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3923 Words
Introduction: Organisational Leadership at Global Level
Organizational leadership is a considered as one of the significant management approach in which focuses on setting strategic objectives for the business and motivate employees to accomplish that goals. For every business, the organizational leadership is significant because it helps in motivating team members, promotes inclusion, ethics, communication and respect. Organizational leadership also helps in promoting decision-making, problem-solving and faster communication which ultimately positively impacts the overall operation as well as efficiency of the business. The current report is based on the Travelodge which offers high quality hospitality services to the guests. Apart from this, the report will highlight the significant contemporary leadership theories. It will also confer evaluation of leadership functions and its impact on the global organizational performance. Further, report also presents the sources of leadership power and its contribution of workers in creating and sustaining the leaders.
Overview of organization
Travelodge is one of leading private limited company within hospitality sector which Headquartered in England, UK. The chosen organization was founded in 1985. Currently, this organization is operating its business operation with 600 hotels within the UK, Spain, and Ireland. The mission of selected organization is offer affordable travel to every people (Travelodge, 2024). This organization employs more than 12000 employees and its main objective is to create the positive working environment where all peoples can learn and earn more. This is one of leading Hospitality Company and it has strong brand value. In 2022, this organization generated revenue of £910m which was more than as compare to previous years (Travelodge, 2024).
MAIN BODY
Critical evaluation of the contemporary leadership theories
Leadership refers to a capability of the people or a group in order to provide direction and influence the team members in order to achieve the organizational goals and objectives. In every organization, leadership is significant because it helps in motivating employees, boosting their engagement, communicating vision and resolves the conflicts effectively which ultimately positively impacts the overall efficiency and operation of business (Kimani, 2021. To accomplish the goals and objectives efficiently Travelodge can implement several contemporary leadership theories to achieve business objectives. Transformational theory Transformational is considered as one of the significant contingency theory and it is implementing by the wide range of companies to provide proper direction. As per the views of Wu and Lee (2020), this theory helps in promoting the guidance style that put emphasis on motivating employees, creating a vision and influencing them to fulfil it. Implementation of this theory can be beneficial for the chosen organization because it helps in addressing the employee’s issues or aspects on a personal level. The transformational leadership also consider the personal needs and requirements of the employees which help in producing lower turnover rates (Deshwal and Ali, 2020). Transformational leadership also considers the ethical concern of any circumstances which can contribute to positive work environment from which the employees feel motivate and encourage. As critically argued by Lartey (2020), transformational leadership focuses more on individual’s needs instead of organization’s requirements which results into negative outcomes.
Figure 1: Transformational leadership (Source: Cherry, 2023)
Contingency leadership theory According to Grošelj et al (2021), contingency is another leadership theory that used by the organization to handle the unexpected circumstances. This theory helps in understanding the activities of the management such as controlling, planning, leadership and business which are comprehensively dependent on the situations. Implementation of this theory can be useful for Travelodge because it is dynamic in nature. It means, through this theory, leaders lay more focus on changing the regulations & policies according to the circumstances. Contingency leadership theory helps the leaders to improve their decision-making and leadership skills. This theory offers options to the workers that assist them to develop and share their ideas (Islam, Furuoka and Idris, 2021). For example, happening of crisis is a contingent situation that impacts directly overall business operation so the leaders are managing this situation effectively and efficiently. With the help of this leadership theory, the management of chosen business can design the organizational structure and plan the system of information decision. Behavioural leadership theory It is also one of the critical leadership theories that help in assess the leaders according to their actions, behaviours and management styles. This leadership theory includes people-oriented, dictatorial director, task-oriented and status-quo. Implementation of this theory can be beneficial for Travelodge because it put emphasis on concerning for people and team members at the time of promoting the collaboration. Homan et al, (2020) said that behavioural theory helps in encouraging the participative decision-making to make sure effective processes. As critically opposed by Henriksson and Grill (2023), this theory particularly relied on the specific actions of particular leader which creates personal bias for them. With the help of this contemporary leadership theory, the management of chosen company can promote the team development by supporting the organizational and individual requirements. Functional leadership theory Functional is another significant contemporary leadership theory that is implementing by most of the organizations. This theory is developed by the company to establish leadership focused staff for increase autonomy, empowerment and productivity. Prioritized needs, focused on actions, flexibility, organized, understood duties, controlled etc., are the significant components of this theory (Balahurovska, 2023). This theory helps in redefining the leadership by providing opportunity to all the members of taking leadership responsibilities from which they feel motivate and influence which ultimately positively impacts the overall operation of Travelodge. As critically contended by Caulfield and Brenner (2020), the functional leadership also helps in building team cohesion by delegating the equal tasks and development of team needs. Integrated psychological theory It is another significant contemporary leadership theory that is widely adapt by the organization to motivate and influence all the employees. According to Grenway (2021), this theory offers that human behaviour and motivation are driven by fulfilling the basic needs and requirements. If the organization is meeting the basic needs of the employees them they feel influenced and put all the efforts in order to accomplish the desired goals and objectives. Travelodge is also implementing this theory in order to retain the staff members for long duration and they provide better hospitality services to the customers (Harrison et al, 2021).
