Sustainability-oriented service innovation and customer satisfaction in hospitality: Assessing the impact of value co-creation, ecological knowledge and gender

In response to recent research calls on sustainability, innovation and consumer behaviour, in this article, the following objectives are pursued: (1) to empirically test the relationships between the newly introduced variable, the so-called ‘sustainability-oriented service innovation’ (SOSI), ecological knowledge and value co-creation; (2) to observe whether SOSI, ecological knowledge and value co-creation boost customer satisfaction; and (3) to examine the moderating effect of gender on the proposed relationships. The data were collected through a panel of hotel guests applying quota sampling in Spain in 2020. In total, 405 valid questionnaires were obtained. The partial least squares structural equations modelling was used to analyse the data, test hypotheses and conduct a multigroup analysis. The results allow a contribution to the body of knowledge by observing the advantages of simultaneous implementation of sustainability and innovation in the hotel industry through a novel approach such as SOSI. The finding supports the SOSI effect of SOSI on value co-creation. However, it is shown that the effect of SOSI on satisfaction is significant only if value co-creation acts as a mediator. Ecological knowledge is also a significant antecedent of SOSI and satisfaction; however, it impacts value co-creation indirectly through SOSI. Furthermore, significant moderating effects of gender were found in the relationship between SOSI and value co-creation, highlighting the more robust relationship between variables for women. Finally, regarding practical implications, the results reinforce the importance for hotel managers to develop innovative and sustainable actions and interact with the clients to increase their satisfaction.