Sustainable Strategies For Managing Geoheritage In A Dynamic World

Sustainable Strategies for Managing Geoheritage in a Dynamic World

This book delves deeply into the multifaceted challenges of geoheritage management today, including the ever-evolving geological landscape, human impact, and the pressing need for sustainable solutions. At its core, this book explores how sustainable practices can safeguard our geological treasures in the face of an ever-changing world. One of the book's primary takeaways revolves around the imperative of data-driven decision-making in geoheritage conservation. With the integration of cutting-edge technologies and methodologies, readers are exposed to the transformative power of data analytics, remote sensing, and geological mapping. By harnessing these tools, geoheritage managers and conservationists can analyze geological phenomena, monitor landform changes, and make informed decisions to protect and sustainably manage these irreplaceable natural wonders. Climate change, another critical theme of the book, is scrutinized from the perspective of its impact on geoheritage. Geological formations and landscapes are subject to climate-related alterations, ranging from erosion to shifts in flora and fauna. The book elucidates the innovative ways in which sustainable strategies can combat these effects, advocating for resilient geoheritage management practices that account for climatic variations. Furthermore, this book underscores the pivotal role of technology in preserving our geological heritage. From state-of-the-art monitoring devices to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications, readers are exposed to the tools and techniques that transforms geoheritage management. Real-world examples illustrate how these technologies are already being deployed, as well as their potential for further advancement to enhance sustainability.

Managing Resilience, Sustainability, and Networks of Tourism Enterprises in the New Global Economic Order

