Case study

Question1

Maintenance improvement in hotel operations requires hands on organizational management strategy that is results oriented and which will ensure that all the maintenance staffs in the organization are brought on board.  This requires an improvement plan with an objective of ensuring that the hotel facility is operating at the maximum level so that services provided by the facility meet customer satisfaction. In the case of Ernesto, aiming to implement a workable plan without the involving the management involvement requires that he streamlining of operations within the scope of the facilities limited resources as the initial step. The plan would involve a maintenance that is focused on the revitalization of the broken facility through the involvement of the relevant maintenance department staffs (Payant & Lewis, 2007).  This means that Ernesto has to gain more control over the tasks of maintenance while at the same time demanding greater accountability from the staff. To achieve this, he should determine the maintenance requirements for all the components of the entire facility. Such would include the Ernesto to carry out an evaluation of all the malfunctioning parts including the six rooms with broken pipes, thermostats and electrical issues, kitchen disposal that was not operational for a year, the soda dispenser and steamer that were inoperable. He would have to make schedules for maintenance so that the tasks are spelt out in relation to those who would carry them out.  The manager should convene a meeting with the maintenance staff and explain to them the issue at hand and explain the purpose of having a revitalization plan for the facility, so that the employees feel engaged in the whole process. Engaging the employees in laying down the plan will help in creating a constant maintenance cultures through the relevant departments and hence, eliminate any resistance that may arise (Payant & Lewis, 2007). In addition, Ernesto should communicate clearly what is required of the maintenance employees and expectations that the organization had from them. This will not be just a concept but a blueprint for all the activities involved in the facility maintenance.  

 

 In the work of repair, Ernesto should endeavor to steer the focus of his department towards the goal of the organization, more so to have a satisfied customers. Therefore, maintaining quality standards in the operations of the entire facility would ensure that customers are offered the best services in a conducive environment. Therefore, making the employees see the need for personal responsibility would go a long way in improving maintenance of the facility without having to involve the intervention of the management (Payant & Lewis, 2007). The benefits of having the employees see the need for them to undertake their responsibilities seriously include increased services values, reduced collision with management and eventually, this will translate into highly satisfied customers. Efficiency in the facility maintenance can improve the operations, make the work easier for the staff and improve their morale in a big way.  Coordination is critical in improving the operations of a facility and the users if the facility will get contentment when efforts are directed towards their satisfaction. If the strategy fails to work, Ernesto would have to stamp his authority and demand results. To guarantee performance, the manager should adjust to the environment and realize that such performance will come about without having to be recognized by management. This calls for self-motivation and instilling the same to the employees so that to reduce lethargy through offering them authority to have certain roles fulfilled such as demanding for the bids to be submitted in time. Such efforts will improve the perception of the department in the entire organization so that the staffs feel valued.

 

Question 2

There is department can carry out its operation effectively without the right collaboration with other departments of the organization. Implementing changes in a department which is held with disdain by the rest of the firm means that Ernesto would have to device tactics that will improve the morale in his department.  What is required is a transforming strategy within the department so that to restructure the way operations are performed, starting with prevention measures to carrying out repair and renovation.  In this case, employee engagement is vital to the success of any changes introduced in an organization given that the process is a behavioral reaction and emotional state to the work environment (Simms, 2013).  In the case of workload management, employees will put discretionary efforts where they will adopt the spirit of doing what it takes to complete the assigned tasks. This will eventually have positive impact on the hotel facility. Lack of effective workload management seems to have led to the piling up of maintenance request and failure to perform the request may be the major reason why the department is loathed by other hotel staff. The negative attitude expressed by the hotel staff could have arisen from the difficulties they experienced while carrying out their assigned duties as a result of poor maintenance.

 Gaining the respect for his department would require that maintenance operations are carried out in time and meet the expected standards. Since engagement involves a behavioral spectrum rather than a binary outcome, the department staff wills align themselves to changes introduced by Ernesto in the hotel. After feeling a personal alignment to the hotels vision, the employees will be motivated to take on the maintenance responsibilities positively and will not resist any changes that will be introduced. The overall effect will be the satisfaction among the other departments with the maintenance operations accomplished and this will lead to the change in their attitude (Simms, 2013). That way the working environment for the maintenance department will be more relaxed and conducive, which will have a ripple effect of motivating even the staffs including those contacted on temporary basis.  A connection will be formed within the departments which make it possible to establish a good working relationship that will enable the accomplishment of the goal to satisfy customers.  After the staffs have accepted the changes, it is important that they keep the steam so that they continue with the implementation of the changes. An organization that realizes how important engagement of employees is will always be ahead of others.   To keep the change in progress, the employees have to keep `the focus and be allowed to provide ideas, and be advised on how react to the other employees in the organization who may still have problems adjusting their attitudes to the maintenance department (Simms, 2013). Therefore, Ernesto can engage the part-time employees in arranging the work schedules so that workload can be distributed well among them. This involves an effective workload that ensures the improvement of maintenance operations is achieved throughout the hotel facility.   

 

Question 3

Showing evidence of leadership and management skills would be the best way for Ernesto to convince the management and others of his ability to be involved in the strategic objectives of the organization. The success that would be shown in the improvement of maintenance operations without the input of the general manager would indicates that he has what it takes to develop strategic plans and get others to have fit implemented. Strategic management involves incorporating leadership skills in the process and having others to share a similar vision and mission (Yaeger & Sorensen, 2009). If the plans adopted by Ernesto in improving the maintenance operations bring about a real difference in terms of organizational performance, he will have a good bargain point for his promotion. The effectiveness of a strategic management is measures in terms of customer satisfaction, employee’s attitude in the workplace and the related financial improvement realized by the firm (Yaeger & Sorensen, 2009). In this case Ernesto’s performance would play a big role in convincing people that he has what it takes to have a place among the top positions.

 

Success in leading the hotel facility employees in the maintenance department to accept the induced changes, so that they are able to change their lethargic attitude to work  will be a starting point for convincing the management. In addition, the success in ensuring that employees in other sectors of the facility change their negative attitude towards the maintenance department will show how the strategic plans adopted by Ernesto have worked out to the advantage of a changed organizational culture which will translate to customer satisfaction with services provided. Showing the results of his effective skills would earn him a place at the table.

 

References

Simms,H.(2013).Organisational Behaviour and Change Management. Select Knowledge Limited.89-95

Yaeger, T. F., & Sorensen, P. F. (2009). Strategic organization development: Managing change for success. Charlotte, N.C: Information Age Pub.

Payant, R. P., & Lewis, B. T. (2007). Facility manager's maintenance handbook. New York: McGraw-Hill.13