Leadership practices for pursuing frugal innovation in hotels and restaurants: the roles of knowledge sharing and information technology utilization

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of transformational leadership (TL) on frugal innovation (FI) of hotel and restaurant firms through the mediating role of knowledge sharing (KS) and moderating role of information technology utilization (ITU).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper used a quantitative research method and structural equation modeling to test the relationship among the latent factors based on a sample of 315 participants from 113 hotel and restaurant firms.

Findings

Findings show the significant impacts of TL on FI directly or indirectly via the mediating role of tacit and explicit KS behaviors. It highlights the important role of ITU in fostering influence of KS behaviors on FI.

Practical implications

The paper provides managers and directors in the Vietnamese restaurant and hotel industry with valuable insights into the development of leadership programs focusing on TL practices to improve the knowledge resource and FI capabilities of firms.

Originality/value

This study contributes to bridging research gaps in the literature and advances the insights of the key antecedents and appropriate conditions to pursue FI of hotel and restaurant firms.

Citation

Le, P.B., Thai Phong, L. and Vu, K.D. (2025), "Leadership practices for pursuing frugal innovation in hotels and restaurants: the roles of knowledge sharing and information technology utilization", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-07-2024-0703