Journal of Frontiers in Humanities and Social Sciences

The Moderating Effect of Hotel Size on the Relationship Between Energy Efficiency Practices and Hotel Performance: Evidence from 3- to 5-Star Hotels in Kisumu County, Kenya

2026-09-25T16:19:21+03:00

As the hospitality sector in Kisumu County expands, adopting energy efficiency practices (EEPs) has become vital for reducing high operational costs and driving sustainable hotel performance. Smaller properties frequently face capital constraints and limited economies of scale that larger establishments seamlessly leverage. Consequently, it remains uncertain whether hotel size significantly moderates the translation of energy efficiency investments into improved performance among 3- to 5-star hotels in Western Kenya. The study therefore examines the effect of energy efficiency practices on hotel performance and the moderating role of hotel size among 3- to 5-star rated hotels in Kisumu County, Kenya. Grounded in the Natural-Resource-Based View and Contingency Theory, an explanatory research design was adopted. Data were collected from 203 hotel managers, departmental managers, and supervisors using a structured questionnaire and analyzed through hierarchical moderated regression. The findings reveal that energy efficiency practices exert a significant positive effect on hotel performance (β = 0.188, p < .01), supporting the proposition that environmentally oriented capabilities generate competitive advantage. More importantly, hotel size significantly moderates this relationship (β = −0.167, p < .01) the positive effect of energy efficiency on performance weakens as hotel size increases, indicating that smaller hotels derive proportionally greater performance benefits from identical efficiency investments. The study extends the empirical base of the Natural-Resource-Based View to an emerging African market and integrates Contingency Theory to demonstrate that sustainability returns are not invariant but are structurally contingent on organizational scale. For practitioners, the results validate targeted energy efficiency strategies for small and medium-sized properties, while policymakers are encouraged to design size-differentiated incentives that maximize sector-wide performance gains.

Tourism Entrepreneurship as a Pathway to Sustainable Tourism: Evidence from Communities Adjacent to Arusha National Park, Tanzania

2026-09-03T12:03:55+03:00

Tourism Entrepreneurship provides opportunities for local communities to participate economically in tourism, yet the magnitude and contextual basis of its relationship with multidimensional Sustainable Tourism remain comparatively underexamined in Sub-Saharan African protected area settings. This study examined the relationship between perceived Tourism Entrepreneurship and perceived Sustainable Tourism conceptualized through economic, environmental, and socio-cultural dimensions among communities adjacent to Arusha National Park, Tanzania. Drawing on Economic Base Theory and Social Exchange Theory, the study employed a pragmatic convergent mixed-methods design integrating quantitative, qualitative, and documentary evidence to examine the statistical relationship and provide contextual interpretation. Quantitative data were obtained from 352 adult community residents in King'ori, Maruvango, and Leguruki wards using proportionate stratification by ward followed by field-based respondent recruitment. Qualitative data were obtained from 15 purposively selected key informants representing community, tourism, enterprise, government, and non-governmental stakeholder perspectives, supplemented by documentary analysis of relevant tourism and conservation frameworks. Perceived Tourism Entrepreneurship was relatively high (M = 3.97, SD = 0.31), whereas perceived Sustainable Tourism was moderate (M = 3.34, SD = 0.30). Tourism Entrepreneurship was positively associated with Sustainable Tourism (r = .625, p < .001), corresponding to approximately 39.1% shared variance at the bivariate level. Hierarchical regression showed that Tourism Entrepreneurship remained a positive and statistically significant predictor after accounting for Tourism Planning, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and Government Support (β = .328, p < .001 in the fully specified model) and recorded the largest positive standardized regression coefficient among the Local Community Participation dimensions examined. The predictors included collectively in the final model explained 61.4% of the variance in Sustainable Tourism (R² = .614). Qualitative evidence contextualized the statistical relationship through perceived livelihood opportunities, employment, household income, local economic linkages, and conservation incentives, while documentary evidence showed that enterprise development, community benefits, participation, and conservation were recognized within the relevant institutional frameworks. Financial, capacity, market, seasonal, institutional, and benefit-distribution constraints qualified the extent to which entrepreneurial opportunities were experienced as supporting broader sustainability objectives. Economic Base Theory highlighted the local economic-linkage dimension of the findings, while Social Exchange Theory helped interpret how perceived tourism-derived benefits and costs may relate to community attitudes toward tourism and conservation. The findings suggest that strengthening enterprise capacity and local tourism value chain integration could support more inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurial participation in protected-area communities.

