IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i3p1050-d1326559.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Greenwashing Behavior in Hotels Industry: The Role of Green Transparency and Green Authenticity

Author

Listed:
  • Mansour Alyahia

    (Department of Management, College of Business Administration, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsaa 380, Saudi Arabia)

  • Alaa M. S. Azazz

    (Department of Tourism and Hospitality, Arts College, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsaa 380, Saudi Arabia
    Tourism Studies Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt)

  • Sameh Fayyad

    (Hotel Studies Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
    Hotel Management Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, October 6 University, Giza 12573, Egypt)

  • Ibrahim A. Elshaer

    (Department of Management, College of Business Administration, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsaa 380, Saudi Arabia
    Hotel Studies Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt)

  • Abuelkassem A. A. Mohammad

    (Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Minia University, Minia 61519, Egypt
    Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality, King Salman International University, Sharm El Sheikh 8761250, Egypt)

Abstract

Greenwashing has become a pervasive phenomenon in the tourism and hospitality sector, posing significant challenges and potential reputational damage to green hotels. Despite its prevalence, research on mitigating greenwashing’s influence on guest trust and behavior remains limited. This study addresses this gap by investigating the moderating roles of green authenticity (GA) and green transparency (GTR) in the relationship between greenwashing and guest green trust (GT), ultimately influencing patronage intentions (PI) towards green hotels. Employing a quantitative approach, the study utilized a questionnaire survey administered to 309 participants, capturing their experiences with green hotels. Subsequent structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis in Smart PLS 4 confirmed several key findings. Firstly, hotel greenwashing negatively impacted green trust and subsequent patronage intentions, encompassing both intentions to stay (IS) at green hotels and willingness to pay a premium (WPP) for green hotels. Secondly, the study established green trust as a significant mediator in the greenwashing–patronage relationship. Most importantly, the analysis revealed the crucial moderating roles of both green authenticity and green transparency. Increased perceptions of GA and GTR significantly attenuated the negative influence of greenwashing on green trust and, consequently, strengthened the positive relationship between GT and PI. These findings suggest that fostering genuine environmentally friendly practices and ensuring clear communication of sustainability efforts can effectively counteract the detrimental effects of greenwashing on green-hotel patronage. The study’s implications extend to practical considerations for green-hotel managers, offering insights into preventive measures to diminish the adverse effects of greenwashing, thereby contributing to the long-term sustainability of their operations.

