Integrating Altruism and the Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Patronage Intention of a Green Hotel

Abstract

This study describes the use of the new model of environmental behavior, which links altruism with the theory of planned behavior (TPB), to predict the relatively difficult behavioral intention of visiting a green hotel in Taiwan. The objectives of the study are threefold. First, the authors empirically examine how individual characteristics of the TPB model affect traveler intention to visit green hotels; second, they apply a TPB model to construct an amended model that focuses on altruism, imported from psychology-based research. Third, by capturing the affective component that motivates behavioral intention, the altruism construct will help bolster the TPB model to the domain of visiting a green hotel. The findings show that attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and altruism all positively affect customer intention to visit a green hotel. This study also derives wider implications for managers in the hospitality industry, both from a theoretical and practical viewpoint.

Keywords

green hotels theory of planned behavior attitude subjective norms behavioral intention altruism

In the increasingly environmentally conscious marketplace, consumers have realized the effect of their purchasing behaviors, which are strongly associated with environmental problems (Laroche, Bergeron, & Barbaro-Forleo, 2001). The trend also affects the hotel industry in the form of greater consumption of water, energy, and raw materials, and the increased emission of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide), and the generation of waste.

Although numerous products or services used in the hospitality and tourism industry can damage the environment during their production, operation, and disposal, providing such services often requires the natural vibrancy of the surrounding area. Therefore, this study contends that the hospitality industry can no longer ignore its environmental responsibilities. As a result, the development of so-called green hotels has become one of the more important recent innovations in the tourist sector.

Green hotels may be distinguished from ordinary hotels in that they use products and services that minimize water and energy consumption, and reduce solid waste output to protect the environment from further depletion of its natural resources (Green Hotels Association, 2010). Green hotels have gained increasing prominence over the past 15 years, with more mature markets such as those of the United States and Canada having published rating systems specifically aimed at this emerging sector of the tourist industry. For instance, the United States implemented its “Green Seal Hotel Plan” in 1995, and Canada introduced its “Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program” in 1998. Despite these moves, green hotels in Taiwan are at a comparatively early stage of development.

Some studies have approached the prediction of specific social consumer behaviors from a reasoned action approach. Contexts for using reasoned action approaches have included green consumerism (Minton & Rose, 1997; Ross, 2010; Sparks & Shepherd, 1992). Previous studies on this topic have focused on describing (a) the management of environmental practices in green hotels (Hung & Lai, 2006; Shen & Wan, 2001); (b) the reasons visitors choose to stay in green hotels (Manaktola & Jauhari, 2007; Yeh, Tsai, & Huang, 2003); and (c) the green practices that visitors seek when choosing between green hotels (Chan & Ho, 2006; Kung & Tseng, 2004; Park, 2009). However, previous authors have paid little attention to the decision-making potential of customers who may consider staying in a green hotel.

In the context of increasing numbers of consumers who seek “green” alternatives, Manaktola and Jauhari (2007) found that the environmentally friendly practices of green hotels could provide them with a competitive advantage. Han, Hsu, and Sheu (2010) were the first to explain how customers frame their intentions to visit a green hotel using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). These authors found that attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control all positively affected their intention to stay at a green hotel. Han and Kim (2010) subsequently extended the TPB to explain customer intentions to pay a repeat visit to a green hotel.

As Ajzen (1991) himself declared,

the Theory of Planned Behaviour is, in principle, open to the inclusion of additional predictors, if it can be shown that they capture a significant proportion of the variance in intention or behaviour after the Theory’s current variables have been taken into account. (p. 199)

Consequently, further constructs were extensively introduced in the TPB. Usually a normative influence was not captured by the subject norm (social pressure) variable in the TPB model (Brown, Ham, & Hughes, 2010; Geller, 1995; Stern & Dietz, 1994). Previous studies have proved that adding personal norm to the TPB model has improved predictability when altruistic behaviors are examined (Arvola et al., 2008; Bamberg & Schmidt, 2003; Brown et al., 2010; Conner, Smith, & McMillan, 2003; Corbett, 2005; García, Real, Durán, & Romay, 2003; Thøgersen, 2002; Vermeir & Verbeke, 2008).

