Abstract: This study aims to analyze the effects of tourism capabilities on hotel performance in the Route of Emotions, which connects three Brazilian states and seeks to expand tourism in the Northeast. The Decision-Making Units (DMUs), which together make up the Route of Emotions (Rota das Emoções), cover 14 cities in the states of Ceará, Piauí, and Maranhão, with 310 accommodation establishments. Data were collected using SPSS and The Qualitative Data Analysis and Research Software. The results indicate that tourism capabilities have positive and significant implications for hotel performance, showing a performance difference based on hotel size. The correlation between capacity and tourism performance is significant regardless of hotel size. The number of respondents adopted was small in relation to the complexity of the constructs studied and the contribution that these results have to the literature. The implementation of strategic actions increases organizational effects, but requires the ability, on the part of decision-makers, to take a broad view of the environments in which they operate, incorporating multidimensionality into their strategic decisions. This research contributes to the literature on multidimensional performance and tourism capabilities, due to its explicit and relevant collaboration for scholars in analyzing the effects of tourism capabilities on the multidimensional performance of hotels.
Keywords: Decision-making, Multidimensional performance, Tourism capacities, Performance evaluation.
Resumo: O objetivo deste estudo é analisar os efeitos das capacidades turísticas no desempenho dos hotéis na Rota das Emoções, que interliga três estados brasileiros e busca expandir o turismo no Nordeste. As Unidades de Tomada de Decisão (DMUs), conhecidas como Rota das Emoções, abrangem 14 cidades nos estados do Ceará, Piauí e Maranhão, com 310 estabelecimentos de hospedagem. Os dados foram coletados utilizando os softwares SPSS e The Qualitative Data Analysis and Research Software. Os resultados indicam que as capacidades do turismo têm implicações positivas e significativas para o desempenho dos hotéis, mostrando uma diferença de desempenho, de acordo com o tamanho do hotel. A correlação entre a capacidade e o desempenho do turismo é significativa, independentemente do tamanho do hotel. O número adotado de respondentes foi pequeno com relação à complexidade dos construtos estudados e contribuição que esses resultados têm para a literatura. A implantação de ações estratégicas eleva os efeitos organizacionais, mas exige dos tomadores de decisão a capacidade de enxergar amplamente os ambientes onde estão inseridos, incorporando nas decisões estratégicas a multidimensionalidade. Esta pesquisa contribui para a literatura de desempenho multidimensional e capacidades turísticas, por sua explícita e relevante colaboração para estudiosos em analisar os efeitos das capacidades turísticas no desempenho multidimensional dos hotéis.
Palavras-chave: Tomada de decisão, Desempenho Multidimensional, Capacidades Turísticas, Avaliação de desempenho.
Resumen: Este estudio tiene como objetivo analizar los efectos de las capacidades turísticas en el desempeño de los hoteles en la Ruta de las Emociones, que conecta tres estados brasileños y busca expandir el turismo en el Nordeste. Las Unidades de Toma de Decisiones (DMUs), conocidas como la Ruta de las Emociones, abarcan 14 ciudades en los estados de Ceará, Piauí y Maranhão, con 310 establecimientos de hospedaje. Los datos se recopilaron utilizando SPSS y The Qualitative Data Analysis and Research Software. Los resultados indican que las capacidades turísticas tienen implicaciones positivas y significativas para el desempeño hotelero, mostrando una diferencia en el desempeño según el tamaño del hotel. La correlación entre capacidad y desempeño turístico es significativa independientemente del tamaño del hotel El número de encuestados adoptado fue pequeño en relación con la complejidad de los constructos estudiados y la contribución que estos resultados tienen a la literatura. La implementación de acciones estratégicas aumenta los efectos organizacionales, pero requiere que los tomadores de decisiones tengan la capacidad de ver ampliamente los entornos en los que operan, incorporando la multidimensionalidad en las decisiones estratégicas. Esta investigación contribuye a la literatura sobre desempeño multidimensional y capacidades turísticas, a través de su colaboración explícita y relevante para los académicos en el análisis de los efectos de las capacidades turísticas en el desempeño multidimensional de los hoteles.
Palabras clave: Toma de decisiones, Rendimiento multidimensional, Capacidades turísticas, Evaluación del rendimiento.
