The influence of green marketing functions in building corporate image: Evidences from hospitality industry in a developing nation
Purpose The present study aims to explore the influence of green marketing functions (green activities, corporate communication of green activities and green image) on corporate image in the hospitality sector. Further, the study tries to explore the consumer's intention to visit the hotels practicing green marketing. Design/methodology/approach Using snowball sampling approach, a total of 220 usable responses were obtained from the consumer via an internet survey. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling to evaluate the strength of relationship and model fit. Findings The findings show that green/eco friendly activities and green image significantly influence the corporate image of the hotel, which in turn results into significant positive impact over consumer's intention to visit the hotel. No significant influence of corporate communication of green activities on corporate image of the hotels was found, which may be because of the low level of communication of green practices by the hotels in India. Practical implications The findings offer insight to the managers regarding the impact of green marketing practices adopted by the hotels on their corporate image which in turn results into increased visit/revisit intention. Originality/value The study deals with the topic "the influence of green marketing on corporate image" which has received scant attention by researchers. The paper attempts to provide empirical evidence in this area. The study yields several implications that can be helpful for managers while devising green marketing strategies for the hospitality sector. The study is among the initial studies exploring the influence of green marketing on corporate image in the Indian context.