Leadership and Change at Hillsborough Castle: A Case Study Analysis

This case study examines the leadership and change initiatives at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, focusing on the period since 2015. The analysis addresses the changes implemented, such as the development of visitor facilities and car parks, and evaluates the leadership style employed, primarily authoritative leadership, and democratic leadership, referencing Kurt Lewin's Change Model. The evaluation includes a discussion of Laura McCorry's leadership, highlighting her use of a democratic approach and its impact on teamwork, communication, and innovation. Furthermore, the case study explores the application of leadership styles like Laissez Faire Style and provides recommendations for future success, emphasizing the importance of empowering individuals, encouraging innovation, and continuous evaluation of past mistakes to ensure high performance. The analysis uses information from the provided case study, academic theory, and concepts from the module to illustrate an understanding of leadership and change theory and practice.

Hillsborough Castle

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................1
Q1.Changes brought in to Hillsborough Castle and Gardens since 2015..............................1
Q2. Evaluation of Laura McCorry’s leadership at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens...........4
Q3. Understanding of leadership and change, and using the information in the case study. .5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Hillsborough Castle is most beautiful and interesting historical property in Northern Ireland.
This palace is functioning as royal family’s official residence when they are in Northern Ireland.
Along with this, this beautiful place also serves as an office secretary of state from the year 1970.
With its beautiful design and furnishing this place attract attention of visitors (Birks, 2014). This
Castle is playing an essential role in Northern Ireland peace process. With peaceful woodland,
trimmed lawns, ornamental grounds and meandering waterways this place has welcomed come
long list of VIPs. In these report formative discussions has been made on number of changes that
has been made in Hillsborough Castle since the year 2015. In addition to this, Laura McCorry’s
leadership at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens is also been discussed in this report. Lastly
project will discuss leadership and changes along with the information in respective case study.
Main Body
Q1.Changes brought in to Hillsborough Castle and Gardens since 2015
Hillsborough Castle and Gardens since 2015, then Historic Royal Palaces, have undergone
with numerous form of changes such as Lower Visitor Facilities, upper visitor facilities, Car
Park, Clore Learning Centre, Walled Garden along with this with the assistance of £20m which
is which is measured as a huge amount of charity to make transformation of Castle in a
significant manner (Adams, 2015).
Leadership theory and approach
In order to bring changes authoritative leadership style are being undertaken since 2015.
This is mainly due the reason that organisation that taken Hillsborough Castle and Gardens i.e.
Historic Royal Palaces mainly aim toward to earn large base of profitability by transforming it
into a public place (FEEHAN, 2016). In addition to this main reason of undertaking this form of
leadership style is that company aim to attract interest and attention of public towards history of
United Kingdom. In context with authoritative style that are being taken by entity mainly stated
towards confident leader that significantly determine number of ways in order to link team as to
fulfil goals and objectives in order to ensure maximum competitive edge (Forrestal, 2016). With
the assistance of authoritative leadership style number of changes has been undertaken that are
clore learning centre, car park, upper visitor facilities and more. However this has been
determined that in the process of change there were many team members those who faced
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difficulties and issues to bring change in their working process, as they are not allow to
undertake decision by their own that create number of obstacles to accomplish objective of
transforming Hillsborough Castle and Gardens in an attractive place for tourist and general
public to visit.
Benefits of Authoritative leadership style:
New Car Park:
By undertaking authoritative leadership style organisation effectively fulfil their aim to
construct a whole car park facility for public visitors. This transformation was done by
organisation by considering environment. As with by taking assistance of 20 million pounds as
government and charity benefit entity to accomplish their objective. In this they ensured interest
related to blockage in town like vehicle leave in order to offer convenient parking facility to
visitors (Kissane-Lee, Pozner and Smink, 2016). With no space for parking in Hillsborough
Castle and Gardens visitors may get frustrated thus in order to ensure interest of large base of
visitors. Organisation build attractive car parking facilities by considering many aspects like
access from and departure to the A1 double carriageway, 7200 bushes planted and 5500 local’s
trees in order to offer visitors with the facility of green parking facility. This has been evaluate
that with the assistance of authoritative leadership style which is mainly based upon visionary
leader approach aid organisation to effectively overcome challenges and fulfil vision and goals in
a great manner. With the help of this leadership style leaders efficiently inspire motivation,
provide direction and guidance in order to maintain enthusiasm throughout project that ensure
success of this project.
