IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/endesu/v27y2025i2d10.1007_s10668-023-04025-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Unlocking sustainable competitive advantage: exploring the impact of technological innovations on performance in Mexican SMEs within the tourism sector

Author

Listed:
  • Ana León-Gómez

    (University of Malaga)

  • José Manuel Santos-Jaén

    (University of Murcia)

  • Mercedes Palacios-Manzano

    (University of Murcia)

  • Héctor Horacio Garza-Sánchez

    (University of Nuevo Leon)

Abstract

This research inquiry explores the interplay between environmentally sustainable practices, technological innovations and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) performance in Mexico's tourism sector. The tourism industry in Mexico holds immense economic significance, contributing significantly to employment and revenue generation. However, the sector also faces challenges related to environmental sustainability. Thus, the objective of this research is to assess how the integration of sustainable environmental practices influences the operational outcomes of SMEs. Furthermore, it also aims to conclude the role of technological innovation, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), digitalization and gender in this relationship. A structural equation modeling approach was applied to a sample of 797 Mexican SMEs in the tourism sector. Our findings provide evidence of several contributions: first, environmental sustainability practices improve performance; second, technological innovation, ICT and digitalization play a critical mediating role in specific relationships to foster performance; finally, incentives encourage sustainable practices related to environmental improvement, especially when the SME's CEO is a woman. The results of this study hold practical significance for the SME sector, as it demonstrates that by adopting sustainable practices, SMEs can strengthen their market position, improve technological innovativeness, minimize environmental impact and capitalize on emerging business prospects.

