Leader 'leadership' perceptions within a luxury hotel environment

Greta Marinotti ,Alan Johnston

doi:10.18282/hrms.v6i1.3483

Home - HRMS - Volume 6 - Issue 1

Submit to HRMS

Journal Browser

Volume | Year

Issue

• Current lssue

View All

News and Announcements

Feb 3, 2026

Journal Support Policy Statement: APC Support Policy for 2026 Submissions
Jun 4, 2025

Human Resources Management and Services accepted for inclusion in Scopus

View All

Leader 'leadership' perceptions within a luxury hotel environment

Greta Marinotti

Alan Johnston

Human Resources Management and Services 2024, 6(1), 3483; https://doi.org/10.18282/hrms.v6i1.3483

Submitted：16 Jan 2024

Accepted：20 Mar 2024

Published：25 Mar 2024

Download PDF(589.40KB)

XML

Abstract

This study considers the role of leadership within the hospitality sector as a key tool in raising performance levels. Hospitality is unique in its service-based approach, which relies on employees to ensure effective service. Post-COVID-19 and Brexit, the hospitality sector has seen a shift in reliance towards a home workforce, and as such, retention has become an area of greater importance. This case study investigation adopted a qualitative approach to consider the perceptions of six managers within a UK-based luxury hotel. Semi-structured interviews were used to draw out their experience of approaches used to ensure effective delivery in their areas of responsibility. The research concludes that a shift in leadership approach (from autocratic to democratic) is a necessity to retain staff, particularly as the shift to a greater reliance on a home workforce due to COVID-19 and Brexit starts to impact the sector. There does, however, remain a need to be more autocratic in certain situations to ensure the quality of service. Subsequently, communication becomes critical in the building of relationships. The research considers leadership approaches from a managerial perspective and is based on individual perceptions. Traditionally, research has been conducted from an employee perspective.

Keywords

References

Agarwal, H., & Vaghela, P. (2018). Work Values of Gen Z: Bridging the gap to the next generation. Available online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334400459_WORK_VALUES_OF_GEN_ZBridging_the_Gap_to_the_Next_Generation (accessed on 22 March 2024).

Al-Ababneh, M. (2013). Leadership Style of Managers in Five-Star Hotels and its Relationship with Employee’s Job Satisfaction. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3633072

Ali, B. J., Gardi, B., Othman, B. J., et al. (2021). Hotel Service Quality: The Impact of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction in Hospitality. International Journal of Engineering, Business and Management, 5(3), 14–28. https://doi.org/10.22161/ijebm.5.3.2

Allen, J., & McCleskey. (2014). Situational, transformational, transactional leadership and leadership development. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 5(4), 117–130.

Asrar-ul-Haq, M., & Anwar, S. (2018). The many faces of leadership: Proposing research agenda through a review of literature. Future Business Journal, 4(2), 179–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbj.2018.06.002

Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1990). Developing Transformational Leadership: 1992 and Beyond. Journal of European Industrial Training, 14(5). https://doi.org/10.1108/03090599010135122

Bavik, A. (2020). A systematic review of the servant leadership literature in management and hospitality. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 32(1), 347–382. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-10-2018-0788

Bhatti, N., Maitlo, G. M., Shaikh, N., et al. (2012). The Impact of Autocratic and Democratic Leadership Style on Job Satisfaction. International Business Research, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v5n2p192

Birkin, H. (2019). Retaining Staff. UK Hospitality. Available online: https://www.ukhospitality.org.uk/blogpost/1721400/325437/Retaining-Staff?hhSearchTerms=%22Retention%22&terms= (accessed on 22 March 2024).

Blum, S. C. (1997). Current concerns: a thematic analysis of recent hospitality industry issues. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 9(7), 350–361. https://doi.org/10.1108/09596119710191029

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Brownell, J. (2010). Leadership in the Service of Hospitality. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 51(3), 363–378. https://doi.org/10.1177/1938965510368651

Buchanan, R. (2018). The Unsung Heroes: The key to growth in a post- Brexit World. UK Hospitality. Available online: https://www.ukhospitality.org.uk/blogpost/1721400/308186/The-Unsung-Heroes-the-key-to-growth-in-a-post-Brexit-world?hhSearchTerms=%22Turnover%22&terms= (accessed on 22 March 2024).

Chaudhry, A. Q., & Javed, H. (2009). Impact of transactional and laissez faire leadership style on motivation. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(7), 258–264.

Chon, K. K.-S., & Zoltan, J. (2019). Role of servant leadership in contemporary hospitality. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 31(8), 3371–3394. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-11-2018-0935

Clark, J. (2021). The impact of Covid-19 and Brexit on Hospitality Supply Chains’. UK Hospitality. Available online: https://www.ukhospitality.org.uk/blogpost/1721400/373153/The-Impact-of-COVID-19-and-Brexit-on-Hospitality-Supply-Chains?hhSearchTerms=%22Brexit+and+impact+and+hospitality%22&terms= (accessed on 22 March 2024).

