Research Project: Importance of Managing Crisis in Hospitality Sector

This research project investigates the importance of managing crises within the hospitality sector, using the Hilton Brighton Metropole hotel as a case study. The report delves into the concept of crisis management, the factors that cause crises in the hospitality industry (both natural and human-induced, such as the COVID-19 pandemic), and the positive effects of effective crisis management on productivity and competitive advantage. It also examines the challenges managers face when implementing crisis management strategies, such as employee resistance and information gaps. The research employs a qualitative approach, utilizing ontology and interpretivism, with data collected through questionnaires from Hilton employees and analyzed thematically. The timeline outlines the research process, from topic selection to data analysis, and provides a comprehensive overview of crisis management in hospitality.

Research Project Unit 18

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE: IMPORTANCE OF MANAGING CRISIN IN HOSPITALITY SECTOR......................3
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
Aim and objectives......................................................................................................................4
Research questions.......................................................................................................................4
Rationale......................................................................................................................................4
Research problem........................................................................................................................5
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................5
Theme 1: Concept of crisis management....................................................................................5
Theme 2: Causing factors of crisis in hospitality sector..............................................................5
Theme 3: Effects or importance of managing crisis by hospitality sector..................................5
Theme 4: Challenges, faced by manager while implementing crisis management strategies.....6
Theme 5: Effective risk management practice............................................................................6
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY....................................................................................................6
Timeline.......................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

TITLE: IMPORTANCE OF MANAGING CRISIN IN HOSPITALITY
SECTOR.
INTRODUCTION
A process that is being used by companies for managing unexpected events is known as
crisis management (Zamoum and Gorpe, 2018). Hospitality sector is one of the main prominent
sector that gets affected a lot due to changes in business environmental factors. Companies need
to identify some factors that cause crisis in order to manage them in an effective manner.
This study will discuss effectiveness or reasons of managing crisis and benefits that
hospitality sector can take by it. It will further show all elements of research methodology and
ways in which it can help researcher in meeting the main aim of conducting research.
Aim and objectives
Aim: The aim of conducting this research is “To identify the importance of managing crisis”
study on Hilton Brighton Metropole hotel, hospitality sector.
Objectives
 To discuss the concept of crisis management.
 To discuss causing factors of crisis in Hilton Brighton Metropole hotel.
 To discuss importance or effects of managing crisis by Hilton Brighton Metropole hotel.
 To examine challenges that occur while implementing crisis management strategies.
 To recommend the best practice of crisis management.
Research questions
1. What does crisis management refer?
2. What are some factors that lead crisis in hospitality sector?
3. How can Hilton hotel can make itself beneficial by managing crisis in an effective
manner?
4. Which types of problems occur while manager implements crisis management strategies?
5. What is an effective risk management practice?
Rationale
The reason behind selecting this topic is to help hospitality sector in improving economic
condition by managing crisis with effective strategies. With this study, Hilton hotel can increase
customers and employees’ satisfaction.