Altruism is a personal value structure with significant influences on behavior (Schwartz & Bilsky, 1987; Stern, Dietz, Kalof, and Guagnano, 1995). Of particular relevance to proenvironmental communication has been the addition of a personal norm variable to account for altruistic behaviors. A person’s sense of what is “right” and “morally correct” to do consisted of the beliefs of personal norm that belong to a self-imposed obligation people feel to “do the right thing” irrespective of what other people think. Stern, Dietz, and Kalof (1993) analyzed that altruism is the concern about the welfare of society and others. Altruism involves the act of doing something good for others without expecting anything in return (Rushton, 1980). Empirical hospitality research has shown that altruism is an important motivator for many hotel firms that have been involved in environmental schemes (Ayuso, 2006; Rivera & de Leon, 2005). The major motive for guests to select a green hotel is to achieve the sense that their purchase decision contributes to saving the planet and leaving a green environment for their children. In this study, it is assumed that guests visiting green hotels equal altruistic behavior.

Despite the findings in numerous studies of the factors that influence intention formation in the context of green hotels, the literature exploring altruism as it relates specifically to green hotel is sparse. Researchers have yet to examine the effect of altruism on the predictive utility of the TPB to explain customer intentions to visit a green hotel. Ross (2010) stated that a high correlation to altruism is likely to lead to patterns of increased consumption of discretionary goods and services and consumption of ethical goods and services. In this article, we propose that the role of affect can be captured using a new construct of altruism.

To address this literature gap, this work extends the TPB by including the altruism variable into the main framework of the TPB and proposes a casual model to explain the relationship among the antecedents that can predict and better explain the behavior intentions of consumers to visit a green hotel. Accordingly, the aims of the present study were to (a) use the TPB to identify factors that affect customer intentions to visit a green hotel and (b) investigate the effect of altruism on the visiting intentions of customers.

Literature Review

Effects of Attitude, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control on Behavioral Intention

In many TPB studies, behavior intention is taken as a proxy measure of likely behavior (e.g., Nonis & Swift, 2010; Phillips & Jang, 2012; Sparks & Pan, 2009; Wang & Ritchie, 2012a, 2012b). Volitional behaviors are influenced by behavior intention, which is the likelihood to act (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). Intention to act in a certain way is the immediate determinant of a behavior (Ajzen, 2005). When there is an opportunity to act, intention results in behavior; if intention is measured accurately, intention will provide the best predictor of behavior (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). This means that researchers need an accurate measurement of behavior intention to fully understand behavior. The antecedents of intentions are better understood than the antecedents of behavior (Phillips & Jang. 2012); so in this present study, the travelers’ intention to visit green hotels is taken as a proxy measure of likely behavior per se in the accommodation sector. The limitation of this measurement is discussed in the Conclusions and Limitations section. Based on the clarification of this feature of the TPB, some relationships to be tested in this study are presented below.

Researchers have widely applied the TPB to use individual behavior to predict intentions (Ajzen, 1991, 2002), and it has often been used to explain the specific behavior of a person in a certain environment (Hung, Ku, and Chang, 2003; Hsu & Chiu, 2004; Teo & Pok, 2003), such as in a restaurant (Cheng, Lam, & Hsu, 2005), or when faced with decisions on purchasing items such as genetically modified foods (O’Fallon, Gursoy, & Swanger, 2007). The results of these and other studies have demonstrated the strong predictive power of the TPB.

The present study uses the TPB to explain the formation of customer intention to visit a green hotel and presents the following hypotheses:

Hypothesis 1: Attitude has a positive influence on customer intention to visit a green hotel.

Hypothesis 2: Subjective norms have a positive influence on customer intention to visit a green hotel.

Hypothesis 3: Perceived behavioral control has a positive influence on customer intention to visit a green hotel.

