From Green Culture to Innovation: How Internal Marketing Drives Sustainable Performance in Hospitality

Ibrahim A. Elshaer (), Chokri Kooli () and Alaa M. S. Azazz
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Ibrahim A. Elshaer: Department of Management, School of Business, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Chokri Kooli: Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Alaa M. S. Azazz: Department of Social Studies, Arts College, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia

Administrative Sciences, 2025, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-16

Abstract: As environmental sustainability becomes a strategic priority for the hospitality sector, firms are increasingly adopting internal green marketing (IGM) practices to drive innovation. This study investigates how IGM influences innovative performance (IP) among hotel employees, focusing on the mediating roles of pro-environmental behavior (PEB) and internal green values (IGV). Drawing on data from 400 hotel employees in Egypt and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), the results reveal that while IGM significantly enhances PEB and IGV, it does not directly improve innovative performance. Instead, IGV and PEB fully mediate the relationship between IGM and IP, highlighting that innovation emerges primarily through value-driven behavior and organizational culture. These findings contribute to the sustainability and innovation literature by proposing a validated model that explains how internal marketing mechanisms foster eco-innovation. The study offers practical implications for hotel managers aiming to cultivate a sustainability-oriented culture and embed green values into daily operations to support long-term innovation.

Keywords: internal green marketing; pro-environmental behavior; internal green values; innovative performance; sustainability in hospitality; green organizational culture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L M M0 M1 M10 M11 M12 M14 M15 M16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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