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The success of hotels and their contribution to the destination depends on the development of sustainability practices. The aim of this paper is to study possible interactions between environmental, economic and social sustainability practices with each other and with hotel performance. In these interactions, hotel performance is not considered as the final dependent variable. Hotel performance may play a mediating role as it may be considered as a consequence of environmental sustainability practices and as a means for economic and social sustainability practices. From a PLS analysis using data from 365 Spanish hotels, we find that environmental sustainability practices influence hotel performance and economic and social sustainability practices; hotel performance positively influences economic and social sustainability practices; and economic sustainability practices influence social sustainability practices. Moreover, hotel performance mediates the relationship between environmental sustainability practices and the other two dimensions of sustainability practices; and economic sustainability practices mediate the link between environmental and social sustainability practices. This study has theoretical and practical implications because it shows that environmental sustainability practices contribute to hotel performance, creating value for shareholders and owners; and environmental practices and the availability of financial resources contribute to the development of economic and social sustainability practices, also creating value for other stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firm success depends on economic performance, but also on social and environmental factors. We use abilities, motivations, and opportunities theory and resource-based view to analyse the role of human resources management (HRM) as an antecedent of environmental management and how this relationship contributes to a deeper understanding of the linkage between environmental management and performance. This is because there are no conclusive results of the costs and profits derived from environmental practices and HRM could add more information to this topic. Here, we show that a set of HRM practices, and specially employee participation processes and communication between managers and employees, significantly improves environmental management. Moreover, environmental management explains significantly competitive advantages and performance in the hotel industry. Findings show that hotels should have an HRM structure to train, motivate, develop, and retain employees to develop environmental management aimed at obtaining cost and differentiation advantages and improve their perceptual performance, average daily rate, and revenues per available room. Our findings have implications towards advancing theory because we develop an integrative framework which includes the link between HRM (antecedent) and environmental management, and the relationship between environmental management and competitive advantages and performance (consequences) in the hotel industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hotel industry is characterized by operating in a global, dynamic and uncertain environment where stakeholders' concerns on sustainable development are growing. However, there is limited research on whether hotels have flexibility and capacity for change, to develop environmental practices that meet stakeholder demands and improve their competitiveness. Through the dynamic capabilities theory, the resource‐based view and the stakeholder theory, this paper develops a model that considers agility and innovation as antecedents of environmental management and competitive advantages as consequences. A Partial Least Squares analysis is carried out based on data from Spanish hotels. The results indicate that agility and innovation influence environmental management positively; agility influences innovation positively; and agility influences environmental management indirectly through innovation. Moreover, environmental management positively influences cost and differentiation competitive advantages. This study contributes to the literature by examining the role of two important dynamic capabilities and their impact on environmental management and showing how the interaction and mediation between these capabilities favors competitive advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2008.00597.x Byline: Eva M. Pertusa-Ortega (*), Jose F. Molina-Azorin (*), Enrique Claver-Cortes (*) Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the viability of hybrid competitive strategies, which combine differentiation and cost elements, and their impact on organizational performance in comparison to pure strategies and 'stuck-in-the-middle' combinations. Previous studies have focused above all on US data. The analysis carried out in this paper has centred on a multisectorial sample of 164 Spanish firms. The findings show that a large number of the organizations use different types of hybrid strategies and also that such strategies tend to be associated with higher levels of firm performance, particularly those strategies which place emphasis on a greater number of strategic dimensions, and specifically on innovation differentiation. Author Affiliation: (*)University of Alicante, Department of Business Management, Campus de San Vicente del Raspeig, Ap. 99, E-03080 Alicante, SpainCorresponding author email:eva.pertusa@ua.es

The analysis of ambidexterity at the individual level may help to open the black box of organizational ambidexterity and to address the microfoundations of the exploration/exploitation dilemma in order to know how it can be achieved. The purpose of this article is to examine the main characteristics, antecedents, and consequences of individual ambidexterity, highlighting several key theoretical and methodological issues. Through a systematic literature review, we synthesize and integrate knowledge about individual ambidexterity, identifying opportunities and challenges for future research. We propose a multilevel framework that includes antecedents, consequences, and contingent effects of individual ambidexterity and their relationships. This multilevel framework may help to overcome the micro--macro divide in the management field. We also provide a synthesis of future research proposals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between sustainability, competitive advantages, and performance is a topic with no conclusive results in the tourism industry. To contribute to the debate, the purpose of this study is i) to analyze the influence of sustainability on cost and differentiation competitive advantages and ii) to examine the possible synergistic relationship between sustainability and performance. Perceptual as well as hotel-specific objective performance measurements are used, such as occupancy rate, average daily rate (ADR), and revenues per available room (RevPAR), to examine all the relationships. Structural equation models based on Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) are applied to test all the hypotheses. Data is collected from 3-, 4- and 5-star hotels in Spain. The results show that sustainability positively and significantly influences cost and differentiation advantages, perceptual performance, ADR, and RevPAR. In addition, those hotels with these three performance variables whose values are above the median obtain a significant relationship between sustainability and performance. Consequently, there is evidence of a synergistic sustainability-performance relationship in the hotel industry. Therefore, this study offers academic evidence on the strong relationships that exist between these variables in the hotel industry. This research work analyses all three sustainability pillars (economic, environmental, and social sustainability), and the practices that best explain each of the three sustainability pillars are indicated so that hotel managers can optimize their sustainable management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Sample of large Spanish firm is examined by using the partial least squares (PLS) technique to understand the relationship between organizational structure, competitive strategy, and firm performance which are usually analyzed by the contingency approach. The findings supported both the resource-based view (RBV) and the contingency approach, but the RBV is found to be more superior and indicated that organizational structure does not exert a direct influence on performance, but has an indirect influence through competitive strategy.