The Relationship Between Subjective Norms and Attitude

Yu, Wu, and Lee (2005) showed that “attitude” has a mediating effect on the variables of “perceived behavioral control” and “subjective norms.” Ryu and Jang (2006) found subjective norms to be positively associated with individual attitudes to certain types of behavior. Wu and Lin (2007) showed that subjective norms directly influence attitudes, which implies that when the subjective norms of respondents are more positive, their attitudes are as well. Han et al. (2010) demonstrated that visitor attitude toward a green hotel is positively associated with his or her subjective norms. Similarly, Tsai (2010) determined a significant relationship between the subjective norms and the attitudes of tourists. Therefore, this study formulates the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 4: A significant relationship exists between the customers’ subjective norms and attitudes to patronage a green hotel.

Effects of Altruism on Behavior Intention, Attitude, and Perceived Behavioral Control

Altruism is a personal value structure with significant influences on behavior (Schwartz & Bilsky, 1987; Stern et al., 1995). Stern et al. (1993) analyzed that altruism is the concern about the welfare of society and others. Altruism surely contributes greatly to individuals’ intentions and attitudes toward paper recycling behavior in the study of Chaisamrej (2006). Suandi (1991) asserted egoism, altruism, and social obligation are three potentially important aspects of participants’ behavioral intention. Baston and Coke (1981) postulated that altruism is the antecedent to attitude. Altruism has an important role in political activism and also plays a positive correlation with green consumer behavior (Straughan & Roberts, 1999). The empirical hospitality research also has shown that altruism is an important motivator for many hotel firms that have been involved in environmental schemes (Ayuso, 2006; Rivera & de Leon, 2005). Studies on patronage of the green hotel as an altruistic behavior and a socially concerned consumer behavior are scarce, and little is known about the role of altruistic values on green hospitality industry. This article proposes that the role of affect—with regard to prosocial behaviors—can capture using a new construct of altruism. Altruism is an affective motivational factor that leads an individual to perform prosocial consumption behaviors. This proposed construct of altruism serves to explain patronage intention of green hotel that simultaneously benefit others. This study encompasses the variable of altruism that will shed light on Schwartz’s (1977) altruism notion and TPB model in future study.

Relationship Between Altruism and Behavioral Intention

For several decades, social scientists have investigated the motivations of people who engage in proenvironmental behavior. Most of the psychology research on proenvironmental behavior tends to focus on the relationship between internal variables and behavior (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980; Fransson & Garling, 1999; Nordlund & Garvill, 2002). Stern et al. (1993) concluded that proenvironmental behavior is derived from a combination of egoistic and social–altruistic motives. The altruism construct is defined as a goal that is motivated by other benefits. Although numerous definitions of altruism exist, the typical definition includes attributes, such as helping others and a moral imperative to do “good” (Batra, & Ahtola, 1990; Krebs, 1991; Ross, 2010). Evidence from an operationalized study of a new model of environmental behavioral tests its utility in predicting the relatively difficult behavior of having people abandon their cars (Corbett, 2005). This research confirms the positive relationship between altruism and the intention to be environmentally responsible. Schwartz (1977) developed the norm-activation model to explain prosocial behavior. The Schwartz norm activation model of altruistic behavior considers the effects of social norms on people when they are adopted at a personal level as a personal norm. Some scholars interpret the Schwartz model to mean that, for a person to act altruistically, the person must be aware of consequences and ascribe responsibility to take appropriate action (Guagnano, Stern, & Dietz, 1995). Therefore, to assume that altruism influences behavioral intention under the following hypothesis is reasonable:

Hypothesis 5: Altruism has a significant and positive influence on customer intention to choose to visit a green hotel.

