Analysis of Crisis Management Practices: UK Hospitality Dissertation

This document presents a dissertation proposal focused on analyzing crisis management practices within the UK hospitality industry, specifically using Hyatt Regency London as a case study. The proposal outlines the research aim, objectives, and questions, emphasizing the importance of crisis management in dealing with uncertain events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes a comprehensive literature review exploring how crisis management strategies mitigate challenges and impact business performance. The research methodology section details the chosen interpretivism philosophy, inductive approach, case study strategy, and qualitative research method. Secondary data collection will be used with thematic analysis. The potential outcome focuses on the various crisis management practices adopted by Hyatt Regency to address sudden challenges. Ethical considerations, such as credibility and confidentiality, are also addressed. The proposal highlights the need for effective crisis management in the hospitality sector to maintain brand image, customer base, and financial stability.

INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS
DISSERTATION PROPOSAL
(“TO ANALYSE THE CRISIS
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
ADOPTED BY HOSPITALITY
INDUSTRY IN THE UK")

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................5
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................................6
POTENTIAL OUTCOME...............................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Overview of the topic
Crisis management refers to the process of applying strategies designed for assisting a
company to deal with sudden and unexpected events. A crisis occurs as an outcome of an
unexpected situation (Le and Phi, 2021). Generally, crisis management assists an organisation to
save from unexpected and disruptive events. There are many unexpected events had arisen such
as COVID-19, bombing and so on. These events had created a direct impact on the performance
of the business. So, companies form certain crisis management practices for dealing with sudden
changes or events. Thus, the current study covers practices of crisis management adopted by
hotels to deal with unpredictable situations.
Scope
The scope of the present study is to assemble in-depth information about crisis
management practices through secondary methods Liu and et. al (2021). This also covers their
impact on the business performance.
Research aim, objectives and questions
Research Aim:
To analyse the crisis management practices adopted by the hospitality industry in the UK:
A study on Hyatt Regency London
Research Objectives:
 To evaluate the importance of crisis management within the hospitality industry
 To determine the crisis management practices adopted by Hyatt Regency for dealing with
uncertain and unpredictable situations
 To discern the challenges that can be faced by Hyatt Regency London in the absence of
crisis management practices To examine the impact of crisis management practices on the business performance of
Hyatt Regency London
Research Questions:
 What is the importance of crisis management within the hospitality industry?
 What are the crisis management practices adopted by Hyatt Regency for dealing with
uncertain and unpredictable situations?

 What are the challenges that can be faced by Hyatt Regency London in the absence of
crisis management practices?
 What is the impact of crisis management practices on the business performance of Hyatt
Regency London?