Artigos
THE CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIP IN THE INFLUENCE OF PERFORMANCE ON TOURISM IN THE BRAZILIAN NORTHEAST: A MULTIDIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS OF HOTELS ON THE “ROUTE OF EMOTIONS”
LA RELACIÓN CAUSA-EFECTO EN LA INFLUENCIA DEL RENDIMIENTO SOBRE EL TURISMO EN EL NORDESTE BRASILEÑO: UN ANÁLISIS MULTIDIMENSIONAL DE LOS HOTELES DE LA “RUTA DE LAS EMOCIONES”
A RELAÇÃO DE CAUSA E EFEITO NA INFLUÊNCIA DO DESEMPENHO SOBRE O TURISMO NO NORDESTE BRASILEIRO: UMA ANÁLISE MULTIDIMENSIONAL DOS HOTÉIS DA “ROTA DAS EMOÇÕES”
Rogeane Morais Ribeiro rogeanemorais@yahoo.com.br
Sidnei Vieira Marinho sidnei@univali.br
Recepción: 30 Noviembre 2023
Aprobación: 30 Julio 2024
Understanding the existing tourism capabilities in the hotel industry can increase awareness of factors that can help hotels adapt, when faced with instability within the industry, providing evidence of how these companies manage to achieve sustainability and gain competitive advantage. Therefore, all management perspectives, philosophies, and theories encompass the following points: the behavioral approach, total quality management, strategic management, competitive advantage, quality, economic sustainability, and capabilities. According to Nguyen (2022), measuring and managing the performance of an organization as a fundamental factor for the success of the management cycle and business processes.
Hotel management demands multidimensional and sustainable valuation models (Naini et al., 2022). Bénet et al. (2022) believe that hotel industry managers must develop adequate performance measures, which may form part of a holistic approach. They can quantify what is happening, establish a standard for evaluating performance, and have strategies for when some aspect falls below or exceeds targets.
The offer of quality tourism services and products (Naini et al., 2022) promotes satisfaction, image creation, and attractiveness in the tourism destination. The offer formulates the tourism capabilities of the hotel company, adding value to the services and products, enabling the establishment to differentiate itself in the tourism market through competitive advantages that ensure the firm's strength and, consequently, its survival, considering that this is a dynamic environment (Gato et al., 2022).
Bénet et al. (2022) points out that the tourism industry is represented as an alternative that follows ethical and sustainable guidelines. Such an alternative can be operated, as in the case of Brazil. The country attracts tourists who seek adventure, nature, and even a new culture through hotel services. It is essential to formulate public policies that will promote Brazilian tourism, attracting more tourists and boosting the economy. Unfortunately, the Brazilian reality has, for a long time, been neglected. Transfers of resources from the government to the state have been scarce. Nevertheless, the Route of Emotions is one of the country’s most recognized hotel routes (Putrick & Perinotto, 2022).
Brazil, classified as an emerging economy, is a country with continental dimensions that boasts cultural and geographical diversity within an ecosystem that makes it one of the world's foremost tourist coastlines, spanning over 7,491 km. Additionally, it features various local economies built upon hotel tourism (Silva, Silva Neto & Tabak, 2022).
Despite these observations, there is a significant gap in the literature regarding how specific tourism capabilities influence the multidimensional performance of hotels, especially within the unique context of Northeastern Brazil. Previous studies have predominantly focused on general performance metrics, without going into detail on the nuanced capabilities that drive success in this dynamic and culturally rich region. This study aims to bridge this gap by providing a detailed analysis of how these capabilities contribute to sustainability and competitive advantage, offering new theoretical insights and practical implications for the tourism industry.
Research in this area is important due to the relationship between capability and performance in hotels, their peculiar characteristics, and the various intrinsic capabilities related to the firm and its environment. Within this context, this study seeks to answer the following question: How do the effects of tourism capabilities influence the multidimensional performance of hotels in Northeastern Brazil, particularly along the “Route of Emotions”? The objective of this study is to analyze the effects of tourism capabilities on the multidimensional performance of hotels.
This section will discuss the potentialities of organizational performance present in the hotel sector. The construct of tourism capabilities is composed of five variables that influence the hotel sector, contributing to strategic management and decision-making in the face of competition. According to the context presented in this study, tourism capabilities and theoretical support are followed in the literature, under the topics Personalized Service; Tourist Attractions and New Tourist Attractions in the Municipality and Region (Hosseini, Marcias & Garcia, 2023); Gato et al. (2022) analyze the strategic factors that drive hotels’ performance and affirm the existence of studies that examine how managers formulate and implement their business strategies to achieve sustainability and competitive advantages in their markets. In carrying out this research, literature searches were conducted, looking for studies related to organizational performance in multidimensional terms. Table 1 addresses these concepts and the importance of using multidimensional models for tourism capabilities.
Based on the information from Table 1, we gain a clear picture of the perspectives of various authors who advocate for the application of multidimensional performance metrics. In the authors’ explanations, there is a clear endorsement of using multidimensional performance measures to achieve accuracy in decision-making. The multidimensional approach, examined from a conceptual standpoint, can be considered a resource to support researchers in relation to existing complex concepts.
Closer inspection of the table shows a tendency to study performance evaluation with a multi-dimensional scope, aligned with some theory. For López-Gamero et al. (2023), there is an opportunity to advance new perspectives on the topic and integrate indicators to identify an overall performance value and alignment with new constructs.