Relationship Between Altruism and Attitude and Perceived Behavioral Control

The TPB model is a parsimonious model holding that a person’s intent to behave in a certain manner is largely a function of the person’s attitude toward the act and social norms (Corbett, 2005). Although the TPB has been useful in predicting consumer intention in different fields, such as those of travelers and environmental behavior (Han et al., 2010; Tsai, 2010), some scholars have concluded that the theory is most useful for behaviors that are relatively easy and under volitional control. However, whereas the study of the experience of transportation planners and air quality experts across the country lead to the belief that “driving less” is perceived as a fairly difficult behavior, the TPB may have limited utility (Corbett, 2005). Some scholars have also suggested numerous additional independent variables for inclusion in the TPB model: past behavior (Lam & Hsu, 2006; Lee & Choi, 2009), self-efficacy (Trumbo & O’Keefe, 2000), and altruism (Chaisamrej, 2006). As discussed, this study demonstrates the influence of altruism on the variables of attitude and perceived behavioral control and formulates the following hypotheses:

Hypothesis 6: Altruism has a positive influence on customer attitude to visit a green hotel.

Hypothesis 7: Altruism has a positive influence on customer perceived behavioral control to visit a green hotel.

Based on this discussion, the proposed behavioral model is outlined in Figure 1. This conceptualization demonstrates how the current study extends the traditional scope of the TPB by adding altruism as a fourth variable.

Figure 1

Research Framework

Method

Sample Design and Data Collection

The sample for this research comprised customers older than 20 years who were willing to stay in a green hotel in Taiwan. Questionnaires were sent to 400 randomly selected potential customers through a face-to-face survey used to collect data. Face-to-face surveys were conducted by trained interviewers in various locations, including train stations, supermarkets, department stores, shopping malls, and adult education classes, to obtain data from a representative demographic profile. A total of 258 usable responses were received from participants. Of the 258 respondents, most were women (n = 163, 63.2%). Seventy-four participants were aged between 30 and 39 years (28.7%) and 65 participants were aged between 40 and 49 years (25.5%). In total, 166 participants (64.3%) were university graduates, and 101 respondents indicated that their individual incomes were between TW$30,000 and $50,000 per month.

Measurement Instruments

The questionnaire consisted of five major sections incorporating demographics. Scales measuring altruism, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention referenced previous studies. Altruism value was measured using two questions, adapted from Hopper and Nielsen (1991) scales (e.g., “I think to visit at green hotel helps decrease pollution”). Attitudes toward green hotels were measured using four questions developed by Han et al. (2010). An example is, “For me, staying at a green hotel when traveling is extremely good.” Subjective norms were measured using two items modified from Han et al. (e.g., “Most people who are important to me would want me to stay at a green hotel when travelling”). Perceived behavioral control was measured by means of three items adapted from Han et al. (e.g., “I have the resources, time, and opportunities to visit a green hotel when traveling”). The intention to visit a green hotel was measured by three questions modified by Han et al. The scales were measured on a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1= strongly disagree to 7 =strongly agree. The expressions of the items were adjusted, where appropriate, to the content of green hotels.

Results and Analysis

Confirmatory factor analysis was used to obtain the factor loadings of the five constructs (altruism, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention) and to assess goodness of fit of the model. The adequacy of the model was determined using the indices of goodness of fit suggested by Hair, Black, Babin, Anderson, and Tatham (2006). The convergent validity of the confirmatory factor analysis results must be supported by (a) the reliability of each measure, (b) the composite reliability of each construct, and (c) the average variance extracted (AVE; Fornell & Larcker, 1981; Hair et al., 2006). Table 1 shows that Cronbach’s alpha of each item was between .818 and .950, which is above the threshold level of .70 recommended by Nunnally and Bernstein (1994). The composite reliability of each construct was between .807 and .943, which is above the threshold level of .60 recommended by Bagozzi and Yi (1988) and Fornell and Larcker (1981), confirming that the research variables were acceptable for their reliability. The factor loading t value was between 9.553 and 23.718, and each measurable item reached significance (p < .01; Gerbing & Anderson, 1988). The AVE of the constructs ranged between 0.583 and 0.824 and were all higher than the suggested threshold level of 0.5 recommended by Fornell and Larcker (1981), thereby confirming that the measurement model had good convergent validity. The measurement model used in this study was thus shown to be reliable and meaningful for testing the structural relationships among the five constructs.

