Kurt Lewin and complexity theories back to the future

Joumal of Change Management, Vol. 4, No. 4, 309-325, December 2004 i\ l\ Kurt Lewin and complexity theories: back to the future? BERNARD BURNES Manchester School of Management, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Manchester, UK ABSTRACT Many writers acknowledge the significance of Kurt Lewin s contribution to organizational change. However, over the last 20 years, where the focus has been on rapid, transformational change, Lewin s work has increasingly become seen as outmoded and irrelevant to the needs of modem organizations. It might be expected that this tendency would increase as academics and practitioners draw on the work of complexity theorists to portray organizations as complex,†¦show more content†¦Many writers have argued that organizations are also complex systems which, to survive, need to operate at the edge of chaos and have to respond continuously to changes in their environments through just such a process of spontaneous self-organizing change (Lewis, 1994; Stickland, 1998; Macintosh and MacLean, 1999, 2001; Hayles, 2000; Macbeth, 2002; Stacey, 2003). This is a far cry from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, where the received wisdom was that change was an incremental process (Quinn, 1980) and that the best way to manage this was through Kurt Lewin s Planned approach to change (French and Bell, 1990; Cummings and Worley, 2001). Given its group-based, consensual and relatively slow nature. Planned change began to attract criticism in the 1980s from those questioning its appropriateness in an era of radical organizational change (Peters and Waterman, 1982; Wilson, 1992; Dawson, 1994; Buchanan and Storey, 1997; Hatch, 1997). The following quotation is perhaps typical of the criticisms levelled against Lewin s approach to change: Lewin s model was a simple one, with organizational change involving three stages; unfreezing, changing and refreezing . . . This quaintly linear andShow MoreRelatedPlanned Approach to Change11990 Words   |  48 PagesKurt Lewin and the Planned Approach to Change: A Re-appraisal Bernard Burnes Manchester School of Management ï  ¡Ã¯  ¢Ã¯  ³Ã¯  ´Ã¯  ²Ã¯  ¡Ã¯  £Ã¯  ´ The work of Kurt Lewin dominated the theory and practice of change management for over 40 years. However, in the past 20 years, Lewin’s approach to change, particularly the 3-Step model, has attracted major criticisms. The key ones are that his work: assumed organizations operate in a stable state; was only suitable for small-scale change projects; ignored organizational powerRead MoreGroup Decision And Social Change Essay1936 Words   |  8 PagesGroup Decision and Social Change - Kurt Lewin A diagnosis to this problem would be the fact that people almost always resist to change. The resistance to change at the City of Troutdale is a normal reaction. Organizational change is an ongoing topic in organizational behavior. As each manager wants to make the organization a better place because everyone is a part of it, organizational change is important to organizational development. Organizational change is the process of employees making relativelyRead MoreU.s. Government s Department Of Defense1238 Words   |  5 Pagessimilar to Max Weber s classical organization theory as he viewed it from a macro perspective (Onday, 2016). Conversely, the Government is very different from a micro-level perspective. Micro Level Contingency and Lateral Approaches The micro level, below the military and civilian directorates, the leadership is less authoritative, this is particularly true on the civilian side. The civilian side of Government follows more of neo-classical management theory, focused more on culture and performanceRead MoreCase Study: Transact Insurance Ltd1357 Words   |  6 Pagesinfluences on the evolution of that culture. Consider the changes in the South African environment (competition, globalisation, employment equity, downsizing, need for innovation, etc), and indicate the suitability of the organisational culture for the future objectives of the organisation. Case study: Transact Insurance Ltd Transact Insurance Ltd (TIL) provides motor vehicle insurance throughout South Africa. Last year, a new managing director was hired by the TILS’s board of directors to improve theRead MoreCase Study: Transact Insurance Ltd1347 Words   |  6 Pagesinfluences on the evolution of that culture. Consider the changes in the South African environment (competition, globalisation, employment equity, downsizing, need for innovation, etc), and indicate the suitability of the organisational culture for the future objectives of the organisation. Case study: Transact Insurance Ltd Transact Insurance Ltd (TIL) provides motor vehicle insurance throughout South Africa. Last year, a new managing director was hired by the TILS’s board of directors to improve theRead MoreZHANG Yuanli Mgts1601 Essay2258 Words   |  10 Pagesrecommendations based on the Kurt Lewin Change Model. Lewin’s model is also known as ‘Unfreeze-change-refreeze’ approach, where any change process in the organisation should be embraced after having thorough understanding of the process and adequate motivation for those affected has to be facilitated (Brisson-Banks, 2010, p. 244). 