Suggested Citation

  • Ana León-Gómez & José Manuel Santos-Jaén & Mercedes Palacios-Manzano & Héctor Horacio Garza-Sánchez, 2025. "Unlocking sustainable competitive advantage: exploring the impact of technological innovations on performance in Mexican SMEs within the tourism sector," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 3481-3511, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:27:y:2025:i:2:d:10.1007_s10668-023-04025-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-023-04025-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-023-04025-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10668-023-04025-y?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eller, Robert & Alford, Philip & Kallmünzer, Andreas & Peters, Mike, 2020. "Antecedents, consequences, and challenges of small and medium-sized enterprise digitalization," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 119-127.
    2. Manuel Ángel Fernández-Gámez & A. Manuel Gutiérrez-Ruiz & Rafael Becerra-Vicario & Daniel Ruiz-Palomo, 2019. "The Effects of Creating Shared Value on the Hotel Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-16, March.
    3. Van Gils, Anita, 2005. "Management and Governance in Dutch SMEs," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 23(5), pages 583-589, October.
    4. Ana León-Gómez & José Manuel Santos-Jaén & Daniel Ruiz-Palomo & Mercedes Palacios-Manzano, 2022. "Disentangling the impact of ICT adoption on SMEs performance: the mediating roles of corporate social responsibility and innovation," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 13(3), pages 831-866, September.
    5. Niemand, Thomas & Rigtering, J.P. Coen & Kallmünzer, Andreas & Kraus, Sascha & Maalaoui, Adnane, 2021. "Digitalization in the financial industry: A contingency approach of entrepreneurial orientation and strategic vision on digitalization," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 317-326.
    6. Astadi Pangarso & Kristina Sisilia & Retno Setyorini & Yahya Peranginangin & Agni Alam Awirya, 2022. "Correction to: The long path to achieving green economy performance for micro small medium enterprise," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-1, December.
    7. Nabil Ibrahim & John Angelidis & Igor Tomic, 2009. "Managers’ Attitudes Toward Codes of Ethics: Are There Gender Differences?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 90(3), pages 343-353, December.
    8. Ribeiro-Navarrete, Samuel & Botella-Carrubi, Dolores & Palacios-Marqués, Daniel & Orero-Blat, Maria, 2021. "The effect of digitalization on business performance: An applied study of KIBS," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 319-326.
    9. Al-Shaer, Habiba & Zaman, Mahbub, 2016. "Board gender diversity and sustainability reporting quality," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 210-222.
    10. Claude Francoeur & Réal Labelle & Souha Balti & Saloua EL Bouzaidi, 2019. "To What Extent Do Gender Diverse Boards Enhance Corporate Social Performance?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 155(2), pages 343-357, March.
    11. Jalal Rajeh Hanaysha & Mohammed Emad Al-Shaikh & Shanmugan Joghee & Haitham M. Alzoubi, 2022. "Impact of Innovation Capabilities on Business Sustainability in Small and Medium Enterprises," FIIB Business Review, , vol. 11(1), pages 67-78, March.
    12. Zhongju Liao & Manting Zhang & Xiaopeng Wang, 2019. "Do female directors influence firms' environmental innovation? The moderating role of ownership type," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(1), pages 257-263, January.
    13. Priyabrata Chowdhury & Rezaul Shumon, 2020. "Minimizing the Gap between Expectation and Ability: Strategies for SMEs to Implement Social Sustainability Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-15, August.
    14. Sungho Park & Sachin Gupta, 2012. "Handling Endogenous Regressors by Joint Estimation Using Copulas," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 31(4), pages 567-586, July.
    15. Hashi, Iraj & Stojčić, Nebojša, 2013. "The impact of innovation activities on firm performance using a multi-stage model: Evidence from the Community Innovation Survey 4," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 353-366.
    16. José Manuel Santos-Jaén & Ana León-Gómez & Daniel Ruiz-Palomo & Francisca García-Lopera & María del Carmen Valls Martínez, 2022. "Exploring Information and Communication Technologies as Driving Forces in Hotel SMEs Performance: Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(19), pages 1-15, October.
    17. Liu, Chelsea, 2018. "Are women greener? Corporate gender diversity and environmental violations," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 118-142.
    18. Alkis Thrassou & Naziyet Uzunboylu & Demetris Vrontis & Michael Christofi, 2020. "Digitalization of SMEs: A Review of Opportunities and Challenges," Palgrave Studies in Cross-disciplinary Business Research, In Association with EuroMed Academy of Business, in: Alkis Thrassou & Demetris Vrontis & Yaakov Weber & S. M. Riad Shams & Evangelos Tsoukatos (ed.), The Changing Role of SMEs in Global Business, edition 1, chapter 9, pages 179-200, Palgrave Macmillan.
    19. Crittenden, Andrew B. & Crittenden, Victoria L. & Crittenden, William F., 2019. "The digitalization triumvirate: How incumbents survive," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 259-266.