Table 1

Analysis of Confirmatory Factory Analysis Results and Relevant Composite Reliability

Construct/Items	Standardized Factor Loading	t Value	CR	AVE	Cronbach’s α
Attitude (AT)
AT1: For me, staying at a green hotel when traveling is good	.904	—	.943	0.807	.950
AT2: For me, staying at a green hotel when traveling is desirable	.918	23.718***
AT3: For me, staying at a green hotel when traveling is pleasant	.909	23.131***
AT4: For me, staying at a green hotel when traveling is wise	.862	20.409***
Subjective norm (SN)
SN1: Most people who are important to me would want me stay at a green hotel when traveling	.946	—	.903	0.824	.902
SN2: People whose options I value would prefer that I stay at a green hotel when traveling	.868	18.479***
Perceived behavior control (PBC)
PBC1: Whether or not I stay at a green hotel when traveling is completely up to me	.918	—	.831	0.627	.818
PBC2: I am confident that if I want, I can stay at a green hotel when traveling	.817	13.071***
PBC3: I have resources, time, and opportunities to stay at a green hotel when traveling	.609	9.921***
Behavior intention (BI)
BI1: I am willing to stay at a green hotel when traveling	.789	—	.807	0.583	.825
BI2: I plan to stay at a green hotel when traveling	.712	11.494***
BI3: I will make an effort to stay at a green hotel when traveling	.787	12.849***
Altruism (AL)
AL1: Visit at green hotel helps conserve natural resources	.902	—	.831	0.713	.823
AL2: Visit at green hotel helps decrease pollution	.782	9.553***

Note: CR = composite reliability; AVE = average variance extracted.

p < .01. ***p < .001.

Fornell and Larcker (1981) indicated that discriminant validity exists when the proportion of variance extracted in each construct exceeds the square of the coefficient representing its correlation with other constructs. As shown in Table 2, all AVE values were greater than the squared correlations between constructs; hence, the discriminant validity is satisfactory for all the constructs. Similarly, process can be also found in many studies, such as Cheng and Cho (2011), Han and Ryu (2009), Karande and Magnini (2011), Kim and Ok (2010), Morosan (2012), Phillips and Jang (2012), and Ryu and Han (2010).

Table 2

Discriminant Validity for the Measurement Model

Construct	AL	AT	SN	PBC	BI
AL	0.713
AT	0.269	0.807
SN	0.183	0.500	0.824
PBC	0.109	0.102	0.129	0.627
BI	0.271	0.529	0.504	0.174	0.583

Note: AL = altruism; AT = attitude; SN = subjective norms; PBC = perceived behavioral control; BI = behavioral intention. The values on the diagonal (in boldface) represent the average variance extracted (AVE) for each construct whereas the variables below the diagonal represent the squared correlations between each pair of latent constructs.

After testing the reliability and validity of the measurement model, this work determined the goodness of fit of the structural model using AMOS 7.0 (Arbuckle, 2006) to test hypotheses 1 to 7. According to Gefen, Straub, and Boudreau (2000), between 100 and 150 responses are needed to conduct structural equation modeling. The 258 responses of the present study implied that the sample size was sufficiently large. Table 3 shows that four of the seven goodness-of-fit indices (GFI) yielded values above the recommended values. Except for χ²/df, GFI and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) were slightly higher or lower than the recommended value, whereas the others all matched the recommended value. Consequently, the goodness of fit between the proposed model and the observed data in this study was deemed acceptable (Gefen et al., 2000; Hau, Wen, & Chen, 2004).

Table 3

Recommended and Actual Values of Fit Indices

	Fit Index
	χ²/df	GFI	AGFI	CFI	NFI	NNFI	RMSEA
Recommended value	<.3	>.90	>.80	>.90	>.90	>.90	<.08
Actual value	3.270	.886	.829	.944	.921	.927	.094

Note: χ²/df is the ratio between the chi-squared and the number of degrees of freedom, GFI = goodness-of-fit index; AGFI = adjusted goodness-of-fit-index; CFI = comparative fit index; NFI = normed fit index; NNFI = nonnormed fit index; RMSEA = root mean square error of approximation.

