Digital Technologies for Knowledge Management Processes: Exploring managers’ perspective in an Italian luxury hotel group
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7433/s129.2026.11Keywords:
knowledge management processes, digital technology, luxury hotel, Hospitality industry; sustainable tourism; customer satisfaction; green practices; online reviews; eWOM, knowledge managementAbstract
Purpose of the paper: This paper aims to contribute to hospitality management research by advancing knowledge on exploiting digital technologies (DTs) to enhance internal knowledge management processes (KMPs) in luxury hotels. It provides an in-depth exploration of how and to what extent DTs support KMPs (i.e., acquisition, creation, storage, sharing, and application), assisting the hotel’s decision-making and actions.
Methodology: The structured-deductive approach was adopted, starting with theory and moving toward empirically exploring a group of two luxury hotels in Milan (Italy). A case study was developed, and ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with top and middle managers. These activities enabled the collection of managers’ insights and experiences, including ideas, opinions, and emotions, which were juxtaposed and compared.
Findings: Findings deepen the understanding of how DTs integrate and enhance KMPs, support a critical reflection on the enablers and barriers to DTs usage and exploitation in internal KMPs, and offer fresh knowledge on the relationships between KMPs-DTs integration and organisational change in luxury hospitality.
Practical implications: Hotel managers must deeply consider their hotels’ organisational aspects (e.g., structure and culture) when approaching investments in DTs for KMPs and involve staff in implementing DTs to enhance KMPs’ value.
Originality of the paper: The under-investigated research topic of the internal micro-perspective of top and middle managers interpreting DTs for KMPs has been adopted. The research identifies areas for theory building in hospitality at the intersection between digital transformation, KM and human resource management.
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