How to enhance sustainability through technology usage: An analysis of managerial capabilities and gender in the tourism sector

Abstract

New technologies are enabling not only ever-increasing levels of production efficiency but also socially and environmentally sustainable development. Although sustainability is a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral concept, many studies have shown that technology is a significant component. However, both sustainability and the impact of technology use on sustainability ulti-mately depend on one crucial element: people. Therefore, in this article, as well as analysing the impact of technology use on the sustainability of an organisation, we examine two additional factors that may influence its sustainability: gender and managerial capabilities. Specifically, this paper aims to study the effects of technology on sustainability, focusing on the social dimension of sustainability and on an analysis of how gender and managerial capabilities moderate said relationship. To do so, we carried out a regression analysis on a sample of 195 Spanish hotels with between 3 and 5 stars. The results indicate that managerial capabilities are essential for harnessing technology and that women and men take advantage of its possibilities in different ways.