Coetzer, M., Bussin, M., & Geldenhuys, M. (2017). The Functions of a Servant Leader. Administrative Sciences, 7(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci7010005

Coleman, R. A., & Donoher, W. J. (2022). Looking Beyond the Dyad: How Transformational Leadership Affects Leader–Member Exchange Quality and Outcomes. Journal of Leadership Studies, 15(4), 6–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.21792

Costa, J. (1997). Trends in hospitality: academic and industry perceptions. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 9(7), 285–294. https://doi.org/10.1108/09596119710190886

Davies, A., Prottas, D., & Kopelman, R. (2008). Douglas McGregor’s theory X and Y: toward a construct-valid measure. Journal of Managerial Issues, 10(2), 255–271.

Dennis, R. S., & Bocarnea, M. (2005). Development of the servant leadership assessment instrument. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 26(8), 600–615. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437730510633692

Drucker, P. F. (1998). Management’s new paradigms. Forbes, 162(7), 152–169.

Duncan, T. (2005). Current Issues in the Global Hospitality Industry. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 5(4), 359–366. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.thr.6040034

Durbarry, R. (2017). Research Methods for Tourism Students. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203703588

Escortell, R., Baquero, A., & Delgado, B. (2020). The impact of transformational leadership on the job satisfaction of internal employees and outsourced workers. Cogent Business & Management, 7(1), 1837460. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2020.1837460

Farquhar, J. (2012). Case Study Research for Business. Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446287910

Ford, R., & Sturman, M. (2020). Managing Hospitality Organisations, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, Sage.

Gandolfi, F., & Stone, S. (2016). Leadership, leadership styles, and servant Leadership. Journal of Management Research, 18(4), 261-269.

Gardner, J. (2022). Hospitality crisis: Job vacancies force west end restaurants to close. Available online: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-60878363 (accessed on 22 March 2024).

Ghani, B., Zada, M., Memon, K. R., et al. (2022). Challenges and Strategies for Employee Retention in the Hospitality Industry: A Review. Sustainability, 14(5), 2885. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052885

Gray, D. E. (2020). Doing Research in the Business World, 2nd ed. Sage.

Gronmo, S. (2016). Social Research Methods, 2nd ed. Fagborkforlaget.

Guchait, P., Peyton, T., Madera, J. M., et al. (2023). 21st century leadership research in hospitality management: a state-of-the-art systematic literature review. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 35(12), 4259–4296. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-05-2022-0620

Gui, C., Luo, A., Zhang, P., et al. (2020). A meta-analysis of transformational leadership in hospitality research. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 32(6), 2137–2154. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-05-2019-0507

Gui, C., Zhang, P., Zou, R., et al. (2020). Servant leadership in hospitality: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 30(4), 438–458. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2021.1852641

Gursoy, D., & Chi, C. G. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on hospitality industry: review of the current situations and a research agenda. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 29(5), 527–529. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2020.1788231

Harmer, J. (2014). Staff working longer on zero hours contracts. The Caterer. Available online: https://thecaterer.com/news/foodservice/staff-working-longer-on-zero-hours-contracts (accessed on 22 March 2024).

Haryanto, H., Setiawan, A., & Daryanto, W. M. (2024). Does board structure influence employee retention?: A systematic literature review. Human Resources Management and Services, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.18282/hrms.v6i2.3408

Haryanto, H., Suharman, H., Koeswayo, P., et al. (2023). Employee engagement in logistics industry: a perspective in Indonesia. Acta Logistica, 10(3), 463–476. https://doi.org/10.22306/al.v10i3.419

Hassanien, A., & Dale, C. (2020). Hospitality Business Development, 2nd ed. Routledge.

Hay, I. (2006). Transformational leadership: characteristics and criticisms. E-Journal of Organizational Learning and Leadership, 5(2), 1–19.

Hemmington, N. (2007). From Service to Experience: Understanding and Defining the Hospitality Business. The Service Industries Journal, 27(6), 747–755. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642060701453221

Hennik, M., Hutter, I., & Bailey, A. (2020). Qualitative Research Methods, 2nd ed. Sage.

