Hospitality Management: Leadership & Style

This assignment delves into the crucial topic of leadership styles within the hospitality industry. It examines various leadership characteristics and management styles, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. Students are tasked with evaluating how different leadership approaches influence employee motivation, performance, and overall organizational success in the dynamic hospitality sector.

The Developing
Manager
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................4
1

A Comparison of different management styles and discussion of leadership characteristics.....4
B communication process within Thomas cook and analysis culture along with process of
change..........................................................................................................................................5
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................5
2.1 My own management skills and performance along with my own SWOT analysis ............5
2.2 Objectives and targets to develop my own potential ............................................................7
Task 3 ..............................................................................................................................................7
3.1 Leading and motivating team to achieve desired goals and objectives ................................7
3.2 Managerial decision to improve performance of the team....................................................9
Task 4 ..............................................................................................................................................9
4.1 Role of own managerial and personal skills will support career developments....................9
4.2 Review of current development plan ..................................................................................10
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................11
References......................................................................................................................................12
INTRODUCTION
In the present scenario, manager plays very important role in growth and success of a
business organization. Further, they are required to make sure that all activities and operations
2

are carried out in smooth and effective manner. Manager in organization also play significant
role in directing efforts of employees towards accomplishment of goals and objectives
(Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). The current report is based on Thomas cook which is one of the
leading organization operating travel and tourism industry. The present study explains how a
manager can be developed within a business enterprise. Along with this, it also highlights
different management styles and leadership characteristics of senior managers. This report also
explains communication processes and organization culture of Thomas cook.
TASK 1
A Comparison of different management styles and discussion of leadership characteristics
It can be stated that each and every manager has his/ her own set of style of managing
and handling people within a business enterprise. Furthermore, managerial style adopted by a
manager has a direct impact on employee and performance of organization. Some common style
which are being employed by managers includes directive, democratic and affiliative etc. (6
Management style, 2013). Managers which use directive managerial style always wants their
employees to remain disciplined and managers also keeps a very close control on all their
workers (Avci, Madanoglu and Okumus, 2011). The style is highly effective and useful in
situation of crises and it becomes completely ineffective when staff members are highly qualified
and skilled.
On the other hand, democratic style is the one in which employees are being encouraged
to present their opinions, views and take part in decision making process. This managerial style
is effective as it results in creating satisfaction among worker and also enhance their motivational
level. The major drawback of democratic style is that it results in consuming large amount of
time which can delay decision making (Leadership characteristics of manager, 2009).
Organization such as Thomas cook is using democratic style whereas Cox & kings is using
directive managerial style. In terms of leadership characteristics, it can be stated that senior
managers needs to posses those characteristics. Senior managers in Thomas cook are required to
make sure that they remain honest with employees. Honesty helps in developing trust among
workers and also results in enhancing their overall performance. Another characteristics of senior
manager is that they are required to have strong vision so that they can clearly define what they
3

want to achieve in the future. Other characteristics of managers at senior level of Thomas cook
includes communication, commitment and confidence.
B communication process within Thomas cook and analysis culture along with process of change
Nowadays effective communication has become very important aspects for businesses
operating in travel and tourism industry. In simpler terms, communication is termed as the
procedure of transferring information or message from one individual to another. Thomas cook
has adopted vertical communication process in order to pass information among each other
(Cook and Marqua, 2014). Further, it is the communication which is carried out using a chain of
command and the information flow in both upward and downward direction. One of the most
important advantage of this communication process to Thomas cook is that it has helped in
developing and maintaining a strong relationship between management and all employees. It has
also supported in maintaining discipline within the travel and tourism organization in most
effective manner.
On the other side of this, organizational culture is termed as the belief and values of
businesses which plays important role in carrying out operations and activities. Culture also
plays very significant in defining the behavior of employees within the business enterprise.
Thomas cook has adopted pragmatic culture in which more emphasis is laid on external parties
and customers. It can be stated that due to high degree of competition inn travel and tourism
industry, businesses are required to focus on satisfying customer needs (Courtney, Long and
Hall, 2013). Therefore, Thomas cook has adopted pragmatic culture where the efforts and
operation are directed towards accomplishment of one common goal which is high degree of
customer satisfaction. At present, there are some changes that are taking place in Thomas cook.
One of the major among those is that rather than using one particular style of management, the
organization has started to use different styles on the basis of different situations. Other than this,
team working is also encouraged within Thomas cook.
TASK 2
2.1 My own management skills and performance along with my own SWOT analysis
Every individual is required to evaluate and improve his/her own management skills and
performance in order to achieve better employment opportunities in the future (Holten,
Bollingtoft and Wilms, 2015). At present I am looking forwards to serve as manager in Thomas
4

