Net-Positive Business Practices in Accredited Accommodation Facilities: An Embedded Ethics Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajth.v4i1.6483Keywords:
Accommodation Facilities, Accredited, Embedded Ethics, Net-Positive Business PracticesAbstract
This study explores the adoption, embedded ethics, effects, challenges, and opportunities of NPBP in Kenya’s accredited accommodation facilities, addressing the growing environmental and ethical imperatives in the hospitality sector. As global tourism increasingly prioritizes sustainability, facilities are shifting from practices that merely reduce harm to strategies that actively regenerate social and ecological well-being. Guided by regenerative hospitality and embedded ethics frameworks. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional survey targeting 120 managers from Gold, Silver, and Bronze-rated facilities. The sample was selected through simple random sampling. Instrument validity was ensured through expert review; a pretesting was done reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.7. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings indicate robust adoption of NPBP: 82% of facilities implemented water conservation measures, 76% engaged in comprehensive waste segregation, 68% improved energy efficiency, and 71% fostered community partnerships. Embedded ethical practices, including sustainability-oriented leadership, transparent decision-making, and staff empowerment, were reported by 79% of respondents. These practices positively influenced operational outcomes, with 74% of facilities reporting increased customer satisfaction, 69% noting enhanced brand reputation, 64% experiencing higher employee motivation, and 57% achieving cost reductions contributing to profitability. Despite progress, facilities face notable challenges, particularly high upfront investment costs (63%) and uncertainty regarding eco-conscious customers’ willingness to pay premiums (58%). Significant opportunities exist: 81% of facilities cited competitive advantage, 77% recognized benefits from regulatory compliance, and 72% plan to scale sustainable initiatives over the next five years. The study concludes that Kenyan accredited facilities have made meaningful strides toward NP and regenerative operations. However, sustained success requires financial support, leadership commitment, staff training, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. Integrating ethics and sustainability into organizational culture not only enhances environmental and social outcomes but also serves as a strategic driver of long-term performance and sector transformation
References
Ali, F., Jang, S., & Choi, H. (2022). Ethical leadership and employee well-being in hospitality: The mediating role of resilience. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 102, 103115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103115
AlSuwaidi, M., Jabeen, F., & Papastathopoulos, A. (2020). Corporate social responsibility in the UAE hospitality sector: Drivers and outcomes. Social Responsibility Journal, 16(5), 630–648. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-07-2018-0190
Alzghoul, A., Ahmad, S., & Alblas, A. (2023). Ethical leadership and employee outcomes in tourism and hospitality. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31(2), 312–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2022.2045662
Amneh, A., Ghani, B., & Noor, R. (2024). Ethical leadership and organizational citizenship behavior in hospitality. Tourism Management Perspectives, 49, 101005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2023.101005
Andriotis, K. (2018). Degrowth in tourism: Conceptual, theoretical and philosophical issues. Anatolia, 29(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2017.1411373
Ateljević, I. (2020). Transformative travel and regenerative tourism. Tourism Geographies, 22(4–5), 735–742. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2020.1750686
Ateljevic, I., & Sheldon, P. (2022). Regenerative tourism: A conceptual framework for a new paradigm. Journal of Tourism Futures, 8(3), 215–230. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-03-2020-0048
Banks, G. C., Fischer, T., Gooty, J., & Stock, R. (2020). Ethical leadership: A meta-analytic review and future research agenda. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 41(3), 319–338. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2413
Becken, S. (2019). Decarbonising tourism: Mission impossible? Tourism Recreation Research, 44(4), 419–432. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2019.1599736
Becken, S., & Dolnicar, S. (2016). Tourism and the environment. Springer. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9781137313565
Bellato, L., & Cheer, J. (2021). Regenerative tourism and hospitality: A new paradigm shift. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 49, 367–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.09.011
Bellato, L., Frantzeskaki, N., & Nygaard, C. (2023). Regenerative hospitality: Advancing the net-positive agenda. Annals of Tourism Research, 98, 103118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2022.103118
Bhatti, M., Battour, M., & Ismail, A. (2020). Ethical leadership in the tourism industry: Impacts on employee well-being. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(9), 1186–1204. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2019.1574715
Bocken, N., Short, S., Rana, P., & Evans, S. (2014). A literature and practice review to develop sustainable business model archetypes. Journal of Cleaner Production, 65, 42–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.11.039
Bohdanowicz, P. (2005). European hoteliers’ environmental attitudes: Greening the business. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 46(2), 188–204. https://doi.org/10.1177/0010880404273894
Bohdanowicz, P., & Martinac, I. (2007). Determinants and benchmarking of resource consumption in hotels. Energy and Buildings, 39(1), 82–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2006.05.009
