Different management styles found in the fast food industry
While many fast food restaurants operate similarly, no restaurant will be managed in the exact same way as another (Tanya Robertson, 2017). Tanya Robertson (2017) states in one of their articles, that the type of management style that best suites a restaurant is determined by the culture of the restaurant, and the type of leadership the staff requires.
Tanya Robertson (2017) feels that when a restaurant is run with an autocratic style of management the manager tends not to consult his staff or other members of the team when making decisions. This can be a huge risk for the business, however it does have a few perks. A few of the disadvantages of an autocratic style of leadership are, the staff and employees feel unappreciated as they have no part in making the decision, this may result in high staff turnover rates (Ana Margarita A. Olar Foodfindsasia.com, 2016). However, the advantage is that decisions can be made quickly and effectively (Ana Margarita A. Olar Foodfindsasia.com, 2016) thus keeping the business flowing at a normal pace.
While Managers practicing an autocratic style of leadership can make fast decisions the staff may not always be happy that they were not included in the decision making, this is where democratic Management styles come in. Tanya Robertson (2017) defines democratic leadership as restaurant managers delegating authority to their staff, Tanya Robertson (2017) also states that when restaurant staff have the power to handle situations such as handling displeased customers or working out order delivery systems with the kitchen staff on their own they feel a much greater sense of accomplishment. However, a possible downside to this management style is that the staff may take this sense of power too far or take it for granted and may become arrogant towards the restaurant patrons and even other staff members (Tanya Robertson, 2017).
Another popular way to manage a restaurant would be the consultative management style, Tanya Robertson (2017) describes this management style as a combination of both autocratic and democratic leadership styles, Tanya Robertson 2017 uses the example of a manager wanting to change the d''cor restaurant, he or she will get the opinion of the employees however they will make the final decision based on the opinions of the employees. However, this leadership style still has its advantages and disadvantages, Ana Margarita A. Olar (Foodfindsasia.com, 2016) says that while it makes the employees feel that they have a choice in how the restaurant is run, it still sometimes leaves them feeling too empowered and can lead to arrogance towards other staff or customers. The advantage of this leadership style is that staff and employees feel involved at a certain managerial level however the manager still makes all the decisions (Ana Margarita A. Olar Foodfindsasia.com, 2016).
And finally, possibly one of the riskiest styles of management especially when applied in a restaurant is Liassez-Faire. According to Tanya Robertson (2017) it is unlike any style of leadership in that the restaurant managers usually have little to no involvement in how the restaurant staff goes about their duty'''s. it is usually more affective when applied in a high-end establishment as the staff in that sort of setting usually has a much higher level of motivation and capabilities (Tanya Robertson, 2017). Tanya Robertson states that this method of management could leave any restaurant in an absolutely disastrous state as restaurant staff usually needs a significantly higher level of management than most other business settings (Tanya Robertson, 2017). However, Tanya Robertson (2017) says that a good Laissez-Faire manager will know when to allow his staff freedom and when to take back control whereas a bad one will do it for the sake of ditching their responsibilities in order to be lazy. The main advantage to this management style according to Ana Margarita A. Olar (Foodfindsasia.com, 2016) is that if it is applied properly the workers will have a great sense of self confidence and freedom unlike any other management style, however if applied incorrectly the productivity of the restaurant as the employees have all the freedom to relax and work at their own lazy pace (Ana Margarita A. Olar Foodfindsasia.com, 2016).
Reference List
1. Robertson, T. 2017. Chron: Basic Theories of Restaurant Management. Date Accessed: 2017/01/21. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/basic-theories-restaurant-management-34831.html
2. Margarita Olar, A. 2016. Foodfindsasia: 4 Leadership Styles to Use for Restaurant Business. Date Accessed: 2017/01/21. http://www.foodfindsasia.com/4-leadership-styles-to-use-for-restaurant-business/