The effect of transformational leadership behaviours on knowledge management practises: A study about hotel chains

There are some certain facts that make knowledge an important management tool for the success of hotel business such as the complex organization structure depending on the service diversity, simultaneous service production and consumption, importance of customer satisfaction and intensive competition. On the other hand, the ultimate benefit could only be ensured by the effective management of the knowledge taken from the customers, business processes, operating environment and employees. Within this context, transformational leaders are regarded as the best leaders who are able to build systems, structures and culture that is necessary for knowledge management with their unique roles such as creating a shared vision and high-performance teams, empowerment, and transforming organizations to be open to changes. The aim of this study is to present the effects of transformational leadership behaviours on knowledge management practices. In line with this aim, firstly survey was conducted on 423 participants who work at 29 international and 36 national hotel chain between January and April 2013, then gathered data were analysed. Frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation techniques were used in descriptive analyses, whereas Correlation and Regression analyses were performed in correlation tests, and non-parametric tests (Mann Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis H) were used in discriminant analyses. As a result of data analyses, this study concludes that transformational leadership behaviours effect knowledge management practices positively. It also supports that knowledge management practices as well as transformational leadership behaviours vary across some control variables. Keywords: Knowledge Management, Transformational Leader, Hotel Chain.