Research Project: Leadership Role in Crisis Management at Hilton

This research project proposal, focusing on a Higher National Diploma in Hospitality Management, aims to evaluate the role of leadership in successful crisis management within the hospitality sector, specifically using Hilton as a case study. The study's objectives include understanding successful crisis management, assessing leadership best practices, investigating the relationship between leadership and crisis management, and recommending strategies for effective crisis management at Hilton. The research will employ a qualitative approach, using interpretivism as its philosophical basis and an inductive research approach, collecting primary data through interviews with 20 Hilton employees. The proposal includes a literature review covering successful crisis management concepts, best leadership practices in hospitality, and the relationship between leadership and crisis management. The methodology section outlines the research design, philosophy, approach, data collection methods, sampling techniques, and ethical considerations. The proposal also includes a breakdown of activities, a timescale, and a list of references, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to the research topic.

Higher National Diploma in Hospitality Management
Unit 18 Research Project
RESEARCH PROPOSAL FORM
STUDENT DETAILS
Student Name Student Number Submission
Date
Centre Name
Tutor
Section One : Research Title, Aim and Objectives
Research Title:
To evaluate the role of leadership in successful crisis management in hospitality sector-
A cases study on Hilton.
Research Aim(What do you wish to find out or achieve?) :
The aim of conducting this current investigation is to analyse the role of leadership in
successful crisis management in Hilton.
Research Objectives (How do you want to achieve this aim. At least three/four
objectives).
To achieve this aim, the following objectives have been proposed.
i. To develop an understanding about the successful crisis management.
ii. To assess best practices of leadership in hospitality industry.
iii. To investigate the relationship between leadership and successful crisis
management.
iv. To be able to recommend better strategies of leadership for effective crisis
Unit 18 Research Project Proposal–Spring 2022

management in Hilton.
Research Questions (convert each objective above into a research question)
i. What is the concept of successful crisis management?
ii. What are the best practices of leadership in hospitality industry?
iii. What is the relationship between leadership and successful crisis
management?
iv. What are the best strategies of leadership for crisis management?
Section Two: Research Rationale and Scope
Rationale/Justification for the Topic: this should briefly cover the following three
areas.
Effective role of leadership into the successful crisis management in Hilton as with
this report, the company will able to evaluate things that require certain required
modifications if necessary in order to run their business in better ways as well as for
better customer satisfaction.
i- The reason behind choosing this specific topic is that the investigation over
the role of leadership for effective crisis management into hospitality
industry requires huge amount of consideration as it is necessary to explore
such things for the future betterment of the company as well as the whole
industry. Moreover, this topic involves my personal interests as well as in
Unit 18 Research Project Proposal–Spring 2022

future career terms, I want to become a successful leader.
ii- The gap identified in the literature is that in previously published material,
the literature review covered the topics that are only based upon the crisis
management rather than role of leadership into resolving the issues that
arises due to certain critical situation and requires urgent administration.
iii- Practical benefits of the study is related to providing appropriate
information and knowledge about the role of leadership in order to make
successful and effective crisis management system within Hilton and assist
their employees to respond accordingly fopr better outcomes.
Research Scope: this should briefly cover the following.
i. In terms of geographical area, the study will include collection of information
of Hilton, United Kingdom. The reason will extremely focus with elaborating
the aspects and role of leadership in order to get effectual crisis management in
the hotel sector (Nicolaides, 2019). In addition to this, the study will also include
concepts related to crisis management along with their reasons.
ii. The employees of the Hilton hotel are the major target group over which the
study will be highly focused.
iii. Themes have been prepared which are based upon the illustrating the aspects
of successful crisis management, best practices of leadership in hospitality
sector, relationship between leadership and effective crisis management and at
last best strategies of leadership for effectual crisis management.
Section three : Preliminary Literature Review
Unit 18 Research Project Proposal–Spring 2022