Analysis of Results

The hypotheses were tested by analyzing the t values and path coefficients of the proposed research model. Table 4 shows the structure equation model that was tested in this analysis phase. The experimental data showed that all hypotheses were supported. The hypotheses related to the TPB variables (Hypotheses 1-3) were found to be significant (p < .001) with behavioral intention. This means that customer behavioral intention to choose a green hotel was found to predict ability by attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The subjective norm also significantly affects attitude (Hypothesis 4). Among these independents, subjective norm has the best ability to predict the behavioral intention of visiting a green hotel. This finding suggests that customers with a higher subject norm would have higher intention to patronize a green hotel. A direct effect was also found for altruism on intention (Hypothesis 5) and the relatively strong influence of altruism on attitude and perceived behavior control (Hypotheses 6 and 7). The obtained R² was .64. This finding implies that attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and altruism explain 64% of the variance in behavioral intention (Figure 2).

Table 4

Results of the Structure Equation Model

Hypothesis	Path	Path Coefficient	t Value	Results
Hypothesis 1	AT → BI	0.366	4.525***	Supported
Hypothesis 2	SN → BI	0.486	6.138***	supported
Hypothesis 3	PBC → BI	0.194	3.600***	Supported
Hypothesis 4	SN → AT	0.675	12.298***	Supported
Hypothesis 5	AL → BI	0.163	2.567**	Supported
Hypothesis 6	AL → AT	0.344	6.200***	Supported
Hypothesis 7	AL → PBC	0.384	5.278***	Supported

Note: AT = attitude; BI = behavioral intention; SN = subjective norms; PBC = perceived behavioral control; AL = altruism.

p < .01. ***p < .001.

Figure 2

Hypothesized Model and Its Indicators

Conclusions and Limitations

This study investigates how the integrated green hotel model predicts consumer behavior intention. The results obtained from this study show that the proposed model fits the data relatively well, and the findings lead to the following conclusions.

First, because Hypotheses 1 to 3 are supported, the findings of this study affirm that the TPB constructs, including attitudes, subject norms, and perceived behavior control, significantly predicted the intention of choosing a green hotel. Findings concerning the predictive power of TPB in this study raise a theoretical query regarding the generalizability of the model to explain patronage green hotel behaviors. Occasionally, previous research on hospitality industry has found the success of the three TPB determinants in predicting behaviors. The findings in this study affirmed that all TPB constructs, including attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, significantly predicted patronage green hotel intentions of Taiwanese people.

The first crucial element of campaign messages must focus on increasing subjective norm over choosing a green hotel. Subjective norms also played a significant role to influence the attitude of respondents to patronize green hotels. This result is consistent with the findings of Ryu and Jang (2006), Han and Kim (2010), Hu, Parsa, and Self (2010), and Han et al. (2010). The favorable or unfavorable attitudes of respondents to visiting green hotels mainly depended on the positive or negative views of family, friends, and coworkers. This campaign messages in Taiwan must also improve individuals’ subjective norms relevant to visit green hotel. Since subjective norms delineate the influence of significant referents’ opinions and their endorsements on a patronage green hotel intention, messages that portray support from role models or opinion leaders of this target group, such as, colleague, peers, teachers, parents, should be effective in persuading them to choose green hotel. And also to enhance consumer intention to visit a green hotel, green hotel managers should focus on exposure to information on the benefits of green practices in green hotels, specifically, public advertising, window displays, and information cards or brochures distributed by green hotels. If these advertisements can reach family or friends, this group will exert influence on consumer intention to choose a green hotel. Therefore, green hotel managers and marketers should actively seek approaches to improve the perceptions of green hotels. For example, green hotels should attempt to earn the “Certification of Green Hotel” and proudly advertise their honoring of green practices in their hotels.

