Beyond ethics: The transformational power of overlapping motivations in implementing strategic sustainability actions

Bonilla‐Priego, Maria Jesus; Nájera‐Sánchez, Juan‐José; Font, Xavier

doi:10.1002/bse.2912

Title: Beyond ethics: The transformational power of overlapping motivations in implementing strategic sustainability actions

Journal Article · 18 October 2021 · Business Strategy and the Environment

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2912 · OSTI ID:1826828

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Departamento de Economía Financiera y Contabilidad e Idioma Moderno, Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales Universidad Rey Juan Carlos Madrid Spain
Departamento de Economía de la Empresa (ADO), Economía Aplicada II y Fundamentos de Análisis Económico, Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales Universidad Rey Juan Carlos Madrid Spain
School of Hospitality and Tourism Management University of Surrey Guildford UK, Department of Business and Economics UiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway

Abstract We develop a methodology to identify patterns between sustainability motivations, actions and engagement. We apply this methodology to analyse a 3 1/2‐year intervention that yielded 151 sustainability actions undertaken by 46 outbound tour operators. We find three aspects that can be explained by the tour operators' motivations to act sustainably, namely, a connection between: (i) the actions taken in the context of the organisation's business model, (ii) the intensity of the approach, measured by the resources invested in it and the operator's commitment level and (iii) the evolution of the response. These patterns demonstrate how ethical motivations are common and a precondition to acting sustainably, but, in themselves, these motivations are not sufficient to integrate sustainability practices into the core business or to maintain commitment over time. It is the combination of a high ethical commitment with clear strategic intent, materialised in commercial and operational motivations, that increases the connectedness, and intensity, of sustainability actions amongst ethically committed firms.

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

OSTI ID:: 1826828

Journal Information:: Business Strategy and the Environment, Journal Name: Business Strategy and the Environment Vol. 31 Journal Issue: 3; ISSN 0964-4733

Publisher:: Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

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