The growth experienced by the hospitality industry, especially the hotel industry, has outpaced its ability to develop future leaders. Like many organizations, the hotel industry employs a management hierarchy of single-unit managers responsible for each unit (hotel) and a multi-unit manager who oversees single-unit managers and their units (hotels). The vast majority of these multi-unit managers are promoted from a successful single-unit operation. The promotion can be challenging, and first-time multi-unit managers struggle to make a successful transition. Research confirms that this struggle is partially due to the need for a newly promoted multi-unit manager to develop a new and different set of knowledge, skills, and abilities: however, the specific skills and abilities needed for multi-unit managers to be successful, as well as the processes that might support the development of those skills, are not well understood. Through an inductive, qualitative study of the multi-unit managers in an exemplary case organization, Grandco, this study identified the factors that contribute to the struggle (or success) of newly-promoted multi-unit managers. The study provides a model for leadership development specifically designed for managers that are classic self-paced, learning-oriented, independent, experiential learners who, without the time needed to complete the cycle of learning, struggle to meet the new position requirements. In addition, the position requires more experience and an enhanced set of knowledge, skills, and abilities developed during a promotion (tournament) to improve the rate of success in these first-time promotions. It is the responsibility of a successful organization to seek out people with leadership potential and provide them with career experiences designed to develop their potential.
","abstract_html":"<p>The growth experienced by the hospitality industry, especially the hotel industry, has outpaced its ability to develop future leaders. Like many organizations, the hotel industry employs a management hierarchy of single-unit managers responsible for each unit (hotel) and a multi-unit manager who oversees single-unit managers and their units (hotels). The vast majority of these multi-unit managers are promoted from a successful single-unit operation. The promotion can be challenging, and first-time multi-unit managers struggle to make a successful transition. Research confirms that this struggle is partially due to the need for a newly promoted multi-unit manager to develop a new and different set of knowledge, skills, and abilities: however, the specific skills and abilities needed for multi-unit managers to be successful, as well as the processes that might support the development of those skills, are not well understood. Through an inductive, qualitative study of the multi-unit managers in an exemplary case organization, Grandco, this study identified the factors that contribute to the struggle (or success) of newly-promoted multi-unit managers. The study provides a model for leadership development specifically designed for managers that are classic self-paced, learning-oriented, independent, experiential learners who, without the time needed to complete the cycle of learning, struggle to meet the new position requirements. In addition, the position requires more experience and an enhanced set of knowledge, skills, and abilities developed during a promotion (tournament) to improve the rate of success in these first-time promotions. It is the responsibility of a successful organization to seek out people with leadership potential and provide them with career experiences designed to develop their potential.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Sharkey, Mark A."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Aimee L. Hamilton","Melissa A. Akaka","David L. Corsun","Sara E. Watamura"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2021,"date_issued":"2021-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2021-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:03:03Z","subjects":["Business","Management","Administration","Business Administration, Management, and Operations"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
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"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Hotel Executives’ Perceptions of Effective Promotion Processes and the Successful Transition from Single-Unit to Multi-Unit Management"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Aimee L. Hamilton","Melissa A. Akaka","David L. Corsun","Sara E. Watamura"],"dc:creator":["Sharkey, Mark A."],"dc:date.available":["2023-08-04T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The growth experienced by the hospitality industry, especially the hotel industry, has outpaced its ability to develop future leaders. Like many organizations, the hotel industry employs a management hierarchy of single-unit managers responsible for each unit (hotel) and a multi-unit manager who oversees single-unit managers and their units (hotels). The vast majority of these multi-unit managers are promoted from a successful single-unit operation. The promotion can be challenging, and first-time multi-unit managers struggle to make a successful transition. Research confirms that this struggle is partially due to the need for a newly promoted multi-unit manager to develop a new and different set of knowledge, skills, and abilities: however, the specific skills and abilities needed for multi-unit managers to be successful, as well as the processes that might support the development of those skills, are not well understood. Through an inductive, qualitative study of the multi-unit managers in an exemplary case organization, Grandco, this study identified the factors that contribute to the struggle (or success) of newly-promoted multi-unit managers. The study provides a model for leadership development specifically designed for managers that are classic self-paced, learning-oriented, independent, experiential learners who, without the time needed to complete the cycle of learning, struggle to meet the new position requirements. In addition, the position requires more experience and an enhanced set of knowledge, skills, and abilities developed during a promotion (tournament) to improve the rate of success in these first-time promotions. It is the responsibility of a successful organization to seek out people with leadership potential and provide them with career experiences designed to develop their potential.
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"],"dc:subject":["Business","Management","Administration","Business Administration, Management, and Operations"],"dc:title":["Hotel Executives’ Perceptions of Effective Promotion Processes and the Successful Transition from Single-Unit to Multi-Unit Management"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:03:03Z"}