Factors that influence potential green hotel customers’ decision-making process–evidence from China

Abstract

‘Going green’ has become an inevitable trend for the hotel industry given companies’ need for cost savings, customers’ increasing environmental awareness, and governmental policies and regulations. This study aims to investigate potential green hotel customers’ decision-making process and the factors influencing that process. The study produced the following results: (1) customers’ environmental concern (EC) (i.e. environmental knowledge, consciousness of environmental issues, and daily ecological behavior) had a significant impact on their attitude toward green practices (AGP), overall attitude toward green hotels (OA), and behavioral intention (BI). Further analyses indicated that environmental knowledge had positive influences on both AGP and OA, while daily ecological behavior was the most powerful predictor of BI; (2) AGP may be measured multi-dimensionally. In addition, the results revealed a three-factor solution of AGP, including practices improving green service quality, practices preventing pollution, and practices reducing energy. The relationships between AGP and OA, as well as OA and BI were moderated by ‘green hotel experience’. For the group without green hotel experience, AGP significantly influenced OA, and practices improving green service quality was the most powerful predictor of BI. 无论是国家政策、企业自身发展需要，还是消费者环保意识的提升，都使绿色化成为未来酒店业发展的必经之路。因此，本研究以大量国外文献为理论基础，结合我国绿色酒店发展的现状和特点，针对这一市场潜在消费者的特征，以及影响其购买决策过程的因素展开调查。主要研究结果显示：（1）消费者环保意识（包含环保知识，环境问题重要性认知和日常环保行为三个维度）会显著影响其对环保措施的支持态度，绿色酒店整体态度，和相关行为意向。其中，环保知识对环保措施态度和绿色酒店整体态度形成的影响最大；日常环保行为对消费者相关行为意向的预测能力最强。（2）环保措施支持态度包含：提升绿色服务品质措施，环境污染防治措施，和降低能源损耗措施三个方面。其与绿色酒店整体态度的关系，以及绿色酒店整体态度与行为意向的关系，均受到‘绿色酒店体验’调节变量的作用。无体验潜在消费者的环保措施支持态度会显著影响其对绿色酒店的整体评价，其中提升绿色服务品质措施因子的影响力最大。