The dimensions are economic, financial, and non-financial aspects, interconnected with the approaches and metrics used to assist decision-making for a performance evaluation system. Hotels must adopt several dimensions to measure the results, considering the multidimensional nature (Shin & Perdue, 2023). The metrics indicate the company's future performance and record what has been achieved in the past. Its wide range of metrics can benefit academics to visualize and identify links with strategies for developing and evolving performance assessments (Siyal et al., 2023; Shin & Perdue, 2023).
Hosseini, Marcias and Garcia (2023) conducted a study in which they used the "transformed wallet" to analyze data from tourism in countries considered precarious. In the results, the authors point out that in India, Indonesia, and Brazil, there is a need for the government to continue investing in the development of policies to encourage the growth of the hotel sector, especially where there are financial uncertainties that lead individuals to prioritize life necessities over tourism-related activities.
For Hosseini, Marcias and Garcia (2023) the academic literature has overlooked the benefits of tax credits in the tourism sector of emerging territories, such as Latin American countries, including Brazil, suggesting more significant efforts are needed to expand the economy and raise employment rates. Tourism could be used as a resource to explore emerging countries' capabilities.
Jeong et al. (2023) consider performance evaluation a key factor in developing an effective and efficient organization. It favors the organization’s dynamics as a whole since, through evaluation, the actual state can be known. The employees’ performance and, consequently, the company's sustainable capability, result in a series of behaviors and benefits for practitioners and assist the administration in making proactive decisions (Siyal et al., 2023; Shin & Perdue, 2023). The multidimensional nature is linked to performance and the specific capabilities of a company to generate strategies that improve its services, competitiveness, productivity, efficiency, customer satisfaction, and loyalty (Naini et al., 2022).
In that context, we use multiple dimensions (Figure 1) to conceptualize organizational performance to visualize the advantages and disadvantages of organizational performance in tourism (Bassyiouny & Wilkesmann, 2023).
For a better understanding, we present a theoretical framework with tourism capabilities, approaches, dimensions, and metrics that theoretically form the instruments of this study. The approaches and dimensions of the framework (Figure 1) are structured so as to complement each other and provide accurate management information that will give managers in the hotel sector an overview of the company, and the strategies needed to put tourism capabilities into practice (Gato et al., 2022; Selvalakshmi, Kabila & Sivakumar, 2023).
The literature supports several conceptions for these criteria that formulate performance models. But they all have the same purpose, which is satisfy and adapt to the various stakeholders' demands (internal and external) and ensure the firm's ability to maintain its position in the market. The following indicators are used measure a hotel's performance: average daily rate, occupancy rate and room nights, complaints and guest satisfaction, supplier performance, and employee turnover, among others (Piga & Melis, 2021). Concerning the Stakeholders, Siyal et al. (2023) explain that professionals working in the tourism sector should be aware of the different perceptions that this group may represent, as together with public agents, an opportunity is created to develop strategies that can promote tourism growth.
From this perspective, the ability of a company to retain its position in the market linked to the results achieved. Its daily actions are seen as evaluations of the implemented strategies that directly reflect performance improvement. Thus, it is expected that many researchers will seek to clarify the true meaning and use of "performance," considering its various dimensions in integrating operational, financial, economic, and non-financial measures, or even in the search for the metric that best corresponds to the firm's development, including a multidimensional metric (Siyal et al., 2023). From a global perspective, Brazil achieved significant growth in the hotel sector in 2014. In Rio de Janeiro, the city that hosted the World Cup and, in 2016, the Olympic Games, there was a high demand for services for the segment, attracting international investors (Baroghi, Ribeiro & Lourenço, 2021).
From another perspective, the potential generated by the hotel sector enables integration and establishment of personal connections, reflecting in the movement of financial flows carried out by actors (Milovanović, 2022; Harif, Nawaz & Hameed, 2022), besides transforming its main characteristic into a competitive advantage for the region that exploits this activity through the provision of services aimed at tourists (Milovanović, 2022).
It is crucial for actions in the hotel sector to be coordinated, through joint efforts with the public sector to stimulate tourism, through the exemption or reduction of subsidies, constant monitoring of services to identify areas that can be improved, and communication among stakeholders, both internal and external, enhancing the sector's performance (Milovanović, Janošević & Paunović, 2021).
Hence, we reach the culmination of the study, where Table 2 reinforces the relationships between the hypotheses derived from the theory.
Nguyen (2022) acknowledge that the socioeconomic dynamism of the tourism sector, the quality of local (urban, regional) infrastructure, and cultural protection can generate adaptability. However, according to Gato et al. (2022), the ability to blend different areas can provide new insights and enhance the effectiveness of the hospitality framework, thus supporting the hypothesis that tourist capacities have a positive relationship with hotel performance. Therefore, the first hypothesis of this study was established - H1: Tourist capacities are positively related to hotel performance.
