consumer beliefs about green hotels a thesis submitted
TRANSCRIPT
CONSUMER BELIEFS ABOUT GREEN HOTELS
A thesis submitted to the
Kent State University College and Graduate School
of Education, Health and Human Services
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Master of Science
By
Lisa Cometa
May 2012
ii
Thesis written by
Lisa Cometa
B.A., Kent State University, 2009
M.S., Kent State University, 2012
Approved by
______________________________________, Director, Master’s Thesis Committee
Swathi Ravichandran
_______________________________________, Member, Master’s Thesis Committee
Andrew Lepp
_______________________________________, Member, Master’s Thesis Committee
Ning-Kuang Chuang
Accepted by
_____________________________________, Director, School of Foundations
Shawn M. Fizgerald Leadership and Administration
_____________________________________, Dean, College and Graduate School
Daniel F. Mahony of Education, Health, and Human
Services
COMETA, LISA M., M.S., May 2012 Hospitality and
Tourism Management
CONSUMER BELIEFS ABOUT GREEN HOTELS (101 pp.)
Director of Thesis: Swathi Ravichandran, PhD
Current research on consumers’ perceptions and beliefs of green hotels is lacking
(Lee et al., 2010) although benefits including reduced operating costs and increased
consumer demand are well documented. The primary objectives of this study are to
identify consumer beliefs about green hotels, values, willingness to pay, willingness to
stay, and willingness to partake in environmentally friendly activities. Study participants
were faculty and staff members employed by one college within a mid-western
university. Information on consumer beliefs will help hotel managers make pricing
decisions and design environmentally sustainable activities that guests may participate in.
iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my committee members Andrew Lepp and Ning-Kuang
Chuang for their helpful input, which made my research stronger as well as a success.
Each of their backgrounds and knowledge were imperative to making my research study
successful.
Without the patience and guidance from my advisor, Swathi Ravichandran, this
thesis would have been impossible. I cannot express enough appreciation to her for all of
her advice, support and inspiration throughout the entire thesis process. It is thanks to her
motivation and drive that this thesis was made not only achievable but successful.
My friends, classmates and especially my family are not to be forgotten. If not
for their encouragement and their help, this research would not have been successful.
With my sincerest gratitude, I thank them.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. iii
LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ vii
LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... viii
CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1
II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE........................................................................................ 5
Theoretical Background ............................................................................................. 5
Green Research within the Hospitality Industry ...................................................... 10
Reasons Hotels go Green ...................................................................................... 10
Operating costs................................................................................................... 10
Competitive advantage ...................................................................................... 11
Consumer demand ............................................................................................. 14
Reasons Consumers Purchase Green Products /Services ........................................ 15
Demographics .......................................................................................................... 17
Willingness to pay ................................................................................................... 20
Perceptions and Beliefs ............................................................................................ 24
Original Study Design.............................................................................................. 27
Rationale for Current Study ..................................................................................... 28
Research Propositions .............................................................................................. 30
Summary .................................................................................................................. 30
III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY............................................................................... 32
Use of Human Subjects in Research ....................................................................... 32
Original Sample Selection ...................................................................................... 32
Original Instrument Design..................................................................................... 34
Original Pilot Study ................................................................................................ 38
Original Data Collection ......................................................................................... 39
Use of Human Subjects in Research, Current Study .............................................. 40
Current Sample Selection ....................................................................................... 40
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Current Instrument Design ...................................................................................... 40
Current Pilot Study ............................................................................................... 45
Current Data Collection .......................................................................................... 45
Current Data Analysis ............................................................................................. 46
IV. RESULTS .................................................................................................................. 48
Demographic Characteristics, Descriptive Statistics, and Correlations.................. 48
Simple Linear Regression Analysis ........................................................................ 50
Qualitative Analysis ................................................................................................ 52
V. DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................. 54
Managerial Implications .......................................................................................... 60
Limitations .... ......................................................................................................... 62
Future Research ...................................................................................................... 63
APPENDICES ................................................................................................................ 65
APPENDIX A: KSU INSTITUTIONAL APPROVAL FORM .................................. 66
APPENDIX B: CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS OF GREEN EXTENDED STAY
HOTEL SURVEY ........................................................................................ 68
APPENDIX C: INSTRUCTION LETTER TO FRONT DESK AGENTS ................. 73
APPENDIX D: HOTEL GUEST INCENTIVE LETTER........................................... 75
APPENDIX E: KSU INSTITUTIONAL MODIFICATION APPROVAL NOTICE . 77
APPENDIX F: CONSENT FORM FOR COLLEGE FACULTY AND STAFF ...... 79
APPENDIX G: CONSUMER BELIEFS ABOUT GREEN HOTELS SURVEY ...... 83
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 86
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1. TRA AND TPB MODELS ............................................................................................. 6
2. EXTENDED TPB MODEL ............................................................................................ 8
3. MODIFIED TRA MODEL ........................................................................................... 29
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LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1. DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS of RESPONDENTS .................................. 95
2. ITEM-SPECIFIC DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS and RELIABILITY ....................... 96
3. CONSTRUCT SCALE MEANS and STANDARD DEVIATIONS ........................... 98
4. PEARSON CORRELATIONS between the CONSTRUCTS USED in the
CONTEXT of GREEN HOTELS ................................................................................. 99
5. SUMMARY of SIMPLE LINEAR REGRESSIONS ................................................. 100
6. FREQUENCIES and PERCENTAGES for OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS .............. 101
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Going green has been a growing trend within the hotel industry. Since 2007, the
number of green hotels in the United States has rapidly increased (Butler, 2008; Wiegler,
2008; Williams, 2008). Hotels have numerous motivations for going green including: a
feeling of social responsibility, governmental regulations, and economic benefits
(Bohdanowicz, 2006). However, as the number of green hotels continues to increase,
current research about consumers’ perceptions of them is lacking (Lee, Hsu, Han & Kim,
2010).
During the late 1990’s and early 2000’s several studies were conducted, to
identify which demographic profiles were most influenced by green products. However,
findings across the studies contradicted each other (Diamantopoulos, Schlegelmilch,
Sinkovics, & Bohlen, 2003; Straughan, Roberts, 1999). For example, Straughan and
Roberts (1999) found that younger generations were more environmentally concerned.
However, Haanpää (2007) found exactly the opposite, concluding that commitment to
green initiatives decreased with younger age groups. Effects of income level on
environmental concern have also been found to vary across studies. Arbuthnot and Lingg
(1975), Lyons and Breakwell (1994), and Straughan and Roberts (1999) all found that the
higher an individual’s income or social class, the more environmentally concerned they
are. However, Haanpää (2007) found that there was no statistical difference between
different income levels and environmental concern.
2
Since the start of the new millennium, little research has been conducted on green
consumers’ attitudes and perceptions within the lodging industry. The most recent
studies within the hospitality industry published in 2009, surveyed green restaurant
customers and reported their perceptions of green restaurants (Elan, 2009; Ogbeide,
Brunner, Freshour, Kinzler, Thomas, & Bryant, 2009). Very few recent studies focusing
on consumer’s perceptions of green hotels have been published (Han, Hsu, Lee & Sheu,
2011; Lee et al., 2010). Current consumer attitudes and perceptions are important to study
as demand for green hotel attributes are increasing (Bohdanowicz, 2006). It is important
to understand what guests are looking for in a hotel in order to attract and retain their
business. Hotels offering green attributes may experience higher customer retention rates
as consumers devoted to a particular hotel and the environmental practices in place
(Graci & Dodds, 2008).
Hotel properties and consumers each have numerous reasons for going green and
purchasing green products and services. Hotel properties can realize substantial
reductions in operating costs by employing green techniques (Graci & Dodds, 2008).
Hotel properties can also create a competitive advantage for themselves. Studies have
shown hotel employees are more loyal to their property if the property employs
environmentally conscious practices; therefore reducing the turnover cost of the property
(Graci & Dodds, 2008). Consumer demand for green hotels also leads to a competitive
advantage for properties employing green techniques. Though the demand is relatively
low compared to the hotel industry as a whole, studies have shown that consumers do
3
seek out environmentally friendly properties (Manaktola & Jauhari, 2007). The
competitive advantage realized by green hotels also has benefits to the consumers that
seek them out. Consumers may continue to frequent the same hotel if they had a positive
experience, thus becoming increasingly loyal to the hotel and the environmental practices
they have in place (Graci & Dodds, 2008). Consumers are in part driven by instant
gratification, and green hotels can satisfy consumers’ need for doing something good for
the environment while they are traveling (Manaktola & Jauhari, 2007). People who
display strong consumer beliefs regarding environmentally friendly activities are also
more likely to purchase products that are less harmful to the environment (Maineri et al.,
1997).
To date, few research studies are available discussing hotel guests’ willingness to
partake in environmentally friendly activities while staying at green hotels. This is
important to study so hotel managers can understand how guests can help their operations
become increasingly energy efficient and green.
The objectives of this research study were to (a) identify whether guests with
favorable perceptions of green hotels were more likely to value green hotels; (b) whether
guests with favorable perceptions of value were more likely to partake in green activities
during their stay; (c) whether guests with favorable perceptions of green hotels were
more likely to stay at a green hotel; and (d) whether guests with favorable perceptions of
value provided by green hotels were more likely to pay more to stay at a green hotel than
guests with less favorable perceptions.
4
The sample for this study consisted of faculty and staff from a Midwestern
university in the United States. Faculty and staff were invited to participate in the study
through an email request sent out via a listserv. Data collection took place in September
2011. For the purpose of this study, green hotels are defined as those that have been
certified at any level by the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED) program. To be certified by the LEED program a
building must achieve improvements in both energy and water efficiency, reductions in
carbon dioxide emissions, and “improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship
of resources and sensitivity to their impacts” (U.S. Green Building Council, 2009).
Following the traditional format, this thesis consists of a general introduction of
the study, a review of literature, methodology used for data collection and analysis,
research results, discussion of the findings, suggestions for future research, references,
and appendices.
5
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter provides an overview of previous research, models and theories that
have been used in the development of this study. The first section describes the Theory
of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behavior which form the underlying
foundation on which this study is based. The second section reviews green research
conducted within the hospitality industry. The third section is broken into six sub-
sections: reasons hotels go green, reasons consumers consume green products/services,
demographics, willingness to pay, and beliefs. The final section discusses the rationale
for the current study as well as the research propositions.
Theoretical Background
The phenomenon in which consumers are interested in something, in this case
being green, and the separation between the interest and the willingness to pay (WTP)
for the experience is explained by the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). The TRA
model is based on a hierarchy that explains how behavior is influenced by behavioral
intent. Behavioral intent is impacted by attitudes and subjective norms (which are
perceptions based off pressure from society towards that certain behavior). Both attitudes
and subjective norms are influenced by a person’s beliefs (Ajzen, 1991; Ajzen &
Fishbein, 1980; Lepp, 2007). Consumers who consider themselves environmentally
conscious but are unwilling to pay a premium for a green hotel demonstrate that their
attitude or belief towards what green hotels do for the environment is not strong enough
to be worth an extra percentage of the room rate (Manaktola & Jauhari, 2007). TRA was
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also demonstrated by a survey conducted by United States Travel Industry Association
and Ypartnership of “active travelers;” results indicated that 78 percent of American
adults considered themselves environmentally conscious and yet only nine percent were
willing to pay more (WTPM) for the eco-friendly experience (Keefe, 2007; Keefe &
Chandler, 2009).
A related theory to TRA is the theory of planned behavior (TPB). This theory is
similar to TRA but accounts for an individual’s resources and their opportunity to carry
out their belief (Madden, Ellen & Ajzen, 1992). Figure 1 displays the interaction
between the TRA and TPB models (Han & Kim, 2010). The dotted line represents TRA,
while the outlying variables represent TPB (Han & Kim, 2010). For example, the model
Figure 1. TRA and TPB Models. Reprinted from “An Investigation of Green Hotel Customers’
Decision Formation: Developing an Extended Model of the Theory of Planned Behavior,” by H.
