| Corporate environmental responsibility is a growing concern at a global level, and firms confront substantive energy and waste management costs. The hotel industry addresses environmental issues through Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility (ECSR). Prior research into the topic in the hotel industry has been limited. This study filled a research gap investigating the relationship between four identified indicators of ECSR, two measures of corporate performance, and a measure of corporate risk in U.S. public hotels and motels for the years 2010-2012. The study also investigated firm size as a moderator in these relationships. Data was retrieved for secondary data analysis and content analysis from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's EDGAR database, corporate websites, and other public websites. Six hypotheses were tested using quantitative analysis including descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression, and moderated multiple regression. The statistical results were analyzed and deductive logic applied to formulate conclusions for the study. There was no significant relationship found between the four identified indicators of ECSR and two measures of corporate performance. Firm size was not found to influence these relationships. A significant relationship was found between the four identified indicators of ECSR and a measure of corporate risk, and firm size was found to influence this relationship. This study provided evidence of a projected economic upturn, and a divergence in the hotel industry between domestic and foreign firms. |
