In Times of Uncertainty in the Hotel Industry: Hotel Directors' Decision‐Making and Coping Strategies for Dealing with Uncertainty in Change Activities

Abstract

This paper is based on an exploratory case study of 12 hotel directors from Copenhagen, Denmark. The study investigates their perceived uncertainty in terms of decision‐making during change processes with the aim of evaluating whether hotel directors take advantage of uncertainty to promote creativity and innovation in their change activities as a means of business development. It investigates which change activities hotel directors perceive as highly or less uncertain, and why and how they address uncertainties strategically. The findings of the study suggest that hotel directors do not benefit from uncertainty in order to develop competitive advantages. They employ traditional strategic approaches that apparently seem to reduce uncertainty by means of planning, sticking to procedures and routines and postponing decisions until they feel sure about them.