Functions of leadership and its influence on the global organisational performance
In every organization, leaders perform various functions such as setting goals, taking initiatives, organizing, co-operation among employees and motivation as well as direction. All the functions of leadership have significant influence on the overall operation and business performance (Serrat and Serrat, 2021). The leaders of Travelodge perform the functions such as establishing the mission & vision, motivating staff, ensure visitor’s satisfaction and setting goals as well as objectives. All leadership functions have an immersive impact on the overall performance and operation of Travelodge. To manage all the leadership functions organization implements various models. Zaleznik Model Zaleznik is one of the significant leadership models that are adapted by the organization in order to manage all the functions effectively. Mintzberg and Laasch (2020) stated that zaleznik model is undertaking fresh and new approach to redress the challenges which are dealt by the organizations. This model majorly focusing on modified or new approaches and creative ideas that can be utilized by the companies to convert the change and solve the challenges that business is going through at this time. This model of leadership is mainly focuses on something other than instead of building a specific approach or implementing a tactic that can be appropriate according to the business circumstances. Haslam, Reicher and Platow (2020), has opposed that, for the innovation in the services the organizations are require to invest resources and time. By providing the innovative services the hospitality organization can deliver the effective transformation. Implementation of this model of leadership can be useful for Travelodge because it consider the diverse methods or approaches to redress the issues. Zaleznik Model is considering the short-term approach to deal with the issues.
Kotter Model of Leadership Kotter is considered as one of the significant model of leadership that is widely implemented by all the organizations in order to manage all the functions. Kotter has suggested 8-step model that includes tactics and methods which are used by the professionals to lead the team members and business. In every company, the leader requires to implement diverse methods that support them to increase profits or revenue. As the views raised by Nübold, Van Quaquebeke and Hülsheger (2020), this model consist of 8 process of change such as creating a sense of urgency, build guiding team, developing a strategy and vision, communicating the vision, overcoming challenges and empowering the workforces for actions, combining gains and strengthening the changes in the culture. Adaption of this model can be useful for Travelodge to manage all the functions and it directly impacts its overall performance. This model assists the organizations in providing clear guidance and description on the whole process of change. Along with this, this model put major emphasis on the acceptability and involvement of the workforces for the success in the overall process. As critically argued by Ospina et al, (2020) implementation of this model is time consuming and costly process for the company which directly impacts the overall performance of business. Mintzberg’s 10 Roles In every business, the leader performs wide range of functions and roles. The all functions of leadership directly affect the performance of the business at global level. According to this model the people who take managerial position perform various roles such as figurehead, leader, liaison, disseminator, monitor, entrepreneur, spokesperson, disturbance handler etc. As critically said by Saputra and Mahaputra (2022), in the role of figurehead, the manager’s responsibility is to perform the all the tasks related to symbolic, legal and social matters. The key aim of figurehead is to encourage the team members in order to accomplish goals and objectives. All roles are significant for the leaders to play for improve the overall operation of the business. Mintzberg mainly focuses on building the capabilities of the leaders from which they manage all the functions and situations effectively (Sieweke and Santoni, 2020). Figure 2: Revenue of Travelodge
(Source: Statista Research departments, 2023) Figure 1 depicts the performance of Travelodge. This hospitality company indulged in implementing the all leadership models such as Zeleznik's, Kotter’s and Mintzberg's which positively impacts on its performance. From the above figure it has been determined that, the revenue of Travelodge constantly increases since 2013 but in 2020 it drastically declined due to COVID-19. IN 2021, due to better services and performance the revenue of selected company raidly increased and reached 560 million British pounds (Statista Research departments,2023).
