15. NH: Innovation and Knowledge Production Through Active Stakeholder Management

Marina Mattera

Economics & International Relations Area

Universidad Europea de Madrid—Madrid (Spain)

Apart from the four categories mentioned above, there is a fifth category under which innovations can be classified: social innovation. To consider an innovation under this category, it is not taken into consideration the nature of that innovation but rather the collaborations that take place to produce such a novelty, the subjacent need it covers, and the resulting outcome from the new element’s implementation. Such innovation does not need to be technological or a product/service per se, though it should be aimed at a specific group of people, and specific societal needs, hence making the social implications more important than the mere technical advancements (Teece 2010).

Drucker (1985) argued that social innovation is one of the most necessary and relevant elements in creating a society with higher entrepreneurism. Social innovation can therefore be applied to any business sector or industry. It includes areas of public policy and nonprofit organizations covering specific areas of the firm, such as labor relations, legislative changes, healthcare, and educational development.

Thompson (2002) insists on the social implications of innovations by stating that novelties can be aimed at improving community development, thus covering areas such as sports and entertainment, or enlarging the business development areas. Given the relevance of constructing social innovations, firms that accurately carry out such innovations can build their business model based on a strong intangible asset.

Complementary to identifying what type of innovations are derived from the knowledge-creation and transfer process, it was also studied within the Innovation Theory Framework how these processes are carried out and how the final innovation is achieved. Johannessen et al. (2001) identified, through an in-depth analysis of the literature, four main ways in which innovations are created. First, innovation can be individually driven—that is, created by a person (Scott and Bruce, 1994). To understand this process, the personal attributes of this individual should be studied to gather information and deduce what features made that innovation possible (age of the innovator, education, creativity, cognitive style, etc.).

Second, the innovative process can be categorized as structure-oriented. In this case, the focus is on the organizational attributes and the structure that facilitate innovation (Slappendel 1996). Third, innovations can be interactive-oriented, implying there is a relationship between the innovation and the firm’s structure and its stakeholders (Van de Ven and Rogers 1988). Last but not least is the “systems of innovation” oriented approach, which is an innovation-creation process through the creation of networks and collaborative learning resulting from this networking (Nelson and Winter 1982; Lundvall and Johnson 1994; Edquist 1997). Consequently, the innovation is created through the joint effort of the members of this network.

Related to this last trail of thought, David and Foray (2004) identified the existence of “knowledge-based communities,” which consist of communities where knowledge is collectively produced and capitalized (i.e., incorporated) into every organization or individual that participates in this process. Therefore, through a joint effort between stakeholders, knowledge is produced more easily and with a higher accuracy in results obtained. Firms participating in knowledge-based communities can transform these collaborations into their own competitive advantages.

Figure 15.1 KMCI’s knowledge life cycle.

The process starts with individual and group learning, which leads to the development of knowledge claims. These claims are based on preexistent knowledge, and intend to create improvements from this basis. Hence, it is through people inside and outside the organization that knowledge is produced. When claims are accepted (validated) in the organization, this knowledge becomes part of the organization and is integrated into the already existent knowledge. To truly integrate a new element as part of the organization’s knowledge, it should be first searched and then shared, taught, or broadcasted among its members, according to each type of new knowledge. After it is integrated into the organization, it becomes part of the distributed organizational knowledge (i.e., shared between members of the organization).

When talking specifically about companies, the knowledge integration is aimed at achieving a corporate benefit, and thus knowledge is codified and used by individuals and teams inside the organization to improve the business environment. Knowledge production is then put into practice to create new products/services, new ways of delivering products or services, new ways of advertising the product/service or reaching current or potential clients, new ways of internally organizing the firm to be more efficient, and so on. After knowledge is integrated and implemented, this knowledge use is tested, both internally and externally. This implies that the organization assesses whether the results of the implementation are positive for the individuals and groups inside the firm and also for the stakeholders, especially the groups of interest that interact the most with the company in each market.

Mc Elroy (2002) defined the concept of Social Innovation Capital as “the collective manner in which whole social systems (i.e., firms) organize themselves around—and carry out—the production and integration of new knowledge.”

