Green business and sustainability practices in hospitality: an employee perspective

The implementation of sustainable practices in the hospitality sector is essential for achieving positive and lasting results and is closely linked to employees' perceptions and commitment. Although many studies suggest that employees often have a positive attitude towards sustainability initiatives and are willing to contribute to environmental conservation, there is also the possibility that their perception may be negative and, as a result, they may not engage in the implementation of these practices. To conduct this study, a structured questionnaire was used, distributed to 190 employees of hotel businesses in six Western Balkan countries: Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. The data were analyzed using SPSS software, through measuring the mean, standard deviation and reliability testing with the Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient, as well as the Pearson Correlation test to analyze the relationships between variables. The study results indicate that the implementation of sustainable practices by employees has a positive impact on improving the overall performance of hotels. Furthermore, the study revealed that the role of employees is essential in this process. Employee engagement in these practices contributes to enhancing the environmental and economic efficiency of hotels, bringing significant benefits to their performance and influencing the overall sustainability of the hospitality business.