Research Plan: Holiday Inn's Organizational Culture and Leadership

This research plan investigates the influence of transformational leadership on organizational culture within Holiday Inn hotels in Australia. The study aims to evaluate how transformational leadership can improve organizational culture, employee motivation, and retention, addressing issues like high employee turnover common in the hospitality industry. The research design includes a literature review exploring transformational leadership concepts, its impact on organizational learning and culture, and factors affecting its implementation. The methodology encompasses data collection through questionnaires and analysis to identify the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational culture. Expected findings will provide insights into how transformational leadership can enhance the workplace environment, improve employee morale, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of the firm. The plan also includes a time and resource structure, outlining the project's timeline, resource allocation, and data analysis techniques.

Business Research Design

Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction..........................................................................................................................1
2.0 Research question and its significance.................................................................................1
3.0 Primary practices..................................................................................................................2
4.0 Literature review..................................................................................................................3
4.1 Concept of transformational leadership and impact on organizational culture................3
4.2 Role of transformational leadership to influence the organizational learning and
innovation...............................................................................................................................5
4.3 Assessing the factors affecting transformational leadership and organizational culture
of Holiday Inn........................................................................................................................7
5.0 Research methodology.........................................................................................................9
5.1 Data collection.................................................................................................................9
5.2 Sampling........................................................................................................................10
5.2.1 Target population....................................................................................................10
5.2.2 Sampling technique.................................................................................................11
5.2.3 Sample size and location.........................................................................................11
5.3 Data analysis..................................................................................................................12
6.0 Estimated findings..............................................................................................................13
7.0 Time and resource structure...............................................................................................14
8.0 References..........................................................................................................................16
9.0 Appendices.........................................................................................................................21
9.1 Questionnaire.................................................................................................................21

List of figures
Figure 1: Model of organizational learning and transformational leadership............................6
Figure 2: Relationship between transformational leadership and organizational culture..........9
Figure 1:Sampling process.......................................................................................................12
List of tables
Table 1: time structure of proposed research...........................................................................14
Table 2: Organisational culture and leader..............................................................................23
Table 3: Transformational leader and learning........................................................................24
Table 4: difference between primary and secondary data collection methods........................25
Table 5: Differences between probabilistic and non-probabilistic sampling...........................26
Table 6: Resource table............................................................................................................26

1.0 Introduction
In the current era, changing business environment and high competition forces the
businesses to implement effective practices such as for managing human resources (HR)
which ensure the adequate growth (Dunning, 2014). In this context, the HR management is
influenced by the leadership, reward, culture and structure to a great extent. However, the
hospitality industry is based on the human resources for delivering the high-quality services
to the customers. Further, the satisfaction of customers plays extensive role to determine the
rapid growth. In this regard, the organizational culture shapes the behaviour of individual for
performing the job responsibilities (Awadh and Saad, 2013). It shows that the organizational
culture highly influences the success of hospitality industry. In this context, the current
research will be based on the Holiday Inn hotels in the hospitality industry of Australia.
The purpose of current research plan is to provides the full detailed research which
will be used to improve the organizational culture by implementing effective leadership
practices. It will support the top management to implement the transformational leadership at
the workplace which can positively enhance the effectiveness of organizational culture. It
further motivates the workforce to perform their job responsibility which effectively
contributes in the success of organization (Hartnell and Walumbwa, 2011). On the other
hand, the adequate leadership will support the mangemnt to improve the morale of workforce
which foster their long-term loyalty for the firm. It will provide the sustainable growth to the
firm by reducing the employee turnover.