It is evident that achieving performance is always a challenge for hotels of any size, star rating, and/or location, and these challenges compel managers to rethink current practices and opt for dynamic performance indicators (Gil-Cordero et al., 2023) that are aligned with the strategies and competitive environments in which they operate. Bassyiouny and Wilkesmann, (2023) and Gil-Cordero et al. (2023) assert the existence of a problem regarding evaluation methods, as such methods require, for their proper functioning, continuous monitoring by managers and tracking of all activities. Bassyiouny and Wilkesmann, (2023) suggest that the application of successful strategies complements the conditions under which hotels operate. Based on the theoretical framework presented, the second hypothesis of this study is proposed - H2: There are significant differences in the size of hotels concerning tourist capacities.
In their study, López-Gamero et al. (2023) address the relationship between strategy and hotel performance by examining questions concerning strategies, market, profitability and assets, among others, which were considered factors influencing hotel performance and, consequently, the perception of business sustainability. In other words, these factors involve various constructs and capacities related to the hotel.
Based on the presented literature, the third hypothesis of this study was established - H3: The effects of tourist capacities positively influence the multidimensional performance of hotels.
Following the analyses and data presented in Table 2, the distribution of hypotheses regarding tourism capabilities is indicated. There is a difference between small and medium-sized hotels; and between small and large hotels, but there are no differences between medium and large hotels in terms of tourism capacities. Some hotels in the three states operate informally on the Route of Emotions. This limits the advancement of their tourism capabilities and, consequently, their performance. It also hinders access to agencies, sectors, and markets that can expand their services, primarily small or family-run hotels.
This supports the hypothesis that companies in turbulent (and dynamically growing) environments seek innovation and the creation of products/services. Alternatively, own businesses and businesses in hospitality environments (Naini et al., 2022) are positively associated with new business and renovation activities, avoiding inhospitable environments.
The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity were used to check the suitability of the data for exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The results indicated adequacy [KMO = 0.92; χ²(406) = 3,415.20; p < 0.001], allowing the exploratory factor analysis to continue (PASQUALI, 2009). The main axis factoring method was used, without fixing the initial number of factors, using the Kaiser, Catell and Horn criteria (parallel analysis) to determine the number of factors. The analysis identified the presence of a main factor, as indicated by the parallel analysis, and this is a robust approach to validation.
The structure identified in the exploratory stage was confirmed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimation method was used to assess the model's fit indicators. The results indicated an excellent fit [χ²= 3.97; χ²/gl= 0.79; GFI= 0.99; AGFI= 0.92; CFI= 1.00; RMSEA= 0.00 (0.00 - 0.08); CAIC= 67.44; AIC= 23.97].
The study adopted quantitative techniques (Arghode, 2012) based on primary data surveys to recognize and deepen the constructs related to organizational performance and tourism capabilities. Regarding the quantitative study, the fundamentals are measurable, with the adoption of statistical instruments for data collection and analysis, aiming to establish cause-and-effect relationships between the variables (Mattar, 2008).
The research follows its descriptive characterization as it seeks to succinctly analyze the relationships between the variables in order to clarify the phenomenon studied, avoiding manipulation. In short, this study has a correlational, ex-post-factor design, with the performance of hotels as the criterion construct, and tourism capabilities taken as a predictor construct.
Therefore, this research followed a quantitative approach with a descriptive objective, encompassing the entire population as its research universe. To measure this study in the conceptual field of performance, we used four of the approaches described in the meta-analysis by Sainaghi et al. (2017): (1) Efficiency, (2) Competitiveness, (3) Productivity in Tourism, and (4) Systemic Approach. These are aligned with the dimensions shown in the theoretical framework used in this study to evaluate multidimensional performance and tourism capabilities. This framework comprises four main dimensions: the first dimension - Customer and Market, addresses customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and market share; the second dimension - Economic and Financial, includes financial indicators such as profit, return on investment (ROI), and profitability; the third dimension - Management and Organization, focuses on organizational efficiency, managerial innovation, and the effectiveness of management practices; and the fourth dimension - Society in General, examines social and environmental impact, including corporate social responsibility and sustainable practices.
The population targeted by this study included hotel managers from the states of Ceará, Piauí, and Maranhão. The sample consisted of 310 respondents, predominantly male (57.74%), serving as the general managers of the hotels (60.97%) with an average experience of eight years and five months (Min. = 4 months; Max. = 70 years; SD = 7.34). Most of the hotels were located in the state of Ceará (52.26%), classified as medium-sized hotels (53.22%), primarily focused on leisure (53.23%), and were independent hotels (96.13%).
The survey questionnaire was designed to capture the constructs of the Tourism Performance Scale (TPS) and tourism capabilities. The development process involved a thorough literature review, followed by the creation of items aligned with the theoretical framework. The questionnaire underwent a preliminary validation phase, including expert reviews and pilot testing, to ensure clarity and relevance of the items. The final version included questions covering various dimensions of hotel performance and tourism capabilities, structured to facilitate factor analysis.
