UB Business School researcher Esther Hormiga has conducted a study that delves into how the skills and abilities of business leaders impact small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the ever-evolving tourism sector. This research highlights the crucial role played by leaders’ sustainability competences in shaping the direction of these businesses.

The study, titled ‘Leaders’ sustainability competences and small and medium-sized enterprises outcomes: The role of social entrepreneurial orientation,’ co-authored by Dr. Hormiga and published in the Sustainable Development Journal, sheds light on the fact that successful companies need leaders who possess a specific skill set. These skills enable them to not only thrive but also compete effectively in today’s complex business landscape.

To ensure the reliability of their findings, the researchers used advanced techniques like exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to validate their measurement scales. They also employed structural equation modeling to better understand the cause-and-effect relationships in their model.

The study’s results are quite enlightening. They reveal that sustainability competences have a positive impact on a company’s social entrepreneurial orientation. In simpler terms, this means that when leaders possess these competences, it significantly enhances both the economic and social performance of SMEs. Notably, these competences also play a key role in driving innovations that are environmentally friendly (green innovation).

These findings underscore the immense influence of leaders’ competences in shaping how SMEs operate, particularly in a socially responsible manner. As a result, investing in training programs that focus on sustainable development competences emerges as a critical pathway to bolster the success of SMEs in the constantly changing world of business.

To learn more about the research conducted by Dr. Esther Hormiga and other researchers at UB Business School, and to explore their profiles and publications, please visit our website.