The Ritz-Carlton hotel franchise has proven itself to be one of the finest organizations in the service industry worldwide. Founded in 1983, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has become a multibillion-dollar company, employing over 22,000 workers in forty hotels worldwide (Bacon & Pugh, 2004). Though the company has been awarded some of the most prestigious honors in the industry and has consistently exceeded the expectations of their guests, their competitive advantage is most notable in the way the organization has exceeded staff expectations. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company employs the principles of Servant Leadership, as described in Robert Greenleaf’s essay, The Servant as Leader (1991), and each employee is empowered to practice these principles to every guest.
Greenleaf believed the servant leader is a servant first, and then aspires to lead others (Greenleaf, et. al., 1977). According to Greenleaf, the servant …show more content…
Ritz-Carlton requires that each employee memorize “The Credo” (The Ritz-Carlton, 2016), as his or her first obligation to the organization. The credo expresses the commitment to the genuine care and comfort of each guest as their highest mission. By instilling the mission in the hearts of each employee, and by empowering each employee to be creative in accomplishing this goal, the Ritz-Carlton employee’s purpose is of greater worth than his or her function. In order to maintain such a high standard, Ritz-Carlton holds each employee accountable to live out twelve service values. Each value begins with “I”, highlighting the personal responsibility each employee has in providing genuine care and comfort to every guest. Ingraining the principles of servant leadership into each employee, and empowering each employee to uphold the culture of the organization, every guest is treated with the same emotional engagement, regardless of the employee’s
Greenleaf believed the servant leader is a servant first, and then aspires to lead others (Greenleaf, et. al., 1977). According to Greenleaf, the servant …show more content…
Ritz-Carlton requires that each employee memorize “The Credo” (The Ritz-Carlton, 2016), as his or her first obligation to the organization. The credo expresses the commitment to the genuine care and comfort of each guest as their highest mission. By instilling the mission in the hearts of each employee, and by empowering each employee to be creative in accomplishing this goal, the Ritz-Carlton employee’s purpose is of greater worth than his or her function. In order to maintain such a high standard, Ritz-Carlton holds each employee accountable to live out twelve service values. Each value begins with “I”, highlighting the personal responsibility each employee has in providing genuine care and comfort to every guest. Ingraining the principles of servant leadership into each employee, and empowering each employee to uphold the culture of the organization, every guest is treated with the same emotional engagement, regardless of the employee’s