Zheng Dong, Wei Bi, Idrees Waris, Muhammad Yaseen Bhutto
Purpose Food waste is one of the main concerns in the hotel industry that contributes to economic inefficiencies and overuse of natural resources. Using AI-powered technologies in food upcycling is a novel method to create value-added products that promote a circular economy. This study assesses green hotels' adoption of AI-powered technologies in food upcycling. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from 342 employees working in five-star hotels in China. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed for the data analysis. Findings The study's results show that digital leadership and government regulations significantly influence the adoption of AI-powered technologies, while technology roadmapping influence was insignificant. The study's findings theoretically established the link between the adoption of AI-powered technologies and innovations that lead to improved operational performance. Furthermore, the findings show that environmental dynamism strengthens the relationship between digital leadership and the adoption of AI-powered technologies, and between government regulations and the adoption of AI-powered technologies. Practically, these findings provide strategic directions to managers to invest in digital leadership and frame the hotel's strategies that align with government regulations to foster AI-driven innovation and enhance operational performance. Originality/value This is among the first studies combining technology-organization-environment and natural resource-based view perspective in the context of food upcycling in green hotels.