IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/touman/v48y2015icp477-499.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is tourism firm competitiveness driven by different internal or external specific factors?: New empirical evidence from Spain

Author

Listed:
  • Camisón, César
  • Forés, Beatriz

Abstract

The quest to understand the multilevel antecedents of competitiveness has led to a separation of approaches. On one side of the question are the environment theories that analyze the structural characteristics of the general and competitive environment. On the other side are the Resource Based View and its extensions that highlight firm-specific resources and capabilities as the main basis of firms' competitiveness. However, in recent years the nature of competition and shifting economic conditions have given rise to new theoretical approaches that complement the assumptions underlying both environmental and firm theories. Specifically, this study contributes by examining the regional environment effect, the district effect and the strategic group effect. Through a study of 364 Spanish tourism firms, this research explores the relative importance of distinct external forces such as the general environment or country effect, the regional effect, the competitive environment or industry effect, the district effect, and internal factors such as the firm's tangible resources, capabilities and strategy selection. The results demonstrate that firms' capabilities are more important than environment effects and tangible resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Camisón, César & Forés, Beatriz, 2015. "Is tourism firm competitiveness driven by different internal or external specific factors?: New empirical evidence from Spain," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 477-499.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:touman:v:48:y:2015:i:c:p:477-499
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2015.01.001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517715000047
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.01.001?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ben Gardiner & Ron Martin & Tyler Peter, 2004. "Competitiveness, Productivity and Economic Growth across the European Regions," ERSA conference papers ersa04p333, European Regional Science Association.
    2. Kimberly A. Eddleston & Franz Willi Kellermanns & Ravi Sarathy, 2008. "Resource Configuration in Family Firms: Linking Resources, Strategic Planning and Technological Opportunities to Performance," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(1), pages 26-50, January.
    3. Jeremy C. Short & David J. Ketchen & Timothy B. Palmer & G. Tomas M. Hult, 2007. "Firm, strategic group, and industry influences on performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 147-167, February.
    4. Crouch, Geoffrey I. & Ritchie, J. R. Brent, 1999. "Tourism, Competitiveness, and Societal Prosperity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 137-152, March.
    5. Jin, Liyin & He, Yanqun & Song, Haiyan, 2012. "Service customization: To upgrade or to downgrade? An investigation of how option framing affects tourists’ choice of package-tour services," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 266-275.
    6. Wang, Dan & Ap, John, 2013. "Factors affecting tourism policy implementation: A conceptual framework and a case study in China," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 221-233.
    7. Ashish Arora & Alfonso Gambardella, 1997. "Domestic Markets And International Competitiveness: Generic And Product‐Specific Competencies In The Engineering Sector," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(S1), pages 53-74, July.
    8. Gary S. Hansen & Birger Wernerfelt, 1989. "Determinants of firm performance: The relative importance of economic and organizational factors," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 10(5), pages 399-411, September.
    9. Hjalager, Anne-Mette, 2010. "A review of innovation research in tourism," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 1-12.
    10. Akbar Zaheer & Geoffrey G. Bell, 2005. "Benefiting from network position: firm capabilities, structural holes, and performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(9), pages 809-825, September.
    11. Eduardo González-Fidalgo & Juan Ventura-Victoria, 2002. "How Much Do Strategic Groups Matter?," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 21(1), pages 55-71, August.
    12. Molina-Azorin, José F. & Pereira-Moliner, Jorge & Claver-Cortés, Enrique, 2010. "The importance of the firm and destination effects to explain firm performance," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 22-28.
    13. Lazerson, Mark H & Lorenzoni, Gianni, 1999. "The Firms That Feed Industrial Districts: A Return to the Italian," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 8(2), pages 235-266, June.
    14. Galbreath, Jeremy & Galvin, Peter, 2008. "Firm factors, industry structure and performance variation: New empirical evidence to a classic debate," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 61(2), pages 109-117, February.
    15. Veasna, Sou & Wu, Wann-Yih & Huang, Chu-Hsin, 2013. "The impact of destination source credibility on destination satisfaction: The mediating effects of destination attachment and destination image," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 511-526.
    16. Richard R. Nelson, 1991. "Why do firms differ, and how does it matter?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(S2), pages 61-74, December.
    17. Richard P. Rumelt & Dan Schendel & David J. Teece, 1991. "Strategic management and economics," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(S2), pages 5-29, December.
    18. Timothy W. Ruefli & Robert R. Wiggins, 2003. "Industry, corporate, and segment effects and business performance: a non‐parametric approach," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(9), pages 861-879, September.
