Business Case Studies & Business Publications

Marriott International: Hospitality’s Un...

Harris, Jared D., ...

Case

Marriott International: Hospitality’s Uncertain Future

Harris, Jared D.; Harrison, Katharine; Snell, Scott A.

S-0396 | Published October 5, 2022 | 22 pages Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

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When industry conditions are disrupted, planning for the future can be difficult. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the hospitality industry, not only depressing demand during the height of the crisis but also holding implications going forward for hotel demand in a future “new normal.” How can mature, established organizations rethink their business models when circumstances demand it? How can firms envision possible scenarios and make plans to deploy resources when accurate forecasting is difficult or impossible? This case is used at Darden in the first-year core Strategy course, often in conjunction with concepts and frameworks such as hypothesis testing and scenario planning (see chapters 10 and 14 of The Strategist’s Toolkit). The case would also be suitable for any course or module discussing disruptive innovation, business model change, organizational change, strategic planning, or resource allocation. The case highlights a female executive at the company.

Analyze prior growth strategies and capabilities for gaining and maintaining competitive advantage to understand rationale for future growth strategies. Examine tools and frameworks for developing strategy in situations of uncertainty, disruption, and ambiguity. Understand the key elements of scenario planning, which include trend analysis, identification of relevant drivers of change, and plausible uncertainties in order to identify and rehearse strategic options for various possible futures. Practice using tools such as hypothesis testing and scenario planning to develop strategy in an unknown future.