Title: Which corporate social responsibility issues do consumers perceive as relevant to be evaluated in the hotel sector?

Authors: José A. Pérez-Aranda; Montserrat Boronat-Navarro

Addresses: Universidad de Barcelona, Campus de Turismo, Hotelería y Gastronomía CETT-UB, Avenida Can Marcet, 36-38, Barcelona 08035, Spain ' Department of Business Administration and Marketing, Universitat Jaume I, Avenida de Vicent Sos Baynat, s/n. Castellón 12071, Spain

Abstract: The aim of this research is to develop a measure for consumer-based perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to better understand which CSR attributes consumers consider valuable in the hotel sector. It is precisely this stakeholder group that eventually legitimises the firm's actions through its purchasing behaviour. To develop the measure, indicators proposed in previous studies are reviewed, and six dimensions are proposed, taking into account three theoretical perspectives. Previous studies have found some weaknesses in the validation of the traditional economic dimension of CSR, and therefore, this area requires further analysis. The measure for consumer-based perceptions of CSR is tested using a large and representative sample of Spanish consumers and is further validated using a second sample of foreign tourists in Spain, confirming the economic, legal, ethical, philanthropic, environmental and stakeholder dimensions. This study provides managers with greater insight into how hotel consumers perceive the overall CSR concept.

Keywords: consumer perceptions; corporate social responsibility; measure development.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2022.119746

European Journal of International Management, 2022 Vol.17 No.1, pp.60 - 85

Received: 23 Jun 2018
Accepted: 09 Feb 2019
Published online: 20 Dec 2021 *

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