MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL
Introduction - An overview of organisation and Top management
Marriott International is one of the leading hotel corporations worldwide, headquarters in
Bethesda, Maryland with 30 brands and more than 8000 hotels spread over 130 countries.
Currently they hold about 1,500,000 hotel rooms and 2150 of those 8000 properties managed by
Marriott and the remainder under franchise agreements.
The company was founded by J. Willard and Alice Marriott, which has been run by the Marriott
family for almost 90 years. Curently, David S. Marriott is the Chairman of the Board of Marriott
International. Another prominent leader in the company is Anthony Capuano, President and
Chief Executive Officer. In 1927, they operated a small family business, gradually expanding it
and making it more successful. Marriott launched its first hotel in Virginia in 1957, and the
company witnessed significant expansion in the following decades. Marriott International has
keeping its position as one of the leading chain in hospitality sector for over a decade. The firm
is dedicated to offering outstanding customer service, opportunity for associate growth
exceptional and profitable returns to shareholders and owners. 'Fortune’ magazine ranked it the
most regarded corporation in the hospitality industry and one of the best places to work. Marriott
provides an encouraging atmosphere in which to progress in one's current position and creat a
long-term career. To make those ideas a reality, they established company values and a
management style based on their philosophy of "putting people first."
Management policies
Motivation in the hospitality industry refers to guiding employees' efforts toward a certain
purpose, and it is an essential tool for attaining company goals. Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs"
is considered as one of the well-known theories of employee motivation. In Maslow's theory the
five needs are Physiological, Safety, Social, Self-Esteem and Self-Actualization (Stephen P.
Robbins, Mary Coulter, David A. De Cenzo, 2020). At Marriott, the physical needs of all the
employees are prioritized and the management attempt to provide shelter, money, food and
benefits package, including the TakeCare Wellbeing program, to ensure employees have a feeling
of job security. The company also guarantees that the work-life balance of its staff meets
expectations by providing about 15 weeks of paid parental leave to birth mothers and 8 weeks to
fathers. For social level, interpersonal interactions are strongly encouraged and rewarded at
Marriott. Especially, regular management communication about operational problems is a
significant aspect of meeting a employee’s social requirements at Marriott. Moreover, company
management implements methods such as work enrichment, cross-functional training, and
particular assignments to make jobs more gratifying. Employees are also given the authority to
participate in the organization's decision-making processes. In terms of self-actualization,
Marriott provides a wide range of training and development programs for employees and also
managers. The orientation program for all new staff to ensure they have the necessary abilities to
work effectively. The firm also arrange 15 minutes of training to employees each day, focusing
on critical skill and knowledge fields such as culinary, housekeeping, and purchasing. They assist
employees in mastering the skills required to perform their jobs. Besides, managers at every
Marriott hotels engage in about 20 different management training cources. These courses are
taught by qualified trainers and experienced experts (Hotel Management, 2010).
Marriott International has a long history of success and growth, which can be attributed in part to
its leadership approach and philosophy. The company's leadership theory can be characterized as
a democratic leadership style. Democratic leadership is characterized by a concentration of
power on the group as a whole. Before making any decisions, this style encourages more
engagement among the group. This not only enhances work satisfaction by integrating team
members in what is happening, but it also improves employee’s skill (Bhatti, 2012). This
leadership style is established by the founder of the company and followed by his son J.W.
Marriott. He believes that employee is the most significant asset of any successful business.
"Treat your stafff how you would want to be treated, and give them opportunity to succeed. Gain
their trust and respect. Ensure they enjoy and are engaged in their job" J.W. Marriott says. The
hotel group also has a "Guarantee of Fair Treatment" policy that addresses employee concerns.
This policy ensures that their concerns are heard and that a solution is offered (Marriott
International). Moreover, Marriott believe in treating all employees equitably and involving them
in decision-making processes. Before making any decisions or developing new procedures and
policies, company management consult with group members. In addition to democratic
leadership, Marriott International also employs transformational leadership, which involves
leaders inspiring and motivating their followers to reach their full abilities and strive for
excellence. Marriott International's Former CEO, Arne Sorenson, has been known with
promoting a transformational leadership style. He has emphasized the importance of building a
strong company culture and fostering a sense of purpose among employees. Sorenson has also
made efforts to ensure communication within the conpany are constantly open and each
employees are recognized for their work. The company encourages its managers to "manage
while walking around" its hotels. This focuses on detail and gives employees the impression that
leaders assist them in their positions. Managers also show appreciation to team members for
doing a good job (Pollitt, 2008).