4|Page Organisation Behaviour; MGTS 1601; Individual Essay; Employee resistance to change Yuanli Zhang 43401163 (Figure 1.0 Kurt Lewin Change Model, source from AlchemyRead MoreApplication Of A Plagiarism Declaration4136 Words   |  17 PagesTitle: Organisational Behaviour Leadership Academic Tutor: Dr. Shova Thapa Karki Module Convener: Dr. David Twigg Submission Type (Delete One): Individual Word Count (if applicable): Page Count: WORK BASED REPORT As managers anticipate the future of their organizations in the midst of a persistent recession and rapidly changing global business environment, they can’t snub the inescapability of change. Change is certainly among the most frequently used words on the business pages of every newspaperRead MoreThe Importance of Management for the Success of an Organization2750 Words   |  11 Pagesorganization is required to marshal and control a group of people, guiding them toward optimal utilization of its resources – especially human—as it attempts to actualize its ultimate goals. Given the importance and subjectivity of management, several theories and techniques have emerged. In this essay I will discuss the ‘rational’ approach towards management. I will trace and examine the historical developments that have led to the emergence of the ‘rational’ approach over the past centuries. I will thenRead MoreAnalysis Of Kurt Lewin s Change Management Model And John Kotter s Eight Step Change Model2105 Words   |  9 PagesToit (2003) highlights the importance that when choosing the change model it is imperative agents are aware of the choice and its theory of use. Unfortunately â€Å"it is difficult to identify any consensus regarding a framework for organisational change management† (Todnem By, 2005, 370). This section will look to critically analyse two of the most commonly used models, Kurt Lewin’s change management model and John Kotter’s eight step change model (Mourfield, 2014). Carnall (2007) states Lewin’s changeRead MoreManaging Complex Change Within The Organization3878 Words   |  16 Pagesmanaging the change would remain the same. Management approach The most effective theory which I feel is more practical and applicable is the following This sums up the most complex of the changes bringing down to the most basic level. 1. Unfreeze 2. Transition 3. Refreeze THEORIES According to an article in Forbes, Change Management Guru is the world’s oldest profession. Almost everyone has a few theories about change management. While there are many change management models, most companies

Business Plan For A Business - 2550 Words

Activities 1. Review current menu in terms of business focus 2. Get staff feedback 3. Get customer feedback 4. Point out restaurant goals and business 5. Write menu redesigning proposal 6. Get restaurant owners approval 7. Initiate stake holder support 8. Get stake holders approval and contribution 9. Redesign new menu 10. Trail with restaurant stake holders 11. Modify the trail menu 12. Mass print the modified RESOURCES 1. Restaurant business plan, current menu, current and historical sales report. 2. Staff survey form relating to customer service 3. Customer survey form relating to staff service 4. Restaurant business form financial budget 5. Microsoft word power point and excel 6. Completed menu redesigning proposal 7. Noticeboard†¦show more content†¦Budget level START DATE END DATE 03/06/2014 13/06/2014 11/06/2014 13/06/2014 09/06/2014 12/06/2014 02/07/2014 16/07/2014 02/05/2014 11/5/2014 18/07/2014 31/7/2014 22/07/2014 30/07/2014 02/08/2014 16/08/2014 18/08/2014 30/08/2014 02/09/2014 16/09/2014 18/09/2014 31/09/2014 02/10/2014 10/10/2014 The project stakeholders: -Restaurant manager -Restaurant director -Restaurant directors -Restaurant suppliers -Restaurant staffs -Accountants -A TO -Printing organization -Restaurant clients Establishing appropriate systems: All levels of restaurant staffs are inspired and launched to give their inputs also proposals to plan the new menu to draw in and hold more clients presently and later on. They include: . Support: attorneys, gourmet expert, sous culinary specialist are all spurred to give their assessments as far as the appearance, cancellation and expansion of new things on the current menu, they have given numerous inventive and innovative thoughts for the commitment of new menu. . Business Plan For A Business - 2550 Words Activities 1. Review current menu in terms of business focus 2. Get staff feedback 3. Get customer feedback 4. Point out restaurant goals and business 5. Write menu redesigning proposal 6. Get restaurant owners approval 7. Initiate stake holder support 8. Get stake holders approval and contribution 9. Redesign new menu 10. Trail with restaurant stake holders 11. Modify the trail menu 12. Mass print the modified RESOURCES 1. Restaurant business plan, current menu, current and historical sales report. 