Lower Visitor Facilities – Café:
Autocratic leadership style mainly depends upon a sense of emotional intelligence
competencies. With the assistance of this leadership styles leaders within organisation developed
vision and effectively inspire others towards adaptability in order to identify and overcome
changes in effective manner. With the assistance of this style leader significantly provide
direction and vision through which lower visitor facility was developed that offer Cafe facilities
with 230 more than seating facility. This place provide efficient services for normal visitors from
9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Along with this in order to provide effective services to visitors
organization offer facilities of electronic payment method. In addition to this with the assistance
of authoritative leadership style in which decision making authority has been undertaken by head
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of department provide direction to serve visitors in which catering has to be provided by yellow
door.
Lower Visitor Facilities – Retail:
Authoritative leadership style proves to be effective for those business organisations that
are going with change. In context with present scenario in order to change Hillsborough Castle
and Gardens and increase its popularity among large place of visitors this leadership style has
been undertaken with the help of which attractive facility of retail is being provided to visitors.
In this visitors are being offered with different type of Northern Irish, British and Irish Craft in
which product are mainly related to jewellery, glass, linen, ceramics and more.
Kurt Lewin's Change Model
Kurt Lewin's Change Model includes three stages that are unfreezing, changing and
refreezing. This Change management model helps in attaining gradual approach to create
momentum and encourage lasting change (Al-Safran, Brown and Wiseman, 2014.). Organisation
engaged in the process of transforming Hillsborough Castle and Gardens undertake advantage of
this model in order to facilitate significant changes in castle in order to attract attention of large
base of visitors. Mentioned below all the three stages are defined in context with present
scenario.
Unfreezing:
This is the initial stage in which organisation involved in the process of accepting
necessity and importance of change. In this past behaviour of organisational structure processes,
ways of thinking and people are required to be thoroughly evaluated in order to establish change
as to ensure competitive advantage. In this process it has been identified that there may be
number of individuals those who resists towards implementing changes in their daily behaviour.
In order to overcome this situation historic royal palaces manager provide awareness and
essential information to individual and staff members in order to make them understand benefit
of change for them in organisation.
Changing:
This is the second step, after ensuring adoption of change in organisational workplace
structure. In this, individual starts to behave supportive towards embracing new direction. This
has been identified in context with the present scenario historic royal palaces have undertaken
different type of changes with the assistance of 20 million pounds investment in order to ensure
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success. In this process communication act as most essential measure through which manager of
respective organisation ensure connection with team members throughout transition period in
order to accomplish objective in a well defined manner.
Refreezing:
It is the final stage in which proper surety related to adoption of change is being enforced. In
relation with historic royal palaces it is essential for entity to ensure that individual and team
members do not revert back to their past habits and old ways to perform their activities as this
will it towards dis-satisfying results.
Q2. Evaluation of Laura McCorry’s leadership at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens
Leadership is defined as a formative process in which leader provides effective guidance,
direction, motivation to employees towards accomplishment of set goals and objectives of
organisation. Laura McCorry appointed as Hillsborough Castle and Gardens head in the year
2018 by acquiring the historic royal place. She began her career as director corporate
development and then changed her direction towards director product development and currently
she gets privileged to work as a head in a variety of challenging and unique position. In context
with tourism consumer consider local authorities who have their focus towards market in a
commercially driven with having experience. In relation with Laura she has a supportive and
passionate team while worst defines the huge emotional investment which she is not having. She
undertakes use of democratic style of leadership through which she encourages member and
employees to offer their contribution in decision making process and take responsibilities.
