Upper echelon characteristics and environmental sustainability practices: Evidence from upper echelons in the hotel industry

The global tourism industry's boom has put pressure on achieving hotel sustainability. Managing water, energy and waste is a big challenge for the hotel industry. Upper Echelon Theory can be considered an approach to addressing hotel sustainability challenges. Using data from 23 in-depth interviews of senior hotel executives in Sri Lanka, we examine how upper echelon characteristics affect the environmental sustainability practices of senior executives in the hotel industry in Sri Lanka. The findings reveal that participants with strong attitudes, sound educational background, extensive prior experience, foreign exposure and early exposure to the environment perform better in managing hotel sustainability. These study findings while extending our understanding of upper echelons will benefit hotel investors and tourist regulatory bodies in particular.