Strategic Analysis of Langham Melbourne Hotel: Leadership and Change

This report provides a comprehensive strategic analysis of the Langham Melbourne Hotel, examining its current strategies, including its focus on customer service and community involvement. It delves into the environmental forces impacting the hotel, such as economic, technological, political, and environmental factors, assessing their potential effects on the business. The report proposes new strategies to improve the hotel's performance, encompassing strategic approaches like collaboration and policy changes, human resource practices, organizational culture, and the establishment of clear goals and operational improvements. Furthermore, it explores the application of different leadership styles, particularly democratic and laissez-faire approaches, to facilitate the implementation of these strategies. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of stakeholder involvement and adaptive leadership in navigating the competitive market and achieving sustainable success.

Running Head: Management 1
Strategy, change and leadership
Student
Date
Institution

Management 2
Executive summary
The Langham Melbourne extends intuitive customer service thus aiming to anticipate customer
needs and surpass their expectation. With this kind of strategy, Langham Melbourne is able to
outshine its competitors in the hotel industry hence achieving its long and short term goals. In
2006 voters travel and leisure magazine voted in and Langham Melbourne won as the best hotel
in the city in both New Zealand and Australia. As a result, the hotel is renowned and
recommended for offering to its customers an unparalleled level of services which are
unavailable in any other place in Melbourne. In addition, Langham, Melbourne is committed to
being a sustainable organization by engaging its stakeholders in all matters concerning the
development of the company. However, the operations of the company are greatly influenced by
environmental forces that have an impact on the performance of the business. The organization
can handle these forces by implementing new strategies in the organization or use of the existing
strategies.

Management 3
Introduction
This report will be based on Langham Melbourne, which is among the city’s luxurious hotel with
top-notch customers' services and focused to deliver the best to its customer (THE LANGHAM
HOTELS & RESORTS, 2019). This will be well illustrated in the organization’s current
strategy. Also, the study will discuss the environmental forces such as technology, political,
economy among others that are likely to have an impact on the organization. The report will also
propose new strategies that will aid in improving the performance of Langham, Melbourne and
different types of leadership such as democratic that will enable implementation of these
strategies.
Current strategic overview of Langham, Melbourne
Langham, Melbourne strongly believes that in order for the organization to succeed in the
competitive market there must be a strong sense of community involvement within the market it
operates. The hotel also embraces corporate social responsibility with the same enthusiasm and
high level of customer service that enables the organization to be on a winning momentum. The
Langham Melbourne continues to make firm progress towards its goals while handling its
shortcomings along the way. The hotel is guided by its long term mission that is We extend
intuitive service with poise and Langham luxury which builds lasting Melbourne memories. As a
result, the hotel was awarded the best hotel in both Australia and New Zealand. Besides, the
input of all stakeholders in Langham, Melbourne has been immeasurable in enhancing the
organization’s annual sustainability efforts and continuous success (THE LANGHAM HOTELS
& RESORTS, 2019). Langham, Melbourne is committed to being a sustainable organization
through engaging its stakeholders in all matters concerning the development of the company.

Management 4
Besides, with reference to the industry benchmark, international standards and internal
consultation the organization has prioritized four areas of concern which form the basis to
address the most important corporate social responsibility issues to its business (The Art of
Business Travel., 2016). These four areas include governance, community, environment, and
colleague. They are also connected to the achievement of sustainable development of the
business. Langham, Melbourne has a vision in each of the prioritized areas which comprise of:
 Governance: the firm's vision for this area is to have an ethically oriented business in the
hotel industry.
 Environment: the Langham Melbourne vision is to focus on minimizing its impacts on
the environment.
 Colleague: it is the vision of the company to provide a safe, fair, healthy and happy
working environment for every stakeholder of the business.
 Community: it is the vision of Langham, Melbourne Company to contribute to the
surrounding community that it operates in.
Overview of the Environmental Forces and Their Likely Impact Langham, Melbourne
Businesses in the hotel industry are affected by many environmental factors such as
1. Economic
Economic impacts Langham, Melbourne through paying taxes, employing people and
accommodating rooms. The revenue the organization gets from its suppliers, partners, guests,
and the employee has a great impact on the economy of the firm and supports the society at
large. It prompts the firm's expenses, enhances great opportunities in the business and creates
good jobs hence the aiding the surrounding society in development (Zervas & Proserpio, 2017).