Marriott recognizes that strong teamwork is essential for providing exceptional service to its
guests. One of the key teamwork theories that Marriott International applies is the concept of
"team effectiveness," which emphasizes the importance of a team's ability to achieve its goals
and objectives. This theory suggests that effective teams have clear goals, well-defined roles and
responsibilities, open communication, and a strong sense of trust and respect among team
members. Marriott sets clear goals and values that all employees share. Also, they focus on
training and development programs to assist employees improve the skills and knowledge
required to work effectively in teams. For example, the company offers a variety of leadership
and team-building workshops, as well as ongoing coaching and mentoring opportunities. In
addition, employees are encouraged to share their ideas, feedback, and concerns with senior
leader. It also has implemented a number of cross-functional teams, where people from various
departments collaborate on a project or task, this helps employees learn from each other, share
knowledge and skills.
Goal setting theory is a motivational theory that suggests individuals are more likely to be
motivated and achieve better results when they have specific, challenging goals to work towards
(Lunenburg, 2011). Marriott International is known for its strong focus on employee
development and motivation. First, they encourage their employees to set personal goals for their
career development, such as learning new skills, completing a training program, or achieving a
certain level of performance. This allows employees to take ownership of their own professional
growth and gives them a sense of direction and purpose. In addition, to evaluate employee
performance in the workplace, the company uses the approach known as 360-Degree Appraisal.
In this system, all Marriott hotel stakeholders assess employee performance and provide
feedback to them. The performance evaluation approach can also be applied to compare the
employee's actual performance to the chosen performance target criteria. Marriott also provides
recognition and rewards for employees who achieve their goals or have exceptional performance.
For example, The Marriott Awards of Excellence were created to celebrate the "best of the best"
within the organization. Every year, a group of employees is recognized for their contributions in
customer service, corporate citizenship, diversity and inclusion. The honorees are able to invite
their families from all around the world for a night of celebration and admiration with Marriott
top management and hundreds of other employees. Another reward system in Marriott hotel is
the promotion. Employees are rewarded for their outstanding performance by being promoted
from their present job to a higher one. This contributes to employee work satisfaction and
motivation to accomplish the company's goals.
Challenges
Although Marriott is a large and well-stable company, it also faces challenges from surroundings.
First, there has been a significant financial recession as a consequences of the pandemic.
Marriott's brand reputation has suffered as its brand worth has dropped by more than half to $2.4
billion. Meanwhile, Hilton hotel, the Marriott’s main competitor experienced the least fall in
revenue and brand value (Hospitality Net, 2021). Other obstacle for Marriott is the possibility of
terrorist attacks, terrorists usually select top-rated 5-star hotels that accommodate a large number
of foreigners, such as Marriott. Hackers gained access to one of Marriott International's client
databases, resulting in the company's third significant data breach in the past eight years. In June
2022, an anonymous hacker group utilized social engineering to get access to an employee's
computer. Last but not least, Marriott will encounter intense competition. Despite the fact that
Marriott is the leading company in the hospitality industry, it have to compete with rivals such as
Hilton and Novotel to maintain its position. As the industry's competitiveness has increased over
the years, Marriott is concerned that its competitors seize its market share and position in the
future.
Conclusion
Overall, Marriott International is a large company in the hospitality industry around the world,
known for its exceptional management policies and practices. In addition to providing customers
with premium services and exceeding their expectations, the Marriott management principle of
putting people first is the significant factors that has contributed to the success of company for
almost a hundred years. The company considers motivating employees as one of the most
important components to help them perform their job effectively and improve the guest
experiences. They have implemented several approaches in terms of motivating employees, such
as providing health care benefits and training and development programs to enhance employees’
skills and knowledge. Rewarding or promotion is also offered for staff when they achieve
company goals or have outstanding performances. Moreover, top management at Marriott has
developed democratic and transformational leadership styles that emphasize employee in the
decision-making process, and encourage employees to try their best for their job.
Total words: 1650
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