Han, and Y. Kim, 2010, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 29, p. 661. Copyright
7
explains the behavior of a person who wanted to stay at a green hotel but found the hotel
was too expensive, or the hotel was located in an inopportune location; the person would
hence be unable to carry out the action of staying in a green hotel, even if they had the
best intentions of doing so (Han, Hsu & Sheu, 2010).
The TPB model can to be manipulated by adding predictors and altering paths
within the model (Ajzen, 1991). According to Han and Kim (2010) previous research has
suggested that there are several predictors that may also affect the pre- and post- purchase
behavior decision-making process. As cited by Han and Kim (2010, p. 661) the
predictors that may impact the decision-making process include “service quality,
satisfaction, image, and past behavior” (Ajzen, 1991; Bansal & Taylor, 1999; Myong &
Back, 2009; Han, Hsu, & Lee, 2009; Han & Ryu, 2006; Oh & Hsu, 2001; Perugini &
Bagozzi, 2001; Taylor & Baker, 1995). Figure 2 represents the extended TPB model Han
and Kim (2010) tested on 434 general hotel consumers. The model was developed to
better predict the behavior of green hotel consumers. Each path acted as a hypothesis in
the study, all of which were supported, implying that this extended TPB model is useful
in predicting the behavior of green hotel consumers (Han & Kim 2010). The addition of
the overall image predictor is of particular interest to the current study. Overall image
can be defined as a person’s entire perception regarding a product or a particular firm,
which is then formed by processing data from various sources (Assael, 1984; Han et al.,
2009).
Through a series of two focus groups consisting of undergraduate and graduate
students who had dined in a casual dining restaurant within three months of the study,
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Ryu, Han, and Kim (2008) found that an optimistic overall image of a hospitality
organization increases the consumers’ willingness to return to the organization as well as
share positive word-of-mouth about it. Further support was added by Han et al. (2009) in
their study of the consumer decision making process in regards to green hotels. The
study indicated a positive correlation between a person’s overall image of a green hotel
and the intention to purchase a green hotel product, spread positive word-of-mouth about
it, and to pay for it (Han et al., 2009).
Figure 2. Extended TPB Model proposed for repurchasing behavior in green hotels.
Adapted from “An Investigation of Green Hotel Customers’ Decision Formation:
Developing an Extended Model of the Theory of Planned Behavior,” by H. Han, and Y.
Kim, 2010, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 29, p. 660. Copyright
9
Service quality and customer satisfaction were also additions to the extended
model developed by Han and Kim (2010). Service quality is derived from comparisons
of outstanding service, overall, over a long period of time (Bitner & Hubbert 1994; Han
& Kim; 2010; Parasuraman, Zeithaml, & Berry, 1988; Taylor & Baker, 1995). Customer
satisfaction has been included in the model because it is the evaluation process that
occurs after a particular purchase of a particular product or service, based on expectations
held before making the purchase (Han & Kim, 2010; Kotler, 1991; Oliver, 1997;
Parasuraman et al., 1988).
Frequency of past behavior was the final addition to the extended model made by
Han and Kim (2010). Frequency of past behavior was found in numerous studies to be a
strong predictor of future behavior or intention (Han & Kim, 2010; Myong & Back,
2009; Oh & Hsu, 2001, Perugini & Bagozzi, 2001; Quellette & Wood, 1998). Perugini
and Bagozzi (2001) found in a study of 108 students at the University of Rome, that
frequency of past behavior is an important predictor in the decision making process.
Ajzen (1991) stated that once the variables from the original TPB model have been
explained, frequency of past behavior can be used to explain and describe decisions and
behavior.
Green Research within the Hospitality Industry
To understand who stays at green hotels as well as the beliefs consumers have
about what a green hotel is and what they offer; a definition of what a green hotel must
first be discussed. Green hotels are environmentally friendly lodging facilities which
employ management that participate in and initiate environmentally sustainable
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programs. Programs such as water saving techniques, energy reduction, and waste
consolidation are frequently used within green hotels (Green Hotel Association [GHA],
2008). To discuss and understand the current state of green hotels, following is a brief
discussion of green hotels and its guests.
Reasons Hotels go Green
Operating costs. A major reason hotels decide to go green is that environmental
practices can substantially reduce the operating costs of the hotel. “It has been well
documented in several studies that economic benefits can be gained through
implementing environmental initiatives” (Graci & Dodds, 2008, p. 258). For example,
New Zealand’s Hyatt Regency International Hotel installed an energy saving program
based on room occupancy. At the Hyatt, when a guest leaves their room, all energy using
appliances shut off, excluding necessary appliances such as refrigerators and alarm
clocks. This practice alone saves the hotel $14,000 each year (Alexander, 2002).
Another benefit to reducing operating costs is earning a higher yield per customer. The
Marriott located in College Park, Maryland is evidence of this as it “uses 30% less
electricity than a comparable property” (DeLollis, 2007, p. 01b). The College Park
Marriott can therefore save 30 percent on its energy bills, as well as yield a higher return
per customer than their competitors who charge similar rates and do not have energy
saving techniques in place (DeLollis, 2007). Using statistics provided by the United
States Green Building Council (USGBC) Butler (2008) was able to calculate how much
hotels would have to raise their average daily rate (ADR) to reflect a comparable bottom
line when compared to hotels’ energy savings. According to Butler (2008) a limited-
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service hotel that employed energy saving techniques that resulted in 30-50 percent
energy savings, would be comparable to raising their ADR by $1.80-$3.00. Butler
(2008) also calculated that a full-service hotel that was able to save 30-50 percent on
energy spending would be comparable to raising their ADR by $4.00-$6.75.
Competitive advantage. Green hotels create a competitive advantage for
themselves by attracting and retaining their employees. Employee turnover is one of the
biggest problems and expenses within the hotel industry. However, studies have shown
that environmentally conscious hotels have greater employee loyalty. A Canadian study
reported that employees are “far more likely to identify with an employer whose
principles and practices are in tune with current trends” (Graci & Dodds, 2008, p. 260).
Environmental initiatives have shown to be a valuable way to create passion and
encourage team work to achieve a central goal (Graci & Dodds, 2008). Team work must
be inspired from the top down in a hotel. The Orchard Garden’s general manager, Stefan
Muhle, said “you just can’t send out a memo,” (Dicum, 2007, p. 1) “All the staff have to
be included front to back. Their heart has to be in it” (Dicum, 2007, p. 1). Each staff
member needs to be educated in what the hotel is doing to achieve sustainability goals so
they can not only participate, but also answer guest questions (Dicum, 2007). By
educating staff members, including them, keeping them informed and challenging them
to achieve goals, management of green hotels excites their staff and allows them to
identify with their organization; which leads to lower turnover rates. Lower turnover
rates in turn save the hotel expenses involved with recruiting, hiring, and training new
employees.
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The competitive advantages realized by green hotels do not stop with retaining
employees; consumers do seek out green hotels. Green hotels are becoming increasingly
popular due to the current environmental crisis that is occurring worldwide. Green hotels
are few and far between across not only the United States, but also the world. Therefore,
going green makes each property unique, and furthermore creates a competitive
advantage. “Sustainable competitive advantage exists with the ownership or a valuable
resource that allows the organizations to perform better or more efficient than their
competitors” (Graci & Dodds, 2008, p. 256). The Cedar House Sport Hotel, for example,
has gardens on the roof of their hotel. The gardens attract local birds and insects for
guests to observe, which in turn attracts more guests. However, the gardens also serve
another purpose, as they cool the hotel during the summer months (Dicum, 2007). In a
study of 445 travelers surveyed in three U.S. airports (Atlanta, Dulles, and National),
Gustin and Weaver (1996) found the majority of their study’s respondents displayed
positive attitudes towards hotels offering environmental strategies. Respondents were
asked to indicate how the offering of various environmental strategies would impact their
decision to stay at a particular hotel offering the initiatives. Strategies examined
included: recycling bins, shampoo dispensers, soap dispensers, efficient lights, cooler
temperature in the corridors, warmer temperature in the corridors, lights off, not changing
sheets, not changing towels, no polystyrene foam, automatic faucets, low flow
showerheads, recycled paper brochures, recycled paper for in room displays, and
environmental strategies. Three variables, not changing towels daily, the installation of
automatic faucets, and the installation of low flow showerheads, were the only three
13
environmental initiatives that did not gain a majority feeling from respondents in regards
to the likeliness they would stay in a hotel offering such environmental strategies.
Seventy-one percent of respondents also stated that they would be “extremely likely’ or
‘likely” (Gustin & Weaver, 1996, p. 8) to stay in a hotel providing environmental
initiatives (Gustin & Weaver, 1996).
By participating in green efforts, individual hotels can create a positive company
image that can also result in a competitive advantage for not only their hotel but also the
parent brand (Graci & Dodds, 2008). For example, guests who frequent Starwood’s
Element hotel may seek out other Starwood properties in other locations because they
appreciate their environmental effort put forth with the Element. In Europe, there is
strong evidence that consumers consider the environment in choosing a holiday location
according to the results of the 2000 FEMATOUR (Honey, 2002). The FEMATOUR, or
feasibility and market study for a European Eco-label for tourist accommodations, was
used to determine if a market existed for eco-labeled tourist accommodations and how
feasible the market was to access (Consultancy and Research for Environmental
Management, 2000).
Consumer demand. The demand for green hotels across the world proves to be
fairly consistent as shown in a number of studies. The number of people willing to
search out environmentally friendly hotels is relatively low in comparison to the hotel
industry as whole. However, environmentally conscious consumers create an increasing
demand for the green hotel niche. A study conducted in India which surveyed Indian
lodging consumers about their attitudes towards green practices in the lodging industry
14
showed that 22 percent of the respondents seek out environmental properties (Manaktola
& Jauhari, 2007). In the United States, 43,000,000 travelers are environmentally
concerned (“Greening’ your travel experience,” 1998). Gustin and Weaver (1996) found
that 73.7 percent of respondents considered themselves “environmentally conscious
consumers;” (p. 6) while 54.3 percent thought of themselves as “environmentally
conscious travelers” (p. 6). In a study of Swedish and Polish hoteliers and the influence
of geo-political, economic, and socio-cultural contexts of their countries on
environmental attitudes, in both Sweden and Poland, customer demand ranked second
among seven categories as reasons hotels implement environmental practices
(Bohdanowicz, 2006). The hotel’s rationale for employing environmental practices were:
reducing operating costs, increased consumer demand for environmental practices,
diminishing environmental impacts of the hotel, improving the image of the hotel,
environmental practices could be used as a marketing asset, recommendations from
management and availability of professional advice was increasing (Bohdanowicz, 2006).
The consumer interest in environmental initiatives creates a reasonable target
market and a niche for hotels to fulfill. For example, the Colony Hotel located in Maine
found that their occupancy increased by one fourth when they began positioning
themselves as a green hotel (Shaw, 2000).
Reasons Consumers Purchase Green Products/Services
Green consumerism, or environmental purchasing, is defined as purchasing
products or services that are friendlier toward the environment (Mainieri, Barnett,
Valdero, Unipan, & Oskamp, 1997).
15
In a New Zealand study of 296 overseas and domestic travelers, over 75 percent
of study respondents had positive observations of ecotourism locations and “agreed that
ecolabels should be used” (Fairweather et al., 2005). Consumers derive many benefits
from staying at green hotels. One benefit is education. People are naturally curious and
crave knowledge; green hotels are able to provide a new experience for consumers to
learn about. The Nordic Swan certification, an ecolabel in Europe, requires that
information about any sustainable practices at the hotel must be available for guests to
see and read (Bohdanowicz, Simanic & Martinac, 2004). This not only expands people’s
knowledge about the environment, but allows them to visually connect the information
and see how it is applied within the hotel.
