Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility on Financial Performancein the U.S. Hotel Industry

Initiatives for corporate social responsibility (CSR) have often served as sources of competitive advantage in the business world. Although the adoption of CSR practices in the hotel industry continues to increase, empirical research on the relationship between them and financial performance in the industryremains scarce. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effects of various dimensions of CSR on the financial performance of corporations in the U.S. hotel industry. Data include Kinder, Lydenburg & Domini social performance scores and Compustat data of hotels from 1991 to 2015 identified using a Standard Industrial Classification code. Results of ordinary least squares regression using Stata revealed that efforts toward CSR have significantly affected the financial performance of numerous hotels. Such findings can initiate discussions and inspire future research on CSR in the hospitality industry.