Determining Green Practices Through the Use of Self-Service Technology (SST): Service Quality, Satisfaction, Loyalty and Behavioral Intention in the Green Hotel Industry.

Abstract

Service quality has been a topic of extensive inquiry for decades. Self-service technology (SST) has emerged which has profound effects on the way customers interact with green hotels in creating positive service outcomes i.e., customer satisfaction, loyalty, and behavioral Intentions. This paper aims to link customer use of technology to the green hotel industry in Malaysia. The research focuses on how green hotels legitimize their green practices through technology – websites and social media – to communicate their environmental recognitions to discerning eco-conscious consumers. The researchers analyze the use of self-service technology of environmental legitimacy practices used by the hotel for Service Quality, Satisfaction, Loyalty, and Behavioral Intention to legitimize their green hotel practices. A diverse sample of green hotel accommodations customers in Malaysia is used to analyze hotel websites' content analysis. Findings found out that Malaysia hoteliers usually used their websites to illustrate service quality, satisfaction, loyalty and behavioral intention for varying green standards for legitimizing their green practices. Green hotels reported maintaining service quality, satisfaction, loyalty, and behavioral intention to legitimize their green practices. Future research should survey specific consumer perceptions of their search and experience to prove valuable in destination selection and environmentally conscious hotels' expertise. Social media and related websites utilize customer self-reporting, which would add additional insight for future research in this area. The researcher analysis studies the web promotion of other similar geographic tourism destinations such as boutique hotels' use of international versus regional legitimacy of their green practices.