Consumers and hotels are able to benefit through environmental protection
certifications as they create customer retention. Consumers, if they have enjoyed their
experience at a particular hotel, are likely to frequent it when in the area. Hotels benefit
as the consumers become more and more committed to the hotel and the environmental
practices in place (Graci & Dodds, 2008). Part of what drives consumers to frequent the
same hotel is the positive feeling they experience, and the instant gratification for doing
something good for the environment (Manaktola & Jauhari, 2007).
Consumer beliefs also play a role in green consumption. Gustin and Weaver
(1996) found the vast majority of their respondents believed that during their hotel stay
“their efforts to conserve resources, reduce the solid waste problem, and stop the
destruction of the ozone layer will help alleviate environmental problems” (p.8).
Mainieri et al. (1997) examined three attitudinal variables in relation to green consumer
16
beliefs: “factors that influence purchasing, specific environmental purchases, and general
environmental buying behavior” (p. 197). In a study of 201 urban middle-class
households in western Los Angeles, Mainieri et al. (1997) found that all three attitudinal
variables could be predicted through consumer beliefs. The findings revealed that
positive environmental beliefs were associated with pro-environmental attitudes.
Consumer beliefs were also found to be important “positive predictors of (1) the number
and type of goods purchased because of their environmental claims, (2) the impact of
environmental safety on respondents’ purchase decisions, and (3) general environmental
buying behaviors” (p. 199).
People who displayed stronger consumer beliefs regarding pro-environmentalism,
were more likely to purchase products because of their environmental declarations,
consider environment safety when purchasing a product, and to participate in other
customer actions like purchasing products less harmful to the environment (Mainieri et
al., 1997).
There is also evidence to suggest that people purchase products based on certain
advantages they provide to the environment. Examples include: recyclable packaging,
reduced packaging, and reduced waste. Through these purchasing decisions, people are
able to further participate in conservation by recycling the recyclable packing, for
example (Ebreo, Hershey, & Vining, 1999).
Demographics
Previous studies on green hotel guest demographics have varied greatly and
essentially findings have cancelled each other out. However, the majority of these
17
studies were carried out in the 1990s; the modern society’s demographics may have a
much clearer outcome in regards to green hotels. Through a review of previous research
Davidson and Freudenburg (1996) found that overall, females tend to participate more in
green activities, and would therefore be more likely to stay at a green hotel than males.
Through a retail oriented survey of students at a major university, Straughan and Roberts
(1999) came to a similar conclusion as Davidson and Freudenburg (1996) stating that
women are more likely to be involved in green activities. However, a subsequent study
carried out by Haanpää (2007) demonstrated that there was no statistically significant
difference between genders in regards to willingness to partake in environmentally
friendly activities. Hananpaa (2007) surveyed 1,370 households in the Turku region of
Finland. Data was collected about consumers’ green commitment within the retail
industry. Haanpää’s (2007) study is evidence that being green or at least an interest in
being green is becoming more commonplace in today’s society, and that gender
differences no longer exist.
Diamantopoulos et al. (2003) stated that 31 studies found no difference based on
age and the willingness of an individual to participate in green activities. However,
Diamantopoulous et al. (2003) mentioned that two studies that were in direct contrast to
the findings of the other 31 studies. In 1992, Grunert and Kristensen (as cited in
Diamantopoulous, et al. 2003) found that younger generations were more willing to
participate in green activities. Arcury, Scollay and Johnson (1987) conducted a statewide
telephone survey of Kentucky residents to determine what role gender plays in
environmental attitudes. The findings of the study showed that younger generations were
18
more enthusiastic to participate in environmental initiatives (Arcury et al., 1987).
Straughan and Roberts (1999) also found that younger generations were more
environmentally concerned. However, Haanpää (2007) found exactly the opposite,
concluding that commitment to green initiatives increased with age.
The effect of income level on environmental concern has also been found to vary
across studies. Arbuthnot and Lingg (1975) and Lyons and Breakwell (1994) found that
the higher an individual’s income or social class, the more environmentally concerned
they are. Arbuthnot and Lingg (1975) surveyed residents of Tours and Saint-Pierre-des-
Corps, France, as well as residents of Athens and Zanesville, Ohio; to determine
environmental behavior involving recycling, attitudes, knowledge, as well as numerous
personality dimensions. Similarly, Lyons and Breakwell (1994) surveyed 13-16 year old
teenagers in the United Kingdom to determine socio-demographic, knowledge, and
attitudinal variables in predicting environmental concern and indifference within people
during their early teen years. Conversely, Haanpää (2007) found that there was no
statistically significant relationship between income level and environmental concern.
The lack of a statistically significant relationship between income level and
environmental concern, as well as between gender and environmental concern, could be
due to environmental initiatives becoming more common place in today’s society, as
environmental initiatives are being embraced by members of both sexes and all income
brackets equally.
Ogbeide et al. (2009) sought to identify consumer perceptions of green in regards
to restaurants. Their study, which surveyed restaurant diners at various locations around
19
a mid-western American city, found that there was no statistically significant difference
between men and women in regards to the importance of green restaurants.
Unlike gender, age, and income level, a positive correlation between level of
education and environmental concern has been well documented across several decades
(Haanpää, 2007; Maloney, Ward, & Braucht 1975; Straughan & Roberts, 1999). Each of
these studies found that the more educated an individual is the higher their level of
environmental concern. Now that light has been shed on who the green consumer is, it is
critical to discuss the green consumer’s commitment to their beliefs and their willingness
to pay (WTP).
Kim, Chang, Lee, and Huh (2011), examined whether attitudes about green hotels
changes based on gender in the Generation Y population. The researchers surveyed a
convenience sample of individuals at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport and at the
Buffalo Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau. Respondents were over the age of 18
and had stayed in a hotel within 12 months of the study. The study found that female
guests cared more about hotels offering a linen re-use program than their male
counterparts. Female guests also thought that having environmentally friendly food
available in hotels was important, more so than males. Both genders found clean hotel
rooms to be the most important practice, followed by clean water. Both genders also felt
that the building/architecture features being in harmony with nature were the least
important practices (Kim et al., 2011).
The variables examined in Kim et al. (2011) included: training employees for
better environmental performance, visible communications about green practices such as
20
environmental messages in advertising, participation in environmental partnership of
certification, use of sensors or timers to save electricity in intermittent use areas,
establishment of active recycling program for materials in all sections of the hotel,
establishment of system for prompt disposal of packaging materials and creates to reduce
waste, use of environmentally responsible cleaners throughout the property, energy-
saving light bulbs in all rooms, offering a linen reuse option to multiple night guests,
having an active system to detect and repair water leakage in toilets, faucets and shower
heads, providing cleaned fresh air throughout the hotel, providing clean hotel rooms,
providing clean water to the guests, providing environmentally friendly foods (i.e., low
toxicity, organic or locally grown/made), building/architecture in harmony with nature,
providing clean amenities, swimming pool with wastes containing less chemicals, and
encouraging business with environmentally friendly service providers.
Willingness to Pay
When studying consumer’s beliefs about green hotels, it is also critical to identify
their WTP to stay in such a hotel. If consumers are not willing to pay to stay in green
hotels, then going green may not be in the best interest of the hotel. A study conducted in
India showed that 55 percent of the respondents demonstrated that they monitor
environmental initiatives within hotels (Manaktola & Jauhari, 2007). Manaktola and
Jauhari (2007) also found that respondents were WTP approximately five percent more
for green accommodations. As stated previously, a survey conducted by the United
States Travel Industry Association and Ypartnership of “active travelers” found that 78
percent of American adults consider themselves to be environmentally concerned (Keefe,
21
2007). However, a subsequent survey conducted by the United States Travel Industry
Association and Ypartnership found that only nine percent of Americans were willing to
pay more (WTPM) for eco-friendly travel services (Keefe & Chandler 2009). Consumers
must have a positive perception of what a green hotel is and about the attributes they
offer, if they are to pay more per room than they would at a non-green hotel. Previous
research has suggested that many companies, including hotels, may charge higher prices
to offset the initial costs of beginning green operating procedures (Fuller, 1999; Graci,
2002; Peattie, 1999, 1999; Wong, Turner, & Stoneman, 1996). Rivera’s study (2002a),
which surveyed and collected archival data on 164 Costa Rican hotels, found that hotels
that participated in the Costa Rican Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) program
charged nearly $30 more per night than a hotel not participating in the CST program. For
consumers who are interested in environmentally friendly products and are WTP for
them, there is a portion of the market that is WTPM for the products and services
(Freeman, 1989; Kassarjian, 1971; Klein, 1990; McCloskey, 1990; Kapelianis &
Strachan, 1996; Laroche, Bergeron, & Barbaro-Forleo, 2001). Several studies of
environmentally friendly products found consumers were WTP approximately five
percent more for environmentally friendly products, on average (Kapelianis & Strachan,
1996; Manaktola & Jauhari, 2007; Schwartz, 1990; Speer, 1997). In 1990, the Roper
Ogranization and again in 1997, the Roper Starch Worldwide organization (as cited in
Manakotla & Jauhari, 2007) found that there may be a segment of consumers willing to
pay approximately 20 percent more for environmental benefits.
22
In a study of 907 residents of a large North-American city, Laroche et al. (2001)
found that consumers who were WTPM for green products perceived the current
ecological issues to be severe. Consumers WTPM also felt that corporations act in ways
that are irresponsible toward the environment. Consumers WTPM also felt that acting in
environmentally conscious ways were important. Laroche et al. (2001) found that
consumers WTPM also felt it was not inconvenient to act in environmentally conscious
ways (Laroche et al., 2001). Laroche et al. (2001) also found that consumers who would
not pay more for green products believed corporations were acting in environmentally
responsible ways. Consumers who were not WTPM for green products also admitted
that, on average, they did not consider environmental issues while making purchases.
Consumers who were not WTPM also felt that environmental issues were less severe
than consumers who were WTPM for green products, and they also attributed less
importance to the need to be environmentally friendly (Laroche et al., 2001).
Ogbeide et al. (2009) found that over 69 percent of their study’s respondents
would often or always eat at a green restaurant if their menus were of a reasonable price
and over 44 percent stated that they would pay more for green menu items.
Recent studies have researched consumer’s WTP in regards to the lodging
industry specifically (Choi, Parsa, Sigala, & Putrevu 2009; Manakotla & Jauhari, 2007).
In a 2009 lodging industry study which surveyed university students in Greece and the
United States, Choi et al. (2009) found that consumers displaying higher interests in
responsible operational environmental practices were over 2.68 times more likely to pay
at least six percent more per hotel room than other consumers without similar behavioral
23
interests. In a study of Indian lodging consumers, Manaktola and Jauhari (2007) found
that while 22 percent of the respondents sought out environmental information in hotels,
the majority of consumers are unwilling to pay more for hotels whom utilize green
practices. They did find that approximately 51 percent of consumers were willing to
shoulder some of the burden to help offset the costs for the hotel. Eleven percent of
respondents stated they would pay up to 25 percent of the costs, and an additional 11
percent stated they would pay an additional four to six percent to help cover the costs of
green initiatives.
Kim et al. (2011) found four variables that were positively associated with the
willingness to pay more for green hotels: “visible communications,” “establishment of
active recycling program,” “business with environmentally friendly service providers,”
and “environmentally friendly food” (Kim et al., 2011, Results section, para. 9).
Perceptions and Beliefs
Consumer’s WTP is affected by their beliefs about what they are WTP for and
how much more they are WTP for a product of service. A belief is generally defined as
“a proposition that conveys information about the relationship between two independent
concepts” (Kendler, 1968, p. 579). A perception is the process involved with a person
receiving, selecting, organizing, and interpreting information to create a significant image
of the environment (Choi & Chu, 1999). Straughan and Roberts (1999) studied perceived
consumer effectiveness (PCE) in relation to ecologically conscious consumer behavior
(ECCB). Straughan and Roberts (1999) found that PCE is a main determinant in
24
explaining ECCB (McDonald & Oates, 2006). PCE and ECCB are related to TRA, in
that even if an individual considers themselves to be environmentally concerned, a gap
will still remain between the belief and the action unless individuals feel that their belief
and the action can make a difference (McDonald & Oates, 2006).