Knowledge production in healthy socially integrated companies results in a direct value enhancement for the firm, its “Social Innovation Capital.” This can be measured in terms of intellectual property—for instance, patents, trademarks, or copyrights—but also in indirect elements, such as a more effective business strategy, efficient organizational models, highly motivated and efficient employees, better relationships with the company’s stakeholders, and so forth. Well-running innovation and understanding the underlying social implications of knowledge-production processes allow organizations to be successful and have a sustainable prosperous future.

Within the tourism and travel sector, the major area is the hospitality industry. This multibillion-dollar industry serves millions of people on a global scale with significant growth expectations for the upcoming years. The International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA) estimates that employment in the hospitality industry revolves around 60 million people and contributes US$950 billion to the global economy every year.¹ Considering the size of the industry, the impact it has on a socioeconomic and environmental levels is quite significant, in any destination or location around the world. Therefore, it is crucial for enterprises to be aware of the implications of such reach because any activity they carry out will have an impact not only on their business but also on the socio-environmental context in which they operate.

¹ Retrieved February 11, 2012. www.ih-ra.com/about-us/global-councils.

The 2012 World Tourism Barometer showed that international tourist arrivals grew by over 4% in 2011, totaling 980 million. During 2012, growth was expected to continue, reaching the 1-billion-milestone mark (ibid.). Also in 2012, an estimated one out of seven people crossed a national border, staying for at least one night at an abroad location, whether making use of the hotel industry or staying at a relative’s or friend’s home.

During the past few years, there have been trends that significantly influenced tourism companies, leading them to reconsider their supply chain and operational management by reformulating their objectives and strategies (Gessa Perera et al. 2008). According to the Brundtland Report (1989), there is a worldwide consensus with regard to the importance of achieving sustainable development. In this report, the concept of sustainable development is defined as a socioeconomic model through which present needs are satisfied while allowing for the satisfaction of future generations’ needs.

This is applicable to any industry. In particular, the hotel industry has a major impact when considering sustainable development, affecting its multiple stakeholders and the environment in which it operates. It is essential, then, to comprehend that any firm is a community of people, but in the case of hotels, the firm interacts with a large number of external agents, from consumers to suppliers, governments, and so on. Companies have a responsibility for their actions, and this responsibility is shared among all the members of the organization, as well as the stakeholders. A hotel is also responsible to its external stakeholders, the individuals and population groups affected by its activity, “including customers and suppliers, other players in the company’s value chain, local communities, society in general and future population” (Argandoña, 2010).

Tourism is one of the industries that represent a significant proportion of world GDP, and Spain is one of the main destinations in terms of international arrivals, being the second country in receiving tourist visits, after the United States of America (WTO, 2011). Apart from the international relevance of Spain with regard to the worldwide tourism industry, this sector contributes to the country’s 10% of GDP (Instituto de Estudios Turísticos, 2011).

NH was one of the first Spanish hotel companies that started using the Internet to commercialize the services of the group, allowing customers to make reservations through the Web. In the late twentieth century, NH became one of the main Spanish chains of city hotels, present in every Spanish metropolis and in a large number of small cities. Since the establishment of the company in the late 1970s, the foundations of NH have been providing a top-quality service and specialization, which is evidenced in the customers’ satisfaction with this hotel chain.

Internationalization of the firm was first through the acquisition and creation of hotels in Latin America at the end of the 1990s. During the early twenty-first century, the expansion in the American continent was followed by the purchase of approximately 20% of the Italian leading hotel group Jolly Hotels and M&A with the Dutch hotel chain Krasnapolsky. Through the acquisitions of these leading European hotel chains, NH became the third-best business hotel chain in Europe, with a leading position in the market share in the urban areas where it operated. The firm was present then in 16 countries, and it had 168 establishments and 7,300 employees.

The concept of NH Hoteles was not only to provide a good service, but also to provide a clearly differentiated one. This is the main reason why the hotels were styled and managed according to the target guests that were to stay in the facilities. NH hotels had different types of establishments, but were mainly aimed at businessmen. To provide the best services for these clients, they established several partnership agreements with key collaborators, among which three were essential in consolidating and creating the NH Brand. Among these, NH established an agreement with the well-known Spanish chef Ferran Adriá to incorporate new elements into the restaurant variety offered by the hotel. This chef is famous on a worldwide scale for his innovative culinary concepts, and he brought a distinguished cuisine to the hotels.

