From ecological values to sustainable practices management: a study in Portuguese tourism companies

The ethics of environmental sustainability are expressed through ecological values, which are expected to be reflected in the sustainable practices adopted by tourism companies. This study aims to analyse the extent to which ecological values influence the propensity of tourism companies to adopt sustainable practices, as well as the importance that managers assign to sustainability certification and the adoption of monitoring tools. A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted based on a sample of Portuguese tourism companies. The findings indicate that commitment to sustainable practices is higher among certified companies, larger organizations, and those where decision-making is more widely distributed across management levels. Positive and significant correlations were identified among most of the constructs analyzed, particularly between the importance assigned to certification, ecological worldviews, willingness to adopt digital monitoring tools, and the propensity to adopt sustainable practices. However, while ecocentrism shows only a weak relationship with the propensity to adopt sustainable practices, anthropocentrism does not significantly predict behavioral intention. This suggests the presence of an attitude-behavior gap, which may be explained by internal power dynamics and/or structural barriers within organizations, and warrants further investigation.