Few studies have been conducted on how green initiatives are perceived in the
hospitality industry. Ogbeide et al. (2009) found that the majority of respondents felt as
if the green movement was not a trend, and that it was a change America was
undertaking. Ogbeide et al. (2009) also found that nearly 70 percent of respondents
strongly agreed/ agreed/ or somewhat agreed that they would choose a green restaurant
over another, and nearly 40 percent were willing to travel further to dine at a green
restaurant.
Lee et al. (2010) studied how consumers’ views of green hotels impact their
image and behavioral intentions regarding green hotels. In a study of 416 green hotel
guests, the authors found that cognitive image positively affected affective image as well
as overall image. Overall image was also positively affected by affective image.
Cognitive image is formed through consumers’ perceptions of a particular object (in this
case, green hotels) based on an appraisal of its known characteristics (Lee et al., 2010).
Affective image is based on consumers’ feelings about a particular object (in this case,
green hotels) (Lee et al., 2010). As previously defined, overall image is a person’s entire
perception regarding a product or a particular firm, which is then formed by processing
data from various sources (Assael, 1984; Han et al., 2009). Overall image was found to
25
positively affect word-of-mouth, the willingness to pay a premium, and revisit intention
(Lee et al., 2010).
Millar and Baloglu (2008) surveyed 165 attendees at a hotel developer’s
conference. The focus of the conference was going green in the hospitality industry. An
open ended question, “what three words come to mind when you think of a green hotel”
(Millar & Baloglu, 2008, Results section, para. 3) received a variety of responses; the
majority of which were positive. The most frequent answer was Efficient/Efficiency;
followed by Recycling, Environmental/Environmentally Friendly, Sustainability, Clean,
Conservation, Responsible, Healthy, Conscious/Conscientious and Air Quality,
respectively. Other words that were mentioned by participants in regards to green hotels
were: “Organic, New, Leed, and Progressive” (Millar & Baloglu, 2008, Results section,
para. 3).
However, not all responses to the question “what three words come to mind when
you think of a green hotel” were positive (Millar & Baloglu, 2008, Results section, para.
3). The most frequent negative response was “expensive.” Other respondents mentioned
“It ain’t easy,” “Difficult to enforce,” and “Very false advertising” (Millar & Baloglu,
2008, Results section, para. 4). Additional negative responses included “Plain, Geeky,
Not luxury, Cheap/Spartan, and Ugly” (Millar & Baloglu, 2008, Results section, para. 4).
Preferences for hotel room attributes were also examined by Millar and Baloglu
(2008). The survey results indicated that sheets being changed only upon request were
most preferable. Occupancy sensors, key cards to turn power to the room on and off,
energy saving bulbs in the sleeping area and guest bathroom, towel re-use program,
26
recycling bins, low flow toilets, and low flow faucets were the most preferable,
respectively. The least preferable attributes were low flow showerheads, refillable soap
dispensers, and refillable shampoo dispensers (Millar & Baloglu, 2008).
Parker, Segev, and Pinto (2010) conducted a series of six focus groups at a large
southeastern university to identify consumer perceptions of green branding. The majority
of the participants articulated positive feelings toward the idea of green brands. The
positive emotions were largely derived from gratification felt through purchasing a
product that was part of a green brand. Participants felt as though they were doing
something good and were doing something that would make a difference. Negative
feelings were also expressed by some participants, while other participants seemed
indifferent toward the idea of green brands; “perceptions that green brands were elitist,
expensive, or unnecessary were also expressed” (Parker et al., 2010, p. 105). Some
participants felt skeptical in regards to both green brands and green products.
Participants expressing skepticism were largely concerned with greenwashing (Parker et
al., 2010). Greenwashing is deceptive marketing about the ecological benefits of a
product (Walsh, 2008).
Limited studies are available to identify who the modern green hotel consumer is.
Previous studies have identified the typical green consumer as a young, educated urban
woman, with a mid-to-high income level (Straughan & Roberts, 1999). Elan (2009) and
Ogeide et al. (2009) helped identify the green restaurant consumer as an individual who
perceives green restaurants to be of high prices and high food quality that approximately
40 percent were WTPM for and 70 percent were willing to travel some distance for.
27
Original Study Design
The original study sought to identify what perceptions consumers have of green
extended stay hotels currently, and if they are willing to pay more to stay at one. The
original study also attempted to add additional insight about how willing consumers are
to participate in environmental activities while staying at green extended stay hotels. No
past research has focused solely on green extended stay hotels. Lee et al. (2010) also
studied consumer perceptions of green hotels; however, their study focused on guests
staying at green hotels in all segments of the lodging industry. Most guests stay at
extended stay properties for approximately seven days, which is longer than they stay at
other hotels belonging to different segments of the lodging industry (Ninemeier &
Perdue, 2005). Due to the length of time guests stay at one particular property guests
may be more sensitive to environmental issues and may want to reduce their
environmental impact while away from home. The original study also attempted to
examine two constructs; willingness to partake in environmentally friendly activities and
consumer perceptions of specific green hotel room attributes; which were not included in
the Lee et al. (2010) study. Involvement was studied by Choi et al. (2009) and specific
green hotel room attributes were studied by Millar and Baloglu (2008); however, neither
study examined extended stay hotel guests specifically.
The original data collection method consisted of five hotel properties located
across the United States asking guests to complete the surveys as they checked in. Guests
were able to take the surveys back to their rooms to fill out at their leisure and leave the
surveys on the kitchen counter for the housekeeping staff to collect. Unfortunately the
28
original study was unsuccessful. Of the five participating hotels, only two returned any
surveys. Five surveys were returned from each hotel; which resulted in a negligible
response rate.
Rationale for Current Study
The number of green hotels is rapidly increasing in the United States (Butler,
2008; Wiegler, 2008; Williams, 2008). While green restaurants have been studied to
identify green consumer perceptions in recent years, the area of green hotels has been
neglected (Lee et al., 2010). Lee et al. (2010) found that a person’s image of green,
including value and quality increased a green hotel’s “affective and overall image” (p.
908). The study also revealed affective image enhanced a green hotel’s overall image.
Overall image also further increased the likeliness that one would recommend the hotel to
others, increased one’s willingness to pay a premium to stay a green hotel, and one’s
willingness to return to the hotel in the future (Lee et al., 2010).
As seen in Figure 3, the current study sought to identify what beliefs consumers
have about green hotels currently, and if they are willing to pay more to stay at one. This
study also adds additional insight about how willing consumers are to participate in
environmental activities while staying at green hotels and how willing consumers are to
stay at them. The current study examines consumer beliefs about specific green hotel
room attributes, which was not included in the Lee et al. (2010) study. Involvement was
studied by Choi et al. (2009) and specific green hotel room attributes were studied by
Millar and Baloglu (2008); however, neither study examined the value consumers believe
they receive from green hotels or how value relates to WTP, WTS or willingness to
29
partake in environmental activities during hotel stays. It is important to note that the
model used in this study was only a partial TRA model. This study only used one path,
Figure 3. Modified TRA Model
and did not study consumer actions, which is explained in the full TRA model. The path
used was that of behavioral beliefs impacting attitudes which in turn impacted behavioral
intent.
Research Propositions
The purposes of this research were to examine the following propositions:
1. Guests with more favorable beliefs about the environmentally friendly initiatives
used by hotels will be more likely to value green hotels more than guests with less
favorable beliefs about the environmentally friendly initiatives used by hotels.
Consumerbeliefs about
environmentally friendly practices
within hotels
Value perceived to be provided by green
hotels
Willingness to pay more to stay in green
hotels
Willingness to stay in green hotels
Willingness to partake in environmentally friendly activities
while staying in green hotels
30
2. Guests with more favorable beliefs about the value provided by green hotels will
be more likely to partake in green activities during their stay than guests with less
favorable beliefs about the value provided by green hotels.
3. Guests with more favorable beliefs about the value provided by green hotels will
be more willing to stay at a green hotel than guests with less favorable beliefs
about the value provided by green hotels.
4. Guests with more favorable beliefs about the value provided by green hotels will
be more likely to pay more to stay at a green hotel than guests with less favorable
beliefs about the value provided by green hotels.
Summary
This chapter discussed the theories underlying the development of this study and
studies related to consumer beliefs about green hotels. This chapter also discussed the
original study design and subsequently, the revised rationale for studying consumer
beliefs about green hotels. Previous research related to green consumers within the
hospitality industry was presented and finally, research propositions for the current study
were discussed.
32
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The perceptions and images consumers develop of green hotels have not been
studied from the perspective of hotel guests until recently (Lee et al., 2010). The present
study built upon on the findings of Lee et al. (2010) by further investigating consumer
perceptions in regards to their willingness to partake in environmental activities while
staying in green hotels. Lee et al. (2010) employed a survey-based methodology;
following in their footsteps this study used a similar methodology. While Lee et al.
(2010) conducted an online survey distributed via a marketing research firm, and
provided respondents with a description of what a green hotel is, this study sought to
electronically survey faculty and staff from one college within a mid-western university.
This chapter discusses the use of human subjects in research, the sample and
instrument design, pilot study and data collection procedures, and data analysis methods
used.
Use of Human Subjects in Research
Researchers involved with this study have completed human subjects training and
are certified by Kent State University (KSU). The KSU Institutional Review Board
(IRB) for the Use of Human Subjects in Research has reviewed and approved the
proposal including data collection instruments for this study (Appendix A).
Original Sample Selection
This study focused on the perceptions of hotel consumers in the United States. As
stated previously, this study built upon the methodology set forth by Lee et al. (2010).
33
However, notable changes in methodology were made in the present study. This study’s
sample included guests checking-in to select extended stay properties located in
Colorado, Massachusetts, and Texas throughout the entire month of March 2011. Three
hotel companies were chosen for the study; one company included the green chain used
in the study and the other hotel company included both non-green hotel chains used in the
study. In each city, the non-green hotel property was located 6.8 miles or less from the
green hotel property; so they were in direct competition, with the exception of
Massachusetts. Only the green property was used in Massachusetts as the non-green
property that was to participate dropped out of the study at the last minute due to a study
they were planning on conducting themselves. A replacement property could not be
located on such short notice. For the purpose of this study, green hotels are defined as
those that have been certified at any level by the United States Green Building Council’s
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The green hotel
chain opened its first hotel in 2009; as of May 2010, when the hotels were selected, only
seven properties were operational. The locations were chosen for this study based on the
location of properties that had already been LEED certified within the selected hotel
chain. At the time of data collection, several more properties within the chain selected
were LEED certified; however, they were not selected for participation in this study for
several reasons. The researcher felt the Las Vegas property would taint the results and
the properties in Maryland and New Jersey were too close to the Massachusetts location.
Two properties were open in Texas, so the property that was already LEED certified was
selected.
34
Original Instrument Design
A paper survey provided to the guests had the following sections: Part A
consisted of seven demographic questions (Appendix B). These questions included
gender, age, ethnic background, annual household income, education level, reason for
hotel stay, and state/country of permanent address. Part A also included one qualitative
question, asking respondents, what two words came to mind when thinking of a green
hotel (Millar & Baloglu, 2008). Part B measured hotel consumers’ willingness to pay for
green hotels as well as perceptions of value and quality attributes associated with green
hotels. Part C measured consumers’ environmental attitudes in general. Part D measured
revisit intention and willingness to recommend green hotels to friends and relatives.