Management 5
2. Technology
With advanced technology, Langham, Melbourne has come up with WeChat app that helps in
building a learning platform in order to support its colleagues to be familiar with the firm’s
operation policies and general knowledge of Langham Melbourne (Staff Writers, 2017).
3. Political
Increasing legislation increases drawbacks on businesses this is due to constant amendments of
the laws by the Australian government. Business legislation is implemented in order to protect
firms, customers and the interest of the society at large. This becomes a challenge to the
organization because it will have to abide by any law implemented by the government
(Fernando, 2011).
4. Environmental
The hospitality industry is criticized for polluting the surrounding environment where businesses
operates in. for instance, Langham Melbourne is contributing a significant amount towards the
emission of carbon with negative insinuations to the subject of global warming.
New Strategy to Improve the Current Performance of the Langham Melbourne
With a clue of the current and future needs of Langham Melbourne hotel, I can propose the
following strategies that will improve the overall performance of the company. These strategies
include:
Strategic approaches: this will make a roadmap for the firm that will guarantee success in
planning and application and will support the improvement of stakeholders of Langham
Melbourne working together. These strategic approaches include collaboration and partnership
that involves the firm working together with other organization who share common goals, vision,

Management 6
resources, and outcome. Another approach will be harnessing modern technology in order to
become more productive and support the implementation of new programs and evaluation.
Besides, policy change and development is another approach that the business can adopt that
encourages the use of existing or new lessons obtained to update the correction of existing or
development of new policies. Capacity building is another strategic approach that Langham
Melbourne can adopt to strengthen the ability, knowledge, and skills of individual and enhance
the company's structures and processes more effectively hence meeting the needs of the
surrounding community in a sustainable manner (Pisano, Rieple, & Pironti, 2017).
Human resource practices: according to Martin & Whiting, (2016), these are set of HRM
procedures and actions that work globally and support organizations in attaining a competitive
advantage without considering the business setting or industry. There are various human
resource practices that Langham Melbourne can practice in order to improve the company’s
performance. If Langham Melbourne HR will execute these practices suitably, they will
definitely add substantial impact to the company and its goals. Some of these practices include
providing security to personnel, selecting and hiring the right people with the required skills and
experience, fairly compensation based on the performance, making organization’s information
easily available to those in need of it among others.
Organization culture: this is vital in every business as affect the way groups and people relate
with one another, with stakeholders and with customers. Nikpour, (2017), defines organization
culture as underlying beliefs, morals, assumption, and way of intermingling that enhance the
distinctive social and psychological setting of business. this includes the business expectation,
philosophy, experience together with ethics that guide a person's behavior and is expressed in a
person's self-image, future expectations, inner working and interaction with the society.

Management 7
Langham Melbourne hotel leaders should understand their role in evolving or maintaining the
business culture. A well established and embedded culture clearly indicates how people in
business should behave in order for them to achieve their goals. In return, this behavioral
framework can enhance high job satisfaction and productivity.
Value: Edward Bono is a famous author who illustrated the importance of core value in the
business by quoting "effectiveness without values is tool without purpose." This analog clearly
shows that a company without culture that is shaped on the basis of core values is of no value
(PODBEAN, 2018). This core values should guide all the stakeholders of Langham Melbourne
Hotel in attaining their mutual objective in a way that is based on the ideological and ethical
framework. Some of these core values that the business should have include integrity and ethics,
respect to its customers and employees, being innovative (not imitating its competitors) and self-
driven motivation.
Goals: These are strategic objectives that any firm’s management establishes to delineate
expected outcomes and direct workers’ efforts. They help the business to define its purpose and
aid the company to grow and accomplish its financial objectives. Besides, Langham Melbourne
should have a set of goals that will help it to measure its progress and be able to determine
various areas that need be improved for it to achieve its goals. Langham Melbourne should set
goals that are achievable, specific, timely and measurable that will aid the company increase
profitability, productivity, and efficiency (Bjerke & Renger, 2017).
Operations: Peinado, Graeml, & Vianna, (2018) define operations as the business function
accountable supervising the process of manufacturing goods and services in an organization. It
entails organizing, coordinating, planning and controlling all the available resource needed to
produce goods and services for the company. Langham Melbourne should have operation

