CSR practices in luxury hotels of China: Perception, cultural and generation differences
type: CreativeWork
description: This study investigates how corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices are perceived in Chinese luxury hotels, focusing on cultural influences, generational cohorts, and organisational roles. Grounded in Hofstede’s national cultural dimensions, self-determination theory (SDT), and the Confucian concept of self-cultivation, the research addresses a gap in understanding how cultural values and intergenerational differences shape staff CSR perceptions in the luxury hospitality context. Adopting a pragmatic research philosophy, an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. In the qualitative phase, 37 semi-structured interviews with hotel staff (including senior managers, middle managers, and line employees) revealed key themes by the use of narrative interpretation: (a) deep-rooted cultural norms (collectivism, harmony, respect for hierarchy) that reinforce CSR as a collective obligation led by top management, (b) generational value differences in CSR engagement, and (c) variations in perceived CSR benefits across job positions. Building on these insights, the quantitative phase surveyed staff across luxury hotels in China (N = 533). Structural equation modelling results confirmed and extended the qualitative patterns. For example, 72% of managers affirmed that CSR initiatives strengthened brand reputation, whereas only 48% of line staff shared this view, reflecting positional gaps in perceived strategic value. Generational contrasts were also evident: nearly two-thirds of Millennial and Gen Z staff reported strong personal commitment to CSR activities, compared to about half of older staff. Statistical analysis using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) confirmed significant employee-level differences in perceptions of CSR practices within luxury hotels in China. Notably, perceived CSR was particularly pronounced among senior-level staff, reflecting hierarchical variations in CSR prioritisation and implementation. This rese…
abstract: This study investigates how corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices are perceived in Chinese luxury hotels, focusing on cultural influences, generational cohorts, and organisational roles. Grounded in Hofstede’s national cultural dimensions, self-determination theory (SDT), and the Confucian concept of self-cultivation, the research addresses a gap in understanding how cultural values and intergenerational differences shape staff CSR perceptions in the luxury hospitality context. Adopting a pragmatic research philosophy, an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. In the qualitative phase, 37 semi-structured interviews with hotel staff (including senior managers, middle managers, and line employees) revealed key themes by the use of narrative interpretation: (a) deep-rooted cultural norms (collectivism, harmony, respect for hierarchy) that reinforce CSR as a collective obligation led by top management, (b) generational value differences in CSR engagement, and (c) variations in perceived CSR benefits across job positions. Building on these insights, the quantitative phase surveyed staff across luxury hotels in China (N = 533). Structural equation modelling results confirmed and extended the qualitative patterns. For example, 72% of managers affirmed that CSR initiatives strengthened brand reputation, whereas only 48% of line staff shared this view, reflecting positional gaps in perceived strategic value. Generational contrasts were also evident: nearly two-thirds of Millennial and Gen Z staff reported strong personal commitment to CSR activities, compared to about half of older staff. Statistical analysis using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) confirmed significant employee-level differences in perceptions of CSR practices within luxury hotels in China. Notably, perceived CSR was particularly pronounced among senior-level staff, reflecting hierarchical variations in CSR prioritisation and implementation. This rese…
author: George, LIU
keywords: luxury hotel, corporate social responsibility, staff perceptions, generational differences, national culture
license: https://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstreams/bb7c3f4e-e5b6-40a1-8403-32a26015d63a/download
date published: 2026-01-23
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:57:18Z
provider: University Waikato
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: The University of Waikato