LITERATURE REVIEW
How do crisis management practices help the hospitality industry deal with uncertain situations
and their impact on business performance?
According to the view of Wut, Xu and Wong (2021), crisis management is one of the
important business applications which brands use to mitigate challenges. It is the strategy that is
designed so that brands can cope with the sudden event which negatively impacts the company's
performance and productivity, With the help of crisis management hotels can overcome form
problem and issue and soundly operates their business. Crisis management helps them to manage
a crisis effectively so that they can improve their brand image, customer base and financial
consequences. As per the opinion of Berbekova, Uysal and Assaf (2021), several events create a
direct impact on the business and disturb the operations of the whole organisation. Some of the
crisis management practices which are generally adopted by the hospitality industry include:
responding in real-time, creating social media crisis policy, keeping necessary stakeholders
included, following up with an official response, making budget provisions, approaching
governmental assistance, and so on. It is also identified that with the assistance of crisis
management practices, the hospitality industry decreases the level of disruption in their business
(Breier and et. Al 2021). It also makes the hospitality industry engage with their existing as well
as potential customers. The most beneficial crisis management plan includes social media to
inform their customers about their current scenario of working during the occurrence of
unpredictable situations. Thus, having an apt crisis management plan assists a company in easily
facing a state of emergency. Therefore, every company needs to invest its efforts and time in
dealing with unpredictable situations and events.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research philosophy: There are two research philosophies which are positivism and
interpretivism. As per the current research, the investigator will be selecting interpretivism
philosophy. The main reason is through this social world perception can be understood in a
subjective way (Kumar, 2018).
Research approach: Deductive and inductive are the two research approach that is used to
address the research problem. In the present investigation, an investigator will be opting for an
inductive approach (Bauer and Scheim, 2019). This is because using this research problem is
determined by qualitative data.
Research strategy: Survey, experimental research, case study, and many more are some
kinds of research strategies. As per the current investigation, a researcher will be choosing a case
study research strategy (Fallon, 2019). The main motive is secondary data can be obtained in a
much easier way.
Research choice: There are three research methods which are qualitative, quantitative, and
mixed research method. In the current investigation, the investigator will be selecting a
qualitative research method. The main reason is that data is in the form of text and statements
which helps in gathering and analysing deeper data for the study (Gupta and Gupta, 2022).
Data collection: Two data collection methods are primary and secondary data sources.
According to the present investigation, an investigator will be choosing a secondary data
collection method (Lai, 2018). With the assistance of secondary sources, second-hand
information is acquired that will help in showing the bigger picture. The research instrument for
secondary data collection will be books, online sites, articles and many more. Data is analysed
using a thematic analysis tool so that qualitative data will be evaluated appropriately. The main
reason to use the secondary data collection method is that it will help in conducting the research
more deeply as past data is used to conduct the research.
Ethical consideration: Some of the ethics which will be followed in the current
investigation are credibility, confidentiality, not harming people, honesty etc. (Zheng and et. al,
2020).

POTENTIAL OUTCOME
The major potential outcome which will be acquired while carrying out the investigation
is different crisis management practices that Hyatt regency adopted to mitigate the challenges.
Crisis management is the business strategy that helps the organisation to overcome the
challenges which occur suddenly (Kaushal and Srivastava, 2021). Some of the crisis
management strategies which is used by the hotel is building a crisis management team so that
crises can be analysed before they occur. The second employee training so that they can develop
skills among their employee to manage the uncertainty effectively.

REFERENCES
Books and journal
Bauer, G.R. and Scheim, A.I., 2019. Methods for analytic intercategorical intersectionality in
quantitative research: discrimination as a mediator of health inequalities. Social Science
& Medicine. 226. pp.236-245.
Berbekova, A., Uysal, M. and Assaf, A.G., 2021. A thematic analysis of crisis management in
tourism: A theoretical perspective. Tourism Management. 86. p.104342.
Breier, M., and et. al, 2021. The role of business model innovation in the hospitality industry
during the COVID-19 crisis. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 92.
p.102723.
Fallon, M., 2019. Writing up quantitative research in the social and behavioral sciences.
In Writing up Quantitative Research in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Brill.
Feng, Y., and et. al, 2021. Data collection methods for studying pedestrian behaviour: A
systematic review. Building and Environment. 187. p.107329.
Gupta, B.N. and Gupta, N., 2022. Research methodology. SBPD Publications.
Kaushal, V. and Srivastava, S., 2021. Hospitality and tourism industry amid COVID-19
pandemic: Perspectives on challenges and learnings from India. International journal of
hospitality management. 92. p.102707.
Kumar, R., 2018. Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Sage.
Lai, P.C., 2018. Research methodology for novelty technology. JISTEM-Journal of Information
Systems and Technology Management. 15.
Le, D. and Phi, G., 2021. Strategic responses of the hotel sector to COVID-19: Toward a refined
pandemic crisis management framework. International Journal of Hospitality
Management. 94. p.102808.
Liu, M.T., and et. al, 2021. Taking a break is for accomplishing a longer journey: hospitality
industry in Macao under the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of
Contemporary Hospitality Management.
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.
Zheng, C., and et. al, 2020. Ethical consideration on use of seclusion in mental health
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