2. Staff survey form relating to customer service 3. Customer survey form relating to staff service 4. Restaurant business form financial budget 5. Microsoft word power point and excel 6. Completed menu redesigning proposal 7. Noticeboard email and internet 8. Noticeboard internet intranet survey forms 9. Microsoft, word excel and power point software’s 10. Newly designed menu 11. Newly designed stake holder opinion 12. modified COMPLAINCE 1. Meet with company profit margins 2. Simply standard answers to choose from time saving 3. Simplified standard answers to timing saving 4. Ensure business UST and taxation. 5. Includes benefits of current and future menus cost benefit analaysis 6. Included project frame and budget level 7. Set a deadline for final conformation and support approval 8. Set a deadline for final comments and collection 9. Comply with organisation business development 10. Loyal customers and other stake holders 11. Comply with budget level organisationShow MoreRelatedBusiness Plan For A Business1223 Words   |  5 Pagesyour own business is to prepare a business plan. A business plan is a written document describing your business future. It tells potential investors and customers what your goals are for the company and how you plan to achieve that. You will need to define your business, products and services, operating procedures and the route your company intends to take to achieve the goals that are set forth. This information summarizes the sense of your business in a single document. Business plans are inherentlyRead MoreBusiness Plan For A Business998 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Prior to initiating a business, it is necessary for the management and the people involved to make sure that a proper business plan is set out in order to understand the needs of the business. In addition to this, it should also be made sure that the market is properly analysed and all the competitors are studied before taking any step related to the new business. Every business has different needs and is initiated in a different scenario. The business plan under evaluation in this paperRead MoreBusiness Plan For A Business1276 Words   |  6 PagesA business plan is sometimes ignored by some people, but I think it is important to develop a good business plan. I think this should be an interesting topic to discuss about. Yesterday, I receive a phone call from a new client asking for help to build a business plan for his new business. My role in this part as a business consultant is to not blindly do the work for my client but asking them questions to generate information about his i deas, and level of involvement to better help him build hisRead MoreBusiness Plan For A Business840 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Business plans are statement of a business goals, reason they are attainable and plans on meeting it’ (FoxBuisness, 2013). A business plan maps the course and gives a detail plan on how these goals are achievable. It is also important to establish a solid business plan for funding. Some small business use venture capital, bank loans, personal funds, and private investors as sources of funding. The business plan must therefore, sell investors. A well-written convincing business plan can buy investorsRead MoreAn Business Plan For A Business Essay1394 Words   |  6 Pagescelebration. This business sells games and other entertainment products. This business is commercial, but has a social conscience. It wants to sell to service a need, but also hopes to enrich the lives of those it serves as it addresses a need for meaning, not just connection or celebration. This business produces original IP to compete in the entertainment industry. This business will not produce entertainment that is divisive or for purely solitary consumption. This business might start withRead MoreBusiness Plan For A Business Essay1708 Words   |  7 Pagesbrand-new business, expand an existing company, or get financing for a business venture, you will need to write a business plan. A business plan not only lends your business a sense of credibility, but also helps you to cover all your bases, increasing your chances of success. Although writing a business plan can be a lengthy, intimidating project, it is not necessarily difficult. Here is an overview of how to write a successful business plan. What to Include in Your Business Plan Your businessRead MoreBusiness Plan For A Business1546 Words   |  7 Pagesenterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative or risk†. They are usually characterized as people with greatly valued self-reliance, with high optimism and people who who strive for distinction through excellence. I am interested in starting my own basketball business and becoming an entrepreneur. In order to start a business I need a business plan. From research, I have learned that my business plan needs to have an executive summary, identification of my business, financial recordsRead MoreBusiness Plan For A Business1221 Words   |  5 PagesBusiness plans are documents used for planning out