A Content Analysis of CSR Research in Hotel Industry, 2006–2017

Abstract

Despite the progress of the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in recent decades, the knowledge of CSR has been very limited in hospitality and tourism industry in general and in hotel industry in particular. A literature search revealed that scholarly research in the area of CSR in hotel industry began in mid-2000 and it has grown in recent years. However, there has been no review of literature conducted covering CSR issues exclusively in hotel industry. Given the growth of publications in CSR research in hotel industry, it was felt that a content analysis of research would be valuable to scholarship. The present study aims to contribute to this end by presenting a review of articles published in scholarly journals until mid-2017. The findings suggest that the initial focus of CSR research in hotel industry was in the area of CSR practices (economic, social and environmental), impact and importance of CSR, perceptions of CSR by consumers and managers. Interestingly, with the growth of research in recent years, the focus has shifted more towards CSR communication/reporting, green/environmental responsibility and sustainability area. This paper is perhaps the first content analysis of CSR research in hotel industry—an industry that is often blamed for irresponsible use of environmental resources and hence responsible for environmental un-sustainability. It is envisaged that this paper will stimulate further research into CSR in hotel industry and therefore to contribute to advance the field.