2.0 Research question and its significance
The present research will be based on “To critically evaluate the role of
transformational leadership in improving the organisational culture. A study on the Holiday
Inn”. The research on this topic is imperative because the culture and leadership plays
extensive role in the growth of the organization. However, the several organizationsface the
failure due to ineffective leadership while same ensure the rapid growth through appropriate
leadership such as Netflix (Awadh and Saad, 2013). The effective leadership provides the
right direction to the followers towards the aim of organization which positively affects the
profitability. Although, the changing business environment forces the business to implement
the transformational leadership which change the workplace culture in the positive manner
(Kovjanic, Schuh and Jonas, 2013). Owing to this, the study to analysing the role of
transformational leadership for improving corporate culture is significant.
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The answer of research question will shed the light on the different aspect of
transformational leader which plays great role for improving organizational culture.
However, the Australian hospitality industry facing the issue of high employees’ turnover
which is critical problem because this industry is dominated by the HR (AI Group, 2018).
Apart from this, the adverse working condition such as long working hours and high work
pressure degrade the morale of workforce for performing their job responsibility effectively
(AlBattat, Som and Helalat, 2014). In this regard, the proposed answer of research question
will support hospitality businesses by implementing the transformational leadership to
improve the corporate culture in the context of employees’ motivation and morale (Awadh
and Saad, 2013). It will support the business to improve the profitability by motivating
workforces through effective organizational culture. Apart from this, it will support the
business to deal with high employees’ turnover and ensure sustainability of the firm. This is
because the employee retention is significant to determine the consistent business operation
without involving frequent recruitment and selection process with routine operations
(Kovjanic, Schuh and Jonas, 2013). It further increases the profitability of the company
because superior performance of employees regulate the effective service delivery and
increase the customers’ loyalty for the firm. The increased loyalty enhances their willingness
to pay for gaining the advantages of high-quality services. Owing to this, the answer of
present research will offer several benefits to the Holiday Inn in terms employees’ retention
and customers’ satisfaction.
3.0 Primary practices
According to Joyce (2005) the success of organization depends upon the four primary
and four secondary practices including strategy, culture, structure, execution (primary),
innovation, leadership, talent, merger and partnership (secondary). The combination of
primary and secondary practices is significant to improve the competitive edge of the firm.
The culture and leadership are closely relevant to research topic because leadership style
shapes the culture of the organization. In this regard, the culture in hospitality business has
extensive role for success by creating the specific environment wherein all operations are
managed and has massive impact on the failure or success (Awadh and Saad, 2013). It
demands to establishe the effective culture wherein the workforce focus on creating value for
their work. However, it is difficult for an organization to sustain high valued culture because
it gets influenced by the several aspects. In this context, the leadership at workplace affects
the values of the corporate culture to great extent (Bolton, Brunnermeier and Veldkamp,
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2012). This is because the culture set of shared values which are learned and transmitted in
the organization; however, the behaviour of leaders is firstly absorbed and transmitted at
workplace (Kovjanic, Schuh and Jonas, 2013). The positive behaviour spread the high values
while negative behaviour decreases the morale. It forces the business to focus on effect
leadership for creating valued culture. Owing to this, both primary and secondary practices
are involved in current research.
The proposed research will have positive impact on the culture of Holiday Inn
because the transformational leader brings the several changes at workplace by implementing
different strategies (Hartnell and Walumbwa, 2011). It has positive impact on the corporate
culture because the leader focuses on the motivation of workforce to bring the changes. The
motivating leadership is absorbed by the followers and encourage them to complete the
allocated task effectively (Kovjanic, Schuh and Jonas, 2013). The proposed research will
shed the light on the different perspective of transformational leadership which will affect the
primary practices such as structure, culture and strategy. Apart from this, the current research
will also shed the lights on different leadership theories which will support the firm to use the
appropriate leadership for improving corporate culture. It shows that study on the
transformational leadership for improving the organizational culture will support the Holiday
Inn to improve the existing culture by using effective leadership practices; thus, the proposed
research will have positive impact on firm’s culture.
