Influencing green technology use behavior in the hospitality industry and the role of the “green champion”

Facilities managers are tasked not only with the responsibility of maintaining the building systems to sustain the revenue potential of an operation, but also to adopt and implement green technologies related to a hospitality organization’s sustainability program. In this qualitative study, data were collected during semi-structured interviews with multi-level facilities managers from hotels, resorts, and convention centers in the United States. Drawing upon technology acceptance constructs, the findings from this research demonstrated green facilitating conditions and formal green leadership as the primary drivers influencing green technology use behavior in the hospitality industry. In addition, the presence of a green informal leader, or “green champion,” also emerged as a critical influence, revealing nuances in sustainability initiatives undetected in previous research. Theoretical insights are provided as well as operational strategies for successful green technology adoption and use at the property and organizational levels.