THE RENAISSANCE SUZHOU HOTEL: TURNING CRISIS INTO
OPPORTUNITY CASE STUDY SOLUTION
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SYNOPSIS
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Fanghao Ji, the general manager of the Renaissance Suzhou Hotel in Suzhou, China, receives an urgent call
early in the morning on November 25, 2021, informing him that previous guests of the hotel have tested
positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). He is asked to cooperate with the government in an
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epidemiological investigation and to implement a closed-loop operation to prevent the spread of the disease.
Although Ji has prior experience with emergency simulations, this real-life situation is exceptional in the
tio
significant risk it poses to the hotel’s reputation as well as to the health and safety of its guests and staff. With
the hotel fully booked that day and a very limited number of staff members on duty, Ji faces a major crisis.
lu
Faced with uncertainties and a fully booked hotel during the Thanksgiving holiday season, Ji contemplates
the implications of a government takeover the Renaissance Suzhou Hotel. This would entail relinquishing
So
guest services to the government, which would pose a financial strain for the hotel and put its esteemed
reputation at risk. Despite having an awareness of industry precedents, Ji grapples with the decision,
considering the potential consequences of the takeover for the hotel’s future. Successfully navigating this
closed-loop operation could either fortify the Renaissance Suzhou Hotel’s resilience or introduce unforeseen
challenges and, in the process, have a significant effect on the hotel’s reputation and future trajectory.
OBJECTIVES
• Understand paradoxical leadership behaviours and their complexity and the application of paradoxical
leadership in a top management team.
• Identify critical elements in ensuring employees’ morale and how to avoid having them get burned out
from excessive work stress.
The Case Solution Starts From page 4
,• Analyze leadership effectiveness using the propositions of the path-goal theory of leadership.
• Define the principles of conservation of resources (COR) theory and analyze interactions between
leaders and team members.
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ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
1. In your opinion, what would be the pros and cons of letting the government take over management of
the hotel during the lockdown?
2. Discuss the sources of stress employees have faced during the lockdown and their resulting behaviour.
What steps can hotel management take to alleviate their stress?
3. What kind of organizational culture would help employees reduce their stress during the lockdown?
4. As the general manager of the hotel, how can Ji effectively lead his employees through this crisis?
The Case Solution Starts From page 4
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ANALYSIS
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1. In your opinion, what would be the pros and cons of letting the government take over
management of the hotel during the lockdown?
encouraged to facilitate a discussion on the pros and cons of allowing the government to
take over management of the hotel during the lockdown. Students can express various opinions on the
n
takeover, and guide them in considering the potential benefits and challenges.
tio
discussing the pros and cons of a government takeover by providing
lu
the examples of the potential benefits and drawbacks. The potential benefits include the following: (a) if
the hotel allows the government to take over management during the lockdown, it may not need to exert as
much effort or incur additional costs to provide for guests; and (b) the hotel would not have to deal with the
So
potential risks and challenges of managing the protocol for the lockdown. The potential drawbacks are as
follows: (a) if the government were to take over the hotel, it would only be able to provide guests standard
meals prepared by outsourced catering companies but none of the additional services that are offered by the
hotel; (b) based on the experiences of other quarantine hotels, guests might not receive personalized care;
and (c) allowing the government to manage the hotel could potentially result in negative reviews and
impressions of guests who expect a typical hotel experience. This could create unpleasant memories for
guests, and the hotel would be expected to make attempts to compensate them.
The Case Solution Starts From page 4
OPPORTUNITY CASE STUDY SOLUTION
e
pl
SYNOPSIS
m
Sa
Fanghao Ji, the general manager of the Renaissance Suzhou Hotel in Suzhou, China, receives an urgent call
early in the morning on November 25, 2021, informing him that previous guests of the hotel have tested
positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). He is asked to cooperate with the government in an
n
epidemiological investigation and to implement a closed-loop operation to prevent the spread of the disease.
Although Ji has prior experience with emergency simulations, this real-life situation is exceptional in the
tio
significant risk it poses to the hotel’s reputation as well as to the health and safety of its guests and staff. With
the hotel fully booked that day and a very limited number of staff members on duty, Ji faces a major crisis.
lu
Faced with uncertainties and a fully booked hotel during the Thanksgiving holiday season, Ji contemplates
the implications of a government takeover the Renaissance Suzhou Hotel. This would entail relinquishing
So
guest services to the government, which would pose a financial strain for the hotel and put its esteemed
reputation at risk. Despite having an awareness of industry precedents, Ji grapples with the decision,
considering the potential consequences of the takeover for the hotel’s future. Successfully navigating this
closed-loop operation could either fortify the Renaissance Suzhou Hotel’s resilience or introduce unforeseen
challenges and, in the process, have a significant effect on the hotel’s reputation and future trajectory.
OBJECTIVES
• Understand paradoxical leadership behaviours and their complexity and the application of paradoxical
leadership in a top management team.
• Identify critical elements in ensuring employees’ morale and how to avoid having them get burned out
from excessive work stress.
The Case Solution Starts From page 4
,• Analyze leadership effectiveness using the propositions of the path-goal theory of leadership.
• Define the principles of conservation of resources (COR) theory and analyze interactions between
leaders and team members.
e
pl
m
Sa
n
tio
lu
So
ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
1. In your opinion, what would be the pros and cons of letting the government take over management of
the hotel during the lockdown?
2. Discuss the sources of stress employees have faced during the lockdown and their resulting behaviour.
What steps can hotel management take to alleviate their stress?
3. What kind of organizational culture would help employees reduce their stress during the lockdown?
4. As the general manager of the hotel, how can Ji effectively lead his employees through this crisis?
The Case Solution Starts From page 4
, e
pl
m
ANALYSIS
Sa
1. In your opinion, what would be the pros and cons of letting the government take over
management of the hotel during the lockdown?
encouraged to facilitate a discussion on the pros and cons of allowing the government to
take over management of the hotel during the lockdown. Students can express various opinions on the
n
takeover, and guide them in considering the potential benefits and challenges.
tio
discussing the pros and cons of a government takeover by providing
lu
the examples of the potential benefits and drawbacks. The potential benefits include the following: (a) if
the hotel allows the government to take over management during the lockdown, it may not need to exert as
much effort or incur additional costs to provide for guests; and (b) the hotel would not have to deal with the
So
potential risks and challenges of managing the protocol for the lockdown. The potential drawbacks are as
follows: (a) if the government were to take over the hotel, it would only be able to provide guests standard
meals prepared by outsourced catering companies but none of the additional services that are offered by the
hotel; (b) based on the experiences of other quarantine hotels, guests might not receive personalized care;
and (c) allowing the government to manage the hotel could potentially result in negative reviews and
impressions of guests who expect a typical hotel experience. This could create unpleasant memories for
guests, and the hotel would be expected to make attempts to compensate them.
The Case Solution Starts From page 4
