In France, ski resorts are famous and attract tourists the world over. Yet managers have to deal with a major problem to improve their competitiveness: they must develop the right environmental strategies to positively impact their performance.
Hélène Michel and her co-authors, studied this problem and measured the influence of two environmental strategies on firms’ performance: the “concerned citizen” and the “proactive” strategies.
Choosing a green strategy
Their study of a sample of 38 French ski resorts shows that a “proactive” environmental strategy is no more positively correlated with firms’ performance than a “concerned citizen” strategy. The research highlights a correlation between environmental strategy and organization’s performance. By clarifying which green initiatives lead to performance improvements, this study helps managers identify the most advantageous environmental investments.
Definitions
The concerned citizen strategy : Firms’ actions deal with prevention (reducing toxic emissions, waste-conserving energy, and protecting natural resources). The aim of the “concerned citizen” strategy is to strengthen the company’s legitimacy in the market.
The proactive strategy : Proactive firms develop environmental management systems such as eco-lifecycle processes through new product design or certifications in order to secure competitive advantage.
Goncalves O., Robinot E., Michel H., Does It Pay to Be Green? The Case of French Ski Resorts, Journal of Travel Research, 2016, vol. 55, no. 7, pp. 889-903
![By Michael Vadon (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0]](https://recherche.grenoble-em.com/sites/default/files/public/styles/gem_liste_actu/public/actualite/vignette_desktop/donald-trump.jpg?itok=aQBW3oxv)
