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Introduction
This part of the paper will discuss the research background, research problem, research hypothesis and the objectives. Besides, the section explores the significance and limitations of the study. In addition, this paper presents the research timeline.
Research background
Over the years, the UK restaurant sector has evolved in terms of the management styles that restaurants apply. Due to the increase in demand by customers for better restaurant services, restaurants in the UK are keen on improving the quality of communication with the aim of improving efficiency and output. Due to high competition, restaurants in the UK can no longer rely on inaction to retain customer loyalty (UK branded restaurant market to grow by £5.6billion 2013). It is therefore important to review the impact of different management styles within restaurants in the UK and their influence on the quality of organizational communication. This study attempts to explicitly review the management styles in the UK restaurant sector and their impacts on the quality of organizational communication. It will utilise best practice examples from several UK restaurants together with local management conditions within the same industry.
Research problem statement
Previously, communication model was depicted as a linear process in which one person directly conveyed messages to another person. In the twenty-first century, communication models are interactions of transaction processes where both sender and receiver have an influence on each other as they interact within the realms of global cultural context. Organizational communication captures the concepts of efficiency, globalisation, corporate social responsibility and strategies in place to accomplish different business goals (Olmstead 2002). Reflectively, different management styles that are practiced within the UK restaurant sector include the autocratic management style, democratic management style, participatory management style, and the laissez faire management style. These management styles directly influence the position, nature and function of organizational communication.
The need for business efficiency in the case study restaurants necessitates more research in the area of management styles and their impacts on organizational communication within the UK. It is for these reasons that the research will attempt to provide a framework for organizational communication as directly influenced by the type of management style in those particular restaurants. At the end of the research, the case study restaurants, that want to improve organizational communication and increase their commitment to efficiency, will have mechanisms that they can use to decide on the most appropriate management style.
Research hypothesis
Null hypothesis
Different management styles have an influence on the quality of organisational communication in the UK restaurant sector.
Alternative hypothesis
Different management styles do not have an influence on the quality of organisational communication in the UK restaurant sector.
The research aims and objectives
Taking the role and importance of different management styles into consideration, this particular research study aims to analyse the degree to which different management styles influence the quality of organisational communication in the UK restaurant sector. The research study also has particular sub-objectives that are mentioned below:
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To analyse the importance of different management styles in the UK restaurant industry.
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To explore the different management styles adopted by five selected restaurants operating in the UK.
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To investigate the impact of different management styles on the quality of organisational communication in the UK restaurant sector.
Research questions
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How effective are different management styles in the orientation of organizational communication within the UK restaurant sector?
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What is the relevance of management style in different organizational communication systems within the UK restaurant sector?
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How effective is the role of an organizational culture in communication sustainability as a management strategy within the UK restaurant sector?
Significance of the study
Organizational communication effectiveness determines the level of performance of an organization and business sustainability amidst competition. This research will assist the case study restaurants in the UK to implement effective management styles that promote efficiency and sustainability of organizational communication. It will be a compilation of best management style practices among restaurants with effective organizational communication. The study will also provide recommendations on how restaurants can effectively manage their organizational communication in order to guarantee employee and customer satisfaction.
Limitations of the study
Insufficient information exists concerning different management styles and their influence on effective organizational communication within the UK restaurant sector. The study will not be a magic bullet in the management style and effective organizational communication proposal. It will only provide structures that must be combined with the values and goals of a particular restaurant to ensure effective communication as a management strategy. Therefore, restaurants within the UK cannot implement the recommendations without reflecting on external and internal weaknesses in different organizational communication systems and management styles (Olmstead 2002). If too much emphasis goes to emerging trends, then the case study restaurants will not learn about the fundamentals of the practice that got those firms to their market positions.
Research timeline
Week 1: Research Commencement
This stage will involve reviewing the research topic and rationale for the proposed hypothesis. This stage may take one week, since choosing the topic will be dependent on available literature.
Week 2 & 3: Choosing the case study
Choosing the case study will be very challenging as research papers adopt different approaches. Specifically, I will have to choose the most convincing research variables from different research articles with a diverse approach to the research questions.
Week 4 & 5: Background research
Since materials are available for the research topic, I will have an easy time in merging the relevant material to the research question. This stage may take two weeks to accomplish.
Week 6, 7, & 8: Conducting the literature review
This stage will be very demanding, since different sources of information will be searched. The sources of information that will be probed include the internet, the university library, course notes and public libraries with relevant information on the topic of research. I will concentrate on scholarly papers, conference proceedings, and relevant books.
