Customer Experience and Sustainable Development among Hostels: The Mediating Role of Green Innovation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/jmh.2346Keywords:
Customer Experience, Sustainable Development, Hostels, Green InnovationAbstract
Purpose: While customer experience (CE) is a crucial marketing concept, the expanding body of research in this area has resulted in substantial fragmentation and theoretical confusion. This is particularly evident in its relationship with other performance constructs. Additionally, little is known about how CE contributes to sustainable development (SD) in the hotel industry. To address the gaps in existing literature and contribute to theory, this study examined how CE influences SD through green innovation (GI).
Methodology: It was a quantitative study, employing the cross-sectional design. Data was collected from 197 individuals in leadership/management/supervisory roles in selected hotels in Ghana, using a structured questionnaire. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was employed to estimate the hypothesised model on CE, GI, and SD.
Findings: The findings showed a significantly positive direct relationship between CE and SD, and indirect relationship through GI.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study’s novelty lies in the integration of GI as a mechanism through which CE influences SD. It was demonstrated that to promote green innovation, and then sustainable development, hotels should enhance customer experience. It was thus recommended that hotels in Ghana invest in training programmes for employees to enhance their understanding of customer experience, creating positive sustainable and green practices.
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