THE
HOSPITALITY LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE SURVEY
BACKGROUND AND STRUCTURE
The Hospitality
Leadership Excellence Survey was conceived by Alan Cutler FIH
MCMI, Chief Executive of Hospitality Leadership. During
his long association with the industry, he has experienced a wide
range of leadership practice: some leaders inspiring their staff to
provide exceptional results, whilst others apparently lacking even
basic leadership skills. However, he believes that, in our diverse,
people-centred industry, the need for effective leadership at every
level has never been greater if organisations, and by extension the
industry, is to move forward – recruiting and retaining skilled and
highly motivated staff who provide exceptional service to their
customers.
Having a deep personal
interest in leadership, he was aware of little research into how
successful leaders within the hospitality industry approach their
roles. In early 2005 he therefore began to plan a research project
into the subject. Being a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality,
he initially met with Philippe Rossiter, its Chief Executive, and
Kathryn Benzine, Director of Professional Development. Whilst
expressing interest in the concept of a research project into
leadership needs of the hospitality industry, they suggested that
leading industry academics should initially be consulted to
ascertain their views. In consequence, Alan approached a number of
them who generally agreed to the value of such research and
accepted that little industry-specific evidence was currently
available.
“I agree that there is
a lack of current research related to leadership in the hospitality
industry and that this is a topical and relevant research
topic” Dr
Stephen Ball, Reader in Hospitality Management, Sheffield Hallam
University
“As far as I am aware,
there is still very little empirical research within the industry
on this specific subject”
Dr Luke Pittaway, Lancaster University (now
Sheffield University)
“There is plenty of
work in generic aspects of leadership but I think you are right in
saying little has been done recently in the hospitality
industry” Professor Nigel Hemmington, Head of School of Services
Management, Bournemouth University
Alan subsequently met with
Professor Hemmington who, after discussing the scale and focus of a
meaningful research project, offered his university’s
support:
To
undertake a study of leaders within the hospitality industry by
conducting in-depth interviews to identify their perspectives on
leadership and how they apply them within their roles. Their views
would be analysed to identify common elements and, hence, the
styles of leadership that are applied across the various industry
sectors.
It was agreed that Alan Cutler
would conduct the interviews and record the data, which would be
analysed by Professor Hemmington and his colleague, Professor Adele
Ladkin, Head of MICE Research Unit at the university’s
International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality
Research.
Further
discussion centred on the selection of the leaders to be
interviewed and concluded that a meaningful approach would be
identify two groups: those who the industry itself thought were its
most effective leaders and, additionally, those recognised by their
own staff.
As regards identifying leaders
recognised from within the hospitality industry, it was agreed to
invite the Institute of Hospitality to offer its Fellows and
Members an opportunity to nominate industry leaders who they felt
were worthy of recognition by being consulted for this research,
and why. Doing so would also provide useful findings in addition to
those resulting from the subsequent interviews. In further
discussions with Philippe Rossiter, he pledged the
Institute's support for the project and agreed to provide the
mechanisms whereby its Fellows and Members would be invited to
contribute.
The Sunday Times 100 Best
Companies To Work For Survey is carried out every year and claims
to be the most comprehensive study of the British workplace ever
mounted, and is supported by Investors in People and the Department
of Trade and Industry. The 2005 survey, for example, considered 449
companies, from which 80,212 staff were asked their view. The
results included eight sub-sections including ‘leadership’, ‘my
manager’, and ‘my team’. As ten hospitality-related companies were
recognised in 2004 and 2005, it was decided to approach their
leaders to be interviewed as having been recognised by their staff
for leading exceptional companies.
The format and timetable for
the Hospitality Leadership Excellence Survey was therefore to
be:
January
2006. The Institute of
Hospitality emails its UK-based Fellows and Members,
requesting that they nominate up to three industry leaders
who they believe
merit recognition for their leadership excellence, with brief
reasons for their nomination. The respondents’ age and gender
will also be sought, along with the sector in which they,
themselves,
work.
Those who
did not respond by email are given an additional opportunity to
contribute by means of a mail shot undertaken by the Institute
later in the month.
Additionally, the ten
leaders from companies featuring in the Sunday Times report
are approached and invited to contribute to the Hospitality
Leadership Excellence
Survey.
April
2006.
The returns are analysed by Bournemouth University and the findings
published.
January – June
2006. Alan Cutler
interviews up to 10 leaders featured in the Sunday Times Survey and
a number of the most nominated leaders by the HCIMA Fellows,
combining to 25 interviews in total.
July – September
2006. Professors Hemmington
and Ladkin, and their teams, review and analyse the interview
records.
October
2006. A report on the findings is
published by the university, along with articles written for
industry publications.
Spring
2007.
Second stage of
the survey, with Alan Cutler undertaking telephone interviews
with selected leaders to explore further issues identified in
Stage I
November 2007.
The findings of Stage II of the research
are published and forwarded to interviewees and other
interested parties
All parties
involved with the project believe that, following stages I and
II of the project, the potential exists for further research
to be undertaken at an international level, perhaps identifying and
comparing sector-specific leadership styles in other countries,
including the USA.
See
list of leaders interviewed
Read
overview of findings
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