4.0 Literature review
4.1 Concept of transformational leadership and impact on organizational culture
According to Kark and Shamir (2013), transformational leadership is the managerial
style which is used to influence the employees by focusing on the influencer speech,
intellectual stimulation as well as motivational factors. Moreover, Bushra, Ahmad and
Naveed (2011) asserted that in transformational leadership leaders get inspired by the
atmosphere and trust on the employee’s performance which is beyond the expectations. On
the other hand, Odumeru and Ogbonna (2013) mentioned that transformational leader is a
personality which have a dynamic nature and behavior because the leaders mold the practices
according to the changing environment. However, Riaz and Haider (2010) pointed out that
transformational leadership is based on the compliance of followers which includes the
shifting of beliefs, needs and values of the followers. Further, Ghasabeh, Soosay and Reaiche
(2015) identified that transformational leadership is the unique style of the leaders because it
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is specially associated with the supportive leadership, inspirational communication,
engagement in all kind of activities of the organization etc. Apart from this, Odumeru and
Ogbonna (2013) notified that transformational leader have a caliber to perform the task as per
the changed requirements and encourage the others to work more enthusiastically to achieve
the targets. Therefore, it shows that transformational leadership is a different practice of the
leader which is helpful to work in any kind of completive environment. Furthermore,
transformational leaders always keen towards the supportive work and focuses on the
performance in the changing environment.
Hoon Song, Kolb, Hee Lee and Kyoung Kim (2012) stated that leadership behavior
always affects the organizational culture and knowledge management in the organization. In
this context, Birasnav (2014) asserted that transformational leadership is based on the
knowledge sharing practices which helps to create an adaptive culture in the organization.
Further, Riaz and Haider (2010) pointed out that transformational leadership is important for
the management of the organizational culture because it creates an innovative cultural
environment wherein leaders focuses on the development of new insights. However, Pieterse,
Van Knippenberg, Schippers and Stam (2010) argued that transformational leaders are
beneficial for the organizations because leaders emphasize on new learning, innovations and
developments in the organization which further improves the culture of the internal
environment. Besides this, Kelloway, Turner, Barling and Loughlin (2012) found that
transformational leadership style has significant importance because the leaders are closely
associated with the followers working conditions like involvement, influence, adaptiveness
etc. Additionally, involvement in transformational leadership is associated with the job-
satisfaction and meaningfulness is related to well-being of the employees. Hence, it shows
that transformational leadership is important for the organizations culture because it focuses
on the involvement of new insights in the firm. Moreover, it helps to influence the employees
towards the innovative culture and nature of adaptiveness for the development.
Paarlberg and Lavigna (2010) mentioned that transformational leadership plays a
critical role in the developing a learning culture and climate within the firm and further
empowers the employees for the achievement of the organizational goals. However, Pieterse
et al., (2010) argued that transformational leadership creates the chances of employees burn
out because transformational leaders always focuses on the new plans, organizational change
and development. Additionally, it might be a drawback for the organizations because in
which employees feels like they are taken advantage of more involvement as well as obliged
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to beyond the task to be achieved. On the contrary, Grant (2012) examined that
transformational leaders are advantages for the organizations culture because leaders
motivate and encourage the employees to a great extent to come out with optimum results.
Apart from this, transformational leaders are more appropriate for the culture of large
organizations because the leaders always focus on the changes in the external environment
and emphasize on the effective changes in the organization as per the external changes. Thus,
it indicates that transformational leadership has own significance towards the culture of the
organization because it changes the overall internal environment on the basis of the changes
in the external environment. Moreover, it creates a collaborative relationship with changes
and cultural environment.