Part E measured consumers’ willingness to partake in environmentally friendly
activities when staying at hotels including linen use, energy consumption, and recycling.
Respondents were asked to indicate how much they agreed or disagreed with each
statement using a five-point Likert-type scale in Parts B-E. Responses for the Likert-type
scale were adapted from the Lee et al. (2010) study. The questionnaire contained the
following options: Strongly Disagree (=1), Disagree (=2), Neither Agree/ nor Disagree
(=3), Agree (=4), Strongly Agree (=5). A sixth option: N/A was also added to the
questionnaire.
The following measurement constructs were used in this study.
1. Willingness to pay.
Two items used by Lee et al.’s (2010) were included in this section:
35
It is acceptable to pay a premium to stay a hotel that engages in green
practices
I am willing to pay more to stay at a green hotel
The entire construct was not used because of a redundancy in the original
study’s items (Lee et al., 2010):
2. Value attributes.
The entire construct as used by Lee et al.’s (2010) survey was also used
for this study (Cronbach’s alpha 0.92):
A green hotel offers good value for money
The prices charged by green hotels is reasonable
A green hotel offers good quality/benefits
3. Quality attributes.
One variable from Lee et al.’s (2010) was modified to create two items in
this section:
I believe the accommodations at a green hotel are clean
I believe the accommodations at a green hotel are comfortable
The entire construct from Lee et al.’s (2010) survey instrument was not
used because the researcher felt the remaining variables were not applicable to the
current study’s context.
4. Environmental attitudes.
Three items from Barber, Taylor, and Strick (2010) were used in this
section:
36
The balance of nature is very delicate and easily upset
Humans have the right to modify the natural environment to suit their
needs
If things continue on their present course, we will soon experience a major
ecological catastrophe.
The final item from the Barber et al. (2010) study was eliminated from the
present study’s questionnaire as it received a low reliability score during
the pilot test.
5. Willingness to partake in environmentally friendly activities.
Twelve variables from Millar and Baloglu (2008) were included in this
section. Unlike the Millar and Baloglu (2008) study which measured the guest
preference for having the environmental attributes in their hotel rooms, each
variable was preceded by the phrase “I believe hotels should have” to better
understand the guests’ perceptions of the environmental attributes in general.
Energy efficient bulbs in sleeping area
Energy efficient light bulbs in guest bathroom
Low flow toilets
Low flow sinks
Low flow showerheads
Refillable soap dispensers
Refillable shampoo dispensers
37
Towel re-use program
Sheets changed upon request only
Recycling bins
Occupancy sensors
Key card to turn power to the room on and off
One variable from Choi et al. (2009) was included in this section:
I prefer to stay a green hotel that cares about the environment
The entire involvement construct was not used because of the researcher’s
concern that the questionnaire would be too long for respondents to be
willing to participate.
One variable from Lee et al. (2010) was also used in this section:
A green hotel offers healthy amenities
The entire quality attributes construct from Lee et al.’s (2010) survey
instrument was not used because the researcher did not feel the remaining
variables were applicable to the current study’s context.
The researcher modified one variable from Manakotla and Jauhari (2007)
regarding communication hotels provide about their green practices.
I believe hotels should provide information about the green practices they
engage in
An additional variable was developed by the researcher because the
studies used to develop the survey instrument do not measure consumer
perceptions in regards to specific negative perceptions of amenities.
38
If I saw a shampoo dispenser in a hotel bathroom instead of mini bottles, I
would associate that with being cheap
6. Revisit intention.
The entire construct as used by Lee et al.’s (2010) was for this section
(Cronbach’s alpha 0.89):
I am willing to stay at a green hotel when traveling
I plan to stay at a green hotel when traveling
I will make an effort to stay at a green hotel when traveling
7. Willingness to recommend.
The two items in this section came from Lee et al.’s (2010) survey
instrument:
I encourage my friends and relatives to stay at a green hotel when
traveling
I say positive things about an environmentally-friendly hotel
The entire construct from Lee et al.’s (2010) survey instrument was not
used due to the lack of dining services available in the extended stay hotels being
used for this study.
Original Pilot Study
Graduate students at a mid-western U.S. university were invited to participate in a
pilot study. Guests checking-in to one extended hotel property located in North East
Ohio were also used during the pilot study phase. Cronbach alphas were calculated for
39
all items at the conclusion of the pilot study and one item was removed from the survey
due to a low alpha.
Original Data Collection
Data collection took place over the entire month of March 2011. Through the
cooperation of the general managers and front desk agents at all five hotel properties, the
questionnaires were distributed to guests checking-in to the hotel properties. Front desk
agents were responsible for asking every check-in, over a one month period, to complete
the questionnaire (Appendix C). In the event a guest checking-in declined, the front
desk agents were responsible for asking each subsequent check-in to complete the
questionnaire.
The guests were allowed to complete the questionnaire in the comfort of their
hotel room, and were directed to leave the completed questionnaire on the kitchen
counter for the housekeeping staff to collect. The housekeeping staff was responsible for
returning the completed questionnaires to the front desk. Guests were also able to return
their questionnaires to the front desk if they chose to do so. After all of the
questionnaires had been distributed and collected, the general manager of each property
was responsible for mailing the questionnaires back to the researcher. The researcher
provided pre-paid boxes to have the questionnaires returned in.
In appreciation for participation, all respondents were entered into a random
drawing to win one of four $50.00 prepaid Visa cards (Appendix D).
40
Unfortunately, a total of only 10 surveys were returned to the researcher by the
hotels. Only two of the five participating hotels returned any surveys at all. The response
rate was less than 5 percent, leaving any results potentially unreliable.
Use of Human Subjects in Research, Current Study
The KSU IRB for the Use of Human Subjects in Research has reviewed and
approved the modified proposal including data collection instruments for this study
(Appendix E, F).
Current Sample Selection
Because the original methodology of this study yielded very few responses, the
study’s methodology was altered while still focusing on the perceptions of hotel
consumers in the United States. This study continued to build on the methodology set
forth by Lee et al. (2010) as well as the methodology of Millar and Baloglu (2008).
However, notable changes in methodology were made in the present study. This study’s
sample comprised a convenience sample of faculty and staff employed in one college at a
mid-western university located in the United States. This study assumed that all
respondents have stayed at a hotel property at some point prior to completing the survey.
Current Instrument Design
An online survey was emailed to an electronic mailing list comprising faculty and
staff members in one college at a mid-western university (Appendix G). The survey had
the following sections: The first five questions collected data on demographic
characteristics of respondents. These questions included gender, age, ethnic background,
annual household income and education level. The demographic question from the
41
previous study “Reason for hotel stay” was eliminated as it was no longer relevant.
Question 6 was qualitative, asking respondents, what two words came to mind when
thinking of a green hotel (Millar & Baloglu, 2008). Question 7 included a series of
statements that measured consumers’ beliefs regarding green activities while at hotels,
including linen use, energy consumption, and recycling. Question 8 included a series of
statements that measured consumers’ willingness to partake in environmental activities
regarding green activities while at hotels; including linen use, energy consumption and
recycling. Question 9 included two statements that measured hotel consumers’
willingness to pay for green hotels, as well as three statements that measured consumers’
perceptions of value associated with green hotels. Question 10 comprised three
statements that measured willingness to stay in a green hotel when traveling.
Respondents were asked to indicate how much they agreed or disagreed with each
statement using a five-point Likert-type scale in questions 7-10. Responses for the
Likert-type scale were adapted from the Lee et al. (2010) study. The questionnaire
contained the following options: Strongly Disagree (=1), Disagree (=2), Neither Agree/
nor Disagree (=3), Agree (=4), Strongly Agree (=5). A sixth option: N/A (=0) was also
added to the questionnaire.
The following measurement constructs were used in this study.
1. Willingness to pay.
Two items used by Lee et al.’s (2010) were included in this section:
It is acceptable to pay a premium to stay a hotel that engages in green
practices
42
I am willing to pay more to stay at a green hotel
The entire construct was not used because of a redundancy in the original
study’s items (Lee et al., 2010):
2. Value attributes.
The entire construct as used by Lee et al.’s (2010) survey was also used
for this study. Lee et al. (2010) reported a Cronbach alpha value of 0.92 for this
construct:
A green hotel offers good value for money
The prices charged by green hotels is reasonable
A green hotel offers good quality/benefits
3. Beliefs.
Twelve variables from Millar and Baloglu (2008) were included in this
section. Unlike the Millar and Baloglu (2008) study which measured the guest preference
for having the environmental attributes in their hotel rooms, each variable was preceded
by the phrase “I believe hotels should have” to better understand the guests’ perceptions
of the environmental attributes in general.
Energy efficient bulbs in sleeping area
Energy efficient light bulbs in guest bathroom
Low flow toilets
Low flow sinks
Low flow showerheads
43
Refillable soap dispensers
Refillable shampoo dispensers
Towel re-use program
Sheets changed upon request only
Recycling bins
Occupancy sensors
Key card to turn power to the room on and off
One variable from Choi et al. (2009) was included in this section:
An additional variable, “If I saw a shampoo dispenser in a hotel bathroom
instead of mini bottles, I would associate that with being cheap,” was developed
by the researcher because the studies consulted to develop the survey instrument
did not measure consumer perceptions in regards to specific negative perceptions
of amenities.
4. Willingness to partake in environmental activities.
One notable change made to the initial research design was re-developing the
willingness to partake in environmental activities construct. The construct used in the
original survey instrument for this study was revised into the Beliefs construct discussed
above and the current willingness to partake in environmental activities construct, seen
below. The entire construct was developed by the researcher due to a lack of tested
willingness to partake in environmental activities constructs. Each variable was modeled
after the variables used in the Millar and Baloglu (2008) study; as well as the variables
used in the belief section of this study.
44
I read information hotels provide about the green practices they engage in
I participate in hotel recycling programs
I participate in hotel towel reuse programs
I participate in hotel sheet reuse programs
If given the choice between mini shampoo bottles and a shampoo
dispenser, I would choose bottles
If given the choice between individual body wash bottles and a body wash
dispenser, I would choose dispensers
If given the choice between low flow shower heads and traditional shower
heads, I would choose low flow
If given the choice between low flow sink faucets and traditional sink
faucets, I would choose low flow
If given the choice between low flow tillers and traditional toilets, I would
choose low flow
If given the choice between incandescent light bulbs and energy efficient
bulbs in sleeping areas, I would choose incandescent
If given the choice between incandescent light bulbs and energy efficient
bulbs in the hotel room bathroom areas, I would choose incandescent
If given the choice between using key cards to turn on the power to the
room and traditional switches, I would choose key cards
45
If given the choice between using occupancy sensors to control the lights
in the room and traditional power switches, I would choose traditional
switches
5. Willingness to Stay.
In the initial study as well as in the Lee et al. (2010) study this construct
was called Revisit Intention. Despite having a high alpha in the Lee et al. (2010)
study the researcher felt that Willingness to Stay (WTS) was a better description
of the construct. The entire construct as used by Lee et al.’s (2010) was used for
this section. Lee et al. (2010) reported a Cronbach alpha value of 0.89 for this
construct. Questions included:
I am willing to stay at a green hotel when traveling
I plan to stay at a green hotel when traveling
I will make an effort to stay at a green hotel when traveling
Current Pilot Study
Faculty and staff in a college other than the one used for the study, as well as
graduate students enrolled in a Hospitality and Tourism Management program from a
mid-western college participated in the pilot study.
Current Data Collection
Data collection took place over a two week period in September 2011. Faculty
and staff in a college from a mid-western university were invited to participate in the
study via an email request. The email contained a link to the survey utilizing
SurveyMonkey.com. The email also included a consent form ensuring participation
46
would be voluntary and anonymous. Emails were sent out via a university electronic
mailing list. A reminder email was sent out two days before the set deadline in an
attempt to achieve a higher response rate. A total of 443 email invitations to participate
in the study were sent out via the electronic mailing list. It is important to note that at the
beginning of the semester, electronic mailing list numbers often change. The original
invitation to participate in the study was sent to 370 faculty and staff members; the
reminder was sent to 443 faculty and staff members. A total of 139 surveys were
received for a response rate of 31.4%. Of the 139 surveys received, 132 were useable
responses and were used in data analysis.