This paper simultaneously analyzes antecedents and consequences of organizational ambidexterity. Regarding antecedents, the paper examines the influence of internal antecedents (organizational structure) and external antecedents (environmental dynamism). With regard to consequences, the paper analyzes the impact of ambidexterity on firm performance. Moreover, we use two different approaches to ambidexterity (structural and contextual perspectives). The findings show that a hybrid organizational structure, with organic (decentralization) and mechanistic characteristics (differentiation and formalization), and environmental dynamism, influence ambidexterity, and there is a positive impact of ambidexterity on firm performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to analyze the main characteristics of mixed methods research and the use of this methodological approach in several research projects and works that are being conducted by our research group about the implications and impact of management systems on competitive strategy. First, we examine the main features of mixed methods research, emphasizing why and how to use this approach. Then, we indicate our experiences as scholars who usually use mixed methods approaches in our research. We highlight the reasons and motives for using this methodology, how we conduct these studies, and the logic and key features of the mixed methods research designs that we conduct. Several implications for management research are also indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research simultaneously examines the influence of organizational design variables (specialization, decentralization, formalization, link mechanisms, and informal social relations) on environmental proactivity, and the impact of this environmental proactivity on the competitiveness of hotels. The joint analysis of causes and consequences of environmental proactivity, and the relationship between organizational design and environmental management are topics that have rarely been explored in the literature. Using structural equation modeling methodology, a model is empirically tested using a survey instrument that was distributed to hotels in Spain. The findings indicate that specialization, formalization, link mechanisms, and informal social relations are effective coordination mechanisms to foster environmental proactivity. Moreover, the most effective way of encouraging the implementation of environmental practices is formalization. The findings also show that environmental proactivity contributes to improving competitive advantage in terms of both cost and differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to analyse the influence of environmental proactivity on cost and differentiation competitive advantages, and to explore the double relationship between environmental proactivity and business performance. Design/methodology/approach – The population consists of all three- to five-star hotels in Spain. A sample of 350 hotels was classified according to environmental proactivity and performance levels, employing a two-step cluster analysis. Significant differences between groups were examined. Findings – The results show two types of environmental behaviour (reactive and proactive), with proactive hotels developing significantly better on both cost and differentiation competitive advantage and achieving significantly higher performance levels. Hotels which achieve above average business performance levels are significantly more environmentally proactive. Research limitations/implications – The present paper demonstrates that environmental management is related to competitive advantages and business performance. Environmental management systems are more developed in higher category, chain-affiliated and larger hotels. This could be due to having more resources to develop their environmental capability. The environmental proactivity scale employed in this study is presented as a reference measure for hotel managers to benchmark their current practices and implement environmental improvements. Originality/value – First, measuring environmental proactivity using four managerial systems (operative, information, strategic and technical) is innovative and provides a more detailed approach to measuring environmental proactivity. Second, demonstrating a double association between environmental proactivity and performance provides fresh insights into the relationship between these variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to jointly analyse external adjustment (environment-strategy) and internal adjustment (strategy-structure), and their influence on firm performance in a set of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of a European-Mediterranean region in order to check whether models mainly validated in US firms are applied in this context. Design/methodology/approach – Following a quantitative methodological approach, a survey was applied to a sample of 91 SMEs of Alicante (Spain) from different industries in order to contrast nine hypotheses. Various statistical procedures were used, such as cluster analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Moreover, external and internal adjustment indices have been created. Findings – Findings show that traditional theoretical models are not exactly applicable in a context of European-Mediterranean SMEs. Cost leadership strategy is not associated with a favourable environment, and innovation differentiation strategy is not associated with organic structures. The relationship between adjustment and performance is partially confirmed. Research limitations/implications – The caveats normally associated with survey methods apply, as do those related to the use of cross-sectional and managerial perceptions data. Besides, the findings are limited to SMEs. Practical implications – Implications for SME managers regarding the fit between environment, strategy, structure and its effect on performance are addressed. The results can serve as guidelines that will help managers in the formulation and adoption of their strategies. Originality/value – The interest of this paper is that two issues often treated separately are now jointly analysed: internal and external adjustments. Moreover, it supplies empirical evidence of these issues in a European-Mediterranean region, in which no similar studies have been carried out until now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contingency theory holds that organizations in fit have higher performance levels than those in misfit. However, the results obtained in previous research works are far from homogeneous. The purpose of this study is to compare various fit perspectives seeking to check whether or not the divergence in results might derive from the use of different types of fit. The findings in this paper largely fail to confirm the fit-performance links described in the traditional contingency theory. Some arguments are proposed in an attempt to explain this fact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to integrate the literature on human resource management (HRM) and environmental management. Moreover, the paper shows the role that green human resource management (GHRM) plays in environmental management activities. This article examines the main relationships between human resource management and environmental strategy, emphasizing reciprocal influences. Moreover, the main human resource practices used in the literature are examined. In addition, methodological approaches that can be appropriate to advance the study of the link between human resource management and environmental strategy are proposed. Ideas for future research are also provided. As the role of human capital in implementing environmental management is a mature field of research, a new topic known as green human resource management has emerged. We examine studies that analyze both the relationship between general human resource management and environmental strategy and between green human resource management and environmental strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this methodological insight is to analyze the foundations of multilevel research, answering two main questions: why this methodological approach is important for management research and how to conduct a multilevel study. We examine why multilevel research is relevant, emphasizing its potential, opportunities, and basic principles. Moreover, we point out the main theoretical, methodological, and analytic aspects to be considered for an appropriate application of multilevel research. The article refers throughout to the basic literature on multilevel research, reviewing conceptual, methodological, and empirical works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]