4.2 Role of transformational leadership to influence the organizational learning and
innovation
4.2.1 Transformational leadership and organizational learning
According to Noruzy et al., (2013), transformational leadership plays critical role in
the organization because it modifies the entire cultural environment of the organizations. In
this context, Choudhary, Akhtar and Zaheer (2013) asserted that transformational leadership
and organizational learning has a significant relationship because learning is associated with
the inclusion of new aspects in the procedure or working criteria. However, Kurland, Peretz
and Hertz-Lazarowitz (2010) argued that inability to learn affects the organizational learning
because it is based on the cognitive and behavioral changes. At this juncture, Camps and
Rodríguez (2011) identified that organizational learning is fuels by the transformational
leadership because it focuses on the promoting intellectual stimulation, self-confidence in the
staff members and rendering the inspirational motivation. In this context, Noruzy et al.,
(2013) notified that transformational leadership is directly associated with organizational
learning and knowledge sharing capabilities which further leads to organizational innovations
(Refer the figure 1). Here, Birasnav (2014) delineated that organizational learning has a
positive impact on the organizational performance because workforce focuses on the grasping
of new theories for the overall development. Therefore, it reflects the transformational
leadership and organizational learning are closely associated because leadership has drastic
impact on the learning of the related personnel.
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Figure 1: Model of organizational learning and transformational leadership
(Source: Noruzy, Dalfard, Azhdari, Nazari-Shirkouhi and Rezazadeh, 2013)
Noruzy et al. (2013) mentioned that transformational leadership is also supportive
style for the well-being of the employees because it involves the effectiveness of the working
conditions. In this context, Abbasi and Zamani-Miandashti (2013) identified that
transformational leadership is associated with the way in which employees learn the work
environment. Additionally, employees are always motivated by the transformational leaders
to manage the complex situations with effectiveness and patience by possessing the external
behavior. However, Camps and Rodríguez (2011) stated that organizational learning is
largely associated with the leader ship styles which is closely related to transformational
leadership. Furthermore, learning is based on the exchange of valuable information by
developing the contacts with others. Apart from this, García-Morales, Jiménez-Barrionuevo
and Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez (2012) asserted that organizational learning is led by the
transformational leadership approach because learning is specially related to set of actions
which are intentionally or non-intentionally influence the positive organizational change.
Further, Grant (2012) stated that management of organizational learning within the workplace
is not easy because it requires the actual attentiveness to perceive the external changes for
knowledge and organizational success. Hence, it reveals that transformational leadership and
organizational learning are keenly associated with each other because leadership leads the
learning and learning is developed by the interference of transformational leaders.
4.2.2 Transformational leadership and innovations
According to Abbasi and Zamani-Miandashti (2013), there is positive relationship
between transformational leadership and innovations because the leader is always focuses
shifting towards the changes and adaptive environment. In this context, Warrick (2011)
mentioned that transformational leadership is directly or indirectly enhance the organizational
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innovation with the helps of the supportive organizational culture. Similarly, Hargis, Watt
and Piotrowski (2011) asserted that culture is the main factor to influence the people by using
the effective leadership style which further influence the organizational performance.
However, Warrick (2011) argued that organizational learning has extensive impact on the
organizational innovation because the greater the innovations demands for the higher degree
of learning which is gained by the transformational leadership approach. Additionally,
positive relationship is existing between organizational learning and innovations and the
learning is associated with different types of learning such as radical, incremental, generative
and adaptive etc. Besides this, García-Morales, Jiménez-Barrionuevo and x`Gutiérrez-
Gutiérrez (2012) notified that transformational leadership is the transmitter of innovative
culture as well as adaptive factor of knowledge oriented to find out the optimum
organizational performance. On the other hand, Zhang, Ullrich and van Dick (2015) stated
that transformational leadership is the relevant factors or strategy for the innovation of the
firms because transformational leader has an interactive vision and pays an extensive
attention on the fostering of the effective communication as well as sharing values.
Furthermore, it encourages the appropriate environment innovative teams which helps for the
collective learning. Hence, it shows that organizational innovation is promoted by the
influencer transformational leadership because it focuses on the high degree of learning from
the externalities and apply the new concept in the organizational development for better
performance.