Week 9, 10, & 11: Conducting interviews, collecting data and analysing data
This stage will be the most difficult in the research study. I will have to balance direct interviews, questionnaires, and other methods of research to present information about the topic. Data collected through one-on-one interviews will have to be scrutinised in detail. Open-ended and closed-ended questions will be used. Each question asked will have to be comprehensive to ensure that respondents have an opportunity to give deep answers, which provide an insight into the research problem to solve through the use of Google docs software. Transcription will be done to each of the recorded interview process. For each response, from each participant, the recorded transcripts will be perused to coin relevant and most appropriate response. This part will be more time consuming than any other part of the research paper.
Week 12 & 13: Research conclusion
Emerging themes will be identified and the findings will be interpreted and related to the research question. I will have to manage the data findings and interpretation within the scope of the research topic despite any research dynamics that may arise in the process. The final study will be reviewed to confirm its comprehensiveness in answering the research question before submission.
Summary
In summary, chapter one has developed the research rationale through developing a background search on the impact of leadership strategies on organizational communication within the UK restaurant sector. However, the strategies may have limitations since insufficient information exists concerning different management styles and their influence on effective organizational communication within the UK restaurant sector.
Literature Review
Introduction
This part of the paper will examine different management styles, leadership and communication strategies in operating a business. The literature review section will explore past reports on management strategies and their relationship to effective business. A comprehensive comparison will then be developed to relate the literature to the UK restaurant sector.
Management theories
Transformational management theory
Transformational leadership provides an opportunity where employees could be motivated to give a desired output. When the management embraces the principles of transformational leadership, it becomes easier to convince employees to be flexible to change. The main characteristics of transformational leadership include adaptability, empowerment, commitment, contribution, and critical problem solving skills (Bloom and Reenen 2010).
Management expectancy theory
Expectancy theory in leadership functionality in an organization influences the behaviour of the person making decision away from personal prejudice, stereotype, or emotions. The expectancy theory review and offer the most ethically viable options for proactive leadership management of behaviour. This theory identifies the aspects of the effort-performance expectancy, valence expectancy, and performance-outcome expectancy (Montana and Bruce 2008).
Management motivational theories
Incentive theory
Incentive theory apprehends the perception that an individual hold in regards to performance reward. Thus, the higher the motivational expectation attracts the better performance of such an individual in an organization. For instance, a quantifiable paradigm shift in perception can be linked to the correlation between reward and performance in an organization. The incentive theory explores the weight an individual allocates to a reward in motivating performance (Bloom and Reenen 2010).
Arousal theory
Arousal theory functions in communication culture to create structural goals which develop norms, expectations of specific behaviour display, and appropriate guideline controlling interaction with one another. For instance, when the underlying command plans originate from the opinionated inclination of such an individual, the results would basically be aligned towards self contempt (Andreadis 2009).
Leadership and management theories
In management, motivation is important and functions between individual interaction and internal attributes of the involved parties. As a component of motivational functionality, expectancy theory discusses the aspect of perception that an individual holds towards the environment of leadership and influence. As a matter of fact, this theory expounds on the implementation mechanism of leadership in broad environmental spectra. Proposed by Andreadis (2009), expectancy theory in leadership functionality in an organization influences the behaviour of person(s) making decision away from personal prejudice, stereotype, or emotions.
According to Bloom and Reenen (2010), expectancy theory review and offer the most ethically viable options for proactive leadership management of behaviour. This theory identifies the aspects of the effort-performance expectancy, valence expectancy, and performance-outcome expectancy. The authors argue that effort-performance expectancy (E-P) apprehends the perception of an individual that can be directly correlated to performance level. This argument is supported by experience of the individual in question since performance and ethical decision making process is skewed towards experience with a situation(s). At ceteris paribus, the theory predicts better performance for the more experienced person since he or she will display higher E-P expectancy magnitude, irrespective of the field of leadership (Bloom and Reenen 2010).
In a quick rejoinder, Huczynski (2012) argues that, what valence a certain object or activity and partly upon the needs of the state of the person at that time (Huczynski 2012, p. 273). From this argument, it is apparent that low income earning staff may show higher valence than those at the apex of the organizational hierarchy who may be characterized as those experiencing actualisation on the pyramid of functionality.
