Adaptive Leadership And Its Competencies For Times Of Crisis

Abstract

This paper identifies the senses and meanings that the actors of the hotel sector give to the prospective managerial competencies in the companies of the hotel sector in Cúcuta, Colombia, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent studies have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic, as a dichotomous process related to the hotel industry, has highlighted the fragility of this sector. It is considered that in the medium term, strong competition will be unleashed in which companies will want to position themselves at the starting line, given that whoever arrives last may pay a high price, which will even affect their survival. The question that arises is: what are the senses and meanings that the social actors give to the prospective of managerial competencies in the companies of the hotel sector registered in Cotelco in Cúcuta, in the face of the pandemic generated by Covid-19? Based on the quantitative and qualitative paradigm, the research is exploratory and relational with a field design and documentary review. Executives of the hotel sector in Cúcuta were consulted. Online surveys were applied to identify managerial competencies and subsequently the prospective relationship with the factors associated with the sector in the face of the pandemic. From the results, it is concluded that, in the hotel sector of Cúcuta, commitment and quality of work are the most relevant signifiers. The results show that, during the pandemic, a defensive strategy should be applied. It is recommended to offer differentiated services, in which customer safety is paramount, and to focus on customer loyalty to the company. From the prospective approach, it is proposed to apply a mix of competitive and growth strategies to take advantage of opportunities when the economy recovers.