Pearson New International Edition International pcl tp indd 1

OVERVIEW OF THE FRONT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
It is doubtful whether any FOM uses one of the four leadership styles exclusively. In
an ideal situation, the FOM would know each employee and would be able to use the
leadership style appropriate to the specific employee in the specific situation.
However, few, if any, supervisors can switch between different leadership styles.
Several factors influence the type of leadership style actually used:
•
Manager’s personal background. Every FOM brings unique knowledge, experi-
ence and common sense to a job situation, and those factors influence how
FOMs feel about their job and their employees.
•
Characteristics of employees. Some employees desire decision-making responsi-
bility; others do not. Some agree with the property’s goals; others may not. The
different backgrounds and attitudes of employees should be considered as lead-
ership approaches are determined.
•
Relationship between manager and employees. The degree of confidence that an
FOM has in employees will affect the leadership style that is selected. When
there is trust and acceptance, a democratic approach may be useful. When
these elements are lacking, an autocratic approach may be appropriate, but it
may lead to conflict between the FOM and employees.
•
Job situation itself. The culture of the hotel, the makeup of employee groups,
and the type of work to be done all affect the choice and effectiveness of lead-
ership styles. The size of the work group must be considered, because it is more
difficult to use group decision-making approaches as the size of the group
increases. The effectiveness of communication and amount of cooperation
between hotel departments is of concern. If not satisfactory, the FOM may be
uncertain about the goals of the property and may be inclined to use less par-
ticipative approaches in decision making. Consider also the type of work and
the magnitude and kinds of problems to be resolved. In some situations,
employee input will be helpful but in others, employee input may not be use-
ful to FOMs.
Basic knowledge about leadership styles and the conditions under which they are
likely to be useful can help FOMs to be more effective. Although FOMs cannot be
psychologists, they can use background knowledge and common sense to improve
their abilities to supervise front office employees.