4.3 Assessing the factors affecting transformational leadership and organizational culture of
Holiday Inn
4.3.1 Innovation and internal environment
According to García-Morales, Jiménez-Barrionuevo and Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez (2012),
innovation is the major factor which influence the transformational leader because the is
always keep eyes on the inclusion of new methods, techniques and focuses on the
implementation of change in the organization. Additionally, change is the good for the
development of the firms by measuring the internal capabilities of the workers. However,
Shao, Feng and Liu (2012) mentioned that internal environment affects the transformational
leaders because the shifting of activities takes place within the organization with the consent
of the staff members. In this context, Nam Nguyen and Mohamed (2011) asserted that
transformational leaders imply the adequate changes in the organization by motivating the
workforce which helps to change the overall culture of the organization (refer figure 2).
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Furthermore, Nam Nguyen and Mohamed (2011) found out that with the help of the
innovation, a transformational leader motivates the associated personnel for the expansion
and development of the firms. It shows that innovation largely affects the transformational
leadership style because it completely changes the organizational culture as well as motivates
the people for the better performance.
4.3.2 External cultural environment
Aktaş, Çiçek and Kıyak (2011) delineated that ability of innovation of
transformational leaders is get affected by the external factors like availability of competition,
new approaches, organizational external capacity and competitiveness. Additionally, external
environment motivates the leaders in context of the inspiration and intellectual stimulations.
However, Jogulu and Ferkins (2012) asserted that transformational leaders are not merely
influenced by the externalities; nonetheless, it also gets attraction by the close peer person
and perception of achievement of long-term goals. Further, Sackmann (2011) mentioned that
innovation lies under the external factors which has direct or indirect impact on the
performance of the organization and leaders. Moreover, Aktaş, Çiçek and Kıyak (2011)
supervised that external cultural environment like stakeholders, customers, clients etc. have
the major role in the affecting the organizational culture and transformational leadership.
Thus, it shows that there is a strong connectivity between transformational leadership and
organizational culture which gets affected by the external cultural environment. Furthermore,
leaders get influence by the external surroundings.
4.3.3 Attentiveness of the workforce
Kaslow, Falender and Grus (2012) stated that transformational leadership is largely
affected by the attentiveness of the workforce because more alertness has close relations with
leaders. In this context, Datche and Mukulu (2015) mentioned that transformational leaders
always focus on the finding of new things in any form and apply those activities in the own
organizations for the development and to be competitive. Similarly, Serrano and Reichard
(2011) pointed out that involvement is one of the mechanisms which helps to be positively
attached as well as attentive to the leader and supports to the improvement in the
organizational culture. On the other hand, Kroon, van Woerkom and Menting (2017)
examined that it is not necessary that all the employees remain attentive in the organizations
where in some of the non-attentive and non-influence towards the new innovations which has
direct impact on the perception of transformational leaders. Nonetheless, Serrano and
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Reichard (2011) argued that attentiveness is not merely required in the employees but it is
also demanded by the leader’s side because transformational leaders are needed to be more
attentive in case of the autism spectrum disorder people. Furthermore, this attentiveness is
required especially with the regards to potential frustration which has direct impact on the
performance indicators of transformational leadership. Hence, it reflects that attentiveness of
the workforce and leaders are equally required because the installation of new tendencies in
the organizations based on it.
Figure 2: Relationship between transformational leadership and organizational culture
(Source: Nam Nguyen and Mohamed, 2011)
5.0 Research methodology
5.1 Data collection
Data collection is an important part of a study wherein the researcher collect the
information about research topic from appropriate sources (Creswell and Creswell, 2017). It
is significant to conduct a research because it determines the quality of information which
further used to generate the outcome (Kumar and Phrommathed, 2005). In this regard,
Saunders and Lewis (2016) proposed two types of data collection methods likely primary and
secondary. The primary data which are first handed and never collected before they are
gathered by using different approaches such as interview, survey and questionnaire.
However, the collection of primary data is affected by the type of research wherein the
qualitative research demands for collecting quality data which offers the in-depth
understanding about research topic (Creswell and Creswell, 2017). In contrast, the
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