    20. Francisca García-Lopera & José Manuel Santos-Jaén & Mercedes Palacios-Manzano & Daniel Ruiz-Palomo, 2022. "Exploring the effect of professionalization, risk-taking and technological innovation on business performance," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(2), pages 1-19, February.
    21. Jung Wan Lee & Tantatape Brahmasrene, 2014. "ICT, CO 2 Emissions and Economic Growth: Evidence from a Panel of ASEAN," Global Economic Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(2), pages 93-109, June.
    22. María del Carmen Valls Martínez & Alicia Ramírez-Orellana & Mayra Soledad Grasso, 2021. "Health Investment Management and Healthcare Quality in the Public System: A Gender Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-24, February.
    23. Rigdon, Edward E., 2016. "Choosing PLS path modeling as analytical method in European management research: A realist perspective," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 598-605.
    24. Rosa Maria Dangelico, 2016. "Green Product Innovation: Where we are and Where we are Going," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(8), pages 560-576, December.
    25. Antonio Juan Briones Peñalver & Juan Andrés Bernal Conesa & Carmen de Nieves Nieto, 2018. "Analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility in Spanish Agribusiness and Its Influence on Innovation and Performance," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(2), pages 182-193, March.
    26. John Nicholas & Ann Ledwith & Helen Perks, 2011. "New product development best practice in SME and large organisations: theory vs practice," European Journal of Innovation Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 14(2), pages 227-251, April.
    27. Daniel J. Veit & Jason B. Thatcher, 2023. "Digitalization as a problem or solution? Charting the path for research on sustainable information systems," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(6), pages 1231-1253, August.
    28. Neeta Baporikar, 2022. "ICT Adoption Implications for SME Innovation and Augmentation," International Journal of Innovation in the Digital Economy (IJIDE), IGI Global, vol. 13(1), pages 1-20, January.
    29. Adelaide Martins & Manuel Castelo Branco & Pedro Novo Melo & Carolina Machado, 2022. "Sustainability in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-26, May.
    30. María del Carmen Valls Martínez & Salvador Cruz Rambaud & Isabel María Parra Oller, 2019. "Gender policies on board of directors and sustainable development," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(6), pages 1539-1553, November.
    31. Silvia Cantele & Alessandro Zardini, 2020. "What drives small and medium enterprises towards sustainability? Role of interactions between pressures, barriers, and benefits," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(1), pages 126-136, January.
    32. Vinit Parida & David Sjödin & Wiebke Reim, 2019. "Reviewing Literature on Digitalization, Business Model Innovation, and Sustainable Industry: Past Achievements and Future Promises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-18, January.
    33. Hair, Joseph F. & Astrachan, Claudia Binz & Moisescu, Ovidiu I. & Radomir, Lăcrămioara & Sarstedt, Marko & Vaithilingam, Santha & Ringle, Christian M., 2021. "Executing and interpreting applications of PLS-SEM: Updates for family business researchers," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(3).
    34. Sonja Studer & Stephen Tsang & Richard Welford & Peter Hills, 2008. "SMEs and voluntary environmental initiatives: a study of stakeholders' perspectives in Hong Kong," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(2), pages 285-301.
    35. Stephen Bear & Noushi Rahman & Corinne Post, 2010. "The Impact of Board Diversity and Gender Composition on Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm Reputation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 97(2), pages 207-221, December.
    36. Muhammad Anwar & Shuangjie Li, 2021. "Spurring competitiveness, financial and environmental performance of SMEs through government financial and non-financial support," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 7860-7882, May.
    37. Ana León-Gómez & Daniel Ruiz-Palomo & Manuel A. Fernández-Gámez & Mercedes Raquel García-Revilla, 2021. "Sustainable Tourism Development and Economic Growth: Bibliometric Review and Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-19, February.
    38. González-Fernández, Marcos & González-Velasco, Carmen, 2018. "Innovation and corporate performance in the Spanish regions," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 40(5), pages 998-1021.
    39. Mansour Naser Alraja & Rabia Imran & Basel M. Khashab & Mahmood Shah, 2022. "Technological Innovation, Sustainable Green Practices and SMEs Sustainable Performance in Times of Crisis (COVID-19 pandemic)," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 1081-1105, August.
    40. Marko Sarstedt & Jun-Hwa Cheah, 2019. "Partial least squares structural equation modeling using SmartPLS: a software review," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 7(3), pages 196-202, September.
    41. Hee Jun Choi & Ji-Hye Park, 2014. "The relationship between learning transfer climates and innovation in public and private organizations in Korea," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 35(7), pages 956-972, September.
    42. Streukens, Sandra & Leroi-Werelds, Sara, 2016. "Bootstrapping and PLS-SEM: A step-by-step guide to get more out of your bootstrap results," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 618-632.
