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This paper aims to examine how organisational values affect diversity in terms of different competencies in rural family Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Recruiting a diverse workforce in rural family SMEs can be particularly difficult due to the prevalence of internal family values and the lack of available local specialised competencies. A deficiency of diversity in employment and competence acquisition and development can create problems, as it often prevents rural family SMEs from recruiting employees with a wide variety of qualifications and skills.

The study takes on a multi-case method of Swedish rural family SMEs, applying a qualitative content analysis approach. In total, 20 in-depth structured interviews are conducted with rural family SME owners and 2 industries were investigated and compared – the tourism and the manufacturing industries.

Rural family SMEs lack long-term employment strategies, and competence diversity does not appear to be a priority for rural family SMEs, as they often have prematurely decided who they will hire rather than what competencies are needed for their long-term business development. It is more important to keep the team of employees tight and the family spirit present than to include competence diversity and mixed qualifications in the employment acquisition and development.

Contrary to prior research, our findings indicate that rural family SMEs apply short-term competence diversity strategies rather than long-term prospects regarding competence acquisition and management, due to their family values and rural setting, which strictly narrows the selection of employees and competencies. Also, a general reluctance towards competence diversity is identified, which originates from the very same family values and rural context.

This paper aims to present a review of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) literature on the adoption of technology for marketing with the objective the knowledge trajectory from SMEs to tourism SMEs (TSMEs) and presents a research agenda for the adoption of digital marketing among TSMEs.

The quantitative literature review method is adopted to analyze 50 articles published in high-ranking journals from 2011–2021. The selected papers were reviewed to quantitatively present the popular theoretical frameworks, constructs and research methods used for the adoption of digital marketing among SMEs and to present a future research agenda in the context of TSMEs.

The findings present a review of theoretical approaches, research design, methods, and models used by researchers, and identify new directions for future research in the context of the adoption of digital marketing among TSMEs. The paper presents a theoretical critique of the technology adoption theories and builds on diffusion of innovation theory, technology–organization–environment (TOE), and institutional theory to propose an expanded model to study digital marketing adoption among TSMEs.

The article presents a significant advancement in the theoretical understanding of the adoption of digital marketing by offering the application of the TOE framework with moderating role of mimetic and normative pressures. Thus, the study contributes to the scarce research on institutional theory in the context of services (tourism) and offers an alternative and holistic perception to study digital marketing. The research model serves as an organizing tool for future researchers and practitioners to probe and further augment knowledge development in tourism and TSMEs.

Negligible published work on TSMEs makes this study valuable and the proposed model gives strategic information in the given context.

Organisational learning drives tourism organisations towards more sustainable tourism. Digital transformation also provides opportunities for sustainable tourism development. This study aims to combine these perspectives and explore how digital transformation enables organisational learning to contribute to sustainable tourism, following organisational learning theory (OLT).

Based on a critical realist paradigm, this study focuses on developing an in-depth understanding of organisational learning in tourism organisations. Thirty qualitative interviews with tourism organisations participating in an executive development programme (EDP) show how tourism organisations create, retain and transfer knowledge.

This study demonstrates that the EDP initiates knowledge creation through content transmission and exchange, triggers knowledge retention through utilisation of digital technologies and reinforces digitalisation through data value creation. Furthermore, this study enables knowledge transformation as implementation, which contributes to the three pillars of sustainable tourism and facilitates the development of networks encouraging sustainable tourism.

This study identifies approaches that enable economic, social and environmentally sustainable tourism development by facilitating collaborations via digital transformation, digital technologies that guide guest streams, online mobility offers and online environmental awareness campaigns that reduce environmental impacts. Thus, this study strengthens OLT and has implications for organisational learning and tourism policymakers.

This paper aimed to test a proposed framework highlighting strategic green marketing initiatives and how they drive new technology implementation towards green corporate performance, underpinned by institutional isomorphism.

The study used a quantitative method and convenience sampling approach in gathering data using adapted questionnaires to solicit first-hand information from 225 employees of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism and hospitality sector underpinned by the theory of institutional isomorphism.

The study shows that green communication and green strategy alignment have significant predictive effects on new technology implementation. Cultural isomorphism significantly moderated the effects of implementing new technology (i.e. green communication and strategy alignment). In addition, “new technology implementation had a significant predictive effect on green corporate performance”. Meanwhile, the moderation effect of “green creative behaviour on the new technology-green corporate performance dyad was positive but insignificant.”

The study’s novel framework confirms how green communication strategy and green strategy alignment complement cultural isomorphism to explain the impact of new technology implementation on green corporate performance, underpinned by institutional isomorphism.

This study aims to explore the patterns and transformational dynamics of the executive–interpreter network in the innovation processes of small- and medium-sized enterprises in hospitality.