For the data collection, a survey questionnaire was applied, and quantitative data analysis was performed using the Statistical Product and Service Solution software (SPSS 21.0). The research hypotheses were formulated given the considerations and theoretical propositions presented throughout this study and based on Figure 1, which presents a theoretical framework for evaluating multidimensional performance and tourism capabilities.
In this cause-and-effect context, hypotheses are presented to make a statement about concepts that can be judged as true or false when this reference is assigned to observable phenomena (Casula, Rangarajan & Shields, 2021).
The National Parks of Lençóis Maranhenses (Maranhão), Delta do Parnaíba (Piauí), and Jericoacoara (Ceará) offer a series of natural and cultural tourist attractions that attract revenue. The union of three states, comprising 14 municipalities; the cooperation (potentials and synergies) developed between the various agents involved; and the diverse opportunities and possibilities for tourism development offered by the three states are invaluable.
The development of the tourism route reflected in each region, the emergence of new businesses, and the strengthening of companies already established in the territory outlined in the Route of Emotions. To illustrate the importance of tourism in the Route of Emotions region, the Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas - SEBRAE, is private Brazilian institution that promotes the development of micro and small businesses, invested R$ 3.8 million in actions, generating a total of R$ 54 million for local businesses in the three states that make up the route: Ceará, Piauí, and Maranhão (SEBRAE, 2023).
We used a survey to measure the Tourism Performance Scale (TPS) with the tourism capabilities presented in the theoretical alignment, which aimed to build and validate measurement scales of the environment perceived by the manager, applied to managers of Brazilian hotels, and validated using the technique of factor analysis.
The questionnaire had 310 respondents (according to Table 3), majority of them being male (57.74%), who served as the general managers of the hotels (60.97%), for an average for eight years and five months (Min. = 4 months; Max. = 70 years; SD = 7.34). The hotels were were mainly located in the state of Ceará (52.26%). They were classified as medium-sized (53.22%), and the primary purpose was for leisure (53.23%). Most were independent hotels (96.13%).
After this stage, we carried out exploratory factor analysis of the (TPS). We began with the test of the data matrix's adequacy, using the Kaiser-Meyer-Olklin (KMO) and the Test of Bartlett's sphericity. Both tests indicated the adequacy of the data [KMO = 0.92; χ² (406) = 3,415.20; p<0.001], a result that allowed the exploratory factor analysis to be conducted (Pasquali, 2010). The process was monitored, and an EFA was performed using the principal axis factorization method without fixing the initial number of factors and rotation. The Kaiser, Catell, and Horn criteria were employed (parallel analysis).
Table 3 shows the distribution of respondent and hotel characterization variables. The variables analyzed include sex, respondent’s position in the company, state in which the hotel was located, hotel size, area of expertise of the hotel, and hotel segmentation.
Next, we carried out exploratory factor analysis of the Tourism Performance Scale (TPS). We began with the test of adequacy of the data matrix, using the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and the Test of Bartlett's sphericity. Both tests indicated the adequacy of the data [KMO = 0.92; χ² (406) = 3,415.20; p<0.001], a result that allowed the exploratory factor analysis to be conducted (Pasquali, 2010).
Thus, the process was monitored, and an EFA was performed using the principal axis factorization method, without fixing the initial number of factors and rotation. The Kaiser, Catell, and Horn criteria were employed (parallel analysis). The first criterion indicates five factors, while the second highlights one (Figure 2), and the last criterion confirms the presence of only one factor. Considering that the parallel analysis is a more robust criterion and confirmed the Catell criterion, a new EFA was performed using the principal axis factorization method. This time, the number of factors was fixed at one, considering a minimum factor loading value of |0.30|.
Source: Research Database (2020).
Based on the (TPS) structure found in the previous step, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed. For this, the Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimation method was used to verify the goodness-of-fit conditions of the model's fit indicators. The results point to an unsatisfactory fit: χ² = 2294.55; χ²/df = 6.08; GFI = 0.52; AGFI = 0.45; CFI = 0.68; RMSEA = 0.15 (0.15 - 0.16); CAIC = 2662.69; AIC = 2410.55.
In this respect, the model was re-specified considering the modification indices (MI) and the theoretical and content aspects of the items. We re-specified the measurement error pairs of items 8 (There is knowledge about the occupancy rate) and 10 (There is knowledge about the hotel's daily average rate), of items 9 (Control over the evolution of the number of customers). For items 10 and 14 (Knowledge of the average cost per daily rate sold), items 12 (Knowledge of the average monthly and annual occupancy rate). Item 14 was applied to the following items: 30 (Employees are involved in social and environmental responsibility) and 31 (Clients are involved in social and environmental responsibility actions) as well as items 32 (Resources are allocated to reduce environmental impacts) and 33 (The company takes steps to control its waste).
