Using Participative Leadership to Improve the Strategic Options of Human Resources in Hotel Organizations

The study aims to explore the obstacles to identifying appropriate strategic options and attempt to address them using a participatory leadership approach. The research sample comprises 82 HR managers from 4 and 5-star hotels in Iraq, who were surveyed using a questionnaire conducted over three months, from January 1, 2025, to April 30, 2025. The descriptive-analytical approach was adopted as a scientific methodology, and the research relied primarily on questionnaires and personal interviews with selected managers in the sample hotels for data analysis. Three dimensions were used to measure participatory leadership in hotel management: participation in decision-making, delegation of authority, and human relations. The results indicate a significant impact of the combined dimensions of participatory leadership on the appropriate strategic choices of human resources. The results show that the growth strategy dimension received the highest percentage of role, interest, and availability, given that it aims to achieve new goals that the hotels seek to achieve at a higher level than the current goals emanating from their vision, planning, and strategic direction, leading to horizontal and vertical expansion of their services and achieving a market position that exceeds their current position. The study presents a comprehensive theoretical framework that integrates human resource management, creative talent management, and participatory leadership, thereby addressing the fragmentation of the current literature. This framework strikes a balance between organizational goals and human resource practices, while promoting creativity and participatory leadership in hotel management in Iraq.