Additionally, the firm incorporated different features for specific groups of guests, such as women, children, design lovers, and music fans, showing that the company directly offers services that fit each of the segments in the markets where they operate. Nowadays, NH Hoteles ranks among the top 25 hotel chains on a worldwide scale, and is one of the most important firms in the European tourism industry, with 400 hotels and 60,000 rooms in 26 countries. The firm has reinvented itself multiple times to fit guests’ needs, which has strengthened its brand and position in the market. This is shown in the brand loyalty, as well as in the corporate financial position.

Innovation: “Our challenge is to anticipate the current and future needs of our customers and of a society in constant change by creating new products and services.”

Business Sense: “This is one of the values that guide the daily activity of NH Hoteles and we take the necessary actions that are consistent with our strategy, our ethical principles, and responsibility, to ensure economic viability, profitability, and funding for the Company into the foreseeable future.”

Environmentally Friendly: “We cannot postpone our commitment to respect the environment and reduce our environmental footprint, because we have a common responsibility to the development of present and future generations.”

In the KMCI knowledge life cycle, production of knowledge begins with individual and group learning. In the case of NH Hoteles, the company conducts surveys both on-site and online with all its guests in order to gather feedback from each of them. Furthermore, the company joins forces with a wide range of collaborators and partners, such as Adolfo Dominguez, a Spanish fashion designer, with whom NH designed the employees’ uniform; Jesús del Pozo, another Spanish designer, who introduced a new line of fragrances for guests; and Ferran Adriá, to learn new cuisine trends and jointly create a renewed culinary concept.

Besides integrating ideas from collaborators, partners, and other stakeholders, the firm has developed an internal organization through which knowledge is transferred within its employees. To achieve this, NH Hoteles created a corporate university, named NH University. Through this organization, NH provides extensive and constant training for all the people who work within the firm, regardless of their positions. It is through the university and the courses taught therein that employees can acquire the necessary training and knowledge to be promoted in the organization. Figure 15.2 shows the career development followed by an employee working at NH.

Figure 15.2 Employees at NH University cycle.

Hotel staff members, independent of the location in which they were hired or where they are currently working, can take courses at NH University after working in the firm for approximately four years. Through the Development Center, the Human Resources department analyzes all employees’ situations and their abilities or competencies, determining to which positions they could be promoted and hence which skills they need to improve on. Determining which are the needs of participants and thus perfectly aligning these with the training is based on a close collaboration between the Corporate Human Resources department and top-level Directors of Operations, Revenue Management, and Finance departments, as well as the Quality & Competition area.

Trainers and “teachers” at NH University are high-level operations experts, such as Regional Directors and Business Unit Managing or Operations Directors. In this way, NH has achieved a top-level training program through which trainees can grasp knowledge firsthand from people who have already been through their same position. In addition to this, NH has a tailor-made hotel management simulation tool to accurately simulate real-life situations employees would encounter in their positions and, thus, conveying an effective learn-through-experience training. This results in effective transfer of knowledge and know-how implementation. Therefore, when promotion occurs, employees are ready to perform according to expectations and have all the necessary tools for effective daily decision making, consequently reducing negative impact on costs and revenues.

After being promoted as Department Heads, employees can carry out further in-depth courses to develop their management skills and be promoted as Hotel Director. This is once again applicable to employees working in any NH hotel independently of the country or city. After employees have been promoted to Hotel Director, they can move to higher positions by being in charge of hotels with higher categories—for instance, moving from a three-star hotel to a four-star hotel. From there, employees can be promoted to General Manager and other higher ranks, after proving commitment and loyalty to the company.

Additionally, NH University incorporates a program, called “New Heights,” specifically designed for Hotel General Managers who have achieved outstanding performance during the previous year. This select group of people has been classified as “exclusive members.” NH created a program customized only for hospitality management, specially tailored by New York’s prestigious Cornell University. The NH New Heights program was designed in a study-case format such that a prominent professor from the aforementioned institution delivered the cases and guided the discussion. The program evolved and now includes New Heights for High Potentials, aimed at General Managers who are new to their jobs but have exceeded expectations in previous years and show great promise as future leaders.

Complementary to the NH University Initiative, the company provides training for all its employees in terms of safety in the workplace. It is essential for all employees at NH Hoteles to know which specific actions they should undertake when an emergency takes place. In this context, it becomes important for people working at the firm not only to know how to react in such a circumstance but also to be able to guide customers or other individuals who are inside one of the company’s locations. Furthermore, safety in each of the positions at the firm is also extremely relevant because, for instance, people working at the reception usually spend significant amount of hours standing, and this can bring on health issues. It is important for employees to understand the potential risks of their workplace and undertake courses to minimize hazardous impact.