With these adjustments to the model, improvements in the goodness-of-fit indicators of the model were achieved and were close to being acceptable: χ² = 1360.39; χ²/df = 3.68; GFI = 0.67; AGFI = 0.61; CFI = 0.83; RMSEA = 0.11 (0.10 - 0.12); CAIC = 1779.30; AIC = 1492.39. The results can be seen in Figure 3, in which the regression weights, all positive, different from zero, and significant, are evident.
The results point to a minimally adjusted model [χ² = 1043; χ²/df = 2.84; GFI = 0.74; AGFI = 0.69; CFI = 0.88; RMSEA = 0.09 (0.08 - 0.10); CAIC = 1475.22; AIC = 1179.62], which can be seen in Figure 4, describing the regression weights, all of which are different from zero, positive, and statistically significant.
Comparing the two models, we see that both have similar adjustment indicators. These results allow us to understand that although exploratory analyses point to a one-dimensional model, the multi-dimensional structure is also empirically supported. In Figure 4, we see the distribution of the adjustment indicators between the models, even though they are close to what the literature recommends. Despite that, considering that the characteristics of this research are exploratory and that this analysis had only a small sample of participants, the results can be considered reasonable.
Ozdemir, Han and Dalbor (2022) report that it is crucial to have microeconomic data on the financial result of the hotel in order to analyze the hotel efficiency. Also, this efficiency is linked to the size of the hotel (as shown in Figure 5), while tourism capabilities are linked to management actions.
Accordingly, this stage sought to test the established hypotheses, all of which were corroborated, and the results mentioned above are relevant in theoretical and empirical contexts (Figure 4). From a theoretical point of view, the hypothesis is confirmed that tourism capabilities, regarding the multidimensional performance of hotels, are competencies (Kruesi, & Bazelmans, 2023) that allow companies to achieve positive performance. Begnini, Rossetto and Carvalho (2023) suggest that there is significant evidence of a relationship between company size and the effects of guidance on organizational performance. They consider the existence of relatively substantial differences in performance among companies of different sizes.
For the construction of the instrument, referring to the dimensions and variables of multidimensional performance, it was considered that the current performance indicators are synthetic, and that the hotel industry, the focus of this research, has modern characteristics. As a result, it requires multidimensional operating systems. In the view of Armas-Cruz, Gil-Soto and Morini-Marrero (2022), analysis by dimensions is a way to investigate the patterns revealed by the instrument, indicating an ostentatious diagnosis. It investigates the profiles obtained and groups them according to their similarity, forming groups with similar evaluations for each instrument.
The elaboration of the factors described for this research was based on a study by Sari and Indriani (2022), which categorized the performance indicators used in the hotel sector in the last twenty years into three groups: operational (occupancy, customer satisfaction, and quality orientation); operational and financial (profit and volume, profit and service quality, and profit, volume, and customer satisfaction); and financial performance (financial ratios, stock prices, and financial margins).
The data analysis techniques will be presented in this subsection. Following the constructs and stages are the results, and the underlying discussions of the multidimensional analysis of the constructs - Tourism Performance and Capabilities - and the theoretical contributions to the context of “Route of Emotions”.
To assess the suitability of the data matrix for Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), we used the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) index and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity. The KMO index, which ranges from 0 to 1, measures the adequacy of the sampling, with values above 0.7 being considered acceptable and values above 0.9 indicating excellent adequacy. In our study, the KMO was 0.92, indicating excellent data adequacy (Table 4).
Bartlett's Test of Sphericity assesses whether the correlation matrix is significantly different from an identity matrix (where all correlations would be zero). A significant value (p < 0.05) indicates that the correlation matrix is suitable for EFA. In our case, Bartlett's Test of Sphericity showed a χ² (406) = 3415.20, p < 0.001, confirming the suitability of the data matrix.
In the EFA, five main factors with eigenvalues above 1 were extracted, as suggested by the Kaiser criteria and Horn's parallel analysis. Table 4 shows the distribution of the factor loadings of the items and the communality values, showing that the single-factor solution explains 60.70% of the total variance.
Additionally, the differences found between respondents from the three states can be detailed to offer suggestions and ways to manage the capabilities, in search of better performance. For example, hotels in Ceará showed a greater focus on leisure activities, which can be leveraged through targeted marketing strategies. In contrast, hotels in Piauí and Maranhão could benefit from diversifying their offerings to include more business-oriented services, taking advantage of the lower competition in this niche.
The limitations of this study include the relatively small sample size and the exploratory nature of the research. Future studies could expand the sample size and include longitudinal analyses to examine changes over time. Additionally, it would be valuable to investigate other regions and sectors beyond the hotel industry. to verify the applicability of the results obtained in this study.
