Evaluating Sustainable Purchasing Processes in the Hotel Industry

Manuel-Francisco Morales-Contreras, Paloma Bilbao-Calabuig, Carmen Meneses-Falcón and Victoria Labajo
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Manuel-Francisco Morales-Contreras: Department of Management, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, ICADE, 28015 Madrid, Spain
Paloma Bilbao-Calabuig: Department of Management, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, ICADE, 28015 Madrid, Spain
Carmen Meneses-Falcón: Department of Sociology and Social Work, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, CIHS, 28049 Madrid, Spain

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 16, 1-24

Abstract: Managing sustainability along the supply chain has gained significant relevance in recent years, in both academic and business environments. The aim of this research paper is to describe and evaluate the degree of implementation of sustainable purchasing (SP) in the supply chain of the hotel sector in Spain, as well as to identify the main drivers and barriers to effective implementation. This is done from the double perspective of hotel chains and suppliers (industrial laundries). An exploratory and inductive qualitative methodology has been adopted, consisting of (a) observation; (b) collection, review, and analysis of primary sources; and (c) in-depth interviews with 15 managers of hotel chains and suppliers. This triangulation of data sources provides validity and credibility to the results and reduces any potential bias. Evidence is found to support that SP is at an early stage of implementation in the hotel sector in Spain, with big differences among companies. The results suggest that the main drivers and barriers to effective implementation are final customers, governments, market conditions, management commitment, and conflicts in customer/supplier interests. The authors propose a new classification of companies based on the size, type, and degree of implementation of SP.

Keywords: sustainability; purchasing; supply chain; qualitative methodology; hotel industry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:16:p:4262-:d:255431

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