How do firms organize for sustainable energy consumption? An investigation of the Maltese hotel sector

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to investigate the capabilities of firms in a mature service sector to adopt innovative sustainable energy technologies and practices and the processes through which these firms obtain and exploit knowledge about energy management practices. The hotel sector in Malta is used as the empirical setting. Interviews were undertaken with 26 hotel managers and 14 engineering consulting firms in Malta. The interview data from the hotels were clustered to derive patterns of environmental action characterized by particular firm capabilities. The findings distinguish between hotels that adopt a narrow range of energy efficient measures and those with a higher innovative potential that modify routine maintenance activities and make deeper organizational changes to shift towards improved energy efficiency. Accounting for the range of innovative potential are different combinations of capabilities for problem-solving around energy efficiency and for collaborating with external actors (engineering consulting firms in this study). The paper concludes by providing some implications for policy.