A social network analysis of interlocking directorates in the accommodation sector
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
ISSN: 0959-6119
Article publication date: 1 December 2022
Issue publication date: 30 January 2024
Abstract
Purpose
By adopting network analytic techniques, this paper aims to examine interlocking directorates among firms operating in the hospitality services sector in seven major Italian tourism destinations.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected information for all the hotel corporations whose headquarters are located in the seven top Italian destinations: Florence, Milan, Naples, Rimini, Rome, Turin and Venice. Data come from the Analisi Informatizzata delle Aziende Italiane database by Bureau Van Dijk and were used to build a network where the nodes are board members (people) and corporations (hotels) and the links represent the membership of individuals in the boards. From this, with a one-mode projection, the authors obtain two networks: people and corporations. The overall networks’ structures are analysed by assessing their connectivity characteristics.
Findings
The findings indicate a relatively low number of interlocks that signals a high degree of fragmentation, showing that the interconnections (both within and between destinations) are scarce. This suggests that in absence of formalized cooperation arrangements, corporations might collaborate informally.
Research limitations/implications
This work extends previous research on complexity in business settings, focusing specifically on service companies whose output depends on multiple interactions and helps clarifying coopetition practices of hospitality service firms. Policymaking perspectives are discussed as well as managerial viewpoints.
Originality/value
Not many studies of the interlocking directorates in the hospitality domain exist. This paper uses network analysis for a better understanding of the cooperative practices and the formal social structures of the Italian hospitality industry and derives a series of implications important for both researchers and practitioners while also looking at potential future studies.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Piero Beritelli for the discussion and his suggestions to improve this paper.
Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Statement: All co-authors contributed equally to the manuscript.
Citation
Baggio, R., Guizzardi, A. and Mariani, M. (2024), "A social network analysis of interlocking directorates in the accommodation sector", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 36 No. 2, pp. 422-437. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-03-2022-0315
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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