Adoption of AI-powered technologies for food upcycling in green hotels: a technology-organization-environment and natural resource-based view perspective

Purpose Food waste is one of the main concerns in the hotel industry that contributes to economic inefficiencies and overuse of natural resources. Using AI-powered technologies in food upcycling is a novel method to create value-added products that promote a circular economy. This study assesses green hotels' adoption of AI-powered technologies in food upcycling. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from 342 employees working in five-star hotels in China. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed for the data analysis. Findings The study's results show that digital leadership and government regulations significantly influence the adoption of AI-powered technologies, while technology roadmapping influence was insignificant. The study's findings theoretically established the link between the adoption of AI-powered technologies and innovations that lead to improved operational performance. Furthermore, the findings show that environmental dynamism strengthens the relationship between digital leadership and the adoption of AI-powered technologies, and between government regulations and the adoption of AI-powered technologies. Practically, these findings provide strategic directions to managers to invest in digital leadership and frame the hotel's strategies that align with government regulations to foster AI-driven innovation and enhance operational performance. Originality/value This is among the first studies combining technology-organization-environment and natural resource-based view perspective in the context of food upcycling in green hotels.