RELATIONSHIP OF LEADERSHIP STYLE TO SELECTED DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH HOTEL GENERAL MANAGERS (TASK, PEOPLE ORIENTED, PERSONAL BACKGROUND)

HOYT DOWSE JONES, Purdue University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between hotel general manager's leadership style and selected demographic characteristics associated with the personal backgrounds of the hotel general managers and the property characteristics they are currently operating. Each of the demographic characteristics were also examined separately, to have a more complete understanding of the hotel general manager's position. The initial population consisted of 7500 hotel general managers who are listed in the American Hotel Motel Association Red Book (1984). From the population, 300 hotel general managers were randomly selected for the study, of which 151 chose to become involved in the study for a response rate of 50.3 percent. The data were gathered by a researcher constructed questionnaire and Leader Behavior Descriptive Questionnaire (LBDQ). The analysis of the data from the questionnaires consisted of descriptive statistical techniques and Chi-Square analysis. From these procedures and techniques, the following findings emerged from the data: There was a large spread in ages, although the largest grouping was the forty-six and over category. The position appears to be almost totally male dominated. A majority of the hotel general managers had parents with a business background. The academic level which a majority of the hotel general managers attain is a Bachelors Degree, usually in business administration or Restaurant, Hotel, and Institutional Management. Over half of the hotel general managers have held their present position for less than four years, yet over half of the hotel general managers have been affiliated with the hospitality industry for more than thirteen years. The two most popular career goals were corporate management and ownership. The leadership style was found to be the task-oriented in a majority of the hotel general managers. There was one variable that was tested to be significant with leadership style, which was total volume. Everyone of the other variables tested were proved to be not significant. Based on these findings, the hotel general manager's leadership style could not be related to those selected demographic characteristics, except in the case of total volume.

Degree

Ph.D.

Subject Area

Management

COinS