cook which is one of the most renowned brand in the travel and tourism industry. Furthermore, is
the prime responsibility of a manager to take care and manager overall operations of a business
enterprise. Thus, it will be required to be to manage activities of Thomas cook and accomplish its
objective, aim and mission.
In terms of management skills, it can be stated that I posses decision making and team
working skills which are going to support me in carrying out my roles and responsibilities as a
manager in effective manner. I am also well aware of different tools and techniques of
motivation and their practical application within business enterprise. I have served as an assistant
manager in some travel agencies earlier and this work experience is also going to support me. In
addition to this, by using different tools and techniques of motivation I will be able to encourage
employees of Thomas cook and direct their efforts to accomplishment of its goals. My decision
making skills will support me to take effective decision on the basis of situations along with
developing sense of satisfaction among workers. Other than this, I have good experience of
handling team of people and direct their efforts towards accomplishment of Thomas cook
objectives and targets.
I have also carried out my personal SWOT analysis and there are various things which i
have found. Further, my biggest strength can be termed as my knowledge regrading trends in
travel and tourism sector. At present I am having more than 10 years of working experience and
I am very families with the industry. I do not find any kind of problem or difficulty in delivering
satisfactory products to customer as I am well aware about the changing market trend. Other than
this, I am very good in communication with others and it can be considered as my another major
strength. It is also going to support me in communicating my ideas and messages with other
people within organization in the most effective manner. I have also completed my masters in
hospitality management from recognized university of UK.
On the other, I have some weakness which I am required to overcome in order to gain
better employment opportunities in the future. One of the major weakness is that I lack time
management skill which affect my work to a great extent. Along with this, sometimes I also loss
my temper and scold employees in front of others which is also my weakness. In terms of
opportunities, it can be expressed that there are several opportunities present in front of me. The
businesses in travel and tourism sector are seeking for experienced managers and thus, I will not
5

have much difficulty in getting opportunities for growth and employment as the demand of
skilled and experienced person is very high in market. I am having 10 years of working
experience and thus, I also have an opportunity to establish my own business in travel and
tourism industry. The high growth rate of industry will provide me with higher sales and profits.
The biggest threat which I am facing is that the pay in travel industry is very low as compared to
other industries. Furthermore, employee are sometimes not treated well and they are also
required to work overtime.
2.2 Objectives and targets to develop my own potential
It can be stated that developing objectives and targets will help me to overcome my all
weaknesses and enhance my overall potential. The objectives and targets are mentioned below
as:
 Learning different time management tools and strategies within next 6 months
 Completing the part-time course of anger management in next 1 year
 Visiting workshops and seminars to enhance my existing skills and become more
productive
 Complete 4 new certification courses in hospitality management within next 2 years.
 To learn new languages within a period of one year to deal with customers effective with
foreign customers.
It can be expressed that the above mentioned objectives and targets will support me to
grow further in my life and find better employment opportunities. Along with this, it will also
enhance my knowledge base and existing productivity
TASK 3
3.1 Leading and motivating team to achieve desired goals and objectives
In the present scenario, managers are required to lead and motivate other staff members
to achieve the objectives and goals of a business enterprise (Page, 2014). Further, managers are
required to take care of the fact that motivation and leadership are two different concepts which
are interrelated to each other. Leadership is defined as the act of leading people and directing
their efforts towards accomplishment of organizational goals. On the other side of this,
motivation is the process of encouraging people to put more efforts in accomplishment of
objectives and goals (Sheehan, 2012). Thomas cook is currently facing several kinds of issues
6

