We get called on to manage the process of change in many hospitality businesses. I wouldn't say it was my favourite activity because we are often seen as the 'bad guys' by the staff concerned, but it is definitely interesting work and it gives us some of our biggest challenges. They suit different situations.
Incremental change is the gentler of the two.
We use this method when there is no urgency and the required change is not too far from what is currently being done. You can get bogged down trying to change a group of peoples' behaviour incrementally. One of our clients took over the lease on a large hospitality business from the government. Being basically caring in nature and never having struck entrenched behaviour before, they thought it would be a good idea to take on the existing staff with the business in spite of the fact that it was losing a substantial amount of money. Not only did they inherit a big pile of debt but inadvertently they inherited one of the most intractable groups of staff I've encountered.