Which leadership style is associated with J. W. Marriott in the material?

• A. Servant Leadership
• B. Democratic Leadership
• C. Autocratic Leadership
• D. Laissez-Faire Leadership

Answer: (B)

Democratic leadership emphasizes involving team members in decisions and sharing responsibility. The material portrays J. Willard Marriott as fostering collaboration, inviting managers and staff to contribute ideas, and maintaining open communication across the organization. This participative approach is well suited to hospitality, where frontline employees often have deep insights into guest needs and service improvements; empowering them helps drivers of quality service and stronger buy-in to decisions. While servant leadership also centers on people, the emphasis here is on collective input and shared decision-making rather than a sole focus on serving others. Autocratic leadership would place decisions with the leader alone, and laissez-faire would leave too much freedom without guidance for a large hotel operation. So the described style aligns with Democratic (participative) leadership.