Impact of hotels’ sustainability practices on guest attitudinal loyalty: application of loyalty chain stages theory

Abstract

Considering the significance of the term "green" in the hotel industry, relatively little is known about hotels' performances of conservation management and its impact on guest eco-friendly decision formation. This research was conducted to explicate guests' attitudinal loyalty formation, by developing a sturdy theoretical framework encompassing their perceived hotel performances of green management (recycling and waste reduction, water saving, and energy conservation) and Oliver's (1999Oliver's ( , 2010 loyalty chain stages theory (cognitive, affective, and conative stages). A total of twelve attributes of hotel performances were identified through a qualitative approach. Our results from the structural analysis revealed that guests' perceived hotel performances of water saving and energy conservation significantly influenced their attitudinal loyalty formation for green hotels. In addition, the significant mediating role of cognitive and affective stages was uncovered. Moreover, the effectiveness of loyalty chain stages theory was demonstrated. Our theoretical framework sufficiently accounted for the variance in conative loyalty.

A Link Between Attitudinal and Behavioral Loyalty of Service Customers

“…The fair communication also engages customers in coproduction activities which further increases the attitudinal loyalty (Aziz, 2018). Moreover, a company's performance on ethical practices drives strong attitudinal loyalty (Han, Yu, Lee, & Kim, 2019).…”

Exploring the synergy between customer home‐based and hotel‐based water consumption and conservation behaviors: An empirical approach

“…According to Dunlap and Jones (2002, p. 485), environmental concern is “the degree to which people are aware of problems regarding the environment and support efforts to solve them and/or indicate the willingness to contribute personally to their solution.” In other words, responsible individuals who demonstrate environmental concerns will translate them into pro‐environmental behaviors, by avoiding, restricting or abandoning consumption practices that are unsustainable (Lim, 2017). Numerous studies examined individuals' concern for environmental issues and reported that those with higher levels of environmental concern more actively participate in eco‐friendly behaviors both in their everyday life and while consuming a product or service (Chen & Tung, 2014; Han, Lee, et al, 2019; Han, Yu, et al, 2019; Mallorquí et al, 2018). Several researchers have also highlighted indirect evidence for an underlying pro‐environmental motivation for curtailments by showing that these are influenced by environmental concern (Aprile & Fiorillo, 2017; Corral‐Verdugo, Carrus, Bonnes, Moser, & Sinha, 2008; Untaru et al, 2016).…”

“…The hotel industry has been increasingly associated with negative effects on the environment through the excessive consumption of water, energy, and disposable products (Han, Yu, Lee, & Kim, 2019; Mejia, 2019; Tanford & Malek, 2015). Among these negative environmental effects, the impact on freshwater resources is one of the most significant.…”

Water Use in the Tourism Accommodation Sector

“…According to Butler (2008), the adoption of greener certifications and practices has become essential for any company in the hotel industry if it is to remain competitive and attract clients. Meanwhile, Han et al (2019) observe that a favorable guest perception of water and energy management in hotels contributes to their loyalty. This growing demand for responsible tourism has not gone unnoticed by large international hotel groups, with some even releasing the results of their environmental audits as part of their CSR programs (Gössling et al 2015).…”

“…Beyond their role as lobbyists, guests are often identified by governments and the hospitality industry as one of the most important vectors affecting the final consumption of water in establishments. For this reason, multiple campaigns try to educate and instill feelings of co-responsibility in the hope that they will lead to water-and energy-saving behaviors (Ayuso 2006;Bohdanowicz 2006;Han et al 2019). All too often, these initiatives focus on the microbehaviors of guests which, although important, are limited in scope.…”