The role of eco-innovation and environmental management accounting in fostering performance effect by green dynamic capabilities in the hotel industry

Abstract

Despite growing attention to sustainability in the global tourism industry, empirical evidence explaining how internal organizational capabilities translate into superior environmental performance remains scarce—particularly in emerging markets. This study investigates the performance effects of green dynamic capabilities (GDC) in driving environmental performance in the hotel industry, with a particular focus on the mediating effect of eco-innovation (ECI) and the moderating effect of environmental management accounting (EMA). Although environmental sustainability in tourism has become a global imperative, limited empirical evidence exists on how internal capabilities and accounting practices jointly enhance hotels’ green performance—particularly within emerging economies such as Türkiye. Drawing on dynamic capabilities theory and resource orchestration perspectives, this study addresses this research gap by analyzing survey data collected from 108 managers of Green Key-certified hotels in Türkiye. The developed research framework was tested through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 4. The results reveal that GDCs positively influence environmental performance, and this relationship is significantly mediated by ECI. Moreover, EMA strengthens the positive effect of GDCs on ECI, highlighting its role as an enabling internal infrastructure. These findings suggest that the realization of sustainability outcomes depends not only on the presence of capabilities but also on how these are embedded within innovation processes and internal organizing systems. The study contributes to sustainability and management literature by offering a context-specific understanding of the capability–infrastructure–performance nexus and providing actionable insights for hotel managers in emerging tourism markets.