Corporate social responsibility and strategic knowledge management as mediators between sustainable intangible capital and hotel performance

Abstract

Although in recent years intangible assets are considered a basic factor of production, it is necessary to show that their mere possession will not always guarantee superior performance. Accordingly, based on the resource-based view of the firm and the intellectual capital-based view, this paper has a twofold purpose. First, it analyses the existing relationship between sustainable intangible capital and performance. Second, it analyses the role played by corporate social responsibility and strategic knowledge management as mediator capabilities in the relationship between sustainable intangible capital and performance. Three hypotheses are proposed and a quantitative methodology based on PLS on 120 Spanish hotels with three or more stars is used. The findings do not support the hypothesis that sustainable intangible capital directly influences hotel performance. However, the two mediating hypotheses are supported, showing that corporate social responsibility and strategic knowledge management act as mediators by creating the values, philosophy and necessary foundations for sustainable intangible capital to have a significant influence on hotel performance.

Keywords:

• Sustainable intangible capital
• corporate social responsibility
• strategic knowledge management
• performance
• hotel industry

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 Madrid (15), Andalusia (18), Catalonia (19), Valencian Community (18), Estremadura (2), Aragon (3), Canary Islands (10), Balearic Islands (12), Cantabria (2), Asturias (3), Navarra (1), Castilla la Mancha (6), Castilla Leon (8) and Galicia (3).

2 VAF=(Indirect effect)/(Total effect)

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Patrocinio Carmen Zaragoza-Sáez

Patrocinio Carmen Zaragoza-Sáez (PhD) is Senior Lecturer at the University of Alicante. Her research interests are focused on knowledge management, intellectual capital, international management and tourism management. She has taken part in several public projects highlighting the European project ‘Next Tourism Generation Alliance’ and the competitive project for the creation of a Blue Print Book for the Tourism in the Valencian Community (Spain). She has published research papers in international journals including Tourism Management, Journal of Business Research, Current Issues in Tourism, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, Knowledge Management Research & Practice, Journal of Knowledge Management, Journal of Intellectual Capital or International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, among others.

Enrique Claver-Cortés

Enrique Claver-Cortés (PhD) is Professor of Business Administration and Strategic Management at the University of Alicante. His doctoral dissertation focused on corporate social responsibility, but his primary areas of research cover tourism management and strategic management. He is a member of the Tourism Research Institute at University of Alicante and the author of several books, book chapters and international articles related to strategic, tourism and human resource management. He has taken part in various public projects highlighting, amongst many others, the European project ‘Next Tourism Generation Alliance’, the competitive project for the creation of the Tourist Observatory of the Valencian Community (Spain) and other private projects. He is the Head of the Department of Management at the University of Alicante.

Bartolomé Marco-Lajara

Bartolomé Marco-Lajara (PhD) is Professor at the University of Alicante. His research interests are strategic management and tourism management. He is the author of several books, book chapters and international articles related to teaching methodology and the areas above mentioned. He is a member of the Tourism Research Institute at the University of Alicante since its foundation and the main researcher of a European project ‘Next Tourism Generation Alliance’ and of the public competitive project for the creation of the Tourist Observatory of the Valencian Community (Spain). He has taken part in others public and private projects, such as the development of the strategic plan of the Alicante province for the period 2010–2020. He is the Assistant Dean of the Economics Faculty at the University of Alicante.

Mercedes Úbeda-García

Mercedes Úbeda-García (PhD) is Professor at the University of Alicante. She is a member of the Tourism Research Institute in this University. Her research interests are in the areas of organizational design, human resource management, knowledge management and tourism management. She has taken part in several public projects highlighting the European project ‘Next Tourism Generation Alliance’, the competitive project for the creation of the Tourist Observatory of the Valencian Community (Spain) and other private projects. She is the author of several books, book chapters and international articles related to teaching methodology, human resource management and strategy. She is the Head of the Official Master in Tourism at University of Alicante.