Higgs, M. (2003). How can we make sense of leadership in the 21st century? Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 24(5), 273–284. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437730310485798

Huang, J., Li, W., Qiu, C., et al. (2016). The impact of CEO servant leadership on firm performance in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 28(5), 945–968. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-08-2014-0388

Huertas-Valdivia, I., Gallego-Burín, A. R., & Lloréns-Montes, F. J. (2019). Effects of different leadership styles on hospitality workers. Tourism Management, 71, 402–420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.10.027

Huertas-Valdivia, I., González-Torres, T., & Nájera-Sánchez, J.-J. (2022). Contemporary leadership in hospitality: a review and research agenda. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 34(6), 2399–2422. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-05-2021-0658

Irawanto, D., Dodi, S., Setiawan, M., & Setyaningrum, R. P. (2020). Servant Leadership Characteristics, Organisational Commitment, Followers’ Trust, Employees’ Performance Outcomes: A Literature Review. European Research Studies Journal, XXIII(4), 902–911. https://doi.org/10.35808/ersj/1722

Janta, H. (2011). Polish migrant workers in the UK hospitality industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 23(6), 803–819. https://doi.org/10.1108/09596111111153484

Johnston, A. (2014). Rigour in research: theory in the research approach. European Business Review, 26(3), 206–217. https://doi.org/10.1108/ebr-09-2013-0115

Kalma, A., Visser, L., & Peeters, A. (1993). Sociable and aggressive dominance: Personality differences in leadership style? The leadership Quarterly, 4(1), 45–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/1048-9843(93)90003-C

KPMG. (2017). Labour migration in the hospitality sector: A KPMG Report for the British Hospitality Association. UK, KPMG Economics.

Kusluvan, S., Kusluvan, Z., Ilhan, I., et al. (2010). The Human Dimension. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 51(2), 171–214. https://doi.org/10.1177/1938965510362871

Laškarin Ažić, M. (2017). The impact of hotel employee satisfaction on hospitability performance. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 23(1), 105–117. https://doi.org/10.20867/thm.23.1.8

Liang, T.-L., Chang, H.-F., Ko, M.-H., et al. (2017). Transformational leadership and employee voices in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 29(1), 374–392. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-07-2015-0364

Lo, K., & Lamm, F. (2005). Occupational Stress in the Hospitality Industry - An Employment Relations Perspective. Hospitality Stress. pp. 23-47.

Marson, J., Cameron, D., & Jenkins, A. (2018). The Consequences of the Brexit Vote on Management Attitudes to Recruitment in the Hospitality Industry. Business Law Review, 39(4), 110–119. https://doi.org/10.54648/bula2018020

McCann, J., & Kohntopp, T. (2018). Servant Leadership in the workplace. In: Roberts, G., Crossman, J. (editors). The Palgrave Handbook of Workplace Spirituality and Fulfillment. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. pp. 301–328.

Mishra, N., Rajkumar, M., & Mishra, R. (2019). Micromanagement: An Employers’ Perspective. International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 8(10), 2949–2952.

Moradi Korejan, M., & Shahbazi, H. (2016). An analysis of the transformational leadership theory. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, 8(3), 452. https://doi.org/10.4314/jfas.v8i3s.192

Muhammad, S. K., Irfanullah, K., Qamar, A. Q., et al. (2015). The Styles of Leadership: A Critical Review. Public Policy and Administration Research, 5(3), 87–92.

Mullins, L., & Dossor, P. (2013). Hospitality Management and Organisational Behaviour, 5th ed. Pearson Education Limited.

Nickson, D. (2013). Human Resources Management for the Hospitality and Tourism Industry, 2nd ed. Pearson.

Northouse, P. (2020). Introduction to Leadership Concepts and Practice, 5th ed. Sage.

O’Gorman, K., & MacIntosh, R. (2015). Research Methods for Business and Management: A Guide to writing your Dissertation, 2nd ed. Goodfellow Publishers, Limited.

ONS. (2021). Office for National Statistics. Available online: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/hospitalitybusinessesaremostlikelytobestrugglingtofillvacancies/2021-09-16 (accessed on 22 March 2024).

Partington, N. (2016). Hospitality Employment: “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly”. In: Lashley, C. (editor). The Routledge Handbook of Hospitality Studies. London, Routledge. pp. 207–219.

Peterson, S., Abramson, R., & Stutman, R. K. (2020). Available online: https://hbr.org/2020/11/how-to-develop-your-leadership-style (accessed on 22 March 2024).

Pizzolitto, E., Verna, I., & Venditti, M. (2022). Authoritarian leadership styles and performance: a systematic literature review and research agenda. Management Review Quarterly, 73(2), 841–871. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-022-00263-y

Qiu, S., Dooley, L. M., & Xie, L. (2020). How servant leadership and self-efficacy interact to affect service quality in the hospitality industry: A polynomial regression with response surface analysis. Tourism Management, 78, 104051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.104051

Quinlan, C., Babin, B., Carr, J., et al. (2015). Business Research Methods. Andover: Cengage Learning.