The corporation has also linked several initiatives to providing top-quality services and having employees specifically specialized in delivering optimum experiences to all its customers. In this context, each of the hotels serves a specific target of clients, being in most cases people who travel in business but also covering other market niches. An example of such is having hotels located in the bordering or outlying areas of a metropolis offer an alternative for those customers who want to be in a quieter area or for those firms wanting to organize conferences in exclusive locations, having a hotel reserved only for their purpose.

Besides, these hotels have a particular offering in their restaurants and buffets: a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, proteins, freshly squeezed juices, and pastries. This is intended to differentiate itself from the traditional high-calorie-no-healthy-value breakfast usually offered at hotels by introducing healthier options in a new breakfast buffet called “AntiOx.” This initiative is also implemented in the case of NH Resorts, which are hotels specifically aimed at people who are on vacation. Particularly, the offer aims at providing nourishment that will allow for a morning boost of energy for all the customers staying at an NH hotel. Additionally, the chosen ingredients and foods contribute to reducing stress, providing antioxidants the human body needs to reinforce the immunologic system, preventing premature aging, and protecting the cardiovascular system. Nowadays AntiOx is being introduced in a wide range of NH facilities.

NH also created the “Nhube” concept to meet customers’ needs. It consists of a new type of space where there is a restaurant-cafeteria and bar while at the same time providing a reading and chill-out area. In this sense, the Nhube concept is a multifunctional area that each individual can make use of according to his needs at a particular moment. This space is aimed at clients staying at the hotel but also intends to attract people who need a relaxing space or a working space. In this area, light changes according to the time of day, and there is chill-out music to contribute to relaxation, Wi-Fi Internet connection, and a TV, which is tuned to the channel customers want to watch (i.e., a soccer match, special news broadcasts). Therefore, independent of the needs each person has, they can all inhabit the same multifunctional space and profit from the amenities offered at NH Hotel’s Nhube.

The Nhube concept is currently being implemented in the following locations: in Madrid (Spain) at NH Alcorcón, NH San Sebastián de los Reyes, NH Parla, NH Balboa, NH Pacífico, and NH Constanza; in Barcelona (Spain) at NH Constanza and NH Sant Boit; in Seville (Spain) in the NH Central Convenciones; in Alicante (Spain) in the NH Alicante; in León (Spain) at NH Plaza Mayor; in Cartagena (Spain) in the NH Cartagena; and in The Hague (Netherlands) at NH Den Haag. The setting creates a feeling as if each customer was at home, in their own living room or chill-out area, providing NH a personal value added to their hotel offer.

NH Hoteles launched several electronic products during late twentieth and early twenty-first century, such as the NH World loyalty program and a special Web site for private and corporate clients. The specially tailored Web site for businesses, called NH & YOU, allows companies and self-employers to make reservations and organize conferences and meetings according to their needs, obtaining a significantly personalized service. Furthermore, the program offers a 5% discount on the best available flexible rates for each hotel, other offers specially designed for each firm according to its specific needs, and a unique Web tool to make and manage reservations. Additionally, NH & YOU provides hotels located in Spain, Portugal, and Andorra 10% discounts in its restaurants, a flat rate for corporate meetings, a personalized call-center service available 24/7 every day of the year, and other specific benefits.

NH has also developed specially tailored hotels designed according to the cities and locations in which they’re established, together with the cultural components of each of them. The concept was named “Nhow,” and is currently present in two cities: Milan (Italy) and Berlin (Germany). The first one was established in the Italian design-core metropolis in 2005. It was structured to be a full-scale laboratory of trends, showing the true heart of the Italian culture and specifically of Milan, which is seen as the heart and soul of design, where all the trends start and expand worldwide.

The Milan Nhow is luxurious, extravagant, highly creative, and with top technology, offering a whole new concept in the hospitality industry. This hotel was created by restructuring and redesigning a former General Electric power plant built in late 1930s, including mirrors of different opacities, giant curtains, tinted glass, graffiti on the doors, and a long tunnel in the entrance lobby. The structure allowed them to create 249 rooms on four floors designed as autonomous modular living spaces, completely transforming the usual hotel-room offer. With a high design component and large interior space, the hotel became a perfect location for all sorts of events, from fashion shows and business presentations to film shoots and photo sessions, always leaving room for private parties.

