Restaurant Leadership and Management
Restaurant leadership and management entails making of decisions and solving problems at various hierarchies. Some decisions and problems are only made at the top management level, without necessitating participating of employees in the lower ranks. However, most decisions require consultation with all levels of employees within the organization. Therefore, the best management structure has both democratic and autocratic characteristics. This study applies the human-relations theory. The human relations theory was developed by Elton Mayo during the industrial revolution. He conducted research on the preferences of the people on working environment (Mayo 14). His findings indicated that people prefer being part of supportive teams that facilitate their growth and development. Therefore, subordinates who receive attention of the management team get encouraged to actively take part in organizational development. Rensis Likert built on Mayo’s findings to explain involvement, relationships, the role of the management and junior employees in industrial settings (Modaff 60). Likert’s study focused on productive teams and their supervisors in an insurance company. In the contemporary business world, managers are torn between applying democratic and autocratic leadership styles.
Analyzing Managerial Practices in Restaurants
The research analyzed how managers in restaurants balance the two contrasting leadership styles to come up with a consultative style. The researcher analyzed the existing data with the aim of identifying democratic and autocratic tendencies by the subjects under study. Democratic tendencies are demonstrated where the manager consults their employees to determine what actions are best for the business. Junior restaurant employees have a better understanding of the tastes and preferences of the customers (Liao and Aichia 43). The consultation process makes subordinates feel involved and valued. On the contrary, there are scenarios where the management makes decisions without consulting their subordinates. The research also analyzed the rationale for such scenarios and the effectiveness of the resulting decisions from the perspective of Filipino-Chinese businessmen.
Works Cited
Liao, Hui, and Aichia Chuang. "A multilevel investigation of factors influencing employee service performance and customer outcomes." Academy of Management journal 47.1 (2004): 41-58.
Mayo, Elton. The social problems of an industrial civilisation. Routledge, 2014.
Modaff, Daniel P., Sue DeWine, and Jennifer A. Butler. Organizational communication: Foundations, challenges, and misunderstandings. Pearson/Allyn " Bacon, 2008.