    19. Orfila-Sintes, Francina & Mattsson, Jan, 2009. "Innovation behavior in the hotel industry," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 380-394, April.
    20. Bill McEvily & Akbar Zaheer, 1999. "Bridging ties: a source of firm heterogeneity in competitive capabilities," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(12), pages 1133-1156, December.
    21. Gabriel Hawawini & Venkat Subramanian & Paul Verdin, 2003. "Is performance driven by industry‐or firm‐specific factors? A new look at the evidence," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(1), pages 1-16, January.
    22. Schmalensee, Richard, 1988. "Industrial Economics: An Overview," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 98(392), pages 643-681, September.
    23. Karel O. Cool & Dan Schendel, 1987. "Strategic Group Formation and Performance: The Case of the U.S. Pharmaceutical Industry, 1963--1982," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 33(9), pages 1102-1124, September.
    24. Michael A. Hitt & R. Duane Ireland & S. Michael Camp & Donald L. Sexton, 2001. "Strategic entrepreneurship: entrepreneurial strategies for wealth creation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(6‐7), pages 479-491, June.
    25. Dornbusch, Rudiger & Fischer, Stanley & Samuelson, Paul A, 1977. "Comparative Advantage, Trade, and Payments in a Ricardian Model with a Continuum of Goods," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(5), pages 823-839, December.
    26. Schmalensee, Richard, 1985. "Do Markets Differ Much?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(3), pages 341-351, June.
    27. Iain M. Cockburn & Rebecca M. Henderson & Scott Stern, 2000. "Untangling the origins of competitive advantage," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(10‐11), pages 1123-1145, October.
    28. Karel Cool & Dan Schendel, 1988. "Performance differences among strategic group members," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(3), pages 207-223, May.
    29. Armstrong, J. Scott & Overton, Terry S., 1977. "Estimating Nonresponse Bias in Mail Surveys," MPRA Paper 81694, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    30. Denicolai, Stefano & Cioccarelli, Gabriele & Zucchella, Antonella, 2010. "Resource-based local development and networked core-competencies for tourism excellence," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 260-266.
    31. David J. Teece & Gary Pisano & Amy Shuen, 1997. "Dynamic capabilities and strategic management," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 509-533, August.
    32. Michael E. Porter, 1991. "Towards a dynamic theory of strategy," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(S2), pages 95-117, December.
    33. Kathleen M. Eisenhardt & Jeffrey A. Martin, 2000. "Dynamic capabilities: what are they?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(10‐11), pages 1105-1121, October.
    34. Arnaboldi, Michela & Spiller, Nicola, 2011. "Actor-network theory and stakeholder collaboration: The case of Cultural Districts," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 641-654.
    35. Peter Batey & Peter Friedrich, 2000. "Aspects of Regional Competition," Advances in Spatial Science, in: Peter W. J. Batey & Peter Friedrich (ed.), Regional Competition, chapter 1, pages 3-33, Springer.
    36. Leamer, Edward E, 1993. "Factor-Supply Differences as a," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(2), pages 436-439, May.
    37. Camisón, César & Monfort-Mir, Vicente M., 2012. "Measuring innovation in tourism from the Schumpeterian and the dynamic-capabilities perspectives," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 776-789.
    38. Wernerfelt, Birger & Montgomery, Cynthia A, 1988. "Tobin's q and the Importance of Focus in Firm Performance," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 78(1), pages 246-250, March.
    39. Thomas, Rhodri & Shaw, Gareth & Page, Stephen J., 2011. "Understanding small firms in tourism: A perspective on research trends and challenges," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 963-976.
    40. Richard Whipp & Robert Rosenfeld & Andrew Pettigrew, 1989. "Culture And Competitiveness: Evidence From Two Mature Uk Industries," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(6), pages 561-585, November.
    41. Ivars i Baidal, Josep A. & Rodríguez Sánchez, Isabel & Vera Rebollo, José Fernando, 2013. "The evolution of mass tourism destinations: New approaches beyond deterministic models in Benidorm (Spain)," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 184-195.
    42. Joseph T. Mahoney, 1993. "Strategic Management And Determinism: Sustaining The Conversation," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 173-191, January.
    43. Christian Longhi & David Keeble, 2000. "High-Tech clusters and collective learning in Europe : regional evolutionary trends in the 1990s," Post-Print halshs-00459289, HAL.
    44. Fahy, John, 2002. "A resource-based analysis of sustainable competitive advantage in a global environment," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 57-77, February.
    45. Alexis Jacquemin, 1987. "The New Industrial Organization: Market Forces and Strategic Behavior," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262600145, December.