Bohdanowicz, P., & Zientara, P. (2012). Corporate social responsibility in hospitality: Trends and challenges. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(4), 1090–1100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2011.12.003
Brown, M. E., Treviño, L. K., & Harrison, D. (2005). Ethical leadership: A social learning perspective. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 97(2), 117–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2005.03.002
Camilleri, M. A. (2021). Corporate sustainable practices and consumer well-being in hospitality. Sustainable Development, 29(1), 35–46. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2136
Camilleri, M. A., Attard, C., & Neumann, S. (2024). CSR and guest loyalty in the hospitality industry. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 32(1), 15–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2022.2095234
Cao, Y., Zhang, Z., & Wu, Y. (2024). Customer-company identification in green hotels: The mediating role of trust. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 33(2), 210–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2023.2184914
Caruso, R. (2023). Regenerative hospitality: The new sustainable frontier. Sustainability, 15(2), 899–915. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15020899
Chan, E., & Barlis, P. (2023). Ethical leadership and service-oriented organizational citizenship behavior in hotels. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 35(1), 50–70. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-04-2021-0433
Chavez, Q. S. A., & Lunar, A. S., (2025), Green Tourism Practices among ECOPARKS in the First District of Oriental Mindoro. American Journal of Tourism and Hospitality, 3(1), 127-143. https://doi.org/10.54536/ajth.v3i1.5154
Dexter, J. (2018). The net positive manifesto. Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org
Dolnicar, S. (2020). Designing for more responsible behaviour in tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 84, 102933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2020.102933
Duarte, A., Silva, M., & Correia, A. (2024). Regenerative tourism: Revisiting sustainability. Tourism Management Perspectives, 45, 101072. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2022.101072
EHL Hospitality Business School. (2022). Regenerative hospitality: Beyond sustainability. EHL Insights. https://hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu
Elkhweildi, M., Rahman, S., & Ahmad, J. (2025). Ethical leadership and green performance in hospitality. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 8(1), 70–92. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-11-2022-0233
Elkington, J. (1997). Cannibals with forks: The triple bottom line of 21st century business. Capstone. https://www.wiley.com
Etges, A., & Coelho, T. (2023). Ethical culture and organizational trust in hospitality. Tourism Review, 78(4), 1120–1137. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-07-2021-0341
Filimonau, V., Derqui, B., & Matute, J. (2021). Water management in hotels: A systematic review. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 93, 102772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102772
Font, X., & McCabe, S. (2017). Sustainability and marketing in tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 25(7), 869–879. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2016.1247841
Gössling, S., Peeters, P., & Hall, C. M. (2012). Water management in tourism. Tourism Management, 33(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2011.03.015
Hahn, C. (2025). Ethical leadership and performance in hotels: A longitudinal study. Service Industries Journal, 45(2), 210–230. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2023.2219408
Han, H., Yu, J., & Kim, W. (2018). Environmental consciousness and willingness to pay more. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 75, 95–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.03.012
Hassani, M., Rashidi, M., & Hossain, M. (2023). Corporate diplomacy and stakeholder legitimacy in hospitality. Journal of Business Ethics, 188(1), 213–230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04626-9
Inversini, A., Marchiori, E., & Cantoni, L. (2023). Regenerative hospitality: From theory to practice. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 57, 12–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2023.02.016
Jones, P., Hillier, D., & Comfort, D. (2016). Sustainability in the global hotel industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 28(1), 36–67. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-05-2014-0230
Kaptein, M. (2011). Understanding unethical behavior: A review of the literature. Journal of Business Ethics, 102(4), 477–493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0730-x
Kasim, A. (2009). Corporate environmentalism in the hotel sector: Evidence from Malaysia. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 10(3), 228–256. https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480903088174
Khalil, M., Qazi, M., & Rizvi, Y. (2021). Barriers to sustainable hospitality in developing economies. Sustainable Hospitality Review, 4(1), 50–65. https://sustainablehospitalityreview.com
Khattak, S., Zada, M., & Shah, S. (2022). Ethical leadership and organizational commitment. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 99, 103123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.103123
Kongjue, W., & Zhao, L. (2024). Ethics and long-term viability of hospitality businesses. Journal of Business Research, 168, 114–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.113442
Legrand, W., Sloan, P., & Chen, J. (2023). Sustainability in the hospitality industry (4th ed.). Routledge. https://www.routledge.com
Liu, W., Xie, X., & Li, H. (2025). Ethical leadership and employee burnout in hospitality. Tourism Management, 92, 104515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104515
