Succession planning practices, organizational culture and survivability of hotels in western Uganda

Abstract

Hotels in Western Uganda continue to face survivability challenges arising from weak succession planning structures and informal cultural practices that undermine leadership continuity. This study examined how succession planning practices (skill development, mentorship, and internal promotion) and organizational culture affect hotel survivability. In addition the study examined the relationships between succession planning practices (skill development, mentorship, and internal promotion) and organizational culture, and further explored the moderating role of organizational culture in the relationship between succession planning practices and hotel survivability. Guided by leadership development, tournament and dynamic capability perspectives, the study adopted a pragmatic, convergent mixed-methods design involving 200 management employees and 10 key informants from forty hotels. Quantitative data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, and qualitative data were thematically analyzed. Findings revealed that organizational culture is a critical determinant of hotel survivability, as it fosters adaptability, resilience, and shared values that sustain business continuity. While skill development, mentorship and internal promotion were not statistically significant, qualitative insights emphasized that financial literacy, innovation, adaptability and leadership training enhance managerial readiness for transition. The study concludes that nurturing a strong and enabling culture and continuous learning climate strengthens leadership pipelines and improves hotel survivability. The study recommends aligning skill development, mentorship and promotion systems with strategic objectives to build sustainable leadership capacity. The findings contribute to hospitality management literature by integrating succession planning and organizational culture into a unified model of hotel survivability, offering practical guidance for managers seeking to institutionalize leadership continuity in the competitive hospitality environments.