350
A. Oxenswärdh
17 Goals and Actions Toward Sustainability
in Accommodations
Interview statements were further divided into questions on what goals and actions
both BnB owners and hotel managers have for their sustainability work. Here below,
in Table 2, are some of the statements presented.
18 BnB Owners
When asked how they ‘translate’ their ideas of sustainability into their BnB business, there were few in congruences between theory and practice. Almost all of the
respondents claim that they want to live a more sustainable life and run her BnB the
same way. BnB entrepreneurs show that they really live as they learn. They seem to
take a responsibility for their actions. They grow their vegetables or use organic and
locally-grown goods in their accommodations. Many of them have already switched
to a more energy-saving system in terms of heating, lighting and transportation.
They seem to have a dialogue with their guests about sustainability and the desirable
measures towards these goals in their homes. Furthermore, there are information in
the form of brochures and various signs that remind and inform the guests of the
importance of saving energy and thinking sustainably. Through dialogue with the
guests where even their experiences are exchanged, the value creation of sustainability takes place. As far as the financial investments on sustainable measures are
concerned, it seems that BnB owners are not primarily interested in the measures
generating money, but investing for the sake of more ideological reasons.
19 Hotel Managers About the Goals and Actions
The responses from hotel managers testify how the organizational form influences
the measures and goals set for sustainability. In a larger, profit driven businesses,
the emphasis seems to lie on economic premises and regulations. There are few
entrepreneurs who go further than this, but there are also some of that kind. In this
study they can be found among the smaller, privately owned options. It is these managers who also engage their staff and train them on sustainability issues in a conscious
manner. Larger hotels tend to implement more strategic environmental management
practices, while the personal values and beliefs of managers in small hotel operations
have been found to be predictors of sustainability adoption (Tzschentke et al. 2008a).
A significant difference has been observed between chain-owned hotels and independent hotels; the latter rely on managers to introduce sustainability, while the
former has more strategic environmental policies and values.
A. Oxenswärdh
17 Goals and Actions Toward Sustainability
in Accommodations
Interview statements were further divided into questions on what goals and actions
both BnB owners and hotel managers have for their sustainability work. Here below,
in Table 2, are some of the statements presented.
18 BnB Owners
When asked how they ‘translate’ their ideas of sustainability into their BnB business, there were few in congruences between theory and practice. Almost all of the
respondents claim that they want to live a more sustainable life and run her BnB the
same way. BnB entrepreneurs show that they really live as they learn. They seem to
take a responsibility for their actions. They grow their vegetables or use organic and
locally-grown goods in their accommodations. Many of them have already switched
to a more energy-saving system in terms of heating, lighting and transportation.
They seem to have a dialogue with their guests about sustainability and the desirable
measures towards these goals in their homes. Furthermore, there are information in
the form of brochures and various signs that remind and inform the guests of the
importance of saving energy and thinking sustainably. Through dialogue with the
guests where even their experiences are exchanged, the value creation of sustainability takes place. As far as the financial investments on sustainable measures are
concerned, it seems that BnB owners are not primarily interested in the measures
generating money, but investing for the sake of more ideological reasons.
19 Hotel Managers About the Goals and Actions
The responses from hotel managers testify how the organizational form influences
the measures and goals set for sustainability. In a larger, profit driven businesses,
the emphasis seems to lie on economic premises and regulations. There are few
entrepreneurs who go further than this, but there are also some of that kind. In this
study they can be found among the smaller, privately owned options. It is these managers who also engage their staff and train them on sustainability issues in a conscious
manner. Larger hotels tend to implement more strategic environmental management
practices, while the personal values and beliefs of managers in small hotel operations
have been found to be predictors of sustainability adoption (Tzschentke et al. 2008a).
A significant difference has been observed between chain-owned hotels and independent hotels; the latter rely on managers to introduce sustainability, while the
former has more strategic environmental policies and values.