Muhammad Afnan Mahusain, Sree Kala Kunju Raman Nair, Ruth Sabina Francis and Mohd Aliff Abdul Majid

Abstract: This study analyses factors influencing succession planning among the upperechelon operational managers of five-star hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It examines individual differences, such as social identity and leadership talent, and their impact on the succession planning process and leadership qualities. A total of 200 managers from six hotel departments participated in the study, which utilised the Theory of Planned Behaviour and assessed structural and measurement models using PLS-SEM version 4.0. The findings reveal a negative relationship between social identity (β = 0.073, t = 0.664, p < 0.01) and leadership talent (β = –0.037, t = 0.472, p < 0.01) with succession planning. However, succession planning was found to positively influence leadership qualities (β = 0.629, t = 13.005, p < 0.01), with a variance explanation of 39.5%. The study provides practical insights into effective succession planning strategies that align with the hotels’ core objectives and promote employee advancement. These findings highlight the critical role of addressing individual differences in social identity and leadership talent to enhance leadership capabilities and qualities across management levels amidst future uncertainties.

Keywords: Succession planning, leadership qualities, upper-echelons, management practice