Role of hope and compulsion for CSR activities in hotel customers' engagement

Abstract

Although corporate social responsibility (CSR) is widely accepted across industries, knowledge on the ways through which companies use CSR as a strategy to improve performance is limited. Furthermore, although customers’ engagement has been correlated with positive outcomes, tourism studies have rarely examined the impact of the connection between customers and brands in the CSR context. On the basis of broaden-and-build theory, this study develops and empirically tests a framework of the influence of CSR characteristics on customers’ behavioural intention by increasing customers’ engagement with hotel brands. Examination of 150 hotel customers reveals the varying and positive effects of the two facets of CSR activities (i.e. hope and compulsion) on customers’ behaviour. Fostering customers’ compulsion for CSR activities increases engagement and behavioural intention, and stimulating hope only strengthens customers’ perceived connection with the hotel brand. The findings support the mediating role of customers’ engagement with hotel brands in producing positive behavioural outcomes.