specific details about your business. They can range in size from a simple few sentences to more than 100 pages with formal sections, a table of contents and a title page. According to Entrepreneur Magazine, typical business plans average 15 to 20 pages. Comprehensive business plans ha ve three sections business concept, marketplace and financial and these are broken down into seven components that include the overview or summary of the plan, a descriptionRead MoreBusiness Plan For A Business2550 Words   |  11 PagesActivities 1. Review current menu in terms of business focus 2. Get staff feedback 3. Get customer feedback 4. Point out restaurant goals and business 5. Write menu redesigning proposal 6. Get restaurant owners approval 7. Initiate stake holder support 8. Get stake holders approval and contribution 9. Redesign new menu 10. Trail with restaurant stake holders 11. Modify the trail menu 12. Mass print the modified RESOURCES 1. Restaurant business plan, current menu, current and historical sales reportRead MoreBusiness Plan For A Business1866 Words   |  8 Pages Business Plan Buiness model in theory and practice according to Wikipedia is used for a broad range of informal and forma l descriptions to represent the core aspects of a business, including the purposes of that business, its process, target customers, of ferings, strategies , infrastructure, organizational structures, trading practice, and operational processes and policies . Below, we would look at two kinds of business model (franchise and tradition al business) , their pros and cons, o r their

The Odyssey Theme Hospitality Sample Essay Example For Students

The Odyssey Theme: Hospitality Sample Essay There are many different subjects in The Odyssey. but the most outstanding subject Homer portrays in his heroic poem verse form is cordial reception or Xenia. The act of Xenia was possibly the most of import Grecian usage out of all because you see it being performed clip and clip once more throughout Odysseus’ journey place. The Odyssey was about the 20 twelvemonth long journey of King Odysseus return to Ithaca from combating in the Trojan War. The subject of cordial reception is present non merely while Odysseus is going from metropolis to metropolis. but besides at his place in Ithaca. where his married woman and boy. Penelope and Telemachus’ . castle is being overrun with suers. On Odysseus’ seeking journey place. he was welcomed by several male monarchs exposing Xenia. non merely because it was Grecian usage. but because it was disrespectful to Zeus. the God of cordial reception. if they didn’t. After going from Calypso’s island and confronting a heavy storm Poseidon stirred. Odysseus eventually landed on Scheria. The king’s girl Nausicaa saw Odysseus and explained. â€Å"But now. you’ve reached out metropolis and our land. you’ll neer deficiency for vesture or any other gift. the right of raddled petitioners come our manner ( 6. 210-213 ) . This is a premier illustration of how obedient the Ancient Greeks following their strong traditions. Nausicaa didn’t hesitate to assist Odysseus and seemed proud as she was depicting her metropolis. which portrays another subject which is Kleos. The thought of Xenia was extremely regarded in The Odyssey. and disrespecting it was wholly unacceptable. In the beginning. Telemachus and Penelope had to unwillingly host 108 suers who took advantage of their cordial reception. This was a offense that was impermissible so Mentor explains. â€Å"Reach deep down in your bosom and psyche for a manner to kill these suers in your house by stealing or unfastened combat† ( 1. 339 ) . This is an illustration of how earnestly the Ancient Greeks valued cordial reception and regard for the Gods. It besides illustrates the Greeks extreme behaviour towards people mistreating their cultural values. Hospitality was so of import in the Ancient Greek’s lives that they obeyed their tradition even if it may hold displeased them. In book 14. when Odysseus returned to Ithaca and went to the pigman disguised. Eumaeus invites him in. provenders him. and gives him a topographic point to kip. The text reads â€Å"Not his manner to bed indoors. apart from the hogs. He geared up to travel outside and it warmed Odysseus’ heart† . ( 14. 592-595 ) This proves how willing the Greeks were to delight their invitees. for case. Eumaeus let Odysseus kip by the fire with caprine animal and sheep tegument. while he slept outdoors in the cold with the swine. This besides illustrates how true they were to Xenia and Piety. In decision. this grounds is a great representation of the Greeks values and life style. The Odyssey illustrates the importance of esteeming the Gods. and of being hospitable in the Ancient Grecian civilization. The people in this narrative went to extreme steps to delight their invitees and protect their values. like kiping with swine or killing work forces who took advantage of people’s Xenia. The Odyssey taught immature schoolboys how to move. and it is obvious that cordial reception was a cardinal constituent to a Greeks mundane life.

