Management & Leadership Changes in Response to Digital Technology

This presentation critically evaluates how management and leadership skills and styles, particularly within the context of InterContinental Hotels, have developed and adapted in response to changes caused by the use of digital technology. It assesses and applies different classical management theories, such as Fayol's five functions of management and Taylor’s theory of Scientific Management, highlighting their limitations in the face of digital advancements. The presentation explains the evolving role of leaders and different leadership styles, advocating for a laissez-faire approach facilitated by technology, and compares this with autocratic leadership in organizations like Ritz Carlton that rely less on digitization. The analysis also considers how change management systems affect the skills and styles evaluated, emphasizing the impact of digital technology on task delegation and employee satisfaction.

CHANGES IN
MANAGEMENT AND
LEADERSHIP DUE TO
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
NAME OF THE STUDENT:
NAME OF THE INSTITUTION:
ROLL NO:
DATE OF SUBMISSION

INTRODUCTION
Digital Technology in InterContinental hotels, such as the InterContinental Hotel, have resulted in a change
in the styles and skills of leadership and management that are required by the hotels (Noe, Hollenbeck,
Gerhart & Wright, 2017). One of the most significant changes would be in the way that the hotels manage
check-ins and check-outs, as well as other services and how they are managed.

CLASSICAL
MANAGEMENT
THEORIES
•Fayol's five functions of
management is one of the classical
management theories which aims to
increase productivity by treating
workers like machines (Wang &
Chung, 2015). However, due to the
rise in digital technology, this theory
of management and leadership
would result employee
dissatisfaction.

CLASSICAL MANAGEMENT THEORIES
In Taylor’s theory of Scientific
Management, it is the job of the
manager to tell the staff which is the
best way to do the job (Richard, 2017).
However, due to the rise in digital
technology, the staff of the hotel
would generally know the best way to
do the job themselves.

ROLE OF LEADER AND
LEADERSHIP STYLES
In this case, the role of the leader would be to simply oversee
everything that is happening. Due to digital technology, the
concierge would have a computer that would display the exact
check-in and check-out times, as well as room availabilities
(Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart & Wright, 2017).

REVIEW OF THE
MANAGEMENT AND
LEADERSHIP STYLE
The laissez-faire leadership would be
working in the InterContinental Hotel,
since the delegation of the tasks would
be helped by technology as well (Wang
& Chung, 2015). This type of leadership
has been proven to be the best type in
this scenario, since most of the work that
requires the interference of the leader
has been done by technology. Most
employees are satisfied by this type of
leadership in the workplace.

ROLE OF LEADER
AND LEADERSHIP
STYLES
Guests would be able to check the
same online, and the room service or
any other service could be digitized
as well. Thus, the role of the leader
would simply be to
oversee everything and delegate,
which would thus be a laissez-faire
leadership (Richard, 2017).

CONCLUSION
In many other hotels, such as the Ritz
Carlton, the type of leadership is
different. In this company, the Autocratic
Leadership Style is the one that is
chosen. This is because the organization
does not rely much on technology and
digitization, which is why the laissez-faire
leadership is not used.

REFERENCES
• Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2017). Human resource management:
Gaining a competitive advantage. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
• Richard, B. (2017). Hotel chains: survival strategies for a dynamic future. Journal of Tourism
Futures, 3(1), 56-65.
• Wang, Y. C., & Chung, Y. (2015). Hotel brand portfolio strategy. International Journal of
Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27(4), 561-584.

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