Understanding the role of perceived satisfaction with autonomy, competence, and relatedness in the CSR context

Abstract

In previous studies, researchers have determined that the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of a company develop a positive attitude. However, empirical research that explains how CSR activities influence the behavioral intention of customers remains lacking. Thus, this study aims to address gaps in the previous literature by examining customers’ responses to hotel CSR activities. On the basis of self-determination theory, the different roles of CSR activities (i.e., feelings of autonomy, competence, and relatedness) in increasing positive behavioral intention are identified in the hotel industry. Path analysis using SmartPLS software confirms that participants with a high satisfaction level with relatedness tend to develop revisit and word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions toward hotels. Moreover, satisfaction with autonomy is related to increased WOM intention. By contrast, perceived satisfaction with competence is unrelated to revisit or WOM intention. Therefore, although hotel CSR activities can exert a direct effect on brand-related attitude, their effect apparently varies depending on the types of needs satisfaction. The findings of this study verify that the effectiveness of hotel CSR activities can be linked to company performance by meeting different types of needs satisfaction.