1.
Jingzhi Shang
– Associate Professor of Marketing, Department of Marketing, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC, Canada.
2.
Che-Hui Lien
– Professor of Marketing, Department of Marketing, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC, Canada.
Abstract
This research explores the effect of perceived authenticity of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on hotel guests’ value perceptions and visit intentions, specifically related to the enhanced health and safety measures implemented by hotels during the post-pandemic period. It examines whether hotel guests perceive the measures as authentic CSR and how their perceptions influence perceived consumption values (i.e., functional, emotional, and social values) and visit intentions. 432 U.S. participants were recruited via SurveyMonkey to participate in an online survey. The results show that enhanced health and safety measures are viewed as authentic CSR. Perceived CSR authenticity positively influences visit intention, and this effect is mediated by all three types of consumption values. This research contributes to the hospitality CSR literature by identifying enhanced health and safety measures as a social dimension of CSR. It also contributes to consumption value theory by showing that health and safety related CSR initiatives generate stronger emotional value than functional or social value. It also reinforces the role of CSR authenticity in generating positive guest responses to hotel CSR initiatives. Practically, the findings demonstrate the importance of continuing enhanced health and safety measures after the pandemic and provide guidance to hotels on how to effectively communicate their CSR efforts.
Keywords Hospitality, Corporate Social Responsibility, Health and Safety, Authenticity, Consumption Values, Visit Intention