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No D/1115: Managing Sustainability for Competitive Advantage: Evidence From the Hospitality Industry

I. Gutierrez, J.M. Alcaraz, L. Susaeta, E. Suarez and José Ramón Pin
Additional contact information
I. Gutierrez: Universidad de las Américas
J.M. Alcaraz: Murdoch University
L. Susaeta: UCM
E. Suarez: ESIC
José Ramón Pin: IESE Business School, Postal: IESE Business School. Research Division, Av Pearson 21, 08034 Barcelona, SPAIN

Abstract: The hospitality industry "is in the midst of a sustainability awakening" (Prairie, 2012). Many hospitality managers seem to be willing to adopt sustainability practices in order to obtain a competitive advantage. In this paper we use Barney's VRIO framework (value, rareness, imitability, and organization) to examine the role of resources or capabilities in developing and maintaining competitive advantage through the development of sustainability practices in the hospitality industry. The article reports the findings from interviews conducted with 17 hospitality managers from hotels established in Mexico and recognized as champions in sustainability. These results contribute to a better understanding of the factors that determine competitive advantage in the hospitality industry. Furthermore, the results have strong practical implications regarding the implementation of sustainability strategies.

Keywords: Sustainability; Competitive advantage; Resource-based approach

18 pages, March 9, 2015

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