HOW DOES CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INFLUENCE COMPETITIVENESS OF LUXURY HOTELS? THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

While the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives has been widely discussed in the literature, the mechanism of how CSR can promote competitiveness remains largely unexplored. This study takes a closer look at environmental performance (EP) as a mediator in the causal interaction between CSR and competitiveness in the accommodation sector, specifically in luxury hotels (4-5 stars). This study is considered a trend, as CSR-oriented innovation is increasingly seen not only as an answer to environmental needs but also as a driver of sustainable growth. Data were collected from 249 managers from various high-end resorts in Khanh Hoa, Vietnam, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was utilized to analyze the data. The findings supported all hypotheses, indicating that the implementation of CSR activities not only ensures success in enhancing competitiveness but also positively affects the hotel's EP. The results of this study also confirm the mediating role of EP in the relationship between CSR and hotel competitiveness.