Greening the hospitality industry in the developing world: Analysis of the drivers and barriers

Abstract

The implementation of sustainability agendas in the tourism and hospitality industry in developing countries has received little scholarly attention. Working to fill this gap, this paper provides a holistic analysis of the drivers of, and barriers to, sustainability initiatives in the Malawian hospitality industry. Drawing insights from the resource-based view and institutional theory, it highlights that tensions between global and local norms and values are as important as tensions between internal organizational factors and the isomorphic forces within the organizational fields for implementing sustainability agendas. The paper further reveals the mediating role played by firm size and ownership. It, thus, makes a contribution to the understanding of the role of business in society by focusing on the complex dynamics associated with the adoption of sustainability agendas in an under-researched context, and demonstrating how tensions between internal organizational factors and local societal expectations within the host countries can shape the nature and focus of the sustainability agenda itself.

Does context matter for sustainability disclosure? Institutional factors in Southeast Asia

“…Nevertheless, national institutional environmental influences upon SD, have received much less attention (Jackson & Apostolakou, 2010;Martínez-Ferrero & García-Sánchez, 2017). Although there have been a few studies examining this relationship in recent years (See Mzembe, Melissen, & Novakovic, 2019;Rao-Nicholson, Khan, & Marinova, 2019), majority of these studies have been conducted using a qualitative approach which limits the ability to generalise findings above the studied settings.…”

“…The normative element also guides organisational actions and beliefs developed for professionalisation or social obligation (Hoffman, ). Normative pressures often reflect through the accepted values and norms developed within professional networks to provide guidance for corporate conduct and behaviour (Arevalo, Aravind, Ayuso, & Roca, ; Mzembe et al, ). Corporations are more likely to act responsibly if there are normative institutions in place that support such behaviour (Galaskiewicz, ).…”

Drivers and outcomes of corporate sustainability in the Indian hospitality industry

“…Existing research is still limited when examining the impact of interorganizational, intraorganizational and environmental factors on sustainability and its relationship with performance (Mellahi et al, 2016). Similarly, Mzembe et al (2019) asserted on the need to study both organizational characteristics and environmental factors when examining sustainability strategies of organizations. Accordingly, to attain a better understanding of the drivers of corporate sustainability, we look at two perspectives: environmental and organizational.…”

“…From a strategic point of view, the inclusion of contextual factors in assessing strategic decisions is crucial as focusing only on one aspect can give a fragmented picture, thereby indicating the need to assess both organizational and environmental contextual variables (Shepherd and Rudd, 2014;Elbanna et al, 2020). Further, scholars have encouraged the exploration of a comprehensive understanding of corporate sustainability which includes both an internal and an external perspective (Mzembe et al, 2019;Frynas and Yamahaki, 2016;Mellahi et al, 2016). Accordingly, there exists a significant research gap in the sustainability literature to involve a comprehensive outlook that includes a multi-level approach and builds upon various conceptual streams (Aguinis and Glavas, 2012).…”

“…, 2020). Further, scholars have encouraged the exploration of a comprehensive understanding of corporate sustainability which includes both an internal and an external perspective (Mzembe et al. , 2019; Frynas and Yamahaki, 2016; Mellahi et al.…”