Empowering employees – back to the future at Novotel

Abstract

Describes Novotel’s “Back to the Future” programme, introduced in 1993 with the aim of revisiting the customer‐focused philosophy that gave rise to the company’s success in the 1960s and 1970s. Novotel’s commitment to change transformed its image, structure and day‐to‐day approach to customers. Emphasis was placed on widespread empowerment of employees and a commitment to ensure decision makers were placed as close as possible to clients. Together with a massive investment in overhauling all older hotels, a new approach to managing the Group was adopted which called for a flatter organization and unprecedented autonomy for the general manager of every hotel. Novotel has today reassumed its position as leader and innovator in the European hotel industry.

Citation

Parsons, G. (1995), "Empowering employees – back to the future at Novotel", Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, Vol. 5 No. 4, pp. 16-21. https://doi.org/10.1108/09604529510796458