After the initial and continued success of Milan’s Nhow, NH opened another hotel with similar characteristics in Berlin. This city is also well-known worldwide, not for its great love for design but for its music festivals. Therefore, in this case, NH concluded that the whole theme for the interior and exterior design would be music, uniting all guests, whether jet-setters, businessmen, or people on vacation, with their love for music. The hotel offers 304 rooms with wide settings and designs, just like Milan’s Nhow, but in this case all oriented toward elements and items you would find at a discotheque, a bar, or a music concert. Most of the rooms have a great view of Berlin, because the hotel’s prime location overlooks the river Spree. The hotel also has a bar in which international and local DJs play every day, a large number of rooms where guests can chill out and listen to relaxing tunes, color codes that allow for relaxation within the rooms and in the common areas, and many more features.

Additionally, there is a music manager on staff, specially trained to create the mood intended for each occasion, whether a normal day at the hotel or a specific event or meeting on a particular day. Besides, the corporation chose to offer guitar and keyboard room service, and silent rehearsal rooms where guests can have their own music events and live sessions. Yet the top attraction is the high-end recording studio located within the hotel, a major attraction for music lovers, thanks to the cooperation with the Berlin Hansa recording studio.

The environment has become a major concern for firms all around the world. NH is one of the leaders in the hospitality sector in matters of environmental protection and promoting measures to be more energy efficient. The firm conducted several initiatives since the creation of the corporation, yet it wasn’t until 2007 that they created a specific department, the Group’s Environmental Affairs Department. The aim of this department was to enhance respect for the environment and promote actions to minimize the impact all NH Hoteles activities, products, and services might have in the context in which the corporation operates. This is highly relevant, because the company has committed itself to minimizing the environmental impact in all the countries and locations where it operates and beyond, truly respecting their corporate social responsibility toward the communities in which they operate.

The firm then created the 2012 Environmental Plan, aligned with the European 2020 objectives, aimed at committing with the European Framework objectives in matters of reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental practices, achieving those said aims eight years in advance. NH Hoteles now offers a sustainable, lasting, and effective hospitality experience that translates into value for guests, suppliers, shareholders, other stakeholders, and society in general, reinforcing the corporation’s compromise with sustainability. Among the many activities carried out by the corporation, one of the most important is the replacement of traditional equipment in the guest rooms with eco-friendly equipment. The firm makes use of LED technology and electric eco-efficient appliances to reduce their energy consumption.

Additionally, they substitute traditional equipment with low-energy-consumption versions (minibars, solar filters for windows, and so on). Furthermore, they have installed approximately 4,400m² of solar and photovoltaic panels in several hotels’ rooftops, as well as adapting lights to a specific schedule so that natural light is used during the daytime. As far as reduction in plastic use, NH has replaced traditional material elements (e.g., amenities, office appliances, laundry bags) with others made out of biodegradable plastic.

NH Hoteles works in the reduction of water use, and recycling, by implementing a new toilet in all the bathrooms and restrooms of their hotels, reducing by 25% their water consumption and saving 640,000 liters per year. Complementary to this, the corporation is researching to achieve reuse of water, or “gray water.” Furthermore, they have applied new technologies to towel manufacturing, thus lowering water and energy consumption.

Along with environmental protection, NH has created the NH Eurobuilding, a hotel located in the heart of Madrid that has “intelligent” rooms that measure and control energy use and are specially designed to minimize it. Additionally, the building was designed and furnished to allow for minimizing energy consumption. It is currently the only facility in the hotel industry that holds the ISO 50001:2011 certification (Energy Management System—EnMS).

In addition, NH Hoteles and HUSA signed an agreement for the creation of a cooperation platform in the acquisition sector. The new company is named Cooperama, and it significantly increases the bargain power with its suppliers, by unifying the demand of the two companies. The platform, in which NH Hoteles has a majority share, is created with the intention of providing a service to other chains and therefore to improve competitiveness in the sector. Throughout these years, NH Hoteles continues to harvest success in the majority of its areas of activity. One example worth highlighting is the award given to the design of its rooms, which received an important recognition at the European Hotel Design Awards hosted in London.

