Stakeholders influence on managers’ awareness and attitudes and their impacts on environmental management practices of hotels in Malaysia

Tourism industry has been criticized to cause environmental unsustainability despite its significant contribution to the economy. This study extends prior studies by exploring the environmental management practices (EMPs)
issues from a different perspective. Specifically, this study investigates stakeholders influence on hotel managers’ awareness and attitudes, and their impacts on EMPs in Malaysia. Data was collected from 159 senior hotel
managers in Malaysia and analysed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS). The findings reveal that owners and regulators influence hotel managers awareness and attitude of environmental issues, and consequently the adoption of EMPs. Managers with a greater environmental awareness are more likely to adopt basic
environmental practices while managers with greater environmental attitude are more likely to adopt advanced environmental practices. No association was found between managers’ awareness and attitudes, implying that the construction of knowledge about environmental condition is not translated into the assessment of the outcome of performing the action. In view of the findings, we propose key strategies to enhance the competitiveness of the hotel industry in Malaysia. Legislative authorities should play a role in enacting mandatory requirements with detailed procedures for hotel operators to comply with. Heavy financial penalty should be imposed as a measure to ensure compliance. Legislative authorities should also engage in incentives such as tax relief and green loans
to support environmental sustainability initiatives. Joint efforts among various governmental and non-government bodies will ultimately create a societal norm that appreciate a balanced environment. Future research should focus on the behavioural factors impacting the adaptation of environmental initiatives in hotels.