Corporate social responsibility practices have been mostly analyzed in the large manufacturing business context, with little attention paid to the service sector and even less to small and medium-sized accommodation enterprises. This study aims to fill this gap through analyzing how these enterprises take responsibility. A survey of nearly 400 enterprises showed that the main reason for acting responsibly is altruistic, although competitiveness reasons are also important. Aspects of the “resource-based view” of the firm are validated through the positive impact of environmental cost-savings in financial performance, but also because other practices (not always related with economic reasons) are influencing their competitiveness. The article concludes that further implementation of these practices is necessary to achieve the full potential of competitive advantages
Drawing on Taylor and Todd’s “decomposed theory of planned behavior,” this study explores the sustainability beliefs, attitudes, social norms, perceived behavioral controls, and behavioral intentions of accommodation managers and considers how these relate to their uptake of water-related innovations. An online survey is used to capture data from more than 300 accommodation establishments located in Catalonia (Spain). Using a structural equation model to interpret the data, 17 hypotheses are established, of which 15 are found to be significant. The findings show how the second-order constructs informed by organizational innovation literature explain the attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral controls of the managers; these factors inform 56% of the sustainability behavioral intentions. We explore the cognitive mechanisms that motivate managers to introduce sustainability practices in their businesses. We contribute to theory by demonstrating the benefits of studying the belief structures that inform taking sustainability actions from the perspective of innovation.
While there is a growing literature related with corporate social responsibility (CSR) in hospitality and tourism large firms, much remains to be done in the case of CSR in tourism small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In this paper we provide three studies regarding this particular aspect through the evidence present in different destinations: Catalonia, European natural parks and Chile. Among the conclusions that can be highlighted is the prevalence of altruism in the reasons for being responsible, the introduction of increasingly advanced measures or their impact on different business variables, and the link to financial performance
Different studies have analysed how green marketing influences the sustainable image of tourist companies or have focused on the identification and engagement between these companies and their consumers. In any case, the question of how this process influences consumers’ behaviour in the hotel industry requires even more in-depth study, with the intention of explaining the changes that occur in the current consumer and how this affects the hotel industry. This study is useful to demonstrate that beyond the direct influence of green marketing on green word of mouth indicators there are other indirect influences which are represented by other mediating variables: green attitudinal loyalty and green trust. From the literature on green marketing and the conceptual approaches offered by the Hierarchy of Effects Model and the Associate Learning Principles, this study conducted an empirical approach using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire responses, obtained from a sample of 238 hotel users, were analysed using a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to test the research hypothesis related to the positive influence of green marketing on green trust, green attitudinal loyalty, and green word of mouth. This research provides theoretical and managerial implications to help executives adopt green marketing strategies, thanks to their positive effects on consumers’ recommendations, both direct and indirect, through loyalty and trust. It is concluded that green marketing actions have a greater effect on their indirect relationship with word of mouth than on their direct relationship and that loyalty is the aspect with the highest influence regarding trust.