Information System Management For Travel And Tourism

Question: Discuss about the Case Study for Information System Management For Travel And Tourism? Answer: Introduction Relax Ltd is one of the very well known hotel and resort chains of the United Sates. Over the past few years, the organization has grown considerably through acquisition and merging programs and now conducts business across several destinations of the European Union and South East Asia. The acquisition process has resulted in the co-existence of several legacy information management systems throughout the organization and at present, the Information Systems Manager of the organization had been provided with a budget of around 5-8m for the development of an integrated IT system for the group. This report is aimed at providing the Board of the company of Relax Ltd an insight into the existing IT infrastructure and the risks that are associated with the said ICT systems. Besides, the reports also contain detailed information regarding the ICT systems that are currently being utilized in large scale in the tourism industry. The AS-IS Scenario As stated in the section above, the US-based tourism organization has grown over the last few years through several acquisition and merging processes: Relax Ltd started taking over resorts and hotels in Europe from 2005 onwards and had spread out their operations over various parts of South East Asia by 2010. In spite of the steady growth, the management of the organization had not emphasized on the implementation of an efficient information system and had continued with the utilization of the legacy systems that were used by the organizations that the Relax Ltd has taken over. As matter of fact, the following information systems co-exist within the IT infrastructure of Relax Ltd: 3 distinct information management systems that are used for maintaining the flow of information between the various departments of the organization: however, there exists no common shared database which can be used for the storage of data (Warren 2012). A custom designed customer relationship management system that is concerned solely with retaining old customers: however, it is worth mentioning that the system developer no longer conducts business with Relax Ltd (Amalfitano et al. 2014). The organization also utilizes 3reservation systems: one for supporting telesales operations, another for supporting the website that has been solely created for the conducting marketing and sales operations, and the third one for supporting the cloud based intermediaries like that of ebookers.com, expedia.com and Trivago (Srinivas et al. 2016) The following sections of the report are aimed at providing a detailed description of the risks that are associated with the existing system and the issues that are bound to arise in case such systems are added on without any proper integration. Risks associated with the current system At present, Relax Ltd has continued the use of the legacy systems that were inherited by the acquisition and merging process. Now, legacy systems are defined as the old and outdated technologies, computer systems or networks that are in dire need for up-gradation or replacement (Victor 2013). Thus, the primary risk associated with the utilization of legacy systems is that in case such systems might face is that since all legacy systems are essentially custom built, the vendor would stop updating the product after a specific period (Khadka et al. 2014). Needless to say, any changes that are to be incorporated in this system after the said period of time would require lump-sum investment on the part of Relax Ltd. Thus, in case the organization is unable to invest high amounts periodically, new vulnerabilities to the system would neither be detected nor be patched (Laguna and Crespo 2013). It is a well known concept that most legacy systems were developed at times when the techniques of identifying security threats were much less sophisticated that that used at present (Warren 2012). Thus, thus security systems of most legacy networks would be it able to function when targeted with the modern and sophisticated attacks that present day hackers or intruders are capable of launching (Amalfitano et al. 2014). Under such circumstances, the legacy systems being used by Relax Ltd indeed lack security. Last but not least, legacy systems are, as a matter of fact, dependent on old and backdated operating platforms. It is a well known fact that most OS vendors have stopped updating the legacy platforms, thus making them vulnerable to a wide range of security attacks (Laguna and Crespo 2013). The computer systems currently deployed at Relax Ltd are thus vulnerable to the attacks launched on the OS platform as well. Thus, the security issues associated with current computer system of Relax Ltd can be summarized as: Vulnerabilities arising from lack of vendor support. Vulnerabilities arising from old threatscape (Khadka et al. 2014). Vulnerabilities arising from insecure platforms. Evaluation of issues that could arise if the systems are increased Relax Ltd has been utilizing several legacy systems concurrently, for quite some time. Thu, it might appear to the board of directors that integrating the old systems with custom devised new ICT systems would be much easier than replacing the legacy systems