Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and customer loyalty in the hotel industry: A cross-country study

Abstract

The study examines the role of customer perceptions of CSR in improving customer loyalty by exploring its directand mediated effects through service quality, customer satisfaction, corporate image and corporate reputation ina cross-country setting. Data from Pakistan, China, and Italy was collected through surveys to explore customers'hotel experiences. The hypotheses were tested with SmartPLS-3. Findings for the overall sample revealed thatCSR affected customer loyalty positively and significantly. Nonetheless, this relationship was insignificant in thesamples from Pakistan and Italy, while it was found to be only partially significant in China. Thefindings alsorevealed a direct, positive and significant impact of CSR on service quality, customer satisfaction, corporateimage and corporate reputation. The direct relationships among all these variables were also significant acrosssamples. Customer satisfaction and corporate image were identified as significant mediators of the CSR-loyaltylink, but service quality and corporate reputation were found insignificant.