Impact or Commitment? Sustainability Message Framing in Luxury Hospitality
(A2025-130361)

AUTHORS

ShabbirHusain R.V., S P Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai, India; Balamurugan Annamalai, Indian Institute of Management Sirmaur; Sanjeev Varshney, XLRI, Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, India; Shabana Chandrasekaran, XIM, Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar

ABSTRACT

The study takes support of attribution theory and construal theory to examine the influence of sustainability message framing (impact-based versus commitment-based) on consumers’ willingness to stay at a luxury hotel. Further, the mediating role of perceived hotel integrity and perceived hedonic value and the moderating effect of message type (concrete versus abstract) is examined. A 2x2 scenario-based experiment with 342 luxury hotel guests shows that a impact-focused (versus commitment-based) message significantly improves trust and luxury perception, resulting in greater willingness to stay. The findings theoretically advance the understanding of how the content and style of sustainability communication shape luxury hospitality consumer responses. Practical guidance for hotel managers to incorporate sustainability into their brand narrative without compromising exclusivity is shared.