Suggested Citation

  • Mansour Alyahia & Alaa M. S. Azazz & Sameh Fayyad & Ibrahim A. Elshaer & Abuelkassem A. A. Mohammad, 2024. "Greenwashing Behavior in Hotels Industry: The Role of Green Transparency and Green Authenticity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-20, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:3:p:1050-:d:1326559
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/3/1050/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/3/1050/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Abdelmohsen A. Nassani & Zahid Yousaf & Magdalena Radulescu & Mohamed Haffar, 2022. "Environmental Performance through Environmental Resources Conservation Efforts: Does Corporate Social Responsibility Authenticity Act as Mediator?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-16, February.
    2. Szerena Szabo & Jane Webster, 2021. "Perceived Greenwashing: The Effects of Green Marketing on Environmental and Product Perceptions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 171(4), pages 719-739, July.
    3. Ajay Khatter, 2023. "Challenges and Solutions for Environmental Sustainability in the Hospitality Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-10, July.
    4. Constantinos N. Leonidou & Dionysis Skarmeas, 2017. "Gray Shades of Green: Causes and Consequences of Green Skepticism," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 144(2), pages 401-415, August.
    5. Antonino Vaccaro & Dalia Patiño Echeverri, 2010. "Corporate Transparency and Green Management," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 95(3), pages 487-506, September.
    6. Yu-Shan Chen, 2010. "The Drivers of Green Brand Equity: Green Brand Image, Green Satisfaction, and Green Trust," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 93(2), pages 307-319, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Alaa M. S. Azazz & Ibrahim A. Elshaer & Abdulaziz Al Thani & Mohamed Algezawy & Abeer A. Mahrous & Mahmoud A. Mansour & Azza Abdel Moneim & Sameh Fayyad, 2024. "The Influence of Green Demarketing on Brand Credibility, Green Authenticity, and Greenwashing in the Food Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-17, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Muhammad Ussama Majeed & Sumaira Aslam & Shah Ali Murtaza & Szakács Attila & Edina Molnár, 2022. "Green Marketing Approaches and Their Impact on Green Purchase Intentions: Mediating Role of Green Brand Image and Consumer Beliefs towards the Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-18, September.
    2. Shiu-Li Huang & Yu-Ren Leau, 2024. "Understanding How Consumers’ Perceived Sustainability Influences Their Continuance Intention to Use Sharing Economy Services," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-16, September.
    3. Israr Ahmad; Fauzia Syed; Saima Naseer; Ghulam Rasool, 2018. "Environmental Concern as an Underlying Mechanism between Environmental Beliefs and Green Purchase Intentions," South Asian Journal of Management Sciences (SAJMS), Iqra University, Iqra University, vol. 12(1), pages 93-115, Spring.
    4. Allah Wasaya & Muhammad Abid Saleem & Jamil Ahmad & Muhammad Nazam & M. Mohsin Ali Khan & Mohammad Ishfaq, 2021. "Impact of green trust and green perceived quality on green purchase intentions: a moderation study," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(9), pages 13418-13435, September.
    5. Sara de Sio & Alessandra Zamagni & Giulia Casu & Paola Gremigni, 2022. "Green Trust as a Mediator in the Relationship between Green Advertising Skepticism, Environmental Knowledge, and Intention to Buy Green Food," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-15, December.
    6. Yang, Hye-jeong & Fang, Mingjie & Yao, Jinge & Su, Miao, 2023. "Green cooperation in last-mile logistics and consumer loyalty: An empirical analysis of a theoretical framework," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    7. Syed Abdul Rehman Khan & Adnan Ahmed Sheikh & Mubeen Ashraf & Zhang Yu, 2022. "Improving Consumer-Based Green Brand Equity: The Role of Healthy Green Practices, Green Brand Attachment, and Green Skepticism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-17, September.
    8. Daniel Bladt & Guido van Capelleveen & Devrim Murat Yazan, 2024. "The influence of greenwashing practices on brand attitude: A multidimensional consumer analysis in Germany," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 597-625, February.
    9. Pere Mercade Mele & Jesus Molina Gomez & Lluis Garay, 2019. "To Green or Not to Green: The Influence of Green Marketing on Consumer Behaviour in the Hotel Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-17, August.
    10. Robert G. Magee, 2022. "Understanding worldview beliefs to allay skepticism toward CSR advertising," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 29(6), pages 538-555, November.
    11. Irshad Hussain Sarki & Raheela Haque & Asif Mahmood & Muhammad Noman Yaseen & Muhammad Sufyan Khawar & Asad Qayoom & Saif Ur Rehman, 2023. "Factors Influencing Green Purchase Intention: A Mediation Moderation Study," Journal of Policy Research (JPR), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 9(2), pages 652-664.
    12. Zhimin Zhou & Fucheng Zheng & Jialing Lin & Nan Zhou, 2021. "The interplay among green brand knowledge, expected eudaimonic well‐being and environmental consciousness on green brand purchase intention," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(2), pages 630-639, March.
    13. Aysun Kahraman & İpek Kazançoğlu, 2019. "Understanding consumers' purchase intentions toward natural‐claimed products: A qualitative research in personal care products," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 1218-1233, September.
    14. Warat Winit & Saranya Kantabutra & Sooksan Kantabutra, 2023. "Toward a Sustainability Brand Model: An Integrative Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-25, March.
    15. Yung-Hsin Lee & Shui-Lien Chen, 2019. "Effect of Green Attributes Transparency on WTA for Green Cosmetics: Mediating Effects of CSR and Green Brand Concepts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-15, September.
    16. Lin, Jialing & Lobo, Antonio & Leckie, Civilai, 2017. "The role of benefits and transparency in shaping consumers’ green perceived value, self-brand connection and brand loyalty," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 133-141.
    17. Sansome, Kate & Wilkie, Dean & Conduit, Jodie, 2024. "Beyond information availability: Specifying the dimensions of consumer perceived brand transparency," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    18. Jialing (Catherine) Lin & Zhimin Zhou & Fucheng Zheng & Xinru Jiang & Ninh Nguyen, 2023. "How do hotel star ratings affect the relationship between environmental CSR and green word‐of‐mouth?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(5), pages 2651-2663, September.
    19. Jafar Rana Adeel & Shabbir Aiza & Kousar Farzana, 2019. "Impact of Green Practices on Buying Habits in Pakistan’s Food Sector," Economics, Sciendo, vol. 7(2), pages 19-30, December.
    20. Xiaoxu Dong & Huawei Zhao & Tiancai Li, 2022. "The Role of Live-Streaming E-Commerce on Consumers’ Purchasing Intention regarding Green Agricultural Products," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-13, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:3:p:1050-:d:1326559. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.