principles that must follow by managers to manage organization
systematically. With this management theory managers of the company empowers it’s staff
members accordingly hierarchical which stray motivated to the staff to work hard within
workplace so that enable to uplift their position from existing one. Bureaucratic manager
recruits’ employees based on their potential and qualification instead of referencing. As per the
view of Lamand Law, (2019) administrative management theory is the procedure of flow and
manage information in precise manner among staff. Administrative managers are highly
responsible for their job role and focuses on clear division of labour and delegation of task
among staff members within company. The main role of the administrative managers is to
monitor all administrative operations of the business in order to gain all goals of the company
within timeframe.
There are various modern approaches of management such as scientific management,
human relation approach, behavioural science approach, contingency approach etc. helps
managers to align all business activities in order to generate high profit within company.
However, Pang and O'Neill, (2018) have quoted over the decision theory approach in their
published articles that decision theory approach is the management approach that focuses on
decision-making process of management. With this approach managers takes decision based on
intensity of risk and opportunity so that company achieves all goals effectively. Illustrated by
Khorasani and Almasifard, (2017)contingency approach is the modern management approach
among other existing approaches. This approach supports managers to determine problem in the
given situation. With this approach managers can deal with various different situations. For
example, when company has low productivity of staff within workplace then this approach
improves morale, motivation as well as job satisfaction in them which brings high productivity
of number of employees within workplace.
Bureaucratic management theory practiced by imperial hotel’s manager to analyse
organization structure accordingly hierarchy whereas identified problems related to departments
such as back office and front office. Then managers of Imperial Hotel also practiced

administrative management theory within company to analyse power of authority in various
functional units. With this theory manager identified that currently front office is not performing
well. Front house staff includes number of departments such as reception, conferences &
banqueting and restaurant & bars which offers different services but work on particular platform.
Due to poor team working and inability use of IT systems comprises reservation and property
management system have brought negative impact on organization’s performance as well as lead
customer dissatisfaction. Reception department of Imperial Hotel requires to open 24 hours
because it helps customer to resolve their queries and problems and it is the primary platform for
the customer as well as all departments as part of hotel which informs reception department
about customer arrival and departure. But Imperial Hotel’s reception department unable to
resolve guest issues and coordinate with other department effectively that directly impacts on
organization’s performance, Front office department plays essential role within hospitality
industry because it is the face of the hotel which attracts new guest to buy hospitality services. it
controls on other functional units like reception, restaurant & bars and conference & banqueting
are major source of customer attractions (Maylor and Turner, 2017). Front office department
offers reservation facilities to the guest and informs them time to time about hotel’s discount and
offers in order to influence purchasing behaviour of it’s guest.
Contingency theory approach also used by Hotel manager to determine issues that caused
front office become concerning problem for the Imperial hotel. This approach supported hotel
manager to address issues such as reception department is not giving 24-hour customer service
due to less turnover of staff. Poor team working and lack behind of technical skills in individuals
brought negative impact on organization performance. When hotel manager deeply analyses all
problems related to departments and others then identified that more than 80% employees have
left job within a year. The reason behind is that they are more pressurized by senior authorities to
give additional hours without getting additional salary as compensatory that leads frustration in
them for the job. Another reason is that employees as part of imperial Hotel does not get efficient
vacation for the leave due to less turnover of the staff which impacts on their health negatively
that’s why number of sick leaves is too much as compared casual leaves.
Front office and Back office departments have poor coordination to each other that improves
customer dissatisfaction in for the hospitality services. Front office and Back office both work

closely in a team to handle all business activities effectively. For example, reception team keeps
all information related to room reservation, guest arrival and departure. The reception staff
coordinates with restaurant and bars, banquet and conferences as per the guest demands. Then
front office gives whole information to the Back office related to guest. While Back office
comprises kitchens, housekeeping and maintenance team who keeps hotel room’s attractive and
liable for the living purpose so that guest can direct garb their booked room. Back office
provides information to the front office that rooms are available for the booking or not. Thus,
both back office department and front office department works in a team and both have common
goal to lead satisfaction in guest for the hotel services. But imperial hotel unable to lead
satisfaction in it’s guests because both front office and back office are working in team poorly
that disturbs all operational within hotel. While behavioural management approach helps to
understand individuals’ weak areas that leads poor performance within workplace (Strauss, Klein
and Steinhardt, 2018). Hotel manager identify that employees are lacking behind of new
technical skills due to this unable to operate IT systems and reservation & property management
systems as well as general standard operation procedures (SOPs). Decision-making approach is
also another management approach that practices by manager of imperial Hotel to take effective
decision over the identified problems.
Justification of identified problems
 Technical skill program is the best strategy that will support imperial Hotel in improving
technical skills in it’s staff members. In this program can include all other technical
related activities like IT system, property management and reservation systems that helps
individuals how to operate these systems as result they can give best performance within
workplace. Thus, company enables to resolve front office problem related to technology
systems. In addition, Hotel manager can conduct this program per quarter month that will
not only improve technical skills in individuals but also maintains their wellbeing within
company. When each employee of the front office become expert to operate all system
then they enable to improve customer satisfaction by offering quick services in room
check in and check out. While Back office staff who are lacking behind to operate SOP’s
which creates negative image in customer’s mind because they have to face issue related
to light and others in a room. This program is effective for back office staff as well
because they can learn how to operate all SOP’s procedure effectively.