NH Hoteles is strongly committed to sustainable development (SD). Apart from offering rooms and buildings prepared to save as much energy as possible, as well as contaminating as little as possible, and many other initiatives, the company launched “ecomeeting.” This new concept in offering services to firms organizing meetings and conferences is based on the need for a more socially committed way of conducting business activities. Specially designed for companies whose services are based on organizing meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE), this concept offers all the comfort and complements for MICE activities while contributing to responsible use of resources and sustainable supply chain management. This means offering fair-trade coffee, energy-saving light bulbs, writing pads that are FSC certified, other stationery products made of oxo-biodegradable plastic, water jugs that optimize resources and contaminate less, and so on. The ecomeeting concept has been widely accepted among practitioners and organizations that support SD and whose corporate mission and vision are in line with reducing environmental impact. Additionally, guests who stay at NH for purposes other than a business meeting organized through the ecomeeting concept can learn about this initiative when staying at NH.

NH Hoteles promotes eco-innovations, such as the electric vehicle. Understanding that the general public will move toward this initiative and year by year there will be a larger fleet of e-cars, NH modified the hotel infrastructure so that it would include charging points for electric vehicles. To date, 23 establishments in Europe have installed recharge points for guests, and it is being extended to more than 35 NH facilities.

In addition to this, in 2010 the corporation started offering an innovative service to its guests and to the general public with two radically new products. The first one is an electric motorcycle rental offered in the Netherlands’ NH Barbizone Palace, allowing guests to have an eco-friendly alternative to move around town. The second initiative is called “gCab” and consists of a clean, safe, and silent electric car service available at the NH Den Haag. Together, the two eco-friendly initiatives have been the first to take place in The Hague.

The “green-cab” service was first implemented by NH in The Hague, available for guests staying at the hotel or any person who happens to be walking by the facilities. The service is offered through a flat rate of five euros between any two points within 2km of the city center. Additionally, gCab offers guided tours of The Hague city, including the “Royal Tour” and historic government buildings, touring the visitor through all the most important parts of the city or tailoring the places to be visited according to personal interests. gCab was born as a social enterprise to develop and implement environmentally friendly transport concepts. It has now extended to Arnhem and s-Hertogenbosch, with support centers in The Hague and Berlin. Furthermore, the company is supported by a reintegration of business administrators and specialists, working with renowned experts in the fields of environmental and transportation.

NH has committed to SD and in doing so it searches to align its objectives with its collaborators along the supply chain. The firm’s Corporate Procurement Policy offers equal opportunities, promoting purchase from local suppliers in each of the areas where they operate. NH corporation considers suppliers as key stakeholders that play a crucial role in the value chain oriented toward SD and ethical development. Together, NH and its suppliers develop joint initiatives to ensure and enhance the value added by each collaborator.

As of 2008, NH decided to create a platform with its key suppliers, choosing those who were especially involved with taking care of the environment and conducting sustainable operations. The platform, named NH Sustainable Club, is an innovation laboratory aimed at creating knowledge and opportunities through cooperation. The goals of this platform are to develop sustainable solutions in the hospitality industry; to make these innovations financially sound, thus creating a virtuous circle and allowing for these to be implemented in the business environment; and to communicate these new findings to society in general, but particularly to guests and communities in which they operate.

Through the NH Sustainable Club, the company enhances customers’ experience by providing guests with an enriching, consistently superior, and sustainable hospitality experience. At the same time, the corporation allows partners, shareholders, employees, and guests to get a return from engaging in business with NH. Some of the most successful initiatives now implemented by NH were ideas created at the Sustainable Club—for instance, the ecomeeting, installing chargers for electric vehicles, and providing the e-car and e-bike services. The ideas are derived from the Club members, but there is also a community channel through which any individual can provide new ideas or comment on anything she considers important for NH’s improvement.

Analyze NH’s knowledge life cycle, as well as who takes part in it. Which stage(s) might want to graph the interactions?

Based on the first two questions, how does the knowledge life cycle interact with the supply chain, and does this interaction result in an enhancement of value along the supply chain? Justify your answer.

Consider the importance stakeholders have, particularly in the tourism industry. How can NH improve its supply chain management?

Based on the preceding question, can an improvement in the knowledge life cycle lead to an improvement in value and supply chain?

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