Effect of Technology-Oriented Factors on ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Implementation in Public Sector Organizations in Kenya

2026-09-30T13:55:04+03:00

The effective implementation of ISO/IEC 27001:2022 in public sector organizations depends not only on the existence of an Information Security Management System (ISMS) but also on the technological conditions under which security requirements are operationalized. Drawing on the Task-Technology Fit theory, this study examined the effect of system quality, information quality and technology fit on ISO/IEC 27001:2022 implementation in public-sector organizations in Kenya. An explanatory cross-sectional design was employed among employees and management in 13 Kenyan public-sector organizations. From a target sample of 384 respondents, 343 usable responses were obtained, representing an 89.37% response rate. Reliability was established through Cronbach's alpha, while validity was assessed through face and content validity by subject matter experts. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. Information accuracy recorded the highest mean (M = 4.31, SD = 0.840), whereas information being logical recorded the lowest (M = 2.66, SD = 1.180). Among technology-fit indicators, task effectiveness and efficiency had the highest mean (M = 3.90, SD = 0.953), while increased output quantity had the lowest (M = 2.84, SD = 1.190). Multiple regression showed that system quality (β = .231, p = .001), information quality (β = .222, p = .045), and technology fit (β = .222, p = .038) were positively and significantly associated with ISO/IEC 27001:2022 implementation when people- and process-oriented factors were controlled. The overall nine-factor model explained 58.4% of the variance in implementation (R² = .584; adjusted R² = .583; F(9, 333) = 29.840, p < .001). The findings demonstrate that technological conditions are key to translating ISO/IEC 27001:2022 requirements into operational information-security practices. The study contributes contextual empirical evidence from Kenya and highlights the need to evaluate information-security implementation not merely in terms of the existence of technical controls but also in terms of system reliability, information quality, and alignment between technology capabilities and organizational tasks.

Effects of Green Food Procurement Practices on The Performance of 4 and 5 Star-Rated Hotels in Nairobi County, Kenya

2026-09-13T12:03:48+03:00

The effectiveness of hotels in achieving their organizational objectives is expressed in their performance. Empirical evidence regarding the impact of green food procurement (GFP) on hotel performance is scarce, particularly in developing economies like Kenya, despite the fact that research suggests that green procurement can improve firm performance. GFP was defined in this study as including green product specification, green supplier selection, and green supplier development. The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) perspectives of internal process, learning and growth, financial, and customer were used to evaluate performance. The study was anchored in the Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV) and BSC and adopted a quantitative-dominant convergent mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected from 273 targeted respondents, of whom 252 completed questionnaires were analyzed, while qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with 13 purposively selected food and beverage managers. Pearson correlation results revealed strong and statistically significant positive associations between GFP dimensions and the four performance perspectives (r = .804–.896, p < .001). Structural equation modelling further established a positive and statistically significant effect of GFP from the unstandardized estimate on overall hotel performance (β = 1.05, p < .001). The Internal Process perspective recorded the highest performance mean (M = 4.46), while the financial perspective recorded the lowest (M = 4.06), suggesting that operational benefits may be more immediately evident than financial returns. Qualitative findings showed that sampled hotels emphasized certifications and product specifications more than direct supplier training. GFP also reduced waste and improved food quality and consistency through effective green supplier selection, enhancing service delivery, customer satisfaction, and financial performance. The study extends the NRBV to food procurement in African hospitality and demonstrates the applicability of the BSC as a multidimensional performance framework. It uniquely isolates food-related procurement practices within Nairobi’s 4- and 5-star hotels. The study recommends institutionalizing environmental supplier-selection criteria, allocating budgets for supplier environmental training, and strengthening monitoring of GFP implementation.

The Effect of Social Influence on Behavioral Intentions of Domestic Visitors to Serengeti National Park in the Norther Tourism Circuit, Tanzania

