Influence of transactive memory systems and strategic orientations on the performance of hospitality firms

Abstract

PurposeSince the hospitality industry is driven by people, effective utilization of knowledge among various organizational units is required to ensure guest satisfaction and in turn superior performance. Research trying to find the implications of transactive memory systems (TMSs), an integrative mechanism for knowledge management in organizations, has yielded ambiguous and mixed results, leading the researchers to believe that the linkages may not be as straightforward as previously imagined. In this study, the authors theoretically build their arguments based on the knowledge-based view of the firm and empirically test these linkages using data collected from the small hotels of India.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from the owner-managers or senior executives of small hotels operating in the Uttarakhand state of India, and analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) and Hayes process macro.FindingsIt was found that for the hospitality firms, the TMS is an enabler for performance only when the focus of knowledge creation and utilization is on building effective strategic orientations. Further, the technology orientation (TO) and learning orientation (LO) of the hotel mediate the relationship between the TMS and firm performance.Practical implicationsEffective knowledge sharing among employees helps availability of credible and crucial information about customers, which eventually helps in long-term mutually beneficial relationships with the customers, leading to greater economic value creation for the hotel.Originality/valueBy establishing theoretical links between knowledge creation and utilization, and validating these linkages using data collected from the hotel industry in India, this study offers unique and useful insights for the theoretical advancement of the hospitality literature. This study also makes a case that small hotels investing their energy and resources into the creation of a transactive memory systems could reap benefits through appropriate strategic postures.

Nexus between entrepreneurial orientation and intellectual capital

“…Fourth, understanding external knowledge acquisition and exploitation processes can help firms improve their strategic responses (Batra et al ., 2021). Absorptive capacity, as a dynamic capability, is a crucial driver of an entrepreneurial firm’s performance as it allows firms to leverage external knowledge (Chaudhary and Batra, 2018).…”

“…Kollmann et al (2020) posited that a "transactive memory system," conceptualized as a "shared system of specialized knowledge," enables participatory decision-making and knowledge management, influencing entrepreneurial orientation. Batra et al (2021) theorized that a transactive memory system allows firms to act proactively in a dynamic environment.…”

“…The thematic analysis of selected studies revealed that prior research has examined whether effective knowledge management results in the genesis of entrepreneurial orientation (Kollmann et al ., 2020). Various authors have drawn attention to the organizational mechanisms that allow entrepreneurial firms to access and apply knowledge, including trust (De Clercq et al ., 2013), human resource practices (Mustafa et al ., 2013), networks (Turner and Pennington, 2015), transactive memory system (Batra et al ., 2021), role of top management (Martín-Rojas et al ., 2013) and individual-level mechanisms such as motivation and psychological ownership (Pittino et al ., 2018). Our review revealed that entrepreneurial orientation affects how knowledge is created and shared in an organization (for example, Latif et al ., 2021; Keh et al ., 2007; Khalil et al.…”

Role of inter-organizational systems in driving tourism businesses forward in the post-COVID-19 new normal

“…Prior research has argued that the tourism supply chain responds quickly and effectively to adapting market demands for market performance in the new normal (Khan and Khan, 2021; Hendar et al , 2020). Partnerships with suppliers will improve supply efficiency, boosting the performance of tourism businesses (Huang et al , 2022; Batra et al , 2021). Suppliers can transform supply chain responsiveness collaboration into IOS, and the agility of the supply system can strategically bring excellent market performance to tourism businesses in the new normal.…”

Effects of knowledge transformation and social capital on business performance

“…Developing the process can be a significant challenge for the company because it requires identifying the boundaries between existing and new knowledge, which will be tested, accepted or abandoned (C orcoles Muñoz et al, 2023). The importance of KT for BP can be exemplified in various contexts, including tourism (Batra et al, 2023;Muhammed and Zaim, 2020). Knowledge is transformed and will be put into service for the development of new tourism products, to successfully operate in the sector (McLeod, 2020).…”