Current Data Analysis
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows Release 16.0 was
used to analyze data. Cronbach Alpha was calculated to determine the reliability of each
scale used. As recommended by Nunnally (1978), a Cronbach Alpha of .70 was
considered acceptable. Descriptive statistics calculated included frequencies, means, and
standard deviations. Reverse-coding was implemented prior to data analysis for
negatively-stated items.
To analyze the qualitative question, “What two words come to mind when you
think of a green hotel,” coding was used to identify common themes among responses.
Frequencies and percentages were also used to identify common themes. These
techniques were deemed reliable by Kirk and Miller (1986) if undertaken by a single well
trained researcher, which was the case in this study (Lepp, 2011). Independent t-tests
were used to determine if differences existed between genders and between education
47
levels with regards to the continuous variables: beliefs, willingness to partake in
environmental activities, value, WTP, and WTS. Education was grouped into two
groups, below college degree and college degree or above.
Pearson Correlation Coefficients were used to identify the relationships that age
and income level had with the continuous variables: beliefs, willingness to partake in
environmental activities, value, WTP and WTS. Four regression analyses were run to
examine the relationships between beliefs and value and value and willingness to partake
in environmental activities, WTP and WTS. In the first simple linear regression (SLR),
the relationship between beliefs and value was examined. Beliefs was the independent
variable (IV) and value was the dependent variable (DV). In the second SLR, the
relationship between value and willingness to partake in environmental activities was
examined. Value was the IV and willingness to partake in environmental activities was
the DV. The third SLR was used to test the relationship between value and WTS. Value
was the IV and WTS was the DV. The fourth SLR was used to test the relationship
between value and WTP. Value was the IV and WTP was the DV. Due to the
exploratory nature of this study, SLR was chosen to test the relationships between
variables before a more sophisticated analysis was utilized.
48
CHAPTER IV
RESULTS
This study was designed to investigate how consumers’ perceptions of
environmentally friendly practices within hotels affected their perceptions of value
provided by green hotels. This study was also designed to investigate how consumers’
perceptions of value provided by green hotels affected their willingness to partake in
environmentally friendly activities while staying in green hotels, their willingness to stay
in green hotels and their willingness to pay more to stay in green hotels. Each of the
variables was examined through surveys administered to faculty and staff employed by
one college of a mid-western university. A web survey was sent to university faculty and
staff via a university electronic mailing list. Emails were sent to approximately 443
faculty and staff members, and 139 responses were received, for a response rate of
31.4%. Of the 139 received, 132 were usable responses resulting in 29.8% of responses
used in the analyses.
Demographic Characteristics, Descriptive Statistics, and Correlations
Demographic characteristics of the respondents can be seen in Table 1. Nearly
75% of the respondents were female. Forty-nine of the total respondents (37.1%) had an
average annual household income of $100,000 or more and 72.8% had completed a
college degree or above. The age range of the respondents followed a normal distribution
with the highest respondents falling in the age ranges of 26-35 (23.5%), 36-45 (25.8%),
49
and 46-55 (36.5%). The ethnic background results were not used as they did not directly
pertain to the research proposition.
Descriptive statistics for all measured constructs can be seen in Table 2.
Coefficient Alpha was .686 for the WTS scale. This estimate of reliability is below the
suggested level of .70 (Nunnally, 1978). Although Coefficient Alpha was below .70, the
scale was used because the scale only comprised three items. Cortina (1993) and Crocker
and Algina (2008) stated that Alpha is dependent on the length of the test; therefore,
higher Alphas are generally associated with longer scales. The other constructs measured
in the other scales were all above the recommended .70 level. Comparing this to the
WTS construct examined by Lee et al. (2010), they reported a Coefficient Alpha of .89
(2010); however, they called the scale return intention.
For each of the Likert scale items in sections 7 through 10 of the survey, the
scores ranged from 1 (Strong Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree); with a sixth option (N/A).
The WTP scale had item mean values that fell within the “disagree” range. The WTS
and beliefs scales each had mean values that fell within the “neither agree nor disagree”
and the “agree” ranges. The willingness to partake in environmental activities scale also
fell within the “neither agree nor disagree” and the “agree” ranges, with the exception of
one variable “If given the choice between mini shampoo bottles and a shampoo
dispenser, I would choose bottles.” This item’s mean value fell between the “disagree”
and the “neither agree nor disagree ranges.” Table 3 provides descriptive statistics of the
mean and standard deviation for each of the five constructs.
50
Table 4 displays the zero-order Pearson correlations between the variables.
Beliefs was significantly positively related to value, as hypothesized (r= .272, p < .01).
Additionally, value was significantly positively related to WTS (r= .282, p = .001) and
WTP (r= .349, p < .01). Value and willingness to partake in environmental activities
were not positively related (r=.158, p > .05).
Additional examination of the data addressed relationships between various
demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, average household income, education level) and
constructs. Independent t-tests revealed no significant differences between males and
females with regards to beliefs, value, WTP, WTS, or willingness to partake in
environmental activities (p > .05 for all). Simple Linear Regression also found no
significant correlations between age and any of the constructs (p > .05 for all). However,
a significant positive correlation was found between income and WTS (r =.234, p =
.007). No other significant correlations were found between income and the scale items
(p > .05 for all). Independent t-tests also found no significant differences between
education levels (i.e., below postgraduate, postgraduate and above) and any of the
constructs (p > .05 for all).
Simple Linear Regression Analysis
The purpose of the first linear regression was to find if beliefs had a significant
impact on value. Out of the sample size of 132, value had a mean score of 3.04
(SD=0.260.26). For `the predictor, beliefs, the mean value was 3.90 (SD=0.45). It was
found that beliefs of consumer perceptions of environmentally friendly practices
explained a significant amount of variance in the value perceived to be provided by green
51
hotels (F(1,130) = 10.389, p < .01). For the coefficient of determination (i.e., R²), it was
found that 7.4% of the variance in value is explained by beliefs. The regression equation
is as follows: Y (Value) = .098(Beliefs) + 3.748. With each one point increase on the
Likert scale of beliefs, a person’s perceptions of value provided by green hotels will
increase by .098. A summary of the SLR’s is shown in Table 5.
The purpose of the second linear regression was to find if value perceptions had a
significant impact on willingness to partake in environmental activities. Out of the
sample size of 132, willingness to partake in environmentally friendly activities while
saying in green hotels had a mean value of 3.58 (SD=0.36). For the predictor, value, the
mean score was 3.04 (SD=0.26). Value perceptions provided a positive statistically
significant explanation of variance in the willingness to partake in environmentally
friendly activities while saying in green hotels, (F(1,130) = 3.328, p < .05). For the
coefficient of determination (i.e. R²) it was found that 2.5% of the variance in willingness
to partake in environmentally friendly activities while saying in green hotels is explained
by value. The regression equation is as follows: Y (willingness to partake in
environmentally friendly activities while saying in green hotels) = .460(value) + 42.388.
With each one point increase on the Likert-type scale of value, a person’s willingness to
partake in environmentally friendly activities while staying in green hotels will increase
by .460, or almost half a point.
The purpose of the third linear regression was to find if value perceptions had a
significant impact on willingness to partake in environmentally friendly activities while
saying in green hotels. Out of the sample size of 132, WTS had a mean value of 3.56
52
(SD=0.54). For the predictor, value, the mean score was 3.04 (SD=0.26). Perceptions of
value provided a positive statistically significant explanation of variance in the WTS in
green hotels (F(1,130) = 11.212, p < .01). For the coefficient of determination (i.e. R²) it
was found that 7.9% of the variance in WTS is explained by value. The regression
equation is as follows: Y (WTS) = .193X (value) + 8.914. With each one point increase
on the Likert-type scale of value, a person’s WTS in green hotels will increase by .193.
The purpose of the fourth linear regression was to find if value perceptions had a
significant impact on willingness to partake in environmentally friendly activities while
saying in green hotels. Out of the sample size of 132, WTP had a mean value of 2.58
(SD=0.0). For the predictor, value, the mean score was 3.04 (SD=0.26). Value provided
a positive statistically significant explanation of variance in the WTP more to stay in
green hotels (F(1,130) = 18.002, p < .001). For the coefficient of determination (i.e. R²)
it was found that 12.2% of the variance in WTP is explained by value. The regression
equation is as follows: Y (WTS) = .226X (value) + 3.089. With each one point increase
on the Likert-type scale of value, a person’s WTS in green hotels will increase by .226.
Qualitative Analysis
There was one qualitative question, “what two words come to mind when you
think of a green hotel.” Each word was coded and placed into one of eleven categories as
seen in Table 6. Frequencies and percentages were run for each of the categories. The
environmental consciousness, attitudes and beliefs category contained 51.1% of the 264
total responses. This category included responses such as: “environment,” “recycling,”
“organic,” “conservation,” “sustainability,” “alternative power,” “environmentally
53
friendly” and “efficient.” The progressive/positive idea category contained the second
highest frequency with 26 responses (9.8%). This category included responses such as:
“fresh,” “positive,” “future,” “forward thinking,” “new,” “zen,” and “modern.” The next
most frequently mentioned categories were social consciousness and cleanliness, each
gaining 20 responses (7.6%). Responses such as: “community minded,” “conscientious,”
“aware,” “ethical” and “beneficial” were included in the social consciousness category.
The cleanliness category included responses such as: “clean,” “cleanliness,” “refreshing”
and “bacteria.”
The remaining categories all reported response percentages below 7.6 percent.
The laundry category (7.2%) included responses such as: “towels,” “dirty towels,”
“sheets changed upon request,” “not changing sheets during stay,” “reusing your towels”
and “no clean towels.” The cost category (6.4%) included responses such as:
“expensive,” “costly,” “cost saving,” “economical,” “expense” and “thrifty.” The
location category (3.8%) included responses such as: “national brand,” “Holiday Inn,”
“non-existent,” “local,” “tropics,” “rural” and “national parks.” The aesthetics category
(2.7%) included responses such as: “pretty,” “earthly interior design,” “comfy,” “brown
tones” and “spar.” The healthy category (1.9%) included responses such as: “health,”
“healthy” and “breathable.” The marketing category (0.8%) included the responses
“marketing ploy” and “national brand.” The other category (1.1%) included the
responses: “toilet paper,” “pool” and “ventilation.”
54
CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
The main objective of this research was to investigate the beliefs
consumers’ had towards environmentally friendly practices within hotels, the value
consumers’ perceived to be provided by green hotels, consumers’ willingness to partake
in environmentally friendly activities while staying at green hotels, consumers’
willingness to stay in green hotels, and consumers’ willingness to pay more to stay in
green hotels. One of the conclusions of this study was that respondents with more
favorable beliefs about environmentally friendly initiatives used by hotels were more
likely to value green hotels more than respondents with less favorable beliefs about the
environmentally friendly initiatives used by hotels. This finding is consistent with that of
Gustin and Weaver (1996) who found that the majority of the respondents in their study,
travelers in three U.S. airports, demonstrated positive attitudes and beliefs towards hotels
employing environmental strategies. The findings of this study are also in line with the
findings of Mainieri et al. (1997) who found respondents with stronger beliefs concerning
pro-environmentalism were more likely to purchase pro-environmental products.
According to the findings of this research, the second proposition was also
confirmed; respondents with more favorable beliefs about the value provided by green
hotels were more likely to partake in green activities during their stay than respondents
with less favorable beliefs about the value provided by green hotels. These findings were
also consistent with that of Gustin and Weaver (1996). Gustin and Weaver (1996)
studied various environmental practices employed by hotels including use of recycling
55
bins, shampoo and soap dispensers, efficient lighting, and reduced washing of linens.