This form of leadership style effectively helps in providing motivation and encouragement
to employees through which their performance and productivity can be effectively increased.
Along with this it has been identified that individuals are allowed to share their views,
perspectives and opinion on subject matter for betterment of entity (Fiaz and Saqib, 2017). In
context with Hillsborough Castle and Gardens with the use of this leadership style leader aim
towards group equality with the help of which free flow of information and ideas can be ensured
to increase overall efficiency of end outcome. This is an essential form of leadership style
through which contribution and productivity of every team member can be increased and further
can be stimulated to get accomplishment of entity goals in a well define and effective manner. In
context to the transformation of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens leader undertake democratic
leadership style that provide different benefit in many terms that are defined below:
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 With the help of this form of leadership style leaders can effectively able to resolve issue
and encourage teamwork and collaboration, as this form of leadership style facilitate
effective communication through which employees are allowed to put forward their
opinion, ideas and observation that also helps in increasing creativity and innovation
among them.
 Democratic leadership style increase uniqueness and creativity within employees in
which they conduct their operations in more effective manner. In order to implement
change it is essential to undertake uniqueness and collaboration (Hornáčková, Hálová
and Nechanická, 2015). Thus this leadership style does not depend on traditional method
as it increases capability of employees in an innovative manner.
 In order to transform of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens attractively, democratic
leadership style proves to be very effective. As in the process of transformation this
leadership style strengthen relationship between team members and individual that
facilitate feedback and suggestion that further lead towards accomplishment of objective
in a well defined and effective manner.
 This leadership style but only reduces unnecessary issues but also improves job
satisfaction within employees as it facilitates flow of ideas, knowledge in a well effective
manner. Along with this, it also increase efficiency of decision making process along
with motivation level within employees it helps entity to come up with better solutions in
an innovative way.
Q3. Understanding of leadership and change, and using the information in the case study
As per according to the evaluation of above information this has been evaluated that
organisation head executives and board of directors with the assistance of Laissez Faire Style can
effectively able to increase motivation among group member to undertake their own decision. It
not only helps individuals to conduct their targets in time effective manner but also increase their
performance level efficiency at great extent. With the assistance of Laissez Faire Style
individuals can undertake their own decision in order to accomplish goals and objectives in
particular time frame. This has been evaluated that in order to encourage innovation and
uniqueness in performance of individual it is essential for them to provide them freedom as it
allow them to overcome issues and solve any problem in future in short span of time along with
efficient result. By taking use of this leadership style Laura McCorry can encourage individuals
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to evaluate their past mistakes and ensure high performance in future. In addition to this, this
leadership style will also provide assistance to Laura McCorry in order to offer different types of
roles and responsibilities to individuals with efficient end outcomes.
In context with change theory in this continuous improvement change approach will
effectively aid both of the organisation to perform their operations Laura McCorry and Historic
royal palaces to perform their functions as per according to the current prevailing trend while
undertaking various risk to accomplish business goals in a well defined manner (Singh and
Singh, 2015). While undertaking continuous improvement not only aid organisation to increase
their productivity but also allows them to effectively improve quality of their activities. This
further provides assistance in offering High Quality Services to visitor during their visit this
further help in increasing their satisfaction level (Green, Barford and Smith, 2015). Along with
this has been evaluated that by undertaking continuous improvement approach McCorrycan also
decrease cost of other expenditures and will further gain direct and indirect benefit that will not
only increase satisfaction level of visitors but also raise morale of employees that allow them to
perform their operations at their best.
CONCLUSION
As per the report it has been concluded that, with the assistance of leadership styles success
change process can be insured, as democratic leadership style that are being taken by entity
enhancing performance level of employees through which goal of attracting large number of
public attention towards United Kingdom history is successful. Leadership styles not only help in
accomplishing objectives and goals in an effective manner but also strengthen performance of
teams and individual that increases efficiency of end outcomes.
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