2026-08-10T09:30:45+03:00

Though social influence is recognized as a determinant of behavioral intention in technology adoption contexts, its role in shaping domestic wildlife tourists' post-visit intentions remains underexplored particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where domestic tourism is underdeveloped despite heavy conservation investment. Grounded in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this study examines the effect of social influence on the behavioral intentions of domestic visitors to Tanzania's premier wildlife destination. Therefore, this study assessed the effect of social influence on domestic visitors' behavioral intentions (revisit intention, willingness to recommend, and positive word-of-mouth) in a non-technology, voluntary tourism context. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 400 domestic visitors at exit gates of Serengeti National Park, Northern Tanzania. Social influence (compliance, internalization) and behavioral intention were measured using 5-point Likert scales. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS 4 with bootstrapping (5,000 subsamples). Construct validity (Fornell-Larcker, HTMT), reliability (CR, Cronbach's α), and predictive relevance (Q²) were assessed. Social influence exhibited a statistically significant positive effect on behavioral intention (β = 0.304, p < 0.001). However, the model explained only 9.2% of variance (R² = 0.092), with a small effect size (f² = 0.102) and weak predictive relevance (Q² = 0.050). Model fit was acceptable (SRMR = 0.069; NFI = 0.889). Although social influence significantly shapes domestic visitors' intentions to revisit, recommend, and speak positively about national parks, its explanatory power is modest. Other factors likely destination image, perceived value, facilitating conditions, and past experience appear to dominate intention formation in this context. The study extends UTAUT into Tanzania's wildlife tourism sector, providing preliminary evidence that the theory's social influence construct operates differently in voluntary leisure settings compared to mandatory technology adoption. It cautions against over-reliance on social-appeal marketing alone. It is recommended that destination managers should integrate social acceptance campaigns (peer testimonials, group travel incentives, university ambassador programs) alongside price reform, infrastructure investment, and service quality improvements to meaningfully grow domestic visitation.

Do Business Environmental Factors Moderate the Relationship between Sustainable Technology and Performance? Insights from 4 and 5 Star-Rated Hotels in Kenya

2026-09-02T16:26:56+03:00

Understanding the external environmental conditions under which sustainable technology (ST) contributes to organisational performance remains a key challenge in the hospitality industry. Although prior research has examined business environmental factors (BEF) as drivers of technology adoption, there is limited evidence about whether the factors affect the relationship between ST and hotel performance, particularly in developing-country hospitality contexts. Anchored in the Technology–Organisation–Environment (TOE) framework, this study evaluates whether BEF moderate the relationship between ST and performance of 4 and 5 star-rated hotels in Kenya. A census approach was used to collect data through a structured online questionnaire from 151 hotel general managers. Hayes’ PROCESS Model 1 was employed to test the moderating effect. The results indicated that ST positively and significantly predicts performance (B=0.389, p<0.001) with the model explaining 46% of the variance, while BEF were not a significant direct predictor of hotel performance (B=0.0745, t=1.6397, p=0.1032). Importantly, BEF had a negative but non-significant moderating effect on the ST–performance relationship (B=-0.039, t=-0.741, ΔR²=0.002, p=0.459). The findings demonstrate that BEF do not shape the strength and direction of ST’s effects on performance outcomes. The study enriches the TOE framework by demonstrating that its environmental context factors do not operate as moderators during the post-adoption phase of ST implementation. The findings inform managerial decisions and policy initiatives aimed at facilitating the complex technology and performance interplay. The study recommends that hotels place less emphasis on BEFs as determinants of performance and more as antecedents for identifying relevant ST applications. Policymakers should note that while BEF may accelerate ST integration, they do not amplify or constrain performance returns.

Green Practices and Event Performance in Hotel-Based Events: The Moderating Role of Organizational Factors in Nairobi City County, Kenya

2026-09-02T16:46:29+03:00

Hotel-based events are expected to deliver service quality and financial returns while operating under increasing resource and environmental constraints. Yet, event-specific evidence on how green practices translate into performance, and on the organizational conditions that shape those effects, remains limited in African hospitality settings. This study examined the influence of water management, energy management, and waste management practices on hotel-based event performance in Nairobi City County, Kenya, and assessed the moderating role of organizational factors comprising leadership commitment, organizational culture, and resource allocation. An explanatory, cross-sectional design was used. From a target population of 162 managers in 54 classified 2- to 5-star hotels, 115 questionnaires were distributed and 106 complete responses were retained after screening. Hierarchical moderated regression showed that the direct-effects model explained 68.0% of the variance in event performance (R² = .680). Water management (β = .222, p < .001), energy management (β = .218, p < .001), and waste management (β = .571, p < .001) were positive predictors, with waste management the strongest. Adding organizational factors increased explained variance to 74.4% (ΔR² = .064), and organizational factors had a positive direct effect (β = .333, p < .001). The final model explained 81.6% of variance (R² = .816). Moderation was domain-specific: the water management × organizational factors interaction was negative and significant (β = −.386, p = .001), whereas the energy and waste interactions were not statistically significant. The findings extend the Resource-Based View by showing that green operational practices function as performance-relevant capabilities whose contribution depends partly on complementary organizational systems, while Organizational Learning and Institutional perspectives explain how leadership, culture, and resources embed sustainability in routine event operations. Managers should therefore combine visible operational gains, particularly in waste and water management, with stronger training, monitoring, budgeting, and cross-department accountability.