Corporate social responsibility and consumer behaviour in the hospitality sector: its effects on the decision-making process

Abstract

In current marketplaces, implementation of activities related to corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a new expectation to be fulfilled by all sort of organisations. These ethical practices are key issues at the time of differentiating products, gaining competitive advantages for consumer decisions and reviews, and building simultaneously a positive reputation in face of the various stakeholders. Although the recent marketing literature indicates a positive link between companies' involvement in social and environmental causes and consumer goodwill towards firms and brands, the effects of social reputation on consumer behaviour are not entirely demonstrated. In the context of these evidences, this paper analyses the consideration of responsibility criteria over the different stages of the consumer decision-making process with regard to hospitality services. Particularly, a self-administered questionnaire was conducted with a representative sample of consumers in Spain. In general, findings support a moderate-downward impact of perceived business responsibility over the consumer decision-making process, while some discrepancies can be observed between individuals within gender and different age groups. Lastly, a final discussion is carried out gathering some interest considerations as direct reflection of results obtained and further lines of future research are indicated.