According to applied research on the Route of Emotions, some hotels in the three states operate their activities informally. But this limits the advancement of their tourism capabilities and, consequently, their performance. It also hinders access to agencies, sectors, and markets that can expand their services, primarily small or family-run hotels. These characteristics (informality, family management) align with the results of our research regarding the difference between small hotels and the compatibility with medium and large hotels.
Small hotels can perform as well as other hotels, as the concept of tourism capability does not delimit or exclude hotels of any size, but provides a management tool for companies in the tourism segment (Jiang, Ritchie & Verreynne, 2023). Thus, it is reported that based on the study dimensions shown in Figure 1, and the distribution of the variables characterizing the respondent and the hotel, the total correlation with the factor of the first dimension - Customer and Market - is positive and statistically significant (r = 0.49; p < 0.0001).
In this context, the customer and market dimensions are linked to stakeholders to achieve customer satisfaction and financial return. For this, the dimension above required a knowledge of the strategies and practices developed by the hotels to achieve performance (Nguyen, 2022).
Following the analyses, we report the total correlation with the second-dimension factor - Economic and Financial - positive and statistically significant (r = 0.46; p < 0.0001). The following elements were listed to evaluate this stage: inputs, outputs, sales, and costs, among other items related to the economy of each region in the hotel segment. These items or elements are among those that impact performance (Nguyen, 2022).
Some hotels demand transformations and innovative strategies to promote positive economic and financial results. It is necessary to improve means of reducing costs without losing quality, and to seek a balance to ensure sustainable solutions from a financial, economic, social, and environmental point of view (Bénet et al., 2022).
The third dimension, which reveals the total correlation between management and organization, is positive and statistically significant (r = 0.51; p < 0.0001). This dimension involves the capabilities and potential of the entire team through conciliation and cooperation between the various agents involved in tourism. In aligning this process, cooperation among all members of the team is essential for performance and possible results. Bassyiouny and Wilkesmann (2023 (2005) consider that innovation and alignment of processes for management and organization involve different areas of the company, especially human resources management, where they report that one of the roles of the human resources professional is to guide managers in the cooperation of their teams.
For the fourth dimension, we can report that the total correlation with the factor Society in General - is positive and statistically significant (r = 0.50; p < 0.0001). This dimension includes the benefits that positively impact hotels through environmental policies. The literature on tourism companies' performance goes beyond traditional financial metrics. They consider management issues aligned with environmental actions (Bénet et al., 2022; Naini et al., 2022) related to hotels' environment and economic and financial conditions.
Based on the analysis of the dimensions of this study, we consider hypothesis (H1) confirmed, i.e. that tourism capabilities are positively and significantly related to hotels’ performance. The study states that tourism capabilities are important for the accommodation sector when it comes to ensuring the quality of products and services offered to tourists, thus involving customers (satisfaction) and the market (competitive advantage).
To test this hypothesis, we proceeded with Pearson's r correlation test. All correlations are statistically significant and positive and classified as moderate or substantial according to the results. The second hypothesis (H2) states that there is a statistically significant difference between hotels of different sizes when it comes to tourism capabilities. To test this hypothesis, a series of analyses of variance (ANOVA) was conducted. Initially, the total score of the TPS about the size of the hotels was compared, and the results indicate statistically significant differences [F (2, 307) = 124.00; p < 0.0001]. The Bonferroni post hoc test indicated statistical differences between the three sizes of hotel.
Bonferroni's post hoc test was performed to identify which sizes of hotel accounted for this difference, indicating statistical differences between the three. Table 3 shows the means of the groups for the constructs evaluated.
Concerning the total TPS score, large hotels have the highest average, followed by medium and small hotels. Hotels of different sizes require measurement systems that allow them to monitor and assess their performance in different sectors and analyze whether their competitive differentiation positively impacts the companies’ performance. Following the view of Siyal et al. (2023), it is considered that efficiency in hotel companies tends to decrease proportionally as the size of hotel increases.
A comparison between different hotel sizes and TPS factors was also conducted. The ANOVA result for the dimension - Customer and Market - is statistically significant [F (2, 307) = 102.25; p < 0.0001], and according to the post hoc test (Bonferroni), there are differences between the three groups (p < 0.0001), with large hotels being those with the highest average, followed by medium and small hotels. In the Economic and Financial dimension, the result is the same, statistically significant ANOVA [F (2, 307) = 76.95; p < 0.0001], with differences between the three groups (p < 0.0001), large hotels having the highest average, followed by medium and small hotels.
In the Management and Organization dimension the ANOVA is also statistically significant [F (2, 307) = 104.14; p < 0.0001], showing a difference between the three sizes (p < 0.0001), with large hotels showing the highest average, followed by medium and small hotels. Finally, in the Society in General dimension the same pattern was observed, statistically significant ANOVA [F (2, 307) = 89.92; p < 0.0001], differences between the three sizes (p < 0.0001), with the larger ones having the highest average, followed by the medium and small ones.