Grounded in social network theory and adopting a case-based approach, this study features a multi-case design focusing on three Chinese boutique hotels. Data were collected through Web page and document reviews, participant observations and semistructured interviews.

Results capture how executive–interpreter network dynamics contribute to innovation in small- and medium-sized hotels. Key factors in social networks (e.g. size, scope and strength) shift throughout innovation. This study presents a design-driven approach as a means of innovation. Findings also delineate the network development conditions under which innovation dynamically occurs in boutique hotels.

Practical implications center on how network dynamics help small- and medium-sized hotels innovate more effectively. These insights can assist hotel operators and prospective market entrants in improving their hotels’ performance and competitiveness.

This study blends social network theory with a design-driven approach to explore innovation mechanisms in small- and medium-sized hotels. It offers empirical evidence for practitioners regarding design-driven innovation. Findings enrich the body of knowledge on both design-driven innovation theory and hospitality innovation.

This research paper aims to investigate the predictors and outcomes of immersive technology adoption in tourism.

PLS-SEM is used for data collected from tourists visiting the UAE and Egypt to examine predictors and consequences of adoption.

It is revealed that perceived ease of use, enjoyment, immersion, usefulness and attitude towards technology predict immersive technology adoption. It is also revealed that the adoption affects tourists’ perceived value and engagement, which, in turn, affects tourists’ satisfaction and loyalty.

The study has integrated a research model that combines both antecedents and consequences of immersive technology adoption where few empirical investigations were revealed to draw conclusions on this research area. Also, missing relations have been included and tested in the research model.

With the increasing importance of technology in hospitality and tourism, technology-driven service innovation has been a salient topic discussed from both customers’ and suppliers’ perspectives. However, there has been a lack of research that provides an overview of research on technology-driven service innovation. The purpose of this study is to review current discussions on technology-driven service innovation and provide directions for future studies in the hospitality and tourism literature.

A total of 82 articles on technology-driven service innovation were collected from top-tier hospitality and tourism journals. The papers were analyzed using content analysis to derive key topics discussed in the literature. Such discussions were made by different service innovation categories, antecedents, outcomes and theories. Future research agendas were suggested based on the research gap found in the literature.

The results indicate that prior discussions on technology-driven service innovation viewed technology as a service or service delivery method, with limited focus on management, marketing and institutional service innovation. In addition, the study reveals five key topics that need further discussion, such as cocreative technology, human resources management, strategy management, emerging technology and digital transformation.

While there have been increasing studies that reveal determining roles of technology in service innovation, scarce research introduced the new concept of technology-driven service innovation, suggesting a comprehensive approach. By adopting the unique approach of technology-driven service innovation, the research reveals the multifaceted roles of technology in service innovation and areas that need further discussion to implement highly sustainable strategies.

The research adds to the knowledge of technology-driven service innovation by providing a holistic view of current discussions, finding research gaps and proposing future research agendas for extended discussion.

This study aims to identify the role of innovation research in formulating the intellectual structure of the hospitality and tourism literature by performing a bibliometric analysis.

In total, 6,255 journal articles on innovation were gathered from Scopus and analyzed using co-citation, bibliographic coupling and thematic content analyses. The most influential articles were also carefully read to reveal a nomological network of innovation research in hospitality and tourism scholarship.

Co-citation analysis reveals that there are six significant clusters in the field of innovation research. Various philosophical underpinnings might be used in different circumstances, with actor-network and Schumpeterian theory playing significant roles. A review of current works using bibliographic coupling reveals five interesting emerging research areas and makes numerous recommendations for when to conduct more studies. A review of influential articles displayed differences between the co-citation and bibliographic coupling analysis findings and produced a framework for further investigation of the knowledge field.

This paper is among the first integrative reviews on innovation research in hospitality and tourism by quantitatively reviewing published articles and qualitatively reviewing the content of the most influential studies.

This paper delves into the multi-faceted factors influencing the adoption and utilisation of online travel agencies (OTAs) for reserving hotel accommodations. The study aims to expand upon the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) framework to accomplish this objective by integrating the critical dimension of technology readiness (TR).

Four hundred and fifty-three (453) inbound tourists were asked to share their feedbacks on their recent OTA booking experience. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to confirm the study model and test the study hypotheses.

This study found that the motivating TR attributes favourably affect the acceptance and actual use of OTAs, while the inhibitors TR reflects adverse effects on OTA’s usage. On the other hand, the OTAs usage attributes: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating condition, hedonic motivation, price value and habit are all significant determinants of consumers' behavioural intention.

The originality of this study lies in providing a more comprehensive explanation and prediction of consumer behaviour in relation to OTAs. Specifically, it recognises the importance of TR as a significant determinant of technology adoption and usage within the service industry realm.