Sources of leadership power and employees contribution
Leadership power refers to an impact that the leaders have over their team members. The leadership power encourages individuals to support the efforts of leaders and complete the tasks accordingly. The leadership power has various sources and employees have major contribution in creating and sustaining the leaders at an international level. Legitimate is one of the significant source of leadership power and it is the outcomes of hierarchy within the business (Kimani, 2021). If the leader of Travelodge has legitimate power then they can encourage the employees for their position. In addition, coercive is another source of the leadership power and it is gain through force or threat. The managers of Travelodge can use this power positively at the time when employees break the rules to assist them to correct their behaviour. Travelodge with coercive power leadership improves workplace safety, enhance rule enforcement and decrease employee deviation. Referent is another source of leadership power that is embrace by the role models. This power of leadership happens when a leader has strong interpersonal skill to influence and encourage its followers (Wu and Lee, 2020). This leadership power can be valuable for chosen organization because it helps in increasing the morale and job satisfaction of the employees. If the leader has referent power then they put all the efforts to impress the workers for work from which they feel motivate and encourage which ultimately positively impacts their work performance. If the leader of Travelodge has referent power then the followers are likely to recognize its feedback and put all emphasis on become better workforces. As determined by Deshwal and Ali (2020), expert power of leadership includes having expertise in the particular areas and positively shares their knowledge with the colleagues. Leaders with expert power can help selected company to handle various issues and diversify its overall skills (Lartey, 2020).
Leaders with expert power helps in motivating team members to improve the further career of employees and make them more capable. According to Grošelj et al, (2021), reward is another source of leadership power that is crucial for all the leaders to have in order to motivate and encourage the employees. Reward power is also regarded as one of the significant leadership tool that facilitates leaders to motivate and incentivize their followers. Leaders with this power help in improving the team work and performance which ultimately positively impacts on the overall operation. In this leadership power the employees have significant contribution to create and sustain the leaders at international level. If the leader of Travelodge possesses reward power then it has capability to positively encourage its team members and increase their motivation in order to achieve the desired goals and objectives. As critically said by Islam, Furuoka and Idris (2021), incentivizing the workers through reward power is regard as effective method to increase the motivation level and influence them to complete the tasks within the time frame which ultimately positively impacts the performance. However, reward power of leadership is not effective for all the employees and it lead to unhealthy competition which negatively impacts the overall efficiency and operation of business. The leader of Travelodge can use all the powers of leadership to promote the productivity in the place of work. The leadership powers also help the leaders to foster the positive workplace culture. The leaders with expert power can helps in enhance or maintain the quality of company’s services (Homan et al, 2020). Many workforces need to follow laws regarding safety in order to operate Employer may use legitimate and coercive powers of leadership to make sure the workforces are follow the safety laws or not.
