HR2015 - Organisational Change: Lakeside Hall Hotel Case Study Report

This report analyzes the Lakeside Hall Hotel, a 4-star establishment facing challenges in service quality and operational efficiency. The assignment requires a change management consultant's perspective, including a Force Field Analysis to assess pressures for and against change. It necessitates the selection and justification of a diagnostic model (SWOT, PESTLE, or McKinsey's 7-S) to evaluate internal, external, and strategic implications. The report must identify and prioritize actionable changes, considering various change types to facilitate planning, monitoring, and implementation. Additionally, the report should demonstrate an understanding of theoretical approaches to organisational change, critically analyzing their relevance and application within the hotel context, leading to well-supported recommendations. The report will adhere to a 2,500-word limit and will require external research and Harvard referencing.

HR2015 – Work and Organisational Change
Assignment 1: Case Study – The Lakeside Hall Hotel
The 4 Star Lakeside Hall Hotel is situated on the shores of Windermere in the
English Lake District with wonderful views of the surrounding fells, the perfect
location for hiking, sailing and leisurely walking in the countryside. Michael
Davies owns the hotel, a local businessman who has managed the
establishment for the past five years. The key to the success of the business
has been maintaining a high quality of service and hence guests come back
time and time again. People often stay at the hotel at least twice a year for
two to three days at the time with weekends being the busiest period, even
during the winter months. The establishment is extremely popular with
families, couples requiring a relaxing break and the over 55’s. A two night stay
starts from £190.00 per person for dinner, bed and breakfast. Around one
hundred staff is employed at the hotel.
Two duty managers co-ordinate the day-to-day operational management of
the hotel, one manager being responsible for personnel and front of house
activities and the other manager co-ordinates the food and beverage
operation. Both managers have responsibility for six department heads
(Reception Manager, Head Chef, Leisure Club Manager, Head Housekeeper,
Restaurant Manager and Bars Manager). Each department head has
responsibility for their department and to ensure that all staff are totally
focused on customer service and indeed exceeding the expectations of the
guests. Training is important at the hotel and all employees have the
opportunity to study for NVQ qualifications in their particular area, this is co-
ordinated by the local College. Management training has been ad-hoc and a
potential area for improvement. All new staff attend ‘Welcome Host’ a
customer service course that is delivered by Cumbria tourism.
On the whole it was felt that the hotel operated extremely smoothly. However,
recently a number of problems have been highlighted. The hotel had the
Investors in People national quality standard, which places the training and
development of people as being crucial for an organisation to achieve its
business goals. After gaining accreditation for the standard over the past
three years at a recent re-inspection the organisation failed two standards
(performance measurement and continuous improvement) set by the
assessors. Also a number of serious complaints have been drawn to the
attention of the owner and he is now extremely concerned about the decline in
standards. Complaints include: One irate lady guest complained (‘this hotel is
like a brothel’) and indeed left the hotel after pornographic magazines were
found in the room, this has happened on four occasions over the past twelve
months. It was also pointed out that the leisure club lacked the ambience of a
high-class establishment with cleanliness problems and an un-imaginative set
of activities classes. A recent complaint regarding food quality and restaurant
service standards has been another clear cause for concern.
1

The hotel has been marketed at the higher end of the holiday and short break
market, together with attracting conference and corporate hospitality.
Occupancy figures are 61% (April 2016). The hotel sales manager who is
responsible directly to Michael Davies co-ordinates the marketing activities
along with two sales staff within the department and two ‘remote’ sales staff
who work in the field one based in Newcastle and the other in Manchester.
The ‘remote’ sales team’s role is to target potential corporate business in the
North East and North West. It is felt that the ‘remote’ employees need to be
much more performance-focused and provided with realistic goals and
development opportunities. Mail shots (electronic and standard delivery) to
previous and potential guests take place twice a year, advertisements in
relevant holiday publications have proved useful, some ‘high-end’ internet
sites have also had some success and a weekly advertisement is placed in
the ‘Sunday Times’. The internet site has the potential to become a positive
tool for bookings and brochure requests. However, the Sales Manager has
worked at the hotel for over forty years and does not realise the potential or
indeed have the understanding of electronic media.
Hotel Facilities
 4 Star hotel set in 60 acres with lake frontage
 60 En-suite bedrooms
 Cocktail bar
 Lake view restaurant
 Conference suite for up-to 100 delegates
 Leisure club with swimming pool, sauna, gym & coffee bar
 Croquet, tennis court, pitch & putt
 Public rooms with log fires
Task
You are employed as a change management consultant to investigate and
critically analyse the current situation at the hotel. A 2,500 word report needs
to be compiled for the hotel owner, together with thorough recommendations
on the changes that are required to improve the business.
The following specific tasks need to be fully considered:
Compile a force field analysis of the present situation at the hotel that
considers the pressures and tensions that are for and against bringing about
change and reflect on how you would move the equilibrium to facilitate
change.
Choose an appropriate diagnostic model (Swot analysis, Pestle analysis or
McKinsey’s Seven ‘S’ model) and consider the wider internal, external and
strategic implications of the proposed changes. Justify why you have chosen
a particular model and identify a number of actions and prioritise them.
2

Consider particular types of change that can be used to enable the hotel to
plan, monitor and implement any proposed organisational change.
Assessment Criteria
Identify and critically analyse different theoretical approaches to the
management of organisational change and their relevance within
organisations
Demonstrate an understanding of different theoretical approaches and
methods in the implementation of organisational change
Critically analyse the application of theoretical approaches to change to
organisational situations
A well structured report that is clearly presented, with an appropriate depth of
analysis leading to well justified recommendations
Clear evidence of wider reading, together with the report being correctly
referenced using the Harvard method.
Word Limit: 2,500
Assessment Weighting: 70% of the module
Assignment Issue Date: W/C 10th October 2016
Submission Date: Friday 27th January 2017
3