Consumer response to discontinuation of corporate social responsibility activities of hotels

This study investigates consumer responses to discontinuation of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity employing a sort of laboratory experiment method. It involves 3 experiments relating to having a CRS activity: (1) effect of initiation and discontinuation, (2) self-serving versus public-serving discontinuation and (3) passive versus proactive discontinuation. Separate data collection occurred for each experiment. Data collection was from hotel customers. Analysis yields results contributing to theory, practice and methodology. Considering CSR termination leads to quantitative results useful in guiding decisions about having and discontinuing a CSR activity. Having a public serving CSR activity results in improving attitudes toward a hotel but attitudes can be more than reversed by activity termination. Companies need to think about support and termination as part of considering initiating activity. Intending to improve image by having a short-term CSR activity without planning how to discontinue it may have the net result of damage to image.