The Literature Review, at this stage of the research process, does not have to be
critical literature review but each reviewed source should cover the following
Theme 1: The concept of successful crisis management.
According to Ritchie and Jiang, (2019), successful crisis management refers to
assessment of risks that are involved into the business operations have been
eliminated with the help of adopting appropriate plan development related to
crisis management. Another aspects illustrate to deal with the crisis as a team,
respond quickly, monitor them effectively and keeping ahead about the story
due to which the crisis arises. Thus, with the help of preparedness, fact based
approach and effectiveness of stakeholders communications. This, however
elaborated as successful crisis management.
Theme 2: Best practices of leadership in hospitality industry.
As per the views of Karam, (2018) the major and foremost goal of in hospitality
leadership is meeting and exceeding the requirements of guests. Business
leaders are the ones who put great level of emphasis over the value of
exceptional consumer service in order to achieve guest satisfaction, repeat
business and excellent word of mouth advertisement with the help of social
media and review sites having specific features.
Theme 3: Relationship between leadership and successful crisis management.
Kukanja, Planinc and Sikošek, (2020) states that leadership is an activity that is
being performed by leaders who are primary people that are able to feel the
early signs related to crisis along with warn the employees against the negative
consequences related to the crisis that arises into the business operations. It is
their foremost duty to take precautionary measures in order to avoid any
emergency situations. Leaders are often the front face of the establishment
hence, plays an important role in managing crisis situations. They are also
tasked in order to make public comments and fronting other users regarding
Unit 18 Research Project Proposal–Spring 2022

any kind of issue face by the company.
From the detailed literature review, it has been analysed that major crisis
situation that has been faced by hospitality sector involves the pandemic
situation which requires urgent and appropriate leadership activities in order to
manage the crisis in the most successful manner. In order to give them
appropriate responses. The companies leaders adopt various effectual strategies
through which they are going to overcome from such drastic challenges faced
by them.
The above illustrated literature is extremely considerable as it assists in
enabling the Hilton to overcome from their crisis situations with the help of
adopting effective leadership practices and especially during the time of Covid-
19. With the help of this, Hilton extremely able to evaluate varied strategies
through which the companies are able to reduce their issues and challenges in
the most considerable ways.
Section Four: Overview of Research Methodology:
Research design
This states or illustrates the method within which the scholar gathers the
data which has been done generally into two ways such as qualitative and
quantitative. In qualitative research method, the data has been collected
into non-numerical form and in the form of feelings that highlights the
challenges (Schwepker and Dimitriou, 2021). On the other hand, quantitative
ways of collecting the data in the form of numerical terms. For the current
study, researcher will conduct the study by adopting qualitative approach
or research within which the numerical data will be gathered. The data will
be collected in contextual ways in order to understand various things after
considering crisis management.
Research philosophy
It is the kind of belief with which the data has been collected, analysed and
interpreted. This has been basically divided into two parts which involves
positivism and interpretivism. According to positivism, the philosophy
Unit 18 Research Project Proposal–Spring 2022

believes that the society is the major player which provides shape to the
behaviour of individuals while according to the interpretivism, it has been
considered that it is based upon the society's behaviour (Shum, Gatling and
Shoemaker, 2018). For the current study, interpretivism philosophical
approach will be selected in order to understand the others' perspective
along with reason behind the same.
Research approach
This is related to plans having certain steps of broad assumptions with
regard to data collection as well as analysis which is known as research
approach. The two major kind of approaches are deductive and inductive.
In inductive approach, the data has been analysed on the real terms with
the help of development of themes whereas in deductive approach,
outcome have been generated with the help of prepared published
theories. In order to finish the current study appropriately, inductive
approach will be used.
Data collection
Data is the most prominent and important part within any study, in which it
enables the researcher to meet their primary goals as well as objectives. In
general, there are two, major kind of methods of data collection which
includes primary and secondary (Curcija, Breakey and Driml, 2019). Primary data
collection is gathering of data through first hand while secondary data
collection is the gathering data through previous studies. For current study,
the data will be collected through primary method which will be used in
order to achieve desired outcome. Moreover, the secondary mode of data
also acknowledged for appropriate collection of data.
Sampling
This is a procedure through which the researcher targets the consumers
within which the data has been divided into two parts such as random and
non-random sampling method. Into random sampling, the target people are
being selected while in non-random sampling, the candidates will be
Unit 18 Research Project Proposal–Spring 2022