Research problem
Some problems that may occur while conducting this research include: lack of financial
resources, changes in climate changes, changes in economic and other factors. It may delay in
submission of research study.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Theme 1: Concept of crisis management
According to the Wut, Xu and Wong, (2021) crisis management is a process or strategy
that is being used by managers and leaders of companies for mitigating risks or sudden
emergency situations. It happens many of the times when businesses need to make changes in
their internal strategies. Some external environmental factors such as increasing rate of
unemployment, environmental changes and others are examples that cause emergency situations
and strategies of solving these problems can be known as crisis management.
Theme 2: Causing factors of crisis in hospitality sector
According to the Varelas and Apostolopoulos, (2020) there are two main causing reasons
that may lead crisis that hospitality sector is facing such as: nature and human. Covid-19 is one
of the main example that shook hospitality as it decreased number of clients, employment and
turnover rate. Human also cause crisis by increasing terrorism and fear among people.
Theme 3: Effects or importance of managing crisis by hospitality sector
As per the view of Watson, Finn and Wadhwa, (2017) crisis management can help Hilton
hotel and overall hospitality sector in increasing productivity. With effective crisis management
plan, managers can improve its image that can help it out in taking competitive advantages. It
can improve economic condition of country that will improve living standard of people.
Theme 4: Challenges, faced by manager while implementing crisis management strategies
As per the view of McEntire, (2021) resistance of employees for adapting changes and
working as per the new strategies is one of the main challenges that managers face while
implementing strategies of crisis management.
Reuter, Hughes and Kaufhold (2018) Stated that having too little information regarding
change, can also create problems in successful implementation of strategies.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research paradigm: It is a model that is being used to conduct research in an effective
manner (Kamal, 2019). Ontology will be used in this study as it is associated with qualitative.
Research design: It refers a form in which researcher collects data for accomplishing the
main aim of research study. For this study, researcher will conduct qualitative study for knowing
all about crisis management.
Research philosophy: It is a belief regarding data collection, interpretation and analysis.
For this study of knowing about crisis management, interpretivism philosophy will be selected
for knowing what people think and why they think like this.
Research approach: A template or plan with some steps of broad assumption regard data
collection and analysis is known as research approach. As per the suitability with qualitative,
inductive approach will be used.
Data collection: Data plays a vital role in research study as it helps scholar in meeting its
goals (Clark and Vealé, 2018). For this study, primary data will be collected in order to gather
real information with questionnaire.
Sampling: Sampling is a process of selecting sample or target people. For this study, 30
employees of Hilton will be selected as a sample with random sampling for making them feel
valued.
Data analysis: A process of making collected data reliable is known as data analysis. As
like research design, it is also being divided into 2 types such as qualitative and quantitative
(Parmar and et.al., 2018). This is qualitative research so; thematic analysis as qualitative data
analysis tool will be used.

Timeline
Activities Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7
Research topic
selection
Development
of aim and
objectives
Secondary
research for
conducting LR
Research
strategy
selection
Data collection
with primary
and secondary
sources
Selecting
sampling type
Data analysis

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Alase, A., 2017. The interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA): A guide to a good
qualitative research approach. International Journal of Education and Literacy
Studies. 5(2). pp.9-19.
Clark, K.R. and Vealé, B.L., 2018. Strategies to enhance data collection and analysis in
qualitative research. Radiologic technology. 89(5). pp.482CT-485CT.
Hopkin, P., 2018. Fundamentals of risk management: understanding, evaluating and
implementing effective risk management. Kogan Page Publishers.
Kamal, S.S.L.B.A., 2019. Research paradigm and the philosophical foundations of a qualitative
study. PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences. 4(3). pp.1386-1394.
McEntire, D.A., 2021. Disaster response and recovery: strategies and tactics for resilience. John
Wiley & Sons.
Parmar, C. and et.al., 2018. Data analysis strategies in medical imaging. Clinical cancer
research. 24(15). pp.3492-3499.
Reuter, C., Hughes, A.L. and Kaufhold, M.A., 2018. Social media in crisis management: An
evaluation and analysis of crisis informatics research. International Journal of Human–
Computer Interaction, 34(4), pp.280-294.
Varelas, S. and Apostolopoulos, N., 2020. The Implementation of Strategic Management in
Greek Hospitality Businesses in Times of Crisis. Sustainability. 12(17). p.7211.
Watson, H., Finn, R.L. and Wadhwa, K., 2017. Organizational and societal impacts of big data in
crisis management. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management. 25(1). pp.15-22.
Wut, T.M., Xu, J.B. and Wong, S.M., 2021. Crisis management research (1985–2020) in the
hospitality and tourism industry: A review and research agenda. Tourism
Management, 85, p.104307.
Zamoum, K. and Gorpe, T.S., 2018. Crisis management: A historical and conceptual approach
for a better understanding of today’s crises. In Crisis Management-Theory and Practice.
IntechOpen.
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