The contingent influence of organizational capabilities on proactive environmental strategy in the service sector: An analysis of North American and European ski resorts

TLDR

The study examines how externally focused organizational capabilities influence the development of proactive environmental strategies in ski resorts under varying levels of business environment uncertainty. The authors analyze 134 North American and European ski resorts to assess the role of these capabilities in shaping proactive environmental strategies. Capabilities of strategic proactivity and continuous innovation are linked to proactive environmental strategies, and managerial uncertainty perceptions moderate continuous innovation deployment across uncertainty levels, highlighting a contingency for capability deployment in generating proactive corporate strategy. © 2007 ASAC, Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract

Abstract Our study of 134 North American and European ski resorts examines the influence of externally focused organizational capabilities on the generation of proactive environmental strategies under contingent effects of uncertainty in the general business environment. We find that the capabilities of strategic proactivity and continuous innovation are associated with proactive environmental strategies. Managerial perceptions of uncertainty in the general business environment moderate the deployment of the capability of continuous innovation at all levels of uncertainty and stakeholder engagement at low and average levels of uncertainty. The study contributes to the resource‐based view (RBV) by illuminating an important contingency under which capabilities are likely to be deployed to generate a proactive corporate strategy. Copyright © 2007 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.