Page 20 - Sustaining Accommodation SMES

2 Theoretical Foundations of Sustainable Transition

lens suggests that environmentally significant behaviour arises when in-
dividuals hold values that support environmental protection, believe that
environmental conditions threaten those values and feel a personal re-
sponsibility to act. This creates a personal moral norm that motivates
pro-environmental behaviour. However, this approach was extended by
introducing four broad categories of causal influences: attitudinal dispo-
sitions, personal capabilities, contextual factors and habitual routines as
determinants of sustainable action (Stern, 2000). Attitudinal factors in-
clude values, beliefs, and personal norms. Capabilities encompass knowl-
edge, skills, literacy and financial resources. Contextual factors include
regulations, technology, social norms, incentives and material conditions.
Habits and routines shape daily practices, particularly in structured work
environments such as accommodation establishments.
This broader conceptualisation is particularly relevant for accommo-
dation operations, where environmental behaviour results from the in-
terplay of personal motivation and operational realities. Staff and man-
agers may possess strong pro-environmental values, yet their ability to
act can be limited by financial constraints, technological systems, staffing
pressures, organisational routines or guest expectations. Conversely, sup-
portive organisational systems, clear procedures and available resources
can enable sustainability practices even when individual environmental
convictions are modest. By framing behaviour as the outcome of both
internal motivations and external conditions, Stern’s theory provides a
nuanced understanding of how sustainability practices emerge in accom-
modation enterprises.

2.1 The Supply-Side and Demand-Side Perspective
Sustainability transitions in the accommodation sector are shaped by the
interaction of supply-side and demand-side dynamics, which together
explainhow sustainability-related behaviouremerges,stabilisesorre-
mains fragmented in practice. The supply-side perspective focuses on
the internal conditions of accommodation enterprises that enable or con-
strain sustainability action, while the demand-side perspective highlights
the expectations, behaviours, and pressures originating from tourists, in-
termediaries, and host communities. Taken together, these perspectives
emphasise that sustainability is neither solely a managerial choice nor
purely a response to market demand, but rather the outcome of inter-
dependent organisational and behavioural processes.
From the supply-side perspective, sustainability is primarily deter-

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