entirely. However, such an integration process is found to generate the following issues: Migrating data from the legacy system to the newly developed ICT system becomes difficult as the system designers are made responsible for the herculean task of deciding the process using which data stored in the two systems would be linked to each other (Klammer and Pichler 2014). In general, system designers either use meta-data or integrate data at semantic levels: however the efficiency of each of the techniques is compromised with cost and complexity issues. Most legacy systems lack proper documentation; its becomes immensely difficult to decide on the strategies and protocols that would be utilized for connecting the system components of the legacy system with the newly developed ICT system and for routing messages between these components (Laguna and Crespo 2013). Making the legacy systems adapt to the business rules implemented in the newly developed ICT system requires high financial investment, besides being a time-consuming process (Amalfitano et al. 2014). Last but not the least, the integration with less secured legacy systems generates security vulnerabilities for the data stored and managed by the new ICT system (Alcaiz et al. 2014). Benefits of an Integrated Information System strategy to the business An integrated information system would provide Relax Ltd with the following benefits: Improving process efficiency throughout organization: It is a well known fact that each organization has to conduct certain key operation activities on a regular basis. The incorporation of an integrated information system has been found to help in the management of such key process, thus increasing their efficiency (Alkazemi, Nour and Meelud 2013). Thus, it is expected that the efficiency of the following key operational processes would be enhanced with the implementation of an integrated information system strategy at the Relax Ltd: Order management, Order fulfillment, iii. Invoicing and cash collection (Argyropoulos et al. 2015). Granting approvals. Financial consolidations and so on and so forth. Improved Visibility of information: Real time availability of data facilitates the process of efficient decision making among all other things. Since Relax Ld runs several hotels and holiday homes across several locations of the globe, a centralized and integrated information system would facilitate a drastic enhancement in the visibility of information (MihaliÄ , PraniÄ eviĆ¡ and ArneriĆ¡ 2015). This, in turn, would help the higher management of Relax Ltd developing organizational strategies. Implementing an integrated information system would also facilitate the development of intimate relations with the customers and the suppliers alike (Law, Buhalis and Cobanoglu 2014). While integrated ICT solutions would help in promoting the brand to the potential customers, customer relationship management and supply chain management systems would help in retaining customers and developing partnerships with other business organizations. Strategic alignment between travel and tourism goals and information systems: In the last few years, the tourism and hospitality sector has been immensely benefitted by the incorporation of various internet and communication systems. The following sections of the report would dwell on some such ITC systems that have facilitated the growth of the tourism industry since the last decade: E- reservation: The American Airlines was the undoubtedly the first organization to implement the first electronic reservation system way back in 1962 (Angore, Sawe and James 2014). The field of computer science and technology has gained much growth since then: however automated reservation systems still remain the most widely implemented ICT system that the tourism sector utilizes. Property Management Systems (PMSs) The last decade has witnessed the rapid incorporation of the Property Management Systems or the PMSs in the lodging and hotelier industry, the system being aimed at facilitating the sales, front office and other day-today operational functions of business like that of planning, sales, etc (eriĆ¡, Gil-Saura and Ruiz-Molina 2014). The hotelier industry has implemented PMSs aggressively with the aim of improving their inventory, for interacting with their customers in a better way and reducing operational costs. The operational functionalities that Property Management Systems are capable of managing to include the following: Reservations: PMSs are capable of managing reservation of property through emails, faxes, phone calls, online bookings through official websites, bookings from GDS and so on and so forth (Singh 2014). Check-in and Check-out facilities Guest check-in facilities are utilized for creating guest portfolios and calculating charges. On the other hand, check out facilities help in the process of providing billing information to the guests and collecting the same (Angore, Sawe and James 2014). iii. Room management Room management modules help in keeping a track on the availability of the room, thus facilitating the automated reservation system (Azevedo, Azevedo and Romo 2014). Besides the above mentioned modules, PMS s are also capable of offering services for maintaining guest records, for facilitating back office jobs and scheduling the function' rooms of a hotel facility (Singh 2014). On the other hand, the integration between automated reservation systems and PMSs have been found to be effective in reducing the response time for both customers and the management, improve the efficiency of the operational activities along with the reduction in cost and improved control over these activities (Jayawardena et al. 2013). Destination management systems: Destination Management Systems can be defined as ICT systems that are capable of consolidating and distributing tourism products utilizing a wide range of platforms and channels (Bethapudi 2013). As Destination Management Systems use customer-centric approaches in marketing and managing tourist destinations as holistic entities, organizations operating in the tourism industry utilize such systems to provide information related to tourist destinations, make reservations in real-time, devise tools for managing destinations and for supporting small, independent tourism partner organizations (Mihalic and Buhalis 2013). The systems that must be included in the organization In the light of the discussions made in the section above, the higher management of Relax Ltd is being recommended to implement the following information and communication systems within their organizational infrastructure: Integrated Enterprise Resource Planning System Enterprise resource planning systems can be defined as cross-functional software modules that facilitate organizational planning, tracking and management of the daily activities of business units (Angore, Sawe and James 2014). Driven by an integrated software-module core, ERP systems support the transportation of enterprise information (generated by the operational activities of the enterprise) throughout the organization (Azevedo, Azevedo and Romo 2014). Relax Ltd would be able to avail the following benefits through the implementation of an integrated ERP system within their organizational infrastructure: The requirement for procuring and managing multiple software systems would be reduced drastically, as integrated ERP systems support several operational activities, as conducted by the various departments of a hospitality facility, simultaneously (Mihalic and Buhalis 2013). An integrated ERP system would not only help in smooth access of enterprise data by all the departments but would also allow the management of Relax Ltd to take organizational decisions that are based on concrete information (Ruiz-Molina, Gil-Saura and eric 2013). The integration of a customized Customer Relationship Management or CRM system with the proposed ERP system would also facilitate the process of providing better services to the loyal customers of the organization (Jayawardena et al. 2013). Property Management Systems Section 3 of this report provides an insight into the various functionalities provided by the property management system or PMS. In the light of the discussions made in section 3, it can be said that the higher management of Relax Ltd should incorporate PMSs within their organizational structure to avail the following facilities: An integrated hotel property management system, besides being effective in enhancing the operational facilities, is available with surprisingly low investment (Singh 2014). Thus, the incorporation of such an ICT system would invariably act as a cost effective operational management tool. The property management system also facilitates the process of generating reports and efficient recording of enterprise information. With the incorporation of this ICT system, the employees of Relax Ltd would be able to register any malfunctioning operational element (with the PMS system) and report the higher authorities without any delay (Mihalic and Buhalis 2013). Along with the above mentioned factors, a PMS would also be beneficial to the housekeeping services of the hotel chain (Jayawardena et al. 2013). Conclusion and Recommendations This report contains detailed discussions on the ICT systems that are currently being utilized by Relax Ltd and changes that need to be incorporated into their organizational infrastructure. In the light of the discussions made in section 2 of the report, it can be concluded that the organization should immediately stop using their legacy systems and incorporate enhanced and customized ICT systems to support their organizational activities. The hospitality and tourism industry has been immensely benefitted by the growth achieved by the information and communication industry in the last few decades. This sector has been observed to be efficiently reaping the advantages of a bunch of specialized ICT systems, the said systems being aimed at increasing the efficiency of the operational activities of hotels and lodging facilities. Some such ICT systems have been discussed in section 3 and 4 of this report, so as to bring them in to the notice of higher management. In the light of the discussions made in this report, the following recommendations are being provided to the board of directors of Relax Ltd: The utilization of the existing legacy systems should be stopped at once as these systems are vulnerable to a wide range of security risks. New systems should not be randomly incorporated into the organization as such incorporations would only increase the risks of security breaches. 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