Application of Ecosophical Perspective to Advance to the SDGs: Theoretical Approach on Values for Sustainability in a 4S Hotel Company

Abstract

Fourth Sector Small and Medium-sized Hotel companies (4S-SM-HCs) that already have a purpose and wish to contribute effectively to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) need to base their sustainability policies on universal values that deepen the individual-society-planet interrelations. “The Three Ecologies” essay (Guattari, 1989) provides a suitable theoretical approach to reflect on which values for sustainability are implicit in the purpose of the 4S-SM-HCs under study. This conceptual paper proposes an ecosophical reflection about the relationships between the mental, social, and environmental ecologies, and the company’s values for sustainability, establishing direct interrelations between the company’s purpose and the five dimensions of the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development (UN2030A), bringing a holistic vision to hotel management and, as a result, to the entire ecosystem, something which has not been addressed by the social sciences and business management literature yet. Through qualitative research methodology consisting of a focus group discussion in which the board of directors of a 4S-SM-HC took part, they delved into the ecosophical values for sustainability that moves them to create economic benefits while contributing to a better quality of life and a better environment. The contribution of this paper is twofold: firstly, to provide an in-depth reflection with an ecosophical approach on which company’s values are meaningful to sustainability, and secondly, to propose a theoretical framework with an ecosophical approach for 4S-SM-HCs to advance from their purpose to the SDGs and thus, to contribute to a Triple Wellbeing of people, the community and the planet.