TQM and sustainable hospitality: unpacking the link between green culture, employee behavior, and hotel performance

This study investigates how Total Quality Management (TQM) fosters sustainability in Thailand’s five-star hotels by shaping Green Organizational Culture (GOC), influencing Employee Green Behaviour (EGB), and driving Organizational Green Performance (OGP). A survey of 385 hotel employees in Bangkok, analysed via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), reveals that while TQM strongly cultivates a green culture—fully mediating its impact on OGP—green behaviours alone fail to enhance organizational performance, suggesting unintended trade-offs. These findings challenge conventional wisdom that sustainability efforts always translate into performance gains, highlighting the need for strategic alignment between environmental and business objectives. Practical recommendations include integrating TQM-driven sustainability with employee incentives and regulatory frameworks to maximize impact. Future research should explore external forces, such as policy interventions and market demand, to better position sustainability as a competitive advantage in hospitality. This study advances the discourse on sustainable management by linking quality practices to environmental and operational outcomes.