Environmental management system (EMS): Postulating the value of its adoption to organizational learning in hotels

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to discuss the link or relationship between environmental management system (EMS) adoptions with organization learning (OL). It postulates that EMS adoption has the potential to catalyze organizational learning in hotels to make them more dynamic and competitive.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviewed the literature to link the purpose and steps involved in an EMS adoption with the benefit of managing organizational knowledge and OL. It also uses the literature to identify phases of learning in EMS adoption and the level of employees exposed to the learning.

Findings

There are two reasons why more hotels should not be hesitant to adopt EMS: flexibility – EMS does not dictate the level of environmental performance a firm should achieve, thus giving hotel firms the flexibility to determine the level of sophistication of their environmental management; and the building of company’s dynamism – EMS facilitates organizational learning, leading to enhanced organizational performance.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed link between EMS implementation with OL in this paper can only be proven by means of empirical studies.

Practical implications

Understanding the OL value of EMS adoption may persuade more hotel practitioners to adopt it.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a link between a systematic approach to managing environmental responsibility with knowledge management in hotels.

Citation

Kasim, A. (2015), "Environmental management system (EMS): Postulating the value of its adoption to organizational learning in hotels", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 27 No. 6, pp. 1233-1253. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-01-2014-0045