Besides, the target of this theory is the entire hierarchy of staff members from the top management to the casual labourers at bottom of the ladder. As a result of properly structured communication ethics, the work environment becomes holistic, soft and socially friendly to the staff when valence is applied. Besides, healthy ethical communication culture creates structural goals which develop norms, expectations of specific behaviour display, and appropriate guideline controlling interaction with one another. This theory includes written rules of engagement, expected behaviour, and repercussions for deviation. Each member of the organization community will become part of the philosophy upon confirming allegiance. To control group behaviour, desirable leadership attributes are necessary, which are possessed by the managers gained over time with experience. Management plans, tests and implement company policies in line with the preset ethical goals (Lipshitz et al. 2007). Therefore, for such an individual to accomplish the balance, he or she has the sole responsibility of acting as an exact opposite of a frugal person. These actions oriented motives must be aligned to the right individual, extent, time, and reason (Davidson, Wood & Griffin 2009).
Montana and Bruce (2008), support the Vrooms theory of expectancy by presenting the instrumentality of the components of motivation to behave in a particular manner because of expected reward. The authors further build a behaviour leadership model involving actual and observed experiences of individuals within a similar environment and under the same situation. The visual representational meaning of the memory stages conveys the relationship between the participants and the depicted structuring. The creation of a visual representational meaning proposes the space-based model for analysis cantered in the placement of objects within the semiotic space of memory. The conceptual processes define, analyse and classify places, people or things, including abstract ones in the encoding process. These processes can be classified into classificational, symbolic, and analytical. The classificational categorizes people, things or places in a tree structure in which things are represented as belonging to a particular class or order in the memory (Davidson, Wood & Griffin 2009).
In line with valence reward as part of the expectancy theory, every individual should be a role model of the other. Besides, they should develop self-confidence by elucidating own individual values in an organization to attract the expected reward. Actually, this is possible through setting good examples through conforming to shared values of the team (Montana and Bruce 2008). Secondly, the team needs to enliven a common vision. Indeed, they should visualize the future through perceiving to achieve pleasant and excellent possibilities.
Montana and Bruce (2008) argue that the rules that define right or wrong doing may differ between regions, but there are those ethics that apply in most environments. The ideal perspective would by a commitment to fairly develop ethics after a great improvement in response channel. Ethical considerations are observed at educational level, executive management level, and the government and private stakeholders. At education level, most of the higher institutions do offer at least one elective course on ethics. The major concern has been with the integrity of senior organization and government officials as well as private stakeholders such as exporters who were reportedly involved in big scandals ranging from abuse of power, bribery and embezzlement of public funds (Montana and Bruce 2008). As an ethical reassurance policy, Andreadis (2009) suggests a psychological test in the employee selection procedures. Indeed, psychological test is focused on certain aspects of the applicants performance, behaviour, and attitude since management position is associated with decision making and calmness under pressure (Andreadis 2009).
Different management styles
Over the last few years, the roles and responsibilities of managers within a company have significantly changed (Montana and Bruce 2008). According to Montana and Bruce (2008), management style can be explained as the overall leadership approach followed by managers in a company. Further, there are several types of management styles in terms of managing employees of an organisation. Management style can undoubtedly have a huge impact on how the employees perform. For example, employees in multinational organisations such as Google are free to decide their way of working and their managers follow a relaxed management style, since it is suitable within such business environments (Male et al. 2007). On the other hand, government and public sector firms follow a stricter management style due to the high level of bureaucracy (Male et al. 2007). The different management styles are disclosed below.
Autocratic management style
According to Montana and Bruce (2008), autocratic management style is characterised by lone decision making by the management of an establishment. The leader then has the responsibility of communicating the decision to other members of the organization who must obey the decision. For instance, an organization practicing an autocratic management style in the restaurant sector may entrust the manager to issue instructions to the employees on customer service guidelines, which must be followed. As indicated by theory X and theory Y, the autocratic management style involves supervision after instructions with the belief that the employees are responsible to do what is right (Male et al. 2007). This management style promotes proactive employee involvement since it outlines what is to be done by each employee. Besides, employees may feel motivated when the manager is proactive in the supervisory role.