Management 8
management because it executes a transformation role in the procedure of changing inputs to
outputs, for instance, raw materials to products and services. These inputs include facilities and
processes such as equipment and buildings, human resources such as manager, staff and workers,
also materials, information, and technology are included.
Leadership Style and Behaviors
This is the approach of implementing plans, providing direction, and motivating people in an
organization. As perceived by the employees, it involves the total pattern of implicit and explicit
acts carried out by their leader. In order for Langham Melbourne to implement the proposed
strategies above, the organization should implement different types of leader styles such as
Democratic or Participative style – decisions are made based on the productivity of each
employee by their leader although he or she has the final decision, every employee has an equal
opinion on the direction of the project. This is one of the most effective methods of leading
people in an organization because it gives a chance to lower personnel to exercise the power they
will need to use in a future position that they are capable of holding (qbal, Anwar, & Haider,
2015).
Laissez-Faire Leadership – this is another leadership style that can help Langham Melbourne
implement the proposed strategies. In this type of leadership, the company's leader will allow all
the workers to make decisions; however, the leader is accountable for the decisions made by the
employees (Barling, 2014).
Conclusion
Langham Melbourne is grand and sternly hotel that is guided by its current strategies to deliver
the best to its customers and the society at large. However, there are several environmental
forces that impact the operations of the company in both positive and negative way. The research

Management 9
has recommended several strategies that can help the company handle these environmental
forces and be productive. Besides, for the organization to stand in the competitive market, it must
involve all the stakeholders of the company by practicing both Laissez-Faire and participatory
leadership styles.
Reference
Barling, J. (2014). The science of leadership : lessons from research for organizational leaders.
Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press.
Bjerke, M., & Renger, R. (2017). Being smart about writing SMART objective. Evaluation and
program planning, 125-127.
Fernando, A. C. (2011). Business environment. New Delhi: Pearson.
Martin, M., & Whiting, F. (2016). Human resource practice. London : Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development,.
Nikpour, A. (2017).). The impact of organizational culture on organizational performance: The
mediating role of employee’s organizational commitment. International Journal of
Organizational Leadership, 65-72.

Management 10
Peinado, J., Graeml, A., & Vianna, F. (2018). Operations management body of knowledge and
its relevance to manufacturing and service organizations. Revista de Gestão, 373-389.
Pisano, P., Rieple, A., & Pironti, M. (2017). Strategic approaches. Strategic Human Resource
Managemen. An International Perspective, 37.
PODBEAN . (2018, october 11). Rocky Romanella: Define and Build Your Core Company
Values. Retrieved from Hire Power Radio: https://hirepower.podbean.com/e/rocky-
romanella-define-and-build-your-core-company-values/
qbal, N., Anwar, S., & Haider, N. (2015). Effect of leadership style on employee performance.
Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 1-6.
Staff Writers. (2017, AUGUST). Melbourne creates a WeChat account. Retrieved from
GovNews: https://www.govnews.com.au/melbourne-creates-a-wechat-account/
The Art of Business Travel. (2016, MARCH 2). Hotel Review: The Langham Melbourne.
Retrieved from The Art of Business Travel.: http://www.theartofbusinesstravel.com/mile-
high-club/hotel-review-the-langham-melbourne/
THE LANGHAM HOTELS & RESORTS. (2019, MAY 14). WHAT'S ON AT THE LANGHAM,
MELBOURNE. Retrieved from LANGHAM, MELBOURNE:
http://www.langhamhotels.com/en/the-langham/melbourne/
Zervas, G., & Proserpio, D. (2017). The rise of the sharing economy: Estimating the impact of
Airbnb on the hotel industry. Journal of marketing research, 687-705.