The organizational impacts of quality management in tourism firms: An empirical investigation of the Molise Region, Italy

This study uses institutional theory to investigate the isomorphic pressures affecting quality in the accommodation industry. Following questionnaire development, pretest, and a pilot study, survey data were collected from a sample of 324 accommodation firms in the tourism industry of the Molise Region of Italy. Mimetic, coercive and normative pressures were assessed for influence on firm behaviour regarding visible attributes associated with quality. Results show that isomorphism exists in the degree to which quality factors are used in the different accommodation types. However, no substantive differences are observed between the two provinces (Campo basso and hernia) of the Molise region in Italy. The research confirms the utility of new-institutionalism theory in the field of hospitality and tourism for several purposes including policy for tourism destination development.