Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability: Can Positive CSR Credentials Provide a Competitive Advantage to 4/5 Star Hotels in Edinburgh?
Citation
(2015) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability: Can Positive CSR Credentials Provide a Competitive Advantage to 4/5 Star Hotels in Edinburgh?, no. 67.
Abstract
According to Cherapanukorn and Focken (2014), the tourism and hospitality industry
claims to embrace the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) but it seems
unclear how and if companies integrate CSR activities into the core business and
how they demonstrate real impacts, positive changes and company success. The
purpose of this study is to investigate if positive CSR credentials provide a
competitive advantage to 4/5 star hotels and; how managers are incorporating these
credentials into their day-to-day business. The study is based on 4/5 star hotels in
Edinburgh and adopts a qualitative research method. The researcher conducted five
in-depth interviews with managers, duty managers and human resource managers of
different hotel companies in Edinburgh in order to obtain and analyse important and
valuable information on the subject of CSR and sustainability. The results shows that
it is crucial organisations adopt some form of CSR initiatives in order to gain a
competitive advantage. This being that there is a growing emphasis on the
contribution to saving the planet and acting sustainably in all aspects. With that; the
increase in environmentally conscious consumers in the market means that, if
organisations do not implement substantial CSR initiatives and practices into their
day-to-day business then this may cause a significant negative impact to the
organisation in the future, in terms of competitive advantage, customer loyalty and
brand reputation. The study goes on to give recommendations on how hotel
managers can raise awareness and educate stakeholders on the importance of CSR
and sustainability.