approached with having pre-defined selection criteria. For current study 20
employees of Hilton will be selected as a sample with the technique of
random sampling method in order to collect the data through appropriate
modes.
Ethical Aspect of Study
The study will fulfil the requirement of ethical aspects by gathering consent form filled
by the respondents. Moreover, list of references has been added to posses that the work
has not being copied from somewhere else.
See Ethics Form below
SECTION FIVE: BREAKDOWN OF ACTIVITIES AND TIMESCALE
Include a Gantt Chart to reflect your research planning.
List of References : References used so far (using Harvard referencing style)
Unit 18 Research Project Proposal–Spring 2022

Ritchie, B.W. and Jiang, Y., 2019. A review of research on tourism risk, crisis and disaster
management: Launching the annals of tourism research curated collection on
tourism risk, crisis and disaster management. Annals of Tourism Research, 79,
p.102812.
Karam, M.G., 2018. The impact of strategic planning on crisis management styles in the
5-star hotels. Journal of Hotel & Business Management, 7(1), pp.1-9.
Kukanja, M., Planinc, T. and Sikošek, M., 2020. Crisis management practices in tourism
SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizacija, 53(4).
Schwepker Jr, C.H. and Dimitriou, C.K., 2021. Using ethical leadership to reduce job
stress and improve performance quality in the hospitality industry. International
Journal of Hospitality Management, 94, p.102860.
Curcija, M., Breakey, N. and Driml, S., 2019. Development of a conflict management
model as a tool for improved project outcomes in community based
tourism. Tourism Management, 70, pp.341-354.
Nicolaides, A., 2019. Ethical leadership in a morally driven hospitality organisational
culture. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 8(5), p.a50.
Shum, C., Gatling, A. and Shoemaker, S., 2018. A model of hospitality leadership
competency for frontline and director-level managers: Which competencies
matter more?. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 74, pp.57-66.
Student Declaration
I confirm that the proposed Research Project is not work that has been or will be
submitted for another qualification or by another student and is appropriate:
Student Name and Signature: Date:
Comments and Agreement from Tutor
Unit 18 Research Project Proposal–Spring 2022

Comments:
I confirm that the project is not work that has been or will be submitted for another
qualification and is appropriate:
Agreed: (Name) (Date)
Research ethics approval form
All students conducting research activity that involves human participants or the
use of data, collected from human participants, may be required to gain ethical
approval before commencing their research. Please answer all relevant questions
and note that your form may be returned if incomplete.
For further support and guidance please see your Unit Tutor.
Before completing this form, we advise that you discuss your proposed research fully with your
Unit Tutor. Please complete this form in good time before your research project is due to
commence.
Student Details
Student Name Student ID
Section Two: Project summary
Unit 18 Research Project Proposal–Spring 2022

Please select all research methods that you plan to use as part of your project:
Interviews
Questionnaires
Observations
Use of Personal Records
Data Analysis
Action Research
Focus Groups
Other (please specify)
Section Three: Participants
No
Will your research involve human participants? Yes
Who are the participants? Tick all that apply
Adults
between age
20-50
Young people
aged 17-18:
Ages 12-16 Adults:
How will participants be recruited (identified and approached)?
Random sampling method
Unit 18 Research Project Proposal–Spring 2022

Describe the process you will use to inform participants about what you are
doing:
Online
How will you obtain consent from participants? Will this be written? How will it
be made clear to participants that they may withdraw consent to participate at
any time?
Consent form
Studies involving questionnaires: Will participants be given the option of omitting
questions they do not wish to answer?
No:
Yes:
If No, please explain why below and ensure that you cover any ethical issues
arising from this:
Studies involving observation: Confirm whether participants will be asked for their
informed consent to be approved.
No:
Yes:
Will you debrief participants at the end of their participation? (e.g. give them a brief
explanation of the study)
No:
Yes:
No:
Will participants be given information about the findings of your study? (This could
be a summary of your findings generally)
Unit 18 Research Project Proposal–Spring 2022

Yes:
Unit 18 Research Project Proposal–Spring 2022