    46. Richard P. Rumelt, 1991. "How much does industry matter?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(3), pages 167-185, March.
    47. Gerry McNamara & David L. Deephouse & Rebecca A. Luce, 2003. "Competitive positioning within and across a strategic group structure: the performance of core, secondary, and solitary firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 161-181, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kelvin N. Agbakwuru & Oluwatobiloba M. Gbadero, 2021. "Human Capital Development and Organisational Competitiveness: A Theoretical Approach," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(09), pages 705-709, September.
    2. Tania Gorcheva, 2020. "Degrees in the internationalization of the Bulgarian tourism business," Economic Thought journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 5, pages 27-48.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chen, Yi-Min, 2010. "The continuing debate on firm performance: A multilevel approach to the IT sectors of Taiwan and South Korea," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 63(5), pages 471-478, May.
    2. Yi-Min Chen, 2008. "How Much Does Country Matter?," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 31(4), pages 404-435, October.
    3. N. Houthoofd & S. Desmidt & G. Fidalgo, 2009. "Analyzing Firm Performance Heterogeneity: The Relative Effect Of Business Definition," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 09/580, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    4. Camisón, César & Forés, Beatriz, 2011. "Knowledge creation and absorptive capacity: The effect of intra-district shared competences," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 66-86, March.
    5. Galbreath, Jeremy & Galvin, Peter, 2008. "Firm factors, industry structure and performance variation: New empirical evidence to a classic debate," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 61(2), pages 109-117, February.
    6. Andonova, Veneta & Ruíz-Pava, Guillermo, 2016. "The role of industry factors and intangible assets in company performance in Colombia," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 4377-4384.
    7. Mahoney, Joseph T., 1995. "The management of resources and the resource of management," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 91-101, June.
    8. Tarziján, Jorge & Brahm, Francisco & Daiber, Luis Felipe, 2008. "Entrepreneurial profitability and persistence: Chile versus the U.S.A," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 61(6), pages 599-608, June.
    9. Stoelhorst, J. W. & van Raaij, Erik M., 2004. "On explaining performance differentials: Marketing and the managerial theory of the firm," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 57(5), pages 462-477, May.
    10. Thorsten Koch & Josef Windsperger, 2017. "Seeing through the network: Competitive advantage in the digital economy," Journal of Organization Design, Springer;Organizational Design Community, vol. 6(1), pages 1-30, December.
    11. Krishna Chandra Balodi & Shubhabrata Basu, 2015. "Configurations of Resources, Strategy, Structure and Environment in Young High-technology Firms: Evidence from Qualitative Comparative Analysis," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 16(6), pages 1012-1024, December.
    12. Ketelhöhn, Niels W. & Quintanilla, Carlos, 2012. "Country effects on profitability: A multilevel approach using a sample of Central American firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 65(12), pages 1767-1772.
    13. Arend, Richard J., 2009. "Industry effects and firm effects: No effect is an island," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(6), pages 651-659, June.
    14. Mehmet Ali Köseoglu & John A. Parnell & Melissa Yan Yee Yick, 2021. "Identifying influential studies and maturity level in intellectual structure of fields: evidence from strategic management," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(2), pages 1271-1309, February.
    15. Sudharshan, Devanathan & Furrer, Olivier & Arakoni, Ramesh A., 2013. "Robust Imitation Strategies," FSES Working Papers 446, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Freiburg/Fribourg Switzerland.
    16. Camisón, César & Monfort-Mir, Vicente M., 2012. "Measuring innovation in tourism from the Schumpeterian and the dynamic-capabilities perspectives," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 776-789.
    17. Pankaj Kumar & Xiaojin Liu & Akbar Zaheer, 2022. "How much does the firm's alliance network matter?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(8), pages 1433-1468, August.
    18. André Ribeiro Gonçalves & Rogério H Quintella, 2006. "The role of internal and external factors in the performance of brazilian companies and its evolution between 1990 and 2003," RAC - Revista de Administração Contemporânea (Journal of Contemporary Administration), ANPAD - Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração, vol. 10(spe), pages 117-136.
    19. Vicente López-López & Susana Iglesias-Antelo & Esteban Fernández, 2020. "Is Sustainable Performance Explained by Firm Effect in Small Business?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-13, December.
    20. Chan, Ricky Yee-kwong & Wong, Y. H., 1999. "Bank generic strategies: does Porter's theory apply in an international banking center," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 8(5-6), pages 561-590, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:touman:v:48:y:2015:i:c:p:477-499. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/tourism-management .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.