Corporate social responsibility in international hotel chains and its effects on local employees: Scale development and empirical testing in China

Abstract

• Investigated the corporate social responsibility practices of international hotel chains operating in China. • Developed a scale of CSR metrics of international hotel chains. • Validated a formative construct of CSR with 4 dimensions: environment protection, employee wellness, business ethics, and customer wellness. • Considered cultural congruence and empirically tested the effects of international hotel chain’s practices on local employee performance. This study aims to investigate the corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of international hotel chains operating in China and their effects on local Chinese employees. As CSR practices vary across countries and contexts, this study developed a scale of CSR metrics, which was based on CSR reports published by international hotel chains in China and a comprehensive literature review. Subsequently, the proposed model, which depicts the relationships between CSR practices and local employee work metrics, was tested with a PLS-SEM. Multiple phases of qualitative and quantitative investigations of 2451 local Chinese employees of international hotel chains allowed for validating a formative construct of CSR with four dimensions: environment protection, employee wellness, business ethics, and customer wellness. The PLS-SEM results confirmed the significant effects of CSR practices of international hotel chains in China on local Chinese employee engagement, commitment, job satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications are presented.