Second, the data show that attitude plays a second significant predictor of the intention to visit green hotels among TPB variables. This study recommends that green hotel managers strive to develop and maintain positive attitudes toward visitors. The stakeholders of green hotels should take whatever steps necessary to ensure visitor satisfaction. If visitors are satisfied, they are more likely to become repeat visitors, and are more likely to make positive comments to friends and family. Hotel managers might also consider the use of advertising to convey favorable attitudes of their visitors as another marketing strategy to promote consumer attitudes toward choosing green restaurants, which will in turn enforce their intention.

Third, the finding in this study revealed the direct effect of altruism on intentions as well as the relatively strong influences of altruism on attitudes and perceived behavioral control. As the results of this study support of the role of altruism in patronage green hotel intentions as well as on subjective norm, understanding patronage green hotel behaviors in light of altruism is essential. As little is known about the role of altruistic values on choosing green hotel, the unique findings of this article shed light on Schwartz’s (1977) altruism notion in the realm of altruistic practices. Although altruism determined behavioral intentions at a minor level, it was a robust construct that predicted two antecedents of visiting green hotel (attitudes and perceived behavioral control). In other words, this finding is explicating the relationship between altruistic values the individuals possess alongside their beliefs about the importance of visiting green hotel. That means people who showed positive altruistic value are likely to view their patronage green hotel behavior as highly important to society. The integrated framework offers green hotel managers an opportunity to center on altruism, stimulating altruistic values of people regarding patronage green hotel. A high level of altruism would subsequently yield more positive attitudes and would strengthen perceived control over visiting green hotel behavior.

The management implication of this study based on this finding is that altruism plays an important role in promoting consumer patronage of green hotels. Green hotel marketers must develop effective strategies to improve visiting intention; thus, they must target potential visitors who are altruistic, such as members of nonprofit organizations. Green hotel managers should promote differences between their sustainable practices and those of traditional hotels. This type of marketing strategy attracts altruistic consumers who believe that patronizing a green hotel will benefit the global environment significantly and persuades altruistic consumers to believe that patronizing green hotels is a behavioral trait that minimizes negative effects on the natural environment.

Furthermore, the results of our study also strongly suggest that the Green Hotel Association can raise some forums to encourage patronage of green hotels as the best way to sustain our environment when traveling, to boost the consumer’s altruism, and further increase the consumer’s subjective norm. In addition, we suggest to addition of the altruism view in the ethics course in the college and university education. Cultivating an altruistic mind when (future) consumers are still students will develop their altruistic views. This will help develop an altruistic mind and they will have more behavior intention to patronize a green hotel. We also hope that related government agencies can promote this policy to encourage patronage of a green hotel. Patronizing a green hotel is a kind of sustainable behavior that will not only help others but also ourselves.

Finally, rather than using the parsimonious TPB model that focuses solely on enhancing the three inclusive constructs (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control), we apply the integrated altruism model to understand how consumers’ attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are shaped by preceding factors is exceedingly meaningful.

This study’s several limitations need to be identified. First, the sample was confined to major cities in Taiwan that may obtain a similar environmental awareness from similar respondent profiles. Future research should be extended to include different levels of value and the culture of respondents, as in those of respondents from other countries. Second, the dependent variable used in this study is patronage intention of a green hotel rather than actual behavior itself, even though behavior intention is an adequate proxy of actual behavior (Chapman, Davis, Toy, & Wright, 2004). Following up on surveys by using actual patronage behaviors is suggested.

Footnotes

Acknowledgements

The authors greatly appreciate the anonymous referees for their constructive and helpful comments on an earlier version of the article.

This research was supported by the National Science Research Council of Taiwan under Grant NSC99-2410-H-032-080-SSS.

Yi-Man Teng, a PhD student (E-mail: ymdeng@tpcu.edu.tw) in the Institute of Management Sciences at Tamkang University and a lecture at Taipei Chengshih University of Science and Technology,Taipei, Taiwan. Kun-Shan Wu, PhD (E-mail: kunshan@mail.tku.edu.tw), is a professor of Business Administration at Tamkang University., New Taipei City, Taipei 251, Taiwan. Hsiao-Hui Liu, PhD (E-mail: shliou@tpcu.edu.tw), is an assistant professor at Taipei Chengshih University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan.

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