    43. Rizwan Ullah & Habib Ahmad & Fazal Ur Rehman & Arshad Fawad, 2021. "Green innovation and Sustainable Development Goals in SMEs: the moderating role of government incentives," Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 39(4), pages 830-846, September.
    44. Min Zhang & Yu Su & Peng Zhu, 2022. "Will Green Innovation Bring about the Financial Spillover Effect? Evidence from China’s High-Carbon Listed Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-20, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Kara, Alper & Nanteza, Aziidah & Ozkan, Aydin & Yildiz, Yilmaz, 2022. "Board gender diversity and responsible banking during the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    2. Lorenzo Ardito & Rosa Maria Dangelico & Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli, 2021. "The link between female representation in the boards of directors and corporate social responsibility: Evidence from B corps," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(2), pages 704-720, March.
    3. Kirsten Burkhardt & Pascal Nguyen & Evelyne Poincelot, 2020. "Agents of change: Women in top management and corporate environmental performance," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(4), pages 1591-1604, July.
    4. María‐Florencia Amorelli & Isabel‐María García‐Sánchez, 2021. "Trends in the dynamic evolution of board gender diversity and corporate social responsibility," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(2), pages 537-554, March.
    5. Atif, Muhammad & Hossain, Mohammed & Alam, Md Samsul & Goergen, Marc, 2021. "Does board gender diversity affect renewable energy consumption?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    6. María del Carmen Valls Martínez & Pedro Antonio Martín Cervantes & Salvador Cruz Rambaud, 2020. "Women on corporate boards and sustainable development in the American and European markets: Is there a limit to gender policies?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(6), pages 2642-2656, November.
    7. Gull, Ammar Ali & Atif, Muhammad & Hussain, Nazim, 2023. "Board gender composition and waste management: Cross-country evidence," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(1).
    8. Pier Luigi Marchini & Veronica Tibiletti & Tatiana Mazza & Gianluca Gabrielli, 2022. "Gender quotas and the environment: Environmental performance and enforcement," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(1), pages 256-272, January.
    9. Valentina Marano & Steve Sauerwald & Marc Essen, 2022. "The influence of culture on the relationship between women directors and corporate social performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(7), pages 1315-1342, September.
    10. Tantawy Moussa & Amir Allam & Mahmoud Elmarzouky, 2023. "An examination of UK companies' modern slavery disclosure practices: Does board gender diversity matter?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 5382-5402, December.
    11. Muhammad Atif & Md. Samsul Alam & Mohammed Hossain, 2020. "Firm sustainable investment: Are female directors greener?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3449-3469, December.
    12. Laura Trueba‐Castañeda & Francisco M. Somohano‐Rodríguez & Begoña Torre‐Olmo, 2024. "Does digitalisation enable small and medium‐sized enterprises to become more sustainable?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(5), pages 4893-4909, September.
    13. Liu, Chelsea, 2021. "CEO gender and employee relations: Evidence from labor lawsuits," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    14. Ayman Issa, 2023. "Shaping a sustainable future: The impact of board gender diversity on clean energy use and the moderating role of environmental, social and governance controversies," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(6), pages 2731-2746, November.
    15. Ayman Issa & Mohammad A. A. Zaid, 2023. "Firm's biodiversity initiatives disclosure and board gender diversity: A multi‐country analysis of corporations operating in Europe," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4991-5007, November.
    16. Opoku, Eric Evans Osei & Kufuor, Nana Kwabena & Manu, Sylvester Adasi, 2021. "Gender, electricity access, renewable energy consumption and energy efficiency," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    17. Al Mamun, Md & Boubaker, Sabri & Hossain, Md Zakir & Manita, Riadh, 2024. "Female political empowerment and green finance," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    18. Dorota Dobija & Claudia Arena & Łukasz Kozłowski & Joanna Krasodomska & Justyna Godawska, 2023. "Towards sustainable development: The role of directors' international orientation and their diversity for non‐financial disclosure," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(1), pages 66-90, January.
    19. Ayman Issa & Mohammad A. A. Zaid & Jalal Rajeh Hanaysha, 2022. "Exploring the relationship between female director's profile and sustainability performance: Evidence from the Middle East," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(6), pages 1980-2002, September.
    20. Fernando Gimeno-Arias & José Manuel Santos-Jaén & Mercedes Palacios-Manzano & Héctor Horacio Garza-Sánchez, 2021. "Using PLS-SEM to Analyze the Effect of CSR on Corporate Performance: The Mediating Role of Human Resources Management and Customer Satisfaction. An Empirical Study in the Spanish Food and Beverage Man," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(22), pages 1-21, November.

    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:spr:endesu:v:27:y:2025:i:2:d:10.1007_s10668-023-04025-y. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.