and challenges in terms of managing employees. The brand is not able to deliver satisfactory
performance and desired output because morale of its employees is very low. Along with this,
employees also feel that they are not even appreciated for their outstanding performance. Thus, it
is required by me to lead and motivate team in order to enhance the performance of Thomas
cook (Holten, Bollingtoft and Wilms, 2015). The techniques which I can use are mentioned
below as:
 Recognition of employees- In order to motivate employees and encourage them to give
better performance, I will be required to recognize them and their efforts. Recognition
and appreciation of employee efforts is going to results in developing sense of
satisfaction among them and act as a driving force which will enhance their future
performance (Ward, 2013). I will make sure that recognition is done in front of all
employees so that they also get motivated.
 Positive work environment- I will be also required to develop a work environment which
is highly positive and encourages team working. This can be done by taking help of all
staff members. Further, teams are required to be developed and should be provided with
shared foals and objectives (Guest, 2011). In order to motivate employee, a culture needs
to be developed within Thomas cook in which all employees are free to share their ideas,
views and support each other in the best possible manner.
 Reward system- The use of reward system is also very effective in terms of leading and
motivating people within a business enterprise. Rewards supports in encouraging
employees as they become well aware of the fact that better performance will directly
results in high rewards. Further, it can be stated that rather than using only monetary
rewards both monetary and non-monetary rewards will be provided to employees. The
reward system will act as driving force and will result in accomplishment of Thomas
cook's objectives.
 Seeking feedback from employees- Another effective way to lead people and motivate
them is of taking reviews and feedback from workers. This will help in identifying issues
and problems which are faced by employees at the time of carrying out their work
(Meredith Belbin, 2011). Furthermore, by taking corrective measures, those issues can be
7

resolved and efforts of Thomas cook employee are directed towards accomplishment of
organization's objectives.
3.2 Managerial decision to improve performance of the team
It can be stated that the decisions taken at management level are very effective and will
result in enhancing performance of the organization. It has been decided by management that the
outstanding efforts of employees will be recognized (Minett, Yaman and Denizci, 2009). This
decision can be considered as effective because it will result in developing a positive work
environment and encouraging employee of Thomas cook to perform better. In addition to this, by
receiving different kind of monetary and non-monetary rewards the employee will be able to
satisfy needs of their family members. In order to achieve agreed goal or objective of increasing
performance of Thomas cook, it has been decided that corrective measures will be taken for
growth and development of all staff members. These decision are appropriate as businesses can
perform better only in situations where employee are motivated and they are performing
outstanding. Other than this, employee are also termed as one of the biggest and most important
assets of any business enterprise (Yoon and Uysal, 2005). Thus, the decision taken by
management of Thomas cook will improve employee motivation and performance which will
further result in accomplishment of its objective of performing better by delivering satisfactory
services to all customers.
TASK 4
4.1 Role of own managerial and personal skills will support career developments
In the present scenario, it is required by people to focus on their career development in
order to get better employment opportunity in the future. In simpler terms, career development
can be termed as list of activities and task which supports in lifelong learning and development
of an individual. Further, it includes activities such as leaning new skills, enhancing existing
ones and improving their overall performance. In order to enhance managerial and personal skill,
a plan is mentioned below as: Setting up career objectives and goals- It can be stated that an effective plan is the one
which has well defined goals and objectives. At the time of developing such plans,
individuals are required to determine the fact that what they actually want to obtain in
8

their life (Storey, 2007). Along with this, objectives and goals are supports people in
finding right direction. Development of plan- After determining objectives and aim, individuals are required to
develop a plan for accomplishment of the same. The plan will consist series of action
which results in obtaining desired results. Getting approval- It is also required by individuals to make sure that get adequate
approval of plan from their seniors (Weihrich and Koontz, 2005). Furthermore, getting
advice from seniors members will support individuals in identifying loop holes in the
plan and take corrective steps to overcome the same. View of other will also play
important role in dealing with funds and other consideration in effective manner.
 Pursue the plan- It can be argued that only developing objectives and getting approval
will not support in career development. Individuals are required to stay loyal and
committed to plan (Weiner, 2012). This means that they are required to take each and
every step which can support in accomplishment of the career development plan.
My own managerial and personal skill will support in my career development to a great
extent. It can be stated that my decision making skills are very effective and thus it will help me
to decide the best path for my career. On the other side of this, my communication skills will
assist me in making others aware about my career plan and strategies which I am using to carry
out the plan. I am also very good at relation making and therefore developing healthy relations
with other will also help in my career plan.
4.2 Review of current development plan
Individual is required to carry out appropriate review of their personal development plans
in order to achieve desired results in defined time. Furthermore, after carrying out the review of
my current development plan, it has been observed that there are some changes which needs to
be made in existing plan. I am required to work more upon my personal and managerial skills in
order to get desired results and better employment opportunities. In the current scenario, many
businesses in travel and tourism industry are looking forward to hire people which has effective
personal and management skills. Therefore, working upon these skills will support me in my
career development. These skills will also play very important role in maintaining a clear
distance between my personal and professional life. On the other side of this, effective
9

