Benson, Lisa S.

An analysis of critical factors related to environmental education: practices for hospitality management students, consumers, and managers.

Moscow, ID

2006

Moscow, University of Idaho, Ph. D., 2006

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The main purpose of the study was to investigate the practice of environmental stewardship in the hospitality industry. The goal of this study is to examine the environmental attitudes of current hospitality leaders, hospitality management students and consumers within the phenomenon of environmental stewardship in the hospitality industry to determine if there is the need for environmental education and organizational training for managers, students, and consumers. More specifically, the intent of the current research is to (1) examine hospitality management students' level of environmental concern, (2) identify consumers' level of environmental concern and their attitudes toward environmental attributes in hotels, and (3) examine the environmental attitudes and ecocentric values of managers in the hospitality industry. The significance of the current research is three fold. First, in order for the hospitality industry to remain competitive and sustainable, environmentally-responsible behaviors need to happen. Second, consumers and current and future industry leaders all play a role in the success of responsible environmental management programs. Finally, pro-environmental attitudes and ecocentric values are indicators of the likelihood that environmentally-responsible behaviors will occur. The research framework is based on contemporary attitude theory. The sample populations included hospitality management students in a university setting, hospitality managers in the industry, and consumers. Data were collected using questionnaires and were analyzed using quantitative methods. Findings indicated that there is a low level of environmental concern among hospitality management students, indicating a lack of knowledge of environmental issues. Additional findings showed that those individuals with strong ecocentric values have a pro-environmental attitude, which in theory leads to environmentally responsible behavior. Finally, it was also found that the presence of an ecolabel had an effect on consumers' attitude toward a hotel's environmental management practices. Based on these findings a case is made for the inclusion of environmental education as it has been shown to raise an individual's level of environmental concern and therefore increasing the likelihood that environmentally responsible behaviors will occur.

Table of Contents
Title Page
Authorization to Submit Dissertation
Abstract
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures

I. Chapter One
Introduction
Problem Statement
Definition of terms

II. Chapter Two
Introduction
Environmental Concern
Theoretical Framework
Method
Results and Discussion
Conclusions
Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research
References

III. Chapter Three
Introduction
Ecolabels in the US
Environmental Concern
Theoretical Framework
Multiattribute Attitude Model
Methodology
Results and Discussion
Conclusions
References

IV. Chapter Four
Introduction
Ecocentric Values and Environmental Attitudes
Methodology
Data Analysis and Results
Conclusions and Limitations
Future Directions
References

V. Chapter Five
Discussion

VI. Chapter Six
Extended Literature Review
Environmental Concern
Theories of Attitude
Environmental Values-Attitude-Behavior Relationship
Methods of Measurements

VII. References

VIII. Appendix A
Instrument used in chapter two
Instrument used in chapter three
Instrument used in chapter four

IX. Appendix B
Human Subjects Approval Form

List of Tables
Table 2.1 - Frequency Distribution for New Ecological Paradigm Scale Items
Table 3.1 - Respondents′ Demographic Background
Table 3.2 - Importance of Environmental Attributes when Selecting Hotel
Table 3.3 - Mean belief scores and SD for each environmental attribute
Table 6.1- Cost-cutting Environmental Management by US Hotels
Table 6.2 - Value-items from Schwartz′s values instrument

List of Figures
Figure 1.1 - Conceptual Model of Implications
Figure 3.1 - Theory of Reasoned Action
Figure 3.2 - Questionnaire Items that Measure Ei
Figure 3.3 - Questionnaire Items that Measure Bi
Figure 3.4 - Three Versions of Treatment of Questionnaire
Figure 4.1 - Structure of Value-Attitude Theory
Figure 5.1 - A Model of the Role of Environmental Education for

Hospitality Management Students, Hospitality

Managers, and Consumers