Democratic management style
According to Andreadis (2009), democratic management style involves proactive management through a consultative framework between the manager and other members of an organization. The democratic management style means facilitating the conversation, encouraging people to share their ideas, and then synthesizing all the available information into the best possible decision (Anderson 2009, p. 45). Generally, democratic management style is associated with flexibility hence more broad and sustainable decisions. However, since this management style is characterized by wide consultation, it may take a very long time to reach a consensus. In relation to the UK restaurant sector, the democratic management style has its merits and demerits. For instance, it promotes active employee participation and consultative decision making. However, it may be characterized by slow decision making, even during crisis when there is need to make radical and fast decisions (Huczynski 2012).
Participatory management style
As opined by Davidson, Wood and Griffin (2009), participatory management is a system in which employees of a business organization take an active role in the decision-making process as it relates to the way the business operates (Davidson, Wood, & Griffin 2009, p. 29). The main characteristics of the participatory management style include teamwork, increased employee responsibility level, and the inclusion of the employees in the business ownership. In relation to the UK restaurant sector, participatory management style is widely practiced since it promotes open and sustainable business operations since the employees feel appreciated.
Laissez faire management style
Under the laissez faire management style, the manager takes a back seat in proceedings, leaving the staff in charge of their own specific sections or tasks (Lipshitz et al. 2007, p. 21). The merit of this management style includes improved morale among the employees since they have high responsibility in the business. Besides, the employees may become more creative since they are allowed to apply their own ideas. However, this management style has demerits such as redundancy, especially when the workers decide to abuse the high level of responsibility bestowed upon them. Since this management style does not have a structure of authority, employees may easily lose their sense of accountability and direction. With reference to the UK restaurant sector, this management style is not ideal since the sector is very sensitive to changes in quality of services.
Impacts of the management styles on employee motivation
According to Montana and Bruce (2008), each type of management style serves a purpose grounded in the kind of operations and business environment and the situation. The highly efficient management styles are those that can help the managers to develop a good operating environment for all the individuals involved and motivate employees to put in their maximum efforts (Davidson, Wood & Griffin 2009; Male et al. 2007). Moreover, it is believed that management styles also have an impact on the quality of organisational communication within distinct industries such as retail, food, information technology, and electronics (Montana and Bruce, 2008).
According to Andreadis (2009), management style has a strong impact on employee motivation and ability to learn in an organization. Besides, highly effective managers differ in leadership styles based on knowledge and skills, the type of task, and time restrictions among other factors. These actions inspire and encourage optimal performance among employees (Andreadis 2009). On the other hand, Davidson, Wood & Griffin (2009) note that leadership styles differ in different sectors and industries. In union, Vaccaro et al. (2012) are categorical in stating that different operation systems determine the type of leadership style a company is practicing. Irrespective of the leadership style, the authors conclude that management styles have an impact on organizational communication (Vaccaro et al. 2012; Andreadis 2009; Davidson, Wood & Griffin 2009). Management styles identified by the above authors include autocratic management style, democratic management style, participatory management style, and the laissez faire management style (Vaccaro et al 2012; Lipshitz et al. 2007; Davidson, Wood & Griffin 2009; Montana and Bruce 2008; Huczynski 2012).
UK Restaurant sector
Several literatures indicate that the UK restaurant sector is steadily growing in terms of scope and production (UK branded restaurant market to grow by £5.6billion 2013). The scope involves the increasing number of employees, while production involves management techniques that have been employed to ensure sustainable growth (UK branded restaurant market to grow by £5.6 billion 2013; Ernst & Young 2012). This requires restaurants to put in place suitable management techniques to ensure effective retention and attraction of employees (UK branded restaurant market to grow by £5.6 billion 2013). Moreover, proper communication between the staff members and top management is considered as an important factor behind the success of any restaurant (Ernst & Young 2012).
Since different management styles have different impacts on the organisational communication, restaurants choice of management styles greatly depends on the effectiveness of communication that a particular management style could offer (Lipshitz et al. 2007). For instance, in the case of autocratic management style, there is a lack of communication between top management and employees, since the employees are not involved in decision making (Bloom and Reenen 2010). They are given instructions, which they need to follow. Secondly, in the case of democratic management style, the level of communication is higher as compared to the autocratic one, since the employees are involved in companys practices to some level.
Besides, managers practicing the democratic style of management show willingness to delegate duties to the employees as part of the organizational functionality (Montana and Bruce, 2008). Thirdly, in the case of participatory leadership management style, employees are encouraged to employ their own knowledge and make decisions when suitable. In this style, the level of communication between employees and with top management is generally good (Dasgupta et al. 2013). Lastly, in laissez faire management style, the organising team are given the autonomy to finish a task or job in any manner they believe is most suitable without having to necessarily consult any higher authority. In this type of management style, communication is not effective, since the employees might not feel the need to communicate with other colleagues or top management before making decisions or performing any task (Bloom and Reenen 2010).
