Leadership Dynamics and Organizational Outcomes in Hospitality and Tourism: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Journey (1990-2024)

Abstract

This study embarks on a bibliometric analysis to dissect the extensive body of literature exploring the multifaceted impact of leadership within the hospitality and tourism industry. It aims to map the scholarly discourse on leadership, identifying key themes, trends, and influential works that have shaped our understanding of leadership's impact on organizational outcomes such as mental health, organizational agility, employee motivation, organizational culture turnover intentions, employee engagement, employee satisfaction, employee performance, organizational performance, and employee wellbeing, providing valuable insights for academics, practitioners, and policymakers. Furthermore, utilizing a bibliometric approach, this study analyses data from 1990 to 2024 sourced from the SCOPUS database, focusing on English-language full-length journal articles. It employs frameworks established by other studies [20, 21, 22] to guide the analysis across five key stages: Study Design, Data Collection, Data Analysis, Data Visualization, and Interpretation. The analysis reveals a dynamic evolution in the research landscape of leadership within the hospitality and tourism industry, highlighting a growing academic interest in adaptive, resilient leadership practices. It underscores the importance of crisis management, digital transformation, and sustainability. Key trends include the pivotal role of leadership in enhancing employee well-being, satisfaction, and performance as well as the critical need for leadership adaptability in navigating industry-specific challenges. This study enriches the existing body of knowledge on leadership in the hospitality and tourism industry by offering a comprehensive overview of research trends and thematic shifts over three decades. It suggests directions for expanding and refining leadership theories to better account for the complexities of this dynamic sector, emphasizing the need for future research on underexplored areas such as digital transformation, sustainability, and the long-term effects of global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings offer guidance for industry practitioners and policymakers, emphasizing the development of leadership training programs tailored to the unique challenges of the hospitality and tourism industry. It highlights the strategic role of human resource management in supporting leadership development and underscores the importance of fostering a positive organizational culture for enhancing employee engagement and performance. This manuscript introduces novel insights through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis, distinguishing itself by synthesizing three decades of research, employing a method not extensively applied in previous leadership studies within this industry. It highlights global and interdisciplinary perspectives, identifies emerging themes and gaps in the literature, and translates findings into practical implications for enhancing leadership effectiveness in the hospitality and tourism industry.