management skills will help me in managing all assigned task and activities in the best possible
manner. After carrying out the review of my career development plan, it can be stated that I am
also required to focus on self learning in order to acquire knowledge about new ideas, concepts
and developments. This will make me more effective and productive towards my work and will
provide me with more potential opportunities. The personal and professional development plan is
mentioned below as:
Program/activities Action plan Review
dates
Achievement dates
Enhancing personal and
management skills
Focusing on self learning
and participating in
different type of simulation
games
10-08-16 15-12-16
Learning different time
management tools and
strategies
Visiting different type of
workshops and seminars
08-07-16 16-09-16
Learn new languages Attending classes to learn
new languages and improve
productivity
11-06-16 10-09-16
CONCLUSION
From the above carried out study, it can be concluded that there are different type of
managerial styles which can be used by managers as per their need and requirement.
Furthermore, it has been inferred that Thomas Cook is one of the leading brand in travel and
tourism industry and it has adopted vertical communication method. From the above report, it
can be also concluded that I am required to work upon my weaknesses and seek for strategies to
overcome them. Along with this, the managerial decision can be considered as suitable and most
appropriate one in order to improve performance of team within a business enterprise.
10

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Avci, U., Madanoglu, M. and Okumus, F. 2011. Strategic orientation and performance of tourism
firms: Evidence from a developing country. Tourism Management. 32(1). pp 147-157.
Cook, R. A. and Marqua, J. J., 2014. Tourism: The Business of Hospitality and Travel. Pearson
Education.
Courtney, J., Long, J. and Hall, D., 2013. Work-based learning partnerships: a case of learning
and talent management intervention for developing future leaders and managers. HR
Bulletin: Research and Practice. 8(2). pp 13-18.
Guest, D. E., 2011. Human resource management and performance: still searching for some
answers. Human Resource Management Journal. 21(1). pp. 3-13.
Holten, A. L., Bollingtoft, A. and Wilms, I., 2015. Leadership in a changing world: developing
managers through a teaching and learning programme. Management Decision. pp 53(5).
Meredith Belbin, R., 2011. Management teams: Why they succeed or fail. Human Resource
Management International Digest. 19(3).
Minett, D., Yaman, H. R. and Denizci, B., 2009. Leadership styles and ethical decision-making
in hospitality management. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 28(4), 486-
493.
Page, S. J., 2014. Tourism management. Routledge.
Sheehan, M., 2012. Developing managerial talent. European Journal of Training and
Development. 36(1). pp 66-85.
Storey, J., 2007. Human resource management: A critical text. Cengage Learning EMEA.
Ward, C., 2013. Book review: Leadership and management development: Developing
tomorrow’s managers. Management Learning. 44(4). pp 424-426.
Weihrich, H. and Koontz, H., 2005. Management: A global perspective. Singapore: McGraw-
Hill.
Weiner, B., 2012. An attributional theory of motivation and emotion. Springer Science &
Business Media.
Weiner, B., 2013. Human motivation. Psychology Press.
Yoon, Y. and Uysal, M., 2005. An examination of the effects of motivation and satisfaction on
destination loyalty: a structural model. Tourism management. 26(1). pp. 45-56.
Online
11

Leadership characteristics of manager. 2009. [Online]. Available through:
<http://leadership.uoregon.edu/resources/exercises_tips/skills/leadership_characteristics
>. [Accessed on 1st June 2016].
6 Management style . 2013 [Online]. Available through: <http://leadersinheels.com/career/6-
management-styles-and-when-best-to-use-them-the-leaders-tool-kit/>. [Accessed on 1st
June 2016
12