The application of empowering leadership behaviors in employee empowerment strategy: Sample from five star hotel managements in Kemer district

In order to gain a competitive advantage, organizations are considered as one of the important concepts among with employee empowerment strategy, modern management, and organization applications. In this study, it was researched that to what extent empowering leadership approach which is one of the employee empowerment strategies of the hotel managements in tourism sector was applied in five star hotels in Kemer district. The study consists of two parts. The concepts in the literature review part were explained in accordance with the literature. In the second part, situations related with the application of empowering leadership behaviors were tried to be defined through a questionnaire method. The research scale was tested through validity and reliability tests and found to be suitable. Regarding the population of the study, managers, supervisors, and hotel employees working in 38 five star hotels with a tourism establishment license in Kemer district, Antalya were selected. Concerning the sample of the study, 373 questionnaires gathered from 17 hotels were evaluated; frequency distribution analysis and hypothesis tests ( t test and ANOVA ) were applied for demographic features and other questions in the evaluation of results.As a result of the study, employees of five star hotels in Kemer district were applied empowering leadership behaviors. In addition to this, during the application of empowering leadership behaviors the importance of tourism education, having an associate or bachelor degree, professional experience, participation in personal development-vocational education programs, and a speaking foreign language has become prominent. Also, it was found out that working period has no effect on the empowering process. Key Words: Employee Empowerment, Leadership, Tourism, Service Sector, Hotel Managements.