Working capital management and firm performance in the hospitality and tourism industry

Abstract

The aim of this study is to provide empirical evidence concerning the effects of working capital on firm performance in the hospitality and tourism industry. We identify an inverted U-shaped relationship between working capital and firm performance. More specifically, the U-shaped relationship exists for accommodation, food and travel firms. In contrast, a positive linear relationship is valid for sport firms while changes in working capital have no effect on performance for gambling firms. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first empirical research study to extend cross-country analysis in respect of sub-hospitality and tourism industries to a worldwide context. The findings suggest that hospitality and tourism managers should consider the diversity of relationships between working capital and firm performance in sub-hospitality and tourism industries when deciding on an appropriate strategy for working capital management.