Communication and effective business
Proper communication between the management and employees determine the success of any restaurant (Ernst & Young 2012). In fact, different management styles have different impacts on the organizational communication channel. Thus, the choice of a management style is directly proportional to the effectiveness of communication in that particular restaurant (Ernst and Young 2012; Lipshitz et al. 2007; Bloom and Reenen 2010; Montana and Bruce 2008; Dasgupta et al. 2013).
Communication in organizations can be either formal or informal. These two forms of communication are distinct, though they are used simultaneously in organizations. Formal communication is the proper and defined process of information exchange within an organization (Bloom and Reenen 2010). Communication influences innovative and deviating period of organisational economic activities, such as development of the technology, increasing market demand, production and workflow, investment and trade patterns, competition among the rival companies and facing the threats as a result of market dynamics. Organizational and leadership ethics determine the level of participation by the employees and interventions passed through a feasibility test for implementation to initiate a cultural shift in the organization. Besides, communication ethics define content policy based on the need to address work related habits in order to create a friendly workplace environment (Bloom and Reenen 2010).
As a result of properly structured communication ethics, the work environment becomes holistic, that is, soft and socially friendly to the staff. Besides, healthy ethical communication culture creates structural goals which develop norms, expectations of specific behaviour display and appropriate guideline controlling interaction with one another. Thus, as salience, time, and willingness to communicate increase, coping and constructing, further along the continuum, may be chosen (Modaff, DeWine & Butler 2008, p. 23). Aspired ideals of a stable organizational communication model include the need for an organization to strive to develop a good culture by fostering a strong alignment with the monitored path of achieving its goals, missions and vision. The model has written rules of engagement, expected behaviour, and repercussions for deviation. The aspect of organization communication system should be made effective in order to minimise conflicts of interest. Thus, the concept of aspired and profiled structures must be laid down to aid exchange of information, professionalism and pro-activeness in issue based interaction (Bloom and Reenen 2010).
The part of principles in an effective organizational communication model encompass laid down rules to enable the organization to be more efficient. This is in the form of a well organised hierarchy of workforce from management with administrative roles in service providing workers. Managers are empowered by the organizations constitution to perform the role of prefects and offer leadership solutions upon consultation with one another. To control group behaviour, desirable leadership attributes are necessary, which are possessed by the managers gained over time in experience (Janus 2008). Therefore, strategic communication planning consists of one overarching principle and three separate strategies, or practices: contain, cope, and construct (Modaff, DeWine & Butler 2008, p. 21). Whenever there is a strong professional relationship nurtured on the values of appreciation and respect within an organizational communication model, hidden talents are easily displayable for business sustainability (Janus 2008).
Organization communication skills are acquired through creative inspiration in communication systems in organisations. When successfully carried out, redundancy and emotional strains are kept at bay, as constant interaction is a means of boosting confidence and personality which is a recipe for good organizational culture. Moreover, self evaluation skills in communication ethics encompass actual and expected outcome. Therefore, by promoting the principles of specialisation, standardisation, and predictability in organizations, classical theorists have essentially attempted to minimise the occurrences of misunderstandings (Modaff, DeWine & Butler 2008, p. 27).
Other factors associated with inhibiting learning in organizations are inappropriate organizational structures, work pressure, entrenched attitudes towards learning, and emphasis on meeting targets. Fear and resistance to change in organizations that are characterised by high levels of bureaucracy and inter-functional rivalry are the main reasons that impede learning (Bloom and Reenen 2010).
Leadership and management in organizations
The concepts of leadership and management have been consistently misused to refer to either of them. The two concepts are complex in their applicability and use in the field of business activities. The concept of leadership can be broadly defined as the intrinsic ability to internalise a setting with the intention of empowering a group or team to proactively and creatively contribute towards problem solving (Male et al. 2007). On the other hand, management, in the broad spectrum, can be defined as the process in an organization that is inclusive of setting, strategic planning, managing resources and deploying the needed resources to realise specific objectives that are measurable within a specified period of time (Male et al. 2007).
The main characteristics of leadership include adaptability, empowerment, commitment, contribution and critical problem solving skills. The aspect of adaptability effects the adjustments that may be required in exercising influence over a challenge.
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