 360-degree feedback strategy is the best strategy for the imperial hotel because it will
resolve employee productivity issues. Hotel manager of the company can gather
feedbacks from it’s staff members about department services and existing strategies that
will make them feel valuable for the company (Boyer, 2016). Even manager enables to
build good relationship with employees as well as brings high productivity of staff within
workplace through practicing this strategy within company. This strategy is also useful
for customer satisfaction such as front office manager can gather reviews from the it’s
guest about employee’s performance and product services and encourages them to give
suggestion about product and services so that they can offer next time if they visit again
hotel. Thus, front office manager can give value of it’s customers effectively and it will
improve level of satisfaction in them for the services (Ekhsan and et.al., 2020).
Above both 360-degree feedback strategy and technical skill program are quite effective
approaches that will resolve all identified issues of imperial hotel. In addition, these strategies
will make hotel financial and operational sustainable.
 Corporate social responsibility is another best strategy that will support imperial hotel to
build creative and friendly working environment which influences individuals to give
high attendance within workplace. CSR activities is not only related to employee
satisfaction but also brings sustainability in hotel activities. For example, this strategy
supports hotel to keep fair balance between output and input which encourages staff to
retain within company and gives productive services to the customer. CSR activities
mainly focuses on ethical practices which leads sustainability within organization. Thus,
imperial Hotel can achieve ethical sustainability within business that automatically
improves positive image of hotel in global market.
CONCLUSION
The brief study given overview of imperial hotel that faces four major problem from last
a year which directly impacts on organization’s performance, productivity and operations. This
report has been summarized different perspective of authors over the management theories and
approaches. These approaches and management theories supported to determine problems
related to hotel departments whereas administrative and bureaucratic management theories

identified that issues raised by front office and back office (Merhaut and et.al., 2017). While
contingency management approach identified specific problems related to both departments such
as back office and front office. With the contingency theory determined that staff of front office
and back office were lacking behind of technical skills due to this individual unable to perform
their duties effectively. Another reason was poor team working between front office staff and
back office staff which led incoordination in operational activities. On the other hand, decision-
making approach helped to analysed all situation related to problem critically then took decision
to resolve all identified issues. There were various strategies has been evaluated in this report
which would resolve all identified problems and would improve brand image in the market.

RFERENCES
Books and Journals
Pandey, S.P., 2019. IDENTITY AND DIASPORA IN MONICA ALI’S IN THE
KITCHEN. Journal of the Gujarat Research Society, 21(6), pp.338-346.
Lam, C. and Law, R., 2019. Readiness of upscale and luxury-branded hotels for digital
transformation. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 79, pp.60-69.
Pang, Z. and O'Neill, Z., 2018. Uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis of the
domestic hot water usage in hotels. Applied energy, 232, pp.424-442.
Khorasani, S.T. and Almasifard, M., 2017. Evolution of management theory within 20 century:
A systemic overview of paradigm shifts in management. International Review of
Management and Marketing, 7(3).
Maylor, H. and Turner, N., 2017. Understand, reduce, respond: project complexity management
theory and practice. International Journal of Operations & Production Management.
Strauss, A.K., Klein, R. and Steinhardt, C., 2018. A review of choice-based revenue
management: Theory and methods. European Journal of Operational Research, 271(2),
pp.375-387.
Barão and et.al., 2017. A knowledge management approach to capture organizational learning
networks. International Journal of Information Management, 37(6), pp.735-740.
Boyer, E.J., 2016. Identifying a knowledge management approach for public-private
partnerships. Public Performance & Management Review, 40(1), pp.158-180.
Ekhsan, M and et.al., 2020, February. Analysis of the Effect of Learning Orientation, Role of
Leaders and Competence to Employee Performance Front Office the Sultan Hotel
Jakarta. In 4th International Conference on Management, Economics and Business
(ICMEB 2019) (pp. 239-244). Atlantis Press.
Merhaut, M and et.al., 2017. MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF
CORPORATE CULTURE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT OF FRONT OFFICE. Czech
Hospitality & Tourism Papers, 13(29).