Mariki, S., & Modest, W. (2017). Community-based tourism and net-positive development. Tourism Planning & Development, 14(3), 286–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2016.1243144
Mensah, I. (2006). Environmental management practices in Ghanaian hotels. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Management, 13(2), 95–107. https://doi.org/10.1375/jhtm.13.2.95
Mensah, I. (2019). Sustainable operations in African hotels. Journal of African Business, 20(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228916.2018.1453834
Mensah, I. (2020). Water conservation in hotels. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 85, 102356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.102356
Moayerian, N., McGehee, N., & Stephenson, M. (2022). Regenerative tourism: Community-driven pathways. Tourism Management Perspectives, 42, 100952. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2022.100952
Mohammed, S., Alqahtani, R., & Noor, N. (2021). Ethical communication and employee integrity. Journal of Business Ethics, 174(3), 621–635. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04548-6
Moyle, B., Moyle, C., Ruhanen, L., Weaver, D., & Hadinejad, A. (2020). Are we really progressing sustainable tourism? Tourism Management, 81, 104167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2020.104167
Near, J., & Miceli, M. (1995). Effective whistleblowing. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 679–708. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1995.9508080334
Nzuva, P. (2022). Sustainability and competitiveness in Kenyan hotels. African Journal of Hospitality Management, 6(1), 23–37. https://ajhmjournal.org
Olobia, L. P. (2024) Go City Green Through a Community of Practice: Knowledge Management for Environmental Sustainability. Journal of Innovative Research, 2(3), 15-19. https://doi.org/10.54536/jir.v2i3.2956
Paddison, B., & Hall, C. M. (2024). Community participation and regenerative tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 32(6), 918–938. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2022.2142914
Paralta, P., Oliveira, T., & Sousa, A. (2023). Ethical infrastructure and employee well-being. Journal of Business Ethics, 184(2), 421–437. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05242-4
Partanen, M., Kettunen, P., & Saarinen, J. (2023). Regenerative tourism and net-positive strategies. Tourism Geographies, 25(3), 411–429. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2022.2064649
Pizam, A. (2021). Green hospitality: The new competitive advantage. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 95, 102939. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.102939
Porter, M., & Kramer, M. (2011). Creating shared value. Harvard Business Review, 89(1–2), 62–77. https://hbr.org/2011/01/the-big-idea-creating-shared-value
Radić, A., & Dragičević, V. (2025). Beyond sustainability: Regenerative futures for hospitality. Journal of Tourism Futures, 11(1), 55–72. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-06-2022-0154
Radwan, H., Jones, E., & Minoli, D. (2012). Barriers to environmental performance improvements in Egypt’s hotel industry. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 20(7), 997–1014. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2012.667108
Saarinen, J. (2014). Critical debates on tourism and sustainable development. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 22(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2013.785484
Saarinen, J. (2021). Tourism growth critiques and alternatives. Annals of Tourism Research, 89, 103188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2020.103188
Saleem, M., Qureshi, A., & Habib, A. (2024). Ethical leadership and sustainable HR practices. Human Resource Management Review, 34(1), 100915. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2022.100915
Scheyvens, R. (2015). Tourism and community well-being. Tourism Management, 50, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.01.005
Schwepker, C., & Dimitriou, C. (2021). Ethics and employee loyalty in hospitality. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 94, 102801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102801
Shereni, N., du Plessis, E., & Nyahunzvi, D. (2022). Sustainability adoption in African hospitality. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 5(5), 1028–1045. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-07-2021-0178
Tsai, C., Wu, H., & Ho, C. (2020). Environmental certification and regulatory compliance in hotels. Sustainability, 12(20), 8503. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208503
Tzschentke, N., Kirk, D., & Lynch, P. (2008). Going green in hospitality. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 27(4), 692–700. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2007.07.007
Ugarte, S., & Ruíz, M. (2024). Resource regeneration and community empowerment in tourism. Tourism Review International, 28(1), 45–62. https://doi.org/10.3727/154427224X17340369808431
UNEP. (2020). Sustainable hospitality guidelines. United Nations Environment Programme. https://www.unep.org
UNWTO. (2022). Tourism and sustainability report. United Nations World Tourism Organization. https://www.unwto.org
Usman, M., Khan, S., & Ali, R. (2025). CSR and customer well-being in hospitality. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 34(2), 134–152. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2023.2251173
Wood, D., Jones, T., & Carroll, A. (2021). Corporate social responsibility in hospitality. Business & Society, 60(3), 688–712. https://doi.org/10.1177/0007650316687212
Zakaria, N., Awang, Z., & Yusof, M. (2025). Ethical climate in hotel organizations. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 49(1), 55–77. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480221104674.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Njue M. Murimi, Mogaka H. Nyamogosa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
