Strategic orientation of hotels: Evidence from a contingent approach

Strategic orientation (SO) – a necessary condition to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage – should particularly be considered in the tourism industry, given the high competition and rapidly changing environment. This article investigates whether the different dimensions of SO (entrepreneurial orientation (EO), learning orientation (LO) and market orientation (MO)) have a direct effect on hotel performance and whether the relationship between SO and hotel performance is contingent on various hotel-specific characteristics. The hypotheses are tested against a sample of 120 small hotels operating in a mature Italian tourist destination. The results show that EO and MO are positive drivers of hotel performance, and LO is not important. Additionally, the intensity of the relationship between SO and performance is contingent on internal firm-related moderators (size and quality). Both the number of rooms and the star classification reinforce the performance achievement of innovative and customer-oriented hotels.