Going beyond the multidimensional customer engagement - Does communicating CSR influence hotel cruises performance?

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a valuable communicative resource. Although previous studies have highlighted CSR attributes in the hospitality industry, few studies have examined the combined effect of multidimensional cruise passengers' engagement to boost cruise performance. Therefore, the current study examines the effect of initiated and communicated (CSR) on cruise customers’ cognitive, affective, and conative engagement. Data were collected from 337 reliable questionnaires which were analyzed using the partial least squares–-structural equation modeling PLS-SEM4.0 to gain insights into the various relationships and effects. The results suggest that CSR practices significantly impact consumer cognitive and affective engagement and, ultimately, their willingness to higher conative engagement with cruise operations. Additionally, findings reveal that digital communication is likely to mediate the impact of unidimensional CSR practices on multidimensional consumer engagement. However, the evidence-based study supports the potential of larger sharing, a high growth profile, and greater cross-buying engagement with cruise lines.