Concerning tourism capabilities, the result of the ANOVA test is statistically significant [F (2, 307) = 21.205; p < 0.0001]. Bonferroni's post hoc test shows differences between small and medium hotels (p < 0.0001) and between small and large hotels (p < 0.0001). In other words, when it comes to tourism capabilities, there are no differences between medium and large hotels (p = 0.72). Based on these results, it is possible to state that the second hypothesis (H2) postulated in this study was corroborated, as there is a statistically significant difference between hotels of different sizes, in terms of performance, uni- and multifactorial forms, and tourism capabilities.
Finally, concerning large hotels, information was provided mainly by men (56.41%), acting as general managers of the hotels (64.10%). A higher concentration of medium-sized hotels was observed in Ceará (58.97%), the majority were focused wholly on leisure (56.41%), and most of the hotels were independent (94.97%). This study offers suggestions for future research on the Evolution of the Balanced Score Card (BSC) (Elbanna et al., 2022).
It is worth noting that the hotels along the Route of Emotions, regardless of their size, receive equal privileges, incentives, and information from the state, municipality, public or private agencies. Yet, according to data from this research, they are considered insufficient in terms of the size of the project and the visibility of the absence of concrete actions aimed at improving tourism services for the hotel, locally and regionally. Meanwhile, it is noted that hotels in Ceará receive more significant incentives than those in the states of Maranhão and Piauí, according to a survey conducted with managers.
The Management and Organization dimension involves the capabilities and potential of the entire team, through conciliation and cooperation between the various agents involved in tourism. In aligning this process, cooperation between the team is essential for performance and the potential for results. The literature on the performance of tourism companies goes beyond traditional financial metrics, where they consider management issues in line with environmental actions (Putra & Law, 2023) from a perspective related to the environment and economic and financial sustainability of hotels.
Table 5, below, gives a summary based on the literature regarding the acceptance or rejection of the hypotheses:
According to the ANOVA and linear regression results, it is pertinent to assess whether the size of the hotel moderates the relationship between tourism capabilities and performance. Jiang, Ritchie and Verreynne (2023) reports on the importance of analyzing the efficiency of hotels based on microeconomic data regarding the financial results.
Armas-Cruz, Gil-Soto and Morini-Marrero (2022) explain that the hotel sector can benefit from a spatial understanding that provides elements that enable public policies and private investments to analyze standardized actions in the sector. Therefore, enabling resource allocation promotes the development of the economy in the country, as in the case of Brazil, where there is irregular distribution of funds when it comes to tourism.
As results indicated for the H1, tourist capacities are as a significant strategic mechanism for managers during formulation, implementation, and decision-making, as hotels need to adapt to the volatile market in which they exist, overcoming daily obstacles to achieve establishment performance and, consequently, the development of tourist destinations.
Having confirmed the relationship between tourist capacities and the multidimensional performance of hotels, H2 was corroborated, as there is a statistically significant difference between the sizes of hotels, both for performance and tourist capacities.
Based on H3, it is evident that innovative strategies, considering tourist capacities, should be adopted in hotel planning, as they assist the enterprise (both organizationally and in individual competencies), irrespective of the size of the establishment. They benefit local and regional tourism, as well as sustainable development, effectively contributing to organizational performance and competitive advantage."
The study analyzed the effects of tourism capabilities on the multidimensional performance of hotels. According to the results, tourism capabilities are a relevant strategic mechanism for managers in the formulation and implementation of strategies, and decision-making processes. Hotels must organize themselves in order to navigate the volatile market, overcoming daily obstacles to achieve performance and, consequently, enhance tourist destinations.
The results showed that tourism capabilities positively influence the multidimensional performance of hotels. Despite this, the regression models of tourism capabilities that predict performance, that is, in all the models tested, it is possible to identify tourism capabilities as a statistically significant predictor of hotel performance.
Based on the findings of this research, it is evident that the hotel establishments located in Ceará, a state currently demonstrating better performance than the states of Maranhão and Piauí, offer higher-quality services and carry out strategic actions linked to tourist capacities that aid and ensure the achievement of economic, financial, environmental, and social goals, as well as competitive advantage.
In terms of limitations of this study, the small number of respondents is mentioned, this research being limited to accommodation establishments registered on the Route of Emotions project. During the research, a significant number of hotels were identified in the three states (Ceará, Maranhão and Piauí), but which belong to the Sebrae project. Even though the study achieved its proposed objectives and positively tested the three hypotheses, it is considered that the number of respondents adopted was small in relation to the complexity of the constructs studied and the contribution that these results make to the literature.
For future research, a new line of study is suggested, which is to link the tourist capabilities specifically to each hotel, in order to discover which of these capabilities has the greatest impact on organizational performance in the face of market diversity.
