The role of environmental CSR practices on the formation of behavioral intentions in a certified hotel context: Exploring the moderating effect of customer involvement in the buying process

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to explore the relationships among green practices, environmental corporate social responsibility (CSR) image, customers’ trust and their behavioral intentions in a certified hotel context and examine the moderating effect of customers’ involvement in the buying process. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was used to collect data from Spanish hotel customers. A structural equation model was developed to assess the research hypotheses. Findings – Consumers’ trust on environmentally certified hotels has a direct effect on their behavioral intentions. Environmental CSR image has a direct effect on consumers’ trust on environmentally certified hotels, but it does not exert significant influence on consumers’ behavioral intentions. Additionally, the results support a positive and significant influence of consumers’ perceptions of green practices on the environmental CSR image of hotels. Finally, there is not a moderating effect of consumers’ involvement on the effects of green practices on CSR environmental image and of this variable on behavioral intentions. Research limitations/implications – To cross validate the results of this study, it is recommended that the formation of behavioral intentions in various types of environmentally certified hotel settings be investigated in future research. Practical implications – Hospitality managers should design strategies to raise the perception of the green-related features of environmentally certified companies. Originality/value – No prior study investigates the relationship between green practices, customers’ trust, their degree of involvement in the buying process and their behavioral intentions in relation to companies’ environmental CSR image in the hotel sector.

Keywords

• certified hotels
• hotel green practices
• environmental csr image
• trust
• behavioral intentions