Corporate Social Responsibility as a Strategy of Developing a Positive Hotel Image and Reputation

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of hotel commitment in ecological and pro-social activities on perception of its image, reputation and interest in its offer, depending on the pro-environmental attitudes of clients. Method. The study involved 150 participants, randomly divided into 3 groups. In each of them, one of the three variants of information on the involvement of a fictitious hotel in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities was presented: pro-environmental vs. pro-social vs. no information. Before studying the information about the hotel, the respondents’ pro-environmental attitudes were evaluated. After reviewing the hotel's offer, the respondents assessed its image, reputation and interest in its offer. Findings. The hotel image, reputation and interest in its offer were more positive when they were engaged in ecological or social activities than when there was no information on the subject. Moreover, pro-environmental attitudes positively correlated with interest in a hotel’s offer regarding ecological involvement, negatively - in the absence of information, and were not associated with it in pro-social activities. Research and conclusions limitations. A relatively small group participated in the study. Moreover, the study does not allow conclusions to be drawn about the hotel's involvement in other areas of CSR. Practical implications. Building a positive image of a hotel and an increase in its reputation may result from the applied CSR activities. A special aspect, here, is the ecological orientation of a hotel, which can be an effective way of attracting customers with such values. Originality. The current lack of Polish empirical research that would verify the effectiveness of Corporate Social Responsibility strategies within the context hotel industry perception. Type of paper. Article presenting findings from empirical research.