The Impact of Sustainability and Leadership on the Innovation Management of Michelin-Starred Chefs

Abstract

This study considers relationships among leadership styles and skills (sustainability leadership, innovation leadership and sustainable innovation) as drivers of sustainable innovation capability in the Michelin-starred restaurant context. The study used semi-structured qualitative interviews with a sample of nine chefs in Germany. The purpose was to examine the impact of sustainability and leadership on the innovation management of Michelin-starred chefs and to determine crucial aspects impacting haute cuisine innovations. Following earlier research, the findings indicate that a holistic view of sustainability is held by high-end chefs in this sector with considerations for the four main pillars (environmental, social, economic, cultural). Leadership style was seen as key to innovation management in the haute cuisine context. However, the interviews revealed that the issue of environmental sustainability was perceived to be of lessor significance when considering innovations in haute cuisine, due to customer expectations and insufficient legislation or government incentives. The external factors of market demand, involvement by a variety of stakeholders, and guest values/needs were viewed as key determinants of innovation type, success and directions. The internal factors of fitting with the business vision, brand loyalty of consumers, and employee skills and engagement were identified as key drivers of innovation decisions and success.

The Mediating Effects of Work–Life Balance (WLB) and Ease of Using WLB Programs in the Relationship between WLB Organizational Culture and Turnover Intention

“…First, effective leadership is essential for organizational competitiveness. Mrusek et al [ 47 ] argued that Michelin-starred restaurants with sustainable chefs ensure employee satisfaction, thereby lowering their employee turnover. A study by Abdien [ 48 ], which examined employees of a 5-star hotel chain in Egypt, found that the higher the manager’s support and communication among colleagues as well as between employees and supervisors, the lower the turnover intention.…”

Locality in the Promoted Sustainability Practices of Michelin-Starred Restaurants

“…From the results, identified sustainable practices are mentioned by less than 50% of M3SRs with the highest percentage being local food (42.96%) and the least percentage being food foraging (5.19%). For research question one, "the extent to which sustainable practices are promoted as part of MSRs' offerings", the results indicate that sustainability has not been considered a necessary offering in M3SRs or a keyword in their website marketing and further reflect M3SRs' failure to embrace sustainability, which is inconsistent with their roles as sustainability ambassadors that previous studies suggest [37,46,89]. This phenomenon has some possible explanations.…”

The role of transformational leadership and innovation adoption in restaurant performance

“…However, restaurant entrepreneurs claim they generate new ideas by imitating competitors' promotion practices, insight, and analysis of customer experiences and feedback (C. Lee al., 2019). To this end, the successful implementation of innovations lies in strategic management choices and effective communication among stakeholders, including suppliers and customers (Mrusek et al, 2022).…”

“…Transformational leadership has been found to positively influence employee creativity by increasing involvement in generating innovative ideas (Cheung & Wong, 2011). Leadership skills are important for promoting employee creativity, engagement, and long-term success (Mrusek et al, 2022). Thus, innovation seeks to provide differentiated solutions to problems and thus represents a break from previously provided solutions.…”