Redazione. (2021). The problem of staff shortages in UK restaurants and the impact of Brexit. Available online: https://horecanews.it/il-problema-della-carenza-di-personale-nei-ristoranti-del-regno-unito-e-limpatto-della-brexit-2/ (accessed on 22 March 2024).

Ridder, H., Hoon, C., & McCandless Baluch, A. (2012). Entering a Dialogue: Positioning Case Study Findings towards Theory. British Journal of Management, 25(2), 373–387. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12000

Rousseau, D. (1995). Psychological Contracts in Organizations: Understanding Written and Unwritten Agreements. Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452231594

Ryan, C. (2015). Trends in hospitality management research: a personal reflection. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27(3), 340–361. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-12-2013-0544

Saunders, M. N. K., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2019). Research Methods for Business Students, 8th ed. Pearson Education Ltd.

Saunders, M., & Lewis, P. (2018). Doing Research in Business Mangement, 2nd ed. Pearson.

Sethuraman, K., & Suresh, J. (2014). Effective Leadership Styles. International Business Research, 7(9). https://doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v7n9p165

Sidhu, A. S. (2012). Micromanagement: A Project Management Tool in Crisis. International Journal of Economics and Management Sciences, 1(12), 71–77.

Sims, H. P., Faraj, S., & Yun, S. (2009). When should a leader be directive or empowering? How to develop your own situational theory of leadership. Business Horizons, 52(2), 149–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2008.10.002

Smith, M. (2018). Management & Business Research, 6th ed. Sage.

Sparkes, A. C., & Smith, B. (2013). Qualitative Research Methods in Sport, Exercise and Health. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203852187

Tracey, J., & Hinkin, T. (1996). How transformational leaders lead in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 15(2), 165–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/0278-4319(95)00059-3

Tsang, E. W. K. (2013). Generalizing from Research Findings: The Merits of Case Studies. International Journal of Management Reviews, 16(4), 369–383. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12024

UK Hospitality. (2018a). Future Shock - Issue 4. Available online: https://www.ukhospitality.org.uk/page/FutureShock-IssueFour?&hhsearchterms=%22future+and+shock+and+4%22 (accessed on 22 March 2024).

UK Hospitality. (2018b). The Economic Contribution of the UK Hospitality Industry, 5th ed. Ignite Economics.

UK Hospitality. (2020a). Future Shock- Issue 7- Road to Recovery. Available online: https://www.ukhospitality.org.uk/page/FutureShock-IssueSeven?&hhsearchterms=%22issue+and+7+and+future+and+shock%22 (accessed on 22 March 2024).

UK Hospitality. (2020b). Future Shock - Issue 8- Survival to Revival. Available online: https://www.ukhospitality.org.uk/page/FutureShock-IssueEight (accessed on 22 March 2024).

UK Hospitality. (2022a). Future Shock -Issue 10 - Hospitality in 2022. Available online: https://www.ukhospitality.org.uk/page/FutureShock-IssueTen (accessed on 22 March 2024).

UK Hospitality. (2022b). The UK’s hospitality workforce strategy: Fixing the crisis. Available online: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.ukhospitality.org.uk/resource/resmgr/2022/documents/campaigns/workforcestrategy/mav005_ukh_workforce_report_.pdf (accessed on 22 March 2024).

Walker, J. R., & Walker, J. T. (2014). Introduction to Hospitality Management, 4th ed. Pearson.

Walsh, S., & Johnston, A. (2023). Volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic: leadership matters – the case of scrubs. Voluntary Sector Review, 14(3), 498–518. https://doi.org/10.1332/204080522x16546737814050

Ward, T. (1997). Hotel market trends in the UK. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 9(7), 270–273. https://doi.org/10.1108/09596119710191056

White, B. (2014). Dissertations Skills, 2nd ed. Cengage Textbooks.

White, R. D. (2010). The Micromanagement Disease: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Cure. Public Personnel Management, 39(1), 71–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/009102601003900105

Whitelaw, P. A. (2013). Leadership up the ladder: The construction of leadership styles in the hospitality industry. Journal of Contemporary Issues in Business and Government, 19(1), 65. https://doi.org/10.7790/cibg.v19i1.9

Whittington, R., Regner, P., Angwin, D., et al. (2020). Exploring Strategy, 12th ed. Pearson.

Woiceshyn, J., & Daellenbach, U. (2018). Evaluating inductive vs deductive research in management studies. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, 13(2), 183–195. https://doi.org/10.1108/qrom-06-2017-1538

Yin, R. K. (2014). Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 5th ed. Sage.

Yu, Y., Xu, S., Li, G., et al. (2020). A systematic review of research on abusive supervision in hospitality and tourism. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 32(7), 2473–2496. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-12-2019-1004

Previous
article in this issue

Next
article in this issue