A decision-making approach for prioritizing employee service innovation drivers in hospitality and tourism industry under a fuzzy environment

In the hospitality and tourism (HT) industry, Employee Service Innovative Behavior (ESIB) is crucial for organizational competitiveness, service quality, and long-term sustainability. However, the factors influencing ESIB are diverse, interrelated, and often characterized by uncertainty in expert judgements. The present study identified and prioritized the main drivers that influence employees’ innovative behavior in HT businesses by applying the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy AHP). The study investigated five main drivers (Work Attitudes, Individual Characteristics, Organizational Characteristics, Leadership Style, Team Characteristics) and twenty related sub-drivers, after a thorough examination of the literature and expert evaluation. The findings of the study show that ‘Work Attitude’ is the most significant predictor of innovative behavior (IB) in HT services, and among the sub-factors, ‘Job Security’ plays an important role in encouraging IB among the employees. The study offers valuable insights for the HT industries by promoting an innovative culture and improving their ability to compete in the rapidly changing service market.