These practices were also included in this study. Gustin and Weaver (1996) found the
majority of their respondents would be “likely” or “extremely likely” (p.8) to stay in a
hotel engaging in these practices. It can be assumed that many of these respondents
would participate in these practices during their stay. Millar and Baloglu (2008) also
studied several green practices used within hotels, including those studies by Gustin and
Weaver (1996). Of the variables examined, Millar and Baloglu (2008) found respondents
preferred sheet reuse programs the most, followed by: occupancy sensors, key cards to
turn power on and off to the room, energy saving bulbs in the sleeping area and
bathrooms, towel reuse programs, recycling bins and low flow toilets, respectively. As
seen in Table 2, the findings of this study were similar to that of Millar and Baloglu
(2008). As seen by the frequencies of responses, respondents were most likely to
participate in towel reuse programs, followed by: sheet reuse programs, low flow sink
faucets, energy efficient bulbs in bathrooms, reading information provided by hotels
about the green practices they engage in, and recycling programs, respectively.
The third research proposition, respondents with more favorable beliefs about the
value provided by green hotels were more willing to stay at a green hotel than
respondents with less favorable beliefs about the value provided by green hotels, was also
affirmed. These findings are consistent with the findings of Gustin and Weaver (1996).
As stated previously, Gustin and Weaver (1996) found the majority of their respondents
would be were “likely” or “extremely likely” (p.8) to stay in a hotel engaging in these
practices. Lee et al. (2010) also found that a person’s overall image of green hotels was
56
positively related to revisit intention. The revisit intention scale was used in this study,
however, it was renamed WTS.
Another conclusion of this study was that respondents with more favorable beliefs
about the value provided by green hotels were more likely to pay more to stay at a green
hotel than respondents with less favorable beliefs about the value provided by green
hotels. These findings are consistent with the findings of Choi et al. (2009). Choi et al.
(2009) found that respondents, who displayed higher interests in environmental practices
within the lodging industry, were more than 2.68 times more likely to pay a premium to
stay in a hotel that offered such practices than respondents whom displayed lower
interests in environmental practices. Mankotla and Jauhari (2007) also found that 22
percent of their respondents were willing to pay a premium (five percent) more to stay in
a hotel offering green accommodations.
The results of this study demonstrated that TRA is a factor when consumers
consider green hotels. As stated previously, TRA is the phenomenon in which consumers
are interested in something, in this case being green, and the separation between the
interest and the willingness to pay (WTP) for the experience is explained by TRA. As
demonstrated by Table 3, respondents demonstrated they had positive beliefs about green
hotels (M = 3.90); however, they also demonstrated that they had less favorable beliefs
about the value provided by green hotels (M =3.04), which left respondents far less likely
to pay more to stay in a green hotel (M = 2.58). As stated previously, it is important to
note that the model used in this study was only a partial TRA model. This study only
used one path, and did not study consumer actions, which is explained in the full TRA
57
model. The path used was that of behavioral beliefs impacting attitudes which in turn
impacted behavioral intent.
The open ended question “what two words come to mind when you think of a
green hotel,” produced similar results to that of Millar and Baloglu (2008). As stated
previously, the most frequent answer was Efficient/Efficiency; followed by Recycling,
Environmental/Environmentally Friendly, Sustainability, Clean, Conservation,
Responsible, Healthy, Conscious/Conscientious and Air Quality, respectively. Other
words that were mentioned by participants in regards to green hotels were: “Organic,
New, Leed, and Progressive” (Millar & Baloglu, 2008, Results section, para. 3). Each of
the categories mentioned above fit into trends that appeared within the present study.
Reponses like “efficiency”, “recycling”, “organic” and “conservation” all fit into the
environmental attitudes and beliefs category which accounted for 51.1% of the open-
ended responses in the current study.
Similar to the Millar and Baloglu (2008) study, not all qualitative responses in the
current study were positive. Responses such as “no clean towels”, expensive”, “bacteria”
and “spar” were also mentioned. Phrases like “expensive” and “no clean towels” or dirty
towels” appeared several times amongst the responses.
The results from the open-ended question reflect the findings and conclusions that
can be drawn for this study. The negative responses mentioned in the previous paragraph
reflect that a small percentage (7.2%) of consumers have concerns about the value that is
provided by green hotels, as some demonstrated by the responses “expensive” and “no
clean towels”. Some respondents were concerned that they would have to pay a premium
58
to stay at a hotel that protects the environment, and in return not be provided the level of
service they expect. The results from the open-ended question also had positive
connotations.
The vast majority (92.4%) of the responses were positive and demonstrated that
consumers understand the benefits green hotels have on the environment; which confirms
the positive beliefs displayed in Table 3. Further relationships between the qualitative
data and the research propositions cannot be made without further research; currently and
connection made would be strictly an assumption. For example, 18 respondents
mentioned “recycle” or “recycling” as one of the two words that came to their minds
when thinking on green hotels; however, just because they associate recycling with green
hotels does not mean they would recycle while staying in green hotels. The open-ended
responses may indicate underlying beliefs or attitudes about green hotels. However, as
suggested by TRA as well as Han and Kim’s (2010) extended TPB model as shown in
Figure 2, beliefs and attitudes do not necessarily lead to behavior. Behavior is mediated
by behavioral intent. The same is true for the remainder of the research propositions.
Many words that correlate with the research propositions were mentioned, but there is no
evidence that suggests they would follow through on a behavior they responded with.
Previous research results about the relationship between hotel consumer
demographic factors and perceptions towards environmentally sustainable practices have
varied widely from study to study; while some of the relationships found in this study
were consistent with those of past studies, others were not. Consistent with the findings
of Haanpää (2007), this study found no statistically significant difference between males
59
and females in their willingness to partake in environmentally friendly activities. In
addition, the present study found no statistically significant difference between males and
females on any of the tested constructs. These findings suggest that both men and
women share the same beliefs and values in regards to green hotels. These findings differ
from Han et al. (2011) whose findings revealed that women were more WTPM for green
accommodation.
This study found no statistically significant difference between respondents who
had completed postgraduate degrees and respondents who had not achieved a
postgraduate degree in respect to any of the measured constructs. These statistics differ
from the findings in previous studies, in which environmental concern increased as
education level increased (Haanpää, 2007; Maloney, et al. 1975; Straughan & Roberts,
1999). This statistic is particularly interesting due to the fact that the vast majority
(72.8%) of the respondents in this study had completed a college degree or above. These
findings may be due to the fact that all of the respondents came from one college within
the same university. Average household income did have a significant impact on WTS in
this study. The findings showed that the higher the household income, the more willing
the respondent was to stay at a green hotel. Previous studies have reported conflicting
results with respect to the relationship between income and environmental concern.
Arbuthnot and Lingg (1975) and Lyons and Breakwell (1994) found the higher a person’s
income the higher their environmental concern; while Haanpää (2007) found no
significant relationship between income and environmental concern.
60
The findings of this study showed no statistically significant differences between
different age ranges and measured constructs. These findings are consistent with that of
Han et al. (2011) whose findings demonstrated that age had no bearing on WTP.
However, these findings are in direct contrast to other previous studies. As stated
previously, Straughan and Roberts (1999) found that younger generations were more
environmentally concerned. However, Haanpää (2007) found exactly the opposite,
concluding that commitment to green initiatives increased with age. The findings of the
present study could suggest that green practices are becoming more common place and
that people across all generations are becoming more unified in how they view and value
green practices.
Previous studies have characterized the typical green consumer as a young,
educated urban woman, with a mid-to-high income level (Straughan & Roberts, 1999).
The findings of this study show that the typical green hotel consumer is a person with an
average household income of over $100,000 annually. Gender, age, and education level
did not have a bearing on the respondents’ attitudes and beliefs towards green hotels.
Managerial Implications
As green hotels and green practices within hotels become more common place,
hotel managers need to understand how guests perceive the value associated with an
environmentally friendly property. Hotels can benefit from this research in several ways.
The results of this study indicated that people are WTPM to stay in a green hotel. Green
hotel managers could charge a higher rate than their non-green competitors, creating a
competitive advantage for themselves. These results are consistent with that of
61
Manakotla and Jauahri (2007) who found people are willing to pay up to five percent
more for green accommodations and Choi et al. (2009) who found consumers were
willing to pay at least six percent more for green accommodations.
As stated previously the results of this study indicated that respondents who had
stronger beliefs about environmentally friendly practices had positive perceptions about
the value green hotels offered as well as positive feelings towards WTP, WTS and
willingness to partake in environmentally friendly activities while saying in green hotels
in green hotels. Therefore, hotel managers could target consumers who purchase green
products or subscribe to magazines that have an emphasis on green practices; which
could result in increased occupancy percentages and consumer retention (Graci & Dodds,
2008; Mainieri et al. 1997).
Based on the results of this study, hotel managers could implement green
practices that involve customer willingness to partake in environmentally friendly
activities while saying in green hotels. This study’s respondents were willing to
participate in green activities during their hotel stay. Previous studies including Millar
and Baloglu (2008) and Kasim (2004) showed that guests perceived some green
amenities as unfavorable, for example refillable shampoo and soap dispensers. It was
thought that respondents may have equated these amenities with those found in gyms
(Kasim, 2004; Millar & Baloglu, 2008). However, the results of this study did not
indicate the same concerns. The results of this study did, however, indicate that
additional education about some of the green practices employed by hotels will be
beneficial. While the majority of the respondents in this study did have positive
62
perceptions of green hotels, some respondents expressed concerns about the cleanliness
and the cost effectiveness that green hotels provide. Hotel managers need to educate the
population that environmentally sustainable practices do not necessarily compromise
quality of service. Given the recent bed bug outbreaks, green hotels may have a more
challenging task of educating the population about the cleanliness of their properties
(Brody, 2009).
This study found that the higher a consumer’s annual household income, the more
willing they were to stay at a green hotel. One way that green hotels may be able to
reduce people’s negative feelings about cleanliness of green hotels is by targeting
consumers with higher annual household incomes, $100,000 or more. By attracting
wealthier clientele, green hotels may be able to show that if the wealthy stay at their
hotels and perceive them to be clean, perhaps green hotels will appear more luxurious
and cleaner to consumers who may have previously thought otherwise.
Limitations
Due to the design of this research this study has the following limitations.
1. Results might have low generalizability due to convenient sampling. In addition,
the results may have low generalizability to males because the majority, 74.2%, of
the respondents were female. Also 70.5% of the respondents had completed
postgraduate degrees, which may also lead to low generalizability.
2. Coefficient Alpha for the WTS scale was in the .60-.70 range, falling below the
recommended .70-1.00 range that is recommended for social science (Nunnally,
63
1978). Further testing is required before the survey instrument can be used in a
widespread manner.
Future Research
Future research should explore the impacts of consumers’ beliefs and values using
a sample of guests staying in hotels at the time the research is taking place. Guests
staying in hotels while completing the survey instrument may feel differently than
respondents reflecting about previous hotel stays. The original design for this study did
attempt to survey hotel guests during their hotel stays; however, the response rate was
negligible. Future research could involve the researcher obtaining permission to
administer the survey instrument to hotel guests themselves, so as to not rely on hotel
staff with little to no motivation to aid in the data collection. One study conducted by a
market research firm, Audience Research & Analysis [ARA] (2008), employed
methodology similar to that of the original design for this study. However, they were
also able to station researchers at each location used in the study to help increase the
response rate. ARA (2008) was also able to provide a small financial incentive for each
participant. Due to the financial and geographical constraints of the original study, these
tactics were not able to be employed. However, despite the presence of researchers at
each hotel property and a financial incentive for each participant, the ARA (2008) study
still reported a low response rate, implying other creative ways of soliciting perceptions
of hotel guests is needed.