Defining the range of variables which influences organizational leadership
There are various variables which have massive impact on the effectiveness of the leadership within Travelodge. The variables are organizational culture, company values, team dynamics, resource allocation, communication channels, industry trends, technology advancement and competitive landscape. Organizational culture plays a crucial role in defining the leadership styles. It is crucial for the company to have supportive and positive working culture which positively impacts the overall operations and efficiency (Henriksson and Grill, 2023). An empowering and supportive culture promotes the participative leadership, encouraging collaborative decision-making and open communication. If the organization has hierarchical culture then it leads to autocratic leadership style which helps in centralising the authority of decision-making with the leader. Travelodge has positive work culture that supports its organizational goals and objectives as well as supporting the employees to perform their job. This culture of hospitality sector helps in attracting more customers and supports the organization to provide better as well as innovative services to the customers. In addition to this, team dynamic is another variable that has significant impact the leadership effectiveness within Travelodge. If the chosen company has aligned and cohesive team then the leadership helps in enhancing mutual-respect and collaboration which drive effective decision-making. If the conflicts are arises among team members or employees then it is crucial for the company to adapt directive leadership style which is significant to provide clear direction and restore harmony (Balahurovska, 2023). Communication channels are another crucial variable that has important impact on the leadership effectiveness within Travelodge. The leaders who are competent to encourage feedback and maintain open line communication then they need to implement democratic leadership style which assists in promoting the inclusive work environment. If the leaders of selected company undertakes various communication channels in order to provide guidance and direction to the employees then they feel motivated and encouraged as well as build the strong relationships with them.
Resource allocation also plays a crucial role in shaping the leadership effectiveness (Caulfield and Brenner, 2020). If the company is allocating the resources transparently and fairly then it helps in improving team commitment & ownership. Furthermore, the economic condition of the UK has critical impact on the leadership effectiveness of Travelodge. At the time of economic prosperity it can be vital for the company to focus on innovation, growth and expansion. The effective leaders are more probable to invest in the new opportunities and take the calculated risks (Grenway, 2021). However, in case of economic downturn, the leaders are implementing more cautious approach such as risk management, cost-cutting and efficiency. Industry trend is another variable that has crucial impact on the leadership effectiveness of Travelodge. The hospitality sector experiences on-going trends and changes that demand flexibility from the leaders. To meet the trends, leaders need to make more focus on innovations and latest developments within the industry. It is crucial for leaders to adapt emerging technologies and trends to sustaining growth and maintain a competitive advantage. Technological advancement is another variable that has vital impact on the leadership effectiveness within Travelodge. In current times, the use of technology within the hospitality sector is rapidly increases to provide better and innovative services to the customers. It is crucial for leaders to willingly hold new digital solutions and tools in order to improve the efficiency of business (Harrison et al, 2021). With the help of technology the leaders of Travelodge can enhance team coordination, enable smooth service, improves guest experience and better access to information. Competitive landscape is another important variable that has critical influence of leadership effectiveness within the organization. The hospitality sector is highly competitive so it can be crucial for the leaders to focus on continuous improvement and striving for market dominance in order to gain the competitive advantage over the competitors.
CONCLUSION
It has been summarized that, it can be significant for all the organizations to have organizational leadership because it facilitates faster communication, problem solving and decision-making. Travelodge is one of the hospitality organizations within the UK and it has effective leadership to provide all the directions effectively. The selected organization can implement several contemporary leadership theories such as transformational, contingency, behavioral, integrated psychological and functional. To manage all the functions of leadership chosen organization can implement various models such as Zaleznik, Kotter and Mintzberg’s. The leadership powers have various sources such as referent, reward, legitimate, coercive. Organization culture, industry trends, resource allocation, company values, communication channels, competitive landscape etc., are significant variables that have massive impact on the leadership effectiveness.
References
Books and Journals
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Grenway, B., 2021. A Review and Application of John Kotter's" Leading Change". Journal of Sociology and Christianity, 11(2), pp.91-95.
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Online
Cherry, K., 2023. Transformational leadership. [Online]. Available through:< https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-transformational-leadership-2795313>. [Accessed on: 24th January,2024].
Statista Research departments, 2023. Revenue of Travelodge.
[Online]. Available through:< https://www.statista.com/statistics/429089/travelodge-total-revenue-united-kingdom-uk/#:~:text=Travelodge%20UK%20generated%20revenues%20of,year's%20total%20of%20284%20million. >. [Accessed on: 24th January,2024].
Travelodge, 2024. About us. [Online]. Available through:< https://www.travelodge.co.uk/about/our-company/>. [Accessed on: 24th January,2024].
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