Keywords

1 Introduction and Research Aim

Smart technologies and their use by tourism small and medium-sized organisations (SMEs) are modifying the tasks performed by employees that are in contact with consumers/tourists [1, 2]. Technology infusion towards smart technologies is defined by [3] as the incorporation of smart technological elements by service organisations with the aim of modifying the customer experience by employees in direct contact with consumers/tourists. This area is of great relevance in companies and facilitates service encounters between people, from people to technology and between different technologies with each other [4].

On the other hand, organisational mindfulness towards digital transformation is of great importance in the incorporation of smart technologies, as it would help to proactively manage digital technologies and reduce the possibility of rigidity [5]. Organisational mindfulness is defined as the degree to which a company grasps differential details about emerging threats and builds a capacity to act quickly in response to these elements [6]. The presence of organisational mindfulness increases the likelihood of digital transformation decisions by firms and enables more effective deployment of their resources to better implement smart technologies.

Although the key role of technologies has been increasingly recognised in the literature, the impact of infusion of smart technologies and mindfulness in the use of smart technologies on value creation, performance and competitiveness within tourism SMEs has been scarcely analyzed. In this sense, the main aim of this research is to examine the effect of the infusion of smart technologies and the mindfulness of tourism SMEs in the use of smart technologies on a series of aspects linked to the companies and their employees. Specifically, its effect on service advantage, value co-creation, employee job satisfaction, employee perception of service cannibalisation and competitiveness of tourism companies is analyzed.

2 Background and/or Conceptual Model

In the realm of digital transformation and the smart environment, infusion is defined as the extent to which consumer-facing employees use smart technology to its full extent to enhance their productivity [7]. Specifically, analyzing studies by [8], these authors define employee-applied technology infusion as any combination of hardware, software, information, and/or networks that support the co-creation of value between a service provider and the customer. Currently, smart employee-applied technology functions primarily as a resource that facilitates value creation in the exchange process between a customer and a service provider [9]. For example, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly reshaping service by performing various tasks, constituting an important source of innovation [10].

Another element linked to the use of technologies that has great influence is organisational mindfulness [11]. This concept represents the activities of actively searching for digital transformation opportunities, anticipating and evaluating business transformation, as well as providing alternatives for decision making. Key aspects of this variable include: anticipating digital technological change through the use of market intelligence [12], the company's strategic plan for technological change, choosing platforms (including hardware, network and software standards) that can accommodate technological change, and informing management of the most appropriate option before making a strategic technological transformation change decision [13].

The inclusion of smart technologies and their association to tourism refers to a platform where tourism organisations (managers and employees) and consumers/tourists use technologies to reinvent and strengthen their roles in the shared service economy and improve the quality of consumer/tourist experiences. The new smart tourism paradigm is centered on real-time consumer and value co-creation. Through interactions and assistance from the service provider, value is created [14]. Therefore, this study suggests that technology infusion will have a direct and positive effect on service advantage (H1), value co-creation (H2), employee job satisfaction (H3), and organisational competitiveness (H5). Likewise, increased awareness on the part of tourism organisations toward the use of smart technologies can have a direct positive effect on service advantage (H6), value co-creation (H7), employee job satisfaction (H8) and organisational competitiveness (H10).

However, several studies suggest that the use of ICT and smart technologies are raising doubts about the future of face-to-face employees, who perceive that their sales, market shares and roles are decreasing in favor of online channels [15]. In this sense, one of the consequences of technological infusion and the use of smart technologies in the tourism context is the perception of service cannibalisation (H4). Similarly, greater awareness on the part of tourism organisations toward the use of smart technologies could generate in employees who are in contact with consumers/tourists a greater insecurity in their role within the company, generating a perception of service cannibalisation (H9). In addition, some studies have determined the relationship between organisational awareness towards technology with greater innovation in the market and better performance of operations [16]. Thus, these variables (service advantage, value co-creation, employee job satisfaction and perception of service cannibalisation) can affect the competitiveness of tourism companies (H11, H12, H13 and H14). The following Fig. 1 gives a summary of all hypotheses.

Fig. 1.
figure 1

Theoretical model

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3 Methodology

The sample of the present study was obtained through quantitative primary research aimed at managers and employees of small and medium-sized tourism companies (hotels, travel agencies, etc.) located in Europe (nEU = 454) and the United States (nUSA = 423). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of closed-ended questions measured on 5-point Likert-type scales. To determine the relationships included in the proposed model, the PLS-SEM technique was applied using SmartPLS statistical software.

4 Results and/or Discussion and Contributions

The aim of this study is the creation of a model to analyse the effects that the infusion of smart technologies and the awareness of the organisation toward the use of these technologies have on some variables linked to tourism SMEs. From the context of Europe, researchers found that smart technology infusion appears to be positive and significant on service advantage, value co-creation, employee job satisfaction, employee perception of service cannibalisation, and competitiveness. Similarly, the mindfulness toward digital transformation has a significant influence on service advantage, value co-creation, employee job satisfaction, employee perception of service cannibalisation, and competitiveness. Finally, service advantage, value co-creation, employee job satisfaction, and employee perception of service cannibalisation have a significant influence on competitiveness. When this model is examined for the United States, smart technology infusion appears to be positive and significant on service advantage, value co-creation, employee perception of service cannibalisation, and competitiveness. However, the relationship between smart technology infusion, and employee job satisfaction is not supported.

On the other hand, the mindfulness toward digital transformation has a significant influence on service advantage, value co-creation, employee job satisfaction, employee perception of service cannibalisation, and competitiveness. Finally, service advantage, employee job satisfaction, and employee perception of service cannibalisation have a significant influence on competitiveness. Nevertheless, the relationship between value co-creation and competitiveness is not supported in the model. When analysing the moderating effect of the context variable, the findings indicate that there were no significant differences between the American and European tourism SMEs regarding the consequences of smart technology infusion and mindfulness toward digital transformation, only in the relationship between value co-creation and competitiveness amongst both groups.

The results of this study demonstrate the impact that the use of smart technologies to their full potential and the organisations' mindset and/or awareness toward the use of technology have on service advantage, value co-creation, employee satisfaction and competitiveness. However, the use of smart technologies in tourism organisations can create more negative effects such as the perception of service cannibalisation among employees. Ultimately, this study helps to explain how smart technologies create different effects on employees in tourism organisations (hotels, tourist attractions and travel agencies), enabling the development of more tailored services to meet real consumer demands.

In addition to the contributions to academic research in this area, this study highlights several interesting implications for practitioners. This research advances the analysis of technological infusion, organisational awareness of smart technologies and their consequences for organisations. Smart technologies and connected objects are set to change service as we know it, and to have a significant impact on the other players in the service pyramid: consumers/tourists, employees, the organisation and the tourism destinations where these organisations are located. This study would confirm that the business value of technology is not only a tool to support the operational process, but also functions as part of the business for various business capabilities.