The Psychodynamic Research of the Role of a Leader in the Hospitality Industry

Present master's thesis is dedicated to the psychodynamic analysis of leaders in the hospitality industry. Specifically, it examines the narcissistic aspect of the psyche of leaders who hold positions in high-end hotels, which set the standards for service across the entire industry. It also explores the dynamics of relationships between leaders and their teams, as well as the connection between the leader's Ego ideal and the organizational ideal. Within the scope of this research, the following methods employed: semi-structured interviews and Organizational Role Analysis, and their findings were documented and analyzed. The dissertation consists of two main chapters.The first chapter examines the following aspects: the uniqueness of the hotel industry and the requirements for leadership in this field, a psychodynamic approach to leadership with the identification of various types of leadership styles, positive and negative aspects of narcissistic leadership, and the relationship between the leader's Ego ideal and the organizational ideal. The second chapter analyzes the data obtained during interviews and analysis of the organizational role. While planning current research, it was assumed that managers who choose a career in high-end hotels have a significant narcissistic component that enables them to deliver the ideal outcome - the product offered by such hotels to guests. However, data, which was collected through the interviews, enabled us to refine the initial hypothesis and gain a more comprehensive understanding of the "inner theater" of leaders in the hospitality industry.The leaders studied in this research, despite having narcissistic tendencies, nevertheless strive to be ideal mothers for their employees and provide excellent service to guests by anticipating and predicting their needs. The practical importance of this research lies in the unique nature of the hospitality industry, which relies heavily on the continuous interaction between employees and guests. The economic success of a hospitality business is determined solely by the performance of its human resources. A deeper understanding of the psychodynamics of leadership and its impact on team dynamics can lead to improved team relationships and increased organizational efficiency.