The main problems that occurred in the Portman Hotel were connected with the implementation of the 5 Star model and the lack of communication between employees and the management team (Heckscher 1). These problems were connected with ineffective change management and a lack of attention to the personal needs and expectations of the workers. The main problems were low morale, a decrease in salaries (tips), changing the content of work, and a new system of delegation of authority. In theory, no one person even the CEO can drive change. Change must be an institutionalized, natural organizational process (Robbins 44).
The key feature of the HR system in the Portman Hotel is the exceptional service quality based on the Personal Valets System (PV). In contrast to other hotels, employees of the Portman Hotel clean rooms and assist guests in different matters. The hotel sees its employees as âassociatesâ and signs a contract with each of them. The group of five employees is supposed to assist a guest 24 hours a day (Heckscher 3). The team helps to develop a vision for the future, creating an environment for change and convincing others to join in making the vision a reality. Each employee is responsible for five rooms only. The unique feature of the PV system is that it is based on the personal interests of employees and a unique perception of guest satisfaction. Associates receive $200 tips per week.
This system shows that the cultural and personal values of employees are the core of the PV. Team decision-making is a key aspect of team management. Team deliberations may be made jointly, but decisions should be made singly. Although there may be disagreement and conflict during deliberations, once there is consensus on a course of action, team members must support the decision as if it were their own. Diversity of opinion is a team strength, but it can degenerate into splintering unless the team members put the task first. Employees value the importance of the service they provide and a unique image of the hotel. They pay special attention to teamwork and depend on the high tips they receive each week. Patrick Mene, a vice president of the Portman Hotel, expected that the new system would improve service quality and allow the hotel to attract more customers. It was expected that the exceptional service became a framework of management and would allow employees to improve routine operations (Heckscher 5). The vice president expected that tips remained the same.
The proposed change did not work because of ineffective management and a lack of support from the top. If an organization is sincere about change, it must develop a bold plan, actively sponsor the changes, and support them tenaciously over periods of time. Most importantly, the Portman Hotel did not take into account the cultural context and habits of the potential travelers. Many American travelers did not pay for associates, so the employees did not receive expected tips. Many travelers did not understand the personal valet system, so it would take time âto re-educate the publicâ and establish a VP system (Heckscher 6). In theory, vision must eventually dissolve into work. Specific objectives, with specific tasks to be completed by a specific time, need to be established. Objectives execute the new vision. By being constantly aware of the need to change objectives, and in fact, encouraging people to do so, an organization can undergo continuous renewal and cushion the need for drastic changes. Aspirations and expectations were not linked directly to consumer motivation, behavior, and achievement. Indeed, the desire to achieve was a weak factor in economic accomplishment. There is something in the customs, institutions, and motives of men that accounts for substantial achievement in some areas and lack of achievement in others (Robbins 48). A common mistake was to conceive teams as fixed entities. On the contrary, teams should constantly be forming around a specific task or goal, fixing things, celebrating their accomplishments, disbanding, and then forming again with different people appropriate to take on another problem with new goals. The theme is to look for creative and innovative ways to do the task better, which results in a better product or service. Focusing on the small things is one way to build teams in organizations, but teams can also be built around big problems (Heckscher 7). The task force investigates major issues, develops alternatives, looks at the advantages and disadvantages of each, and provides an action plan. Issues may include the organizational vision or the strategic plan itself. Task forces may also address reorganization, rewards and recognition, communications, training, and education, to name a few (Robbins 41).
In sum, the inability to analyze employeesâ interests and market needs results in poor performance and low motivation. The use of teams and task forces represents a major change in itself. For one thing, it requires a flattening of the hierarchy and revision of the communication channels. Moreover, even beyond the structural elements, teamwork requires a change in culture to facilitate employee involvement.
Works Cited
Heckscher, Ch. The Portman Hotel Company. The Harvard Business Review. 1989.
Robbins, S. Organizational Behavior. Pearson Higher, 2002.