A Critique of an Academic Journal by Luis Garay and Xavier Font Essay (Critical Writing)

Introduction

This paper provides a critical analysis of the article: “Doing good to do well? Corporate social responsibility reasons, practices and impacts in small and medium accommodation enterprises”. The article is authored by Luis Garay and Xavier Font. The author’s arguments are based on a comparison of corporate social responsibility with corporate financial performance.

The topic is lengthy and broad. Therefore, the author has not specified the role of small and medium enterprises in sustainable hospitality management. The article begins with a review of corporate responsibility and corporate financial performance. This article further presents the analyses of the relationship between corporate social responsibility and corporate financial performance¹.

A critical evaluation of the author’s argument(s), assumptions made by the author, and the main implications

The main argument of the author is that corporate social responsibility and corporate financial performance affect hospitality management. The greatest challenge to the argument is that misguided assumptions are made, which can be misleading to the reader.

The article places corporate social responsibility at a static position instead of appreciating the influential dynamism towards hospitality. The author has discussed the topic by exploring several assumptions about the hospitality environment instead of presenting evidence-based research concerning the topic².

The authors review the literature about corporate financial responsibility and corporate social responsibility. The literature review is analyzed before the authors provide an introduction to the meaning of corporate social responsibility and corporate financial responsibility. There is a need to provide in-depth analyses of how the two sectors are likely to be affected by a large percentage of recorded accommodation rates³.

From the outset, the reader is caught at a crossroad whereby he/she cannot understand the goals of the authors. The goals tend to be hidden from the reader