This research examines the proposition that enhancing sustainable innovation can be particularly effective when the focus is on strategy, machine learning, and digitalization. The study specifically targets the complex interactions among strategic alignment (SA), sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI), and digital transformation (DT) within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Saudi Arabia, particularly within the service sector. A moderated mediation framework was constructed to analyze the influence of SA on SOI, the mediating role of DT, and the moderating effect of strategic orientation (SO). Data were collected through structured surveys from 339 SMEs using a quantitative research design and a cross-sectional methodology. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was employed to validate the proposed framework and hypotheses. The results indicate that SA significantly boosts SOI, with DT acting as a strong mediator in this connection. Furthermore, SO moderates the relationships between SA and SOI, SA and DT, and DT and SOI, highlighting its essential role in shaping the dynamics of sustainable innovation. These findings emphasize the necessity of aligning strategic initiatives with digital advancements to foster innovation that achieves a balance among economic, social, and environmental objectives. This study contributes to existing literature by filling the research gap regarding SOI and DT in Saudi SMEs and offers practical insights for SMEs facing sustainability challenges. Future research should delve deeper into digital technology configurations, industry-specific contexts, and cross-national applications to improve the applicability of these findings.

Purpose: This article seeks to examine how structural alignment (SA) and guided governance (GG), key components of team management (TT), mediate the connection between talent management (TM) and the competitive performance (CP) of hotels.Design/methodology/approach: The study employed a quantitative methodology by administering surveys to 330 hotel executives in Egypt to gather the necessary data. To examine the research hypotheses, partial least squares-structural equation modeling was utilized.Findings: Talent management mindset (TMM) and talent management strategy (TMS) are closely connected to team management (TT) and CP. Both SA and GG play a considerable role in mediating the relationship between TM and CP. Additionally, the impact of strategic incentives (SI) moderator in shaping the connection between TM and CP has been validated.Research limitations/implications: This research is part of a small collection of studies that examines TM, TT and CP in a practical manner. The scope of this study is focused on luxury hotels located in Egypt. It contributes to the field by expanding our understanding of TM, TT and the multifaceted nature of a hotel’s CP, an important but often overlooked concern, particularly within the Egyptian context. Additionally, it suggests numerous possibilities for further investigation in the future.Originality/value: This study is among the initial research works that emphasize a moderated mediated model of TM, TT, SI and hotels’ competitive performance in Egypt.

Purpose: Although the existing literature emphasizes how green intellectual capital (GIC) impacts sustainable performance (SP), few studies exist regarding Saudi Arabian hotels employing dynamic capabilities theory (DCT) and knowledge sharing (KS) as moderators. This study sought to exhibit the influence of GIC on SP in Saudi hotel management, where leadership commitment (LC) functioned as the mediator and KS as the moderator over two tiers. Furthermore, it addresses the existing gap by investigating the relationship between GIC and SP in the Saudi hotel industry, concentrating on the significance of LC and KS. Design/methodology/approach: Between February and April 2024, 415 hotel employees at 21 hotels in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, participated in a multi-wave survey. Measurement scales were adopted to construct 12 latent variables, and an instrument employing a 5-point Likert scale was devised for data collection purposes. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling was used for data analysis. Findings: The research findings indicate GIC has a positive influence on both LC and SP, with LC also positively influencing SP. Additionally, LC mediates between GIC and SP. Notably, KS negatively moderates the nexus between GIC and LC, while positively moderating that between GIC and SP. However, from a statistical viewpoint, as a moderator KS does not influence the relationship between LC and SP. Research limitations/implications: This research highlights the potential contribution of KS toward improvements in SP in the hospitality sector. It acknowledges the multifaceted role KS plays, offering recommendations for those hotel managers who are motivated to increase standards of sustainable practices by managing their intellectual capital and practicing effective leadership. The research is geographically limited in scope, limiting its wider application. Additional studies will examine similar models in other service sectors as well as cross-cultural contexts in the future. Originality/value: We build on the intellectual capital literature by using KS as a moderator variable, grounded in the DCT. The blending of these theories enables us to develop a clearer understanding of the use of LC and GIC to influence SP within the hospitality sector. Additionally, this research is one of the first empirical attempts to construct and validate a moderated mediation model based on GIC, KS and LC in hospitality environments. The model offers a nuanced explanation of the mechanisms by which intellectual capital and leadership collectively drive sustainability performance, a topic studied relatively less frequently in the hospitality and service operations literature.

The research objective is to investigate the impact of organizational culture (OC) based on the Cameron and Quinn model (The Competing Value Framework) on financial performance (FP) in Egyptian hotels. The research used five dimensions (occupancy percentage, average room rate, RevPAR, average market share, and average revenue) to measure FP in hotels. Quantitative methods were used to achieve the research objective through the questionnaire. A total of 416 questionnaires were provided to general, executive, HR, and quality managers working in four five-star hotels in Sharm El Sheikh city 104 hotel in Egypt. The research used three main data analysis techniques: descriptive analysis, correlation, and multi-regression by SPSS V25. Empirical findings showed that OC positively affected the FP of hotels. The research recommends that hotels in Egypt to attention to the consolidation of OC types because of their positive impact on enhancing the FP of hotels. Hotels should also promote organizational values such as fairness, equality, teamwork, and employee cooperation and, in addition, enhance the interest in organizational beliefs such as the human element and job satisfaction to increase rewards and incentives.

This study aims to examine the influence of social customer relationship management (CRM) on relationship quality (RQ); the role of strategic information exchange capabilities (SIECs) as a mediator on the relationship between dimensions of social CRM and RQ was also investigated. A self-structured questionnaire survey was conducted on the subordinates working at various family-style restaurants in Egypt. Following a simple random sampling procedure, 466 valid responses were used for data analysis. The findings reveal that three dimensions of social CRM, namely customer service quality (CSQ), integrated marketing channels (IMCs), and online communities (OCs), have statistically significant effects on RQ. Moreover, SIECs mediate the relationship between CS/IMCs/OCs and RQ. The other two dimensions, rewards (RDs) and value-added services (VSs), do not directly or indirectly affect RQ. This study opens new avenues in the existing literature by identifying the most relevant factors affecting RQ in the context of Egyptian restaurants. This study can enable policymakers and restaurant owners to formulate social CRM strategies and achieve customer satisfaction properly. This study explores the mediation mechanism of SIECs on the relationship between dimensions of social CRM and RQ.