Understanding Greenwashing in Hospitality: A Systematic Review and Empirical Investigation Using ELM and Attribution Theory

Abstract

This dissertation examines the phenomenon of greenwashing in the hospitality industry through a two-study research design that integrates a systematic review of existing literature with an empirical investigation grounded in consumer behavior theory. As sustainability communication becomes increasingly prominent in hotel marketing, concerns about misleading environmental claims have intensified, raising questions about how greenwashing affects consumer trust and behavioral intentions. The overarching objective of this dissertation is to advance theoretical and practical understanding of greenwashing by synthesizing prior research and empirically testing the mechanisms through which green advertising influences hotel guests’ perceptions and decision making.

The first study presents a systematic review of 36 peer-reviewed journal articles on greenwashing in hospitality and tourism published between 1990 and 2023. The review identifies publication trends, dominant research methods, and theoretical foundations, and categorizes prior studies into four major themes: green marketing and communication, corporate social responsibility and greenwashing, green human resources management, and green brand management. Findings reveal a sharp increase in scholarly attention since 2019, with recent research emphasizing authenticity, employee green behavior, stakeholder responses, and green communication strategies. The review highlights significant theoretical and methodological gaps and proposes a future research agenda to encourage more theory-driven and integrative investigations.

The second study empirically investigates the effects of green advertising on perceived greenwashing, trustworthiness, and visit intention in the hotel context. Drawing on the Elaboration Likelihood Model and Attribution Theory, a structural model is developed to examine how message cues—specifically price cues and environmental claims—influence consumer evaluations. Using survey data from hotel consumers and structural equation modeling, results indicate that higher price cues increase perceived greenwashing and decrease perceived trustworthiness, which in turn negatively affects visit intention. Conversely, when consumers attribute environmental claims to genuine motives rather than opportunistic marketing, trustworthiness and behavioral intentions are strengthened. The findings demonstrate that consumers process green advertising through both central and peripheral routes and that attributional judgments play a critical role in shaping responses to sustainability communication.

Collectively, this dissertation contributes to hospitality and tourism literature by extending the application of the Elaboration Likelihood Model and Attribution Theory to greenwashing research and sustainability communication in service contexts. From a managerial perspective, the findings offer actionable insights for hotel managers on designing transparent, credible, and authentic green advertising strategies to mitigate greenwashing perceptions and foster long-term consumer trust.