The role of resilience in explaining hotel growth: A fuzzy-set QCA approach PURPOSE: Due to the detrimental effects of the recent pandemic on the hotel sector, hotel resilience research and its impact on hotel recovery have received lots of academic attention. However, a sustainable perspective on hotel resilience, as an approach for investigating its impact on long-term hotel growth, has been largely overlooked in the hospitality resilience literature. Therefore, this paper aims to address the research gap by identifying the configuration of factors that constitute sustainable hotel resilience, leading to the growth of selected hotels operating in Poland. METHODOLOGY: Data for analysis were obtained from surveys conducted with 120 managers of one- and two-star hotels. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was chosen to achieve the goal, which belongs to the group of configurational analysis methods. FINDINGS: Due to the asymmetric nature of the method, the analysis reveals configurations of factors leading to high hotel growth and those leading to low growth. In both cases, two such factor configurations were obtained. For high levels of hotel growth, it was found that maintaining a high level of three factors simultaneously, namely employee resilience, CSR activities and leadership resilience or CSR activities, team resilience and leadership resilience, provided sufficient conditions. For low levels of growth, fsQCA indicated sufficient conditions in the form of a low level of CSR activities and leadership resilience or a low level of employee resilience and team resilience. These findings emphasize the role of combining different factors to improve hotel growth. IMPLICATIONS: The research contributes to the literature on resilience in the hospitality industry by developing a new theoretical perspective on the complex nature of combinations of factors that contribute to sustainable hotel resilience, leading to both high and low growth. The research results also provide significant implications for entrepreneurs and managers, indicating the role of different combinations of factors in determining hotel growth. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: The knowledge regarding sustainable hotel resilience is still insufficient. The study identified the best combinations of factors (both internal and external) that constitute sustainable hotel resilience, which may be vital for hotel growth. Keywords: hotel resilience, CSR activities, employee resilience, leadership resilience, team resilience, financial resilience, hotel growth, Poland, fsQCA Exploring resilience of the hotel industry using the example of Polish regions: The case of COVID-19 pandemic PURPOSE: This study explores the relationship between the resilience of the hotel industry (an underdeveloped concept) and the factors that support the development of this industry. It examines whether the resilience of the hotel industry varies regionally and whether it is influenced either by the characteristics of the hotel industry or by regional economic conditions. The study focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic, which particularly hit the hotel industry. METHODOLOGY: The clustering method is used to identify regions in Poland with similar pre-pandemic hotel industry development are identified. Secondly, Potthoff’s analysis and Kruskal-Wallis tests with Dunn’s tests are used respectively to identify variations in the resilience responses of the industry in different regions and to examine the antecedents of these variations. FINDINGS: The data collected indicate variations between clusters in terms of resilience response. Not all factors that support the development of the hotel industry in a particular region are equally conducive to its resilience. Our study shows that the pandemic was not an isolated or unique event but rather a catalyst that brought long-standing issues for the hotel and tourism sector. IMPLICATIONS FOR THEORY AND PRACTICE: This study contributes to the development of resilience theory by providing evidence-based arguments for separating the domains of resilience and development and for a more granular exploration of the trade-offs between them. From the perspective of the hotel industry, insights into narrowly channeled agglomeration externalities during a crisis could inform strategic decisions regarding the location of hotel investments, the value proposition created, and business model diversification. Therefore, there is a need for more resilient crisis management strategies that can be applied across the tourism sector. These strategies should encompass effective supply chain management and a robust framework for labor security. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: The findings suggest that hotel industry development factors, which include both industry characteristics and regionally shaped economic conditions, provide mixed support for the resilience of this industry. The study revealed clear tensions between development and resilience impacts by highlighting existing trade-offs. Focusing attention on trade-off tensions advances both the conceptual validity and application potential. Although the present study was defined for the specific circumstances of the hotel industry, this approach can be replicated in different industries that are components of the supply chain of the tourism market and its value chain. Keywords: hotel industry, resilience, multidimensionality, pandemic, regional conditions, COVID-19. Assessing sustainable practices and managerial approaches in the hotel industry: A comparative case study PURPOSE: The study is comparative, comparing sustainable practices and approaches in two hotels to better understand different management approaches. The study’s design provides valuable insights into the topic of sustainability practices in the hotel industry, and the results are analyzed and discussed in the context of existing academic knowledge on the issue. METHODOLOGY: The goal of the selection process was to find information-rich cases. After conducting initial online research, two four-star hotels in the same regional capital city in the Czech Republic were intentionally chosen. These hotels are direct competitors and have very similar target customers. To collect data, the authors conducted two separate semi-structured, in-depth interviews with the CEOs of both hotels, as well as observations in both establishments and additional interviews with staff. The interview protocol, which is innovative and newly assembled, was added to ensure the case study’s reliability and enable future comparisons. A comprehensive criterion table methodically presents the research outcomes. FINDINGS: Besides the list of sustainability practices applied in the hotels under study, the authors described two distinct management approaches. The first approach takes a broad perspective, considering all aspects of sustainability and incorporating it as a fundamental part of the company’s vision. In contrast, the second approach focuses narrowly on cost savings and profit generation. The form of business is the critical factor responsible for the difference in managerial approach. Interestingly, the study suggested that hotels belonging to large chains (and stock companies) may be more compelled to adopt sustainability practices and may have more established sustainability programs than independent hotels. IMPLICATIONS: In light of previous literature, the findings of this case study provide valuable theoretical contributions to managerial approaches to sustainability programmes, sustainability reporting, transparency, and more. Additionally, the newly assembled interview protocol is an innovative and important foundation for future research. The study also uncovers significant new barriers to the adoption of sustainability practices. From a managerial perspective, this study offers a comprehensive overview of hotels’ sustainability practices and serves as a practical list of potential sustainable practices for hotels to consider. Finally, the conclusion provides suggestions for future research that can further advance sustainable practices in the hotel industry. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: The study’s significance stems from a thorough analysis of prior literature and conducting additional research in a new setting, providing a unique perspective on the topic of hotel sustainability within a specific area. The case study approach allowed for an in-depth examination of the selected cases, with attention to detail. The methodology and public interview protocol offer the potential for comparable studies in other regions to be conducted and compared in the future. Keywords: sustainability, sustainable development, practices, hotel industry, hospitality industry, tourism, management Linking employee voice to service recovery performance in the hotel sector: The mediating role of tacit knowledge sharing and employee innovation PURPOSE: In reality, service failures are inevitable. However, poor service recovery can decrease customer trust and exacerbate customer dissatisfaction. Previous studies have focused on service failure types, reasons for failure, and successful recovery actions from the customers’ perspective. Accordingly, this study aims to present adifferent view by investigating the factors that could improve hotel recovery performance from the employees’ perspective. Therefore, amodel was developed to study the influence of employees’ voice, tacit knowledge sharing, and employee innovation on service recovery performance. METHODOLOGY: This quantitative study used an online survey to gather data from employees in the hotel industry in Jordan. Atotal of 214 valid responses were obtained. Participants were targeted randomly, mainly through Facebook groups for hotel employees. PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling) was employed in this research to analyze the data using Smart PLS 3 software. FINDINGS: The results indicated that employee voice is positively associated with tacit knowledge sharing. Furthermore, it was found that tacit knowledge sharing is positively related to employee innovation. The findings demonstrated that tacit knowledge plays apartial mediating role in the association between employee voice and employee innovation. Additionally, it was discovered that employee innovation has apositive association with service recovery performance. Finally, the results indicate that employee innovation partially mediates the relationship between tacit knowledge and service recovery performance. IMPLICATIONS: Hoteliers are suggested to create asupportive work climate where employees can express their thoughts, ideas, and concerns without fear of retribution. Furthermore, hotel managers are advised to establish clear expectations for employees regarding the significance of their opinions and insights, and recognize and reward innovative ideas that can hopefully enhance hotels’ performance. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: This research provides new insights and contributes to the understanding of the role of employee voice, tacit knowledge sharing, and employee innovation in enhancing service recovery performance, particularly in acontext that has received little attention from researchers, which is the hotel sector, and in adeveloping country, Jordan. Compared to past studies, this study offers amodel that demonstrates how to leverage service recovery efforts in hotels by illustrating structured relationships between employee voice and service recovery performance through the mediation of tacit knowledge sharing and employee innovation. Keywords: employee voice, service recovery performance, employee innovation, tacit knowledge sharing, hotels, Jordan, hotel sector, quantitative research, Structural Equation Modeling Turning crisis into chances: Tourism entrepreneurs’ timing strategies amidst emergencies PURPOSE: Nowadays enterprises operate in a very turbulent environment characterized by frequent, significant, and often unpredictable changes. Such conditions, including crises, force enterprises to take quick actions to adapt to changing conditions. The aim of the paper is to identify chances and timing strategies used by tourism entrepreneurs in conditions of large-scale emergencies (such as COVID-19) and show how they can serve organizational resilience. METHODOLOGY: Qualitative research was conducted in the form of 12 individual in-depth interviews and 4 focus group interviews with 22 representatives of selected industries in the tourism sector. The concept of chance management and timing strategies is used to present how, according to our interviewees, changes in the environment caused by the pandemic contributed to the survival and development of their entities in the tourism market. FINDINGS: The research findings showed that changes caused by the pandemic allowed entities to identify several chances. These chances mainly concerned the introduction of changes to the offer (accelerating previously planned changes and enabling the introduction of unplanned changes). Moreover, they provided the chances to use held digital competences and time to think about the company’s development strategy, as well as establishing and developing relationships with stakeholders. Additionally, our research identified four timing strategies used by tourism entrepreneurs in the time of crisis, i.e. chance-grasping strategy, chance-entraining strategy, chance-riding strategy, and chance-creating strategy. IMPLICATIONS: Tourism enterprises are highly exposed to operating in crisis conditions. Therefore, chance management can be very useful in their activity and our research findings can be also useful regarding its theoretical and practical implications. From the theoretical point of view, we show how the concept of chance management (in particular timing strategies) can be useful for analyzing the reactions of tourism entrepreneurs to changes in times of crisis and taking advantage of opportunities arising from crisis situations. From a practical point of view, we show what strategies, depending on entrepreneurs’ subjective assessment of the current and future conditions for implementing changes, can serve organizational resilience in times of crisis. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: This paper fills a research gap related to the use of the concepts of chance management and timing strategies from the perspective of tourist enterprises resilience, previously not used in this context and to a limited extent used in the general management literature so far. Keywords: chance management, tourism, timing strategies, opportunities, large scale emergency, COVID-19 pandemic The potential of accessible tourism for sustainable development of local communities in northern Pakistan PURPOSE: Accessible tourism holds significant importance for local communities as it is a cornerstone for fostering inclusivity and equal participation in the tourism industry. Recognizing the growing global emphasis on inclusivity, especially for individuals with diverse needs, this research aims to explore the multifaceted impacts of accessible tourism on the sustainable development of local communities in the northern areas of Pakistan. Additionally, the study assesses the moderating role of destination image between accessible tourism dimensions and the sustainable development of local communities. Given that destinations heavily rely on tourism to fulfill their socio-economic needs, it becomes imperative to evaluate the potential transformative impact of accessible tourism on their sustainable development. METHODOLOGY: A self-administered survey was completed using a two-stage sampling approach with 321 tourists and 321 local residents from five tourist destinations in northern Pakistan. Subsequently, the collected data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test the proposed hypotheses. FINDINGS: The results show the significance of all four dimensions of accessible tourism (accessible core resources and attractors, accessible supporting factors and resources, accessible qualifying and amplifying determinants, and destination planning and management) in the sustainable development of local communities. The moderation assessment further confirms that destination image strengthens the relationship between accessible core resources and attractors, contributing to the sustainable development of local communities. However, destination image was found to have a negative moderating effect between accessible qualifying and amplifying determinants and the sustainable development of local communities. IMPLICATIONS: Empirical findings offer fresh insights for destination planners and policymakers in the tourism industry. These insights pertain to the effective utilization of accessible tourism practices, which can significantly contribute to the sustainable development of destinations. Additionally, tourism businesses can leverage the research to attract a broader segment of tourists, increase profitability, and enhance tourist satisfaction by implementing accessible practices and services. Understanding the moderating role of destination image can further guide them in crafting responsible tourism narratives that resonate with diverse travelers. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: The study marks an initial attempt to explain how destinations, particularly those heavily reliant on tourism, can strategically leverage accessible tourism as a crucial factor in fostering sustainable community development. Keywords: accessible tourism, sustainable development, local communities, northern Pakistan, inclusivity in tourism, destination image, structural equation modeling, tourism policy, community development, tourist satisfaction

Proceedings of the XIII International Symposium SymOrg 2012: Innovative Management and Business Performance