64
The WTS scale reliability was below the recommended Cronbach alpha level of
.70 (Nunnally, 1978). Future research could improve the reliability and validity of this
scale by adding additional items or changing the current scale items.
Further research is also necessary to determine who the green hotel consumer is.
Although some of the demographic results were consistent with previous studies, the
results for age and education level differed from prior findings, implying that the green
hotel consumer demographics may be changing as the green movement gains momentum
in today’s society.
Further research is necessary to determine why behavioral intent is low while the
attitudes and beliefs about green hotels are high. This could potentially be due to lack of
motivation (Ajzen 1991). People may have strong attitudes or beliefs, however, they may
lack the gumption to follow through on them without some sort physical gratification; but
research is necessary to confirm.
Future research may also be able to ascertain if the willingness to partake in
environmentally friendly activities differs by different segments of travelers; for example
are leisure travelers more likely to participate than business travelers.
Additionally, future research can explore the pricing strategies of green hotels in
comparison to consumer’s perceptions of green hotel rates. Evidence demonstrates that
green hotels are able to lower their operating costs; however, the perception is that green
hotels charge more than their non-green competitors. Future research should examine if
green hotels do charge more, and if so, what would the reason be if they are saving
money on daily operations.
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A
KSU INSTUTIONAL APPROVAL FORM
67
APPENDIX A
KSU INSTUTIONAL APPROVAL FORM
APPENDIX B
CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS OF GREEN EXTENDED STAY HOTELS
SURVEY
69
APPENDIX B
GREEN HOTEL CONSUMER SURVEY
70
71
72
APPENDIX C
INSTRUCTION LETTER TO FRONT DESK AGENTS
74
APPENDIX C
INSTRUCTION LETTER TO FRONT DESK AGENTS
Front Desk Agents:
Your hotel has generously agreed to be part of my pilot study for my research. My
research objective is to identify consumer perceptions of green extended stay hotels. The
purpose of this pilot study is to test the reliability of the questions in the survey. By
testing them, I can be sure they are measuring exactly what I want them to measure.
Your responsibility is to ask every check-in from March 1 through March 31 if they
would like to participate in the study. Please explain by filling out the survey they can
be entered to win a $50 prepaid VISA card. If they say yes, please give them the
survey packet and explain once completed, they can leave their survey on the kitchen
counter for the housekeepers to collect. If the guests prefer to return their completed
survey to the front desk, that is ok too. If the guest says no, that is fine, please tell them
okay, thank you.
The consent form explains this, but if a guest is concerned about their personal
information or their individual answers being shared, please assure them they will not be.
Only the researcher (me) will see their responses, and the surveys will be destroyed after
data analysis. Please tell them they may keep the consent form (the first page) and
they do not need to sign it.
Please be sure the housekeepers know to collect the surveys and to return them to the
front desk. All surveys must be collected, even if the guests opted not to answer them.
Because of research ethics, the incentive letter (the second page of the packet) must be
separated from the surveys. Please put the incentive letters in the provided envelope.
This research is being conducted for my Master’s thesis at Kent State University.
Thank you for your help. If you have any questions please call me at 330-607-9378.
Sincerely,
Lisa Cometa
APPENDIX D
HOTEL GUEST INCENTIVE LETTER
76
APPENDIX D
HOTEL GUEST INCENTIVE LETTER
Dear Hotel Guest,
In appreciation for participating in this study, we would like to offer you the opportunity
to win one of four prepaid $50.00 VISA cards. Winners will be randomly selected and
contacted via telephone by April 30, 2011.
Your name and telephone number will be kept confidential and will not be used for any
other purpose than to contact the winners of the VISA cards. Once the winners have been
contacted, forms containing your name and telephone number will be destroyed.
Once again thank you for participating in this study, it is very much appreciated!
Sincerely,
Lisa Cometa Swathi Ravichandran, MBA, PhD
Graduate Student Assistant Professor
Hospitality and Tourism Management Hospitality Management
Kent State University Kent State University
330.607.9378 330.672.7314
[email protected] [email protected]
PLEASE PRINT YOUR NAME AND TELEPHONE NUMBER BELOW IF YOU
WISH TO BE ENETERED INTO THE RANDOM DRAWING FOR ONE OF
FOUR $50.00 PREAID VISA CARDS.
____________________________ ___________________________
PRINT NAME TELEPHONE NUMBER
APPENDIX E
KSU INSTITUIONAL MODIFICAION APPROVAL NOTICE
78
APPENDIX E
KSU INSTITUIONAL MODIFICAION APPROVAL NOTICE
APPENDIX F
CONSENT FORM FOR COLLEGE FACULTY AND STAFF
80
APPENDIX F
CONSENT FORM FOR COLLEGE FACULTY AND STAFF
Dear College of Education, Health, and Human Services Faculty and Staff:
I am conducting research to better understand the impact of green initiatives on the hotel
industry. The data that you provide can help hotel managers implement green practices
that benefit guests as well as hotels. This research is supported by the School of
Communications. Please click on: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PZV6NGF to
complete the survey. Please complete the survey by September 23, 2011. Completing the
survey should take approximately 5-10 minutes.
Your participation in this study is voluntary and anonymous. Your answers will not be
reviewed by anyone but the researcher here at Kent State University, and individual
responses will be kept completely confidential. No identifiers will be connected to the
survey. Your response is vital to the success of this study and will provide important
information for hotel managers to make your hotel stays better.
If you want to know more about this research project, please call me at 330. 607.9378, or
Dr. Swathi Ravichandran at 330.672.7314. This project has been approved by Kent State
University. If you have questions about your rights as a participant or complaints about
the research you may call the IRB at 330. 672. 2704.
Thank you for your time and assistance, it is much appreciated.
Lisa Cometa
Graduate Student
Hospitality and tourism Management
Kent State University
330.607.9378
Swathi Ravichandran, MBA, PhD
Assistant Professor
Hospitality Management
Kent State University
330.672.7314
APPENDIX G
CONSUMER BELIEFS ABOUT GREEN HOTELS SURVEY
81
APPENDIX G
CONSUMER BELIEFS ABOUT GREEN HOTELS SURVEY
82
83
84
85
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87
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Table 1
Demographic Characteristics of Respondents
Frequency Percent (%)
Gender
Female
Male
Age
18-25
26-35
36-45
46-55
56-65
66-75
75+
98
34
3
31
34
35
24
5
0
74.2
25.8
2.3
23.5
25.8
26.5
18.2
3.8
0.0
Average Household Income
Less than $10,000
$10,000-29,999
$30,000-49,999
$50,000-69,999
$70,000-99,999
$100,000 or more
Education Level
2
9
11
37
24
49
1.5
6.8
8.3
28.0
18.2
37.1
High School/GED
Some College
Completed College/University
Diploma/Degree
Completed Postgraduate Degree
Other
3
11
22
93
3
2.3
8.3
16.7
70.5
2.3
96
Table 2
Item-Specific Descriptive Statistics and Reliability
Item M SD α
Beliefs
I believe hotels should provide information about
the green practices they engage in
I believe hotels should have energy efficient light
bulbs in sleeping areas
I believe hotels should have energy efficient light
bulbs in guest bathrooms
I believe hotels should have low flow toilets
I believe hotels should have low flow sinks
I believe hotels should have low flow shower heads
I believe hotels should have refillable soap
dispensers
If I saw a shampoo dispenser in a hotel bathroom
instead of mini bottles, I would associate that with
being cheap*
I believe hotels should have refillable shampoo
dispensers
I believe hotels should have towel re-use programs
I believe hotels should have sheets changed upon
request only
I believe hotels should have recycling bins
I believe hotels should have occupancy sensors
I believe hotels should have key cards to turn
power to the room on and off
4.32
4.43
4.40
3.93
4.11
3.65
3.60
3.45
3.14
4.05
3.98
4.61
3.38
3.55
.70
.87
.85
.11
.95
1.27
1.27
1.07
1.22
1.22
1.27
.86
1.36
1.26
.767
Willingness to partake in environmentally friendly
activities while saying in green hotels
I read information hotels provide about the green
practices they engage in
I participate in hotel recycling programs
I participate in hotel towel reuse programs
I participate in sheet reuse programs
If given the choice between mini shampoo bottles
and a shampoo dispenser, I would choose bottles*
If given the choice between individual body wash
bottles and a body wash dispenser, I would choose
dispensers
If given the choice between low flow shower
heads, I would choose low flow
3.78
3.73
4.02
3.98
2.89
3.13
3.35
1.09
1.54
1.34
1.42
1.35
1.37
1.33
.734
97
Note. *Denotes reverse-coded items; Responses for items ranged from 1=Strongly
Disagree to 5=Strongly Agree
Table 2 (continued)
If given the choice between low flow sink faucets
and traditional sink faucets, I would choose low
flow
If given the choice between low flow toilets and
traditional toilets, I would choose low flow
If given the choice between incandescent light
bulbs and energy efficient light bulbs in sleeping
areas, I would choose incandescent*
If given the choice between incandescent light
bulbs and energy efficient light bulbs in the hotel
bathroom, I would choose incandescent*
If given the choice between using key cards to turn
on the power to the room and traditional switches, I
would choose key cards
If given the choice between using occupancy
sensors to control the lights in the room and
traditional power switches, I would choose
traditional switches*
3.89
3.70
3.77
3.83
3.39
3.12
1.09
1.18
1.22
1.14
1.28
1.22
Willingness to Pay
It is acceptable to pay a premium to stay at a hotel
that engages in green practices
I am willing to pay more to stay a green hotel
2.57
2.58
.93
.98
.879
Value
A green hotel offers good value for the money
The prices charged by green hotels are reasonable
A green hotel offers good quality
3.12
2.74
3.25
.91
1.20
1.19
.794
Willingness to Stay
I plan to stay at a green hotel when traveling
I will make an effort to stay at a green hotel when
traveling
I am willing to stay at a green hotel when traveling
3.15
3.35
4.17
.78
.93
.72
.686
98
Table 3
Construct Scale Means and Standard Deviations
Note: Responses for items ranged from 1= strongly disagree
to 5= strongly agree.
Scale M SD
Beliefs
Value
Willingness to Pay
Willingness to Stay
Willingness to partake in
environmentally friendly activities
while saying in green hotels
3.90
2.04
2.58
3.56
3.58
0.45
0.26
0.0
0.54
0.36
99
Table 4
Pearson Correlations between the Constructs Used in the Context of Green Hotels (N =
132)
Note. **
p < .01 (2-tailed).
Construct 1 2 3 4 5
1. Value
2. Beliefs
3. WTP
4. WTS
5. Willingness
to partake in
environmentally
friendly
activities while
saying in green
hotels
--
.272**
.349**
.282**
.158
--
.216
.430**
.713**
--
.332**
.214
--
.449**
--
100
Table 5
Summary of Simple Linear Regressions (N = 132)
Note. *p < .05,
** p < .01,
***p < .001. Model 1’s IV is Belief. Model’s 2-4 IV is value.
Model DV β t R2
F
1.
2.
3.
4.
Value
WTP
WTS
Willingness to
partake in
environmentally
friendly activities
.098
.226
.193
.460
3.223
4.245
3.348
1.824
.074
.122
.072
.025
10.389**
18.022***
11.212**
3.328
101
Table 6
Frequencies and Percentages for Open-Ended Question (N = 264)
Note: Question: What two words come to mind when you think of a green hotel? (Words
1 and 2 combined).
Category Frequency Percentage
(%)
1. Environmental consciousness, attitudes, and
beliefs
2. Laundry
3. Location
4. Cost
5. Healthy
6. Social Consciousness
7. Progressive/Positive Idea
8. Cleanliness
9. Aesthetics
10. Other
11. Marketing
135
19
10
17
5
20
26
20
7
3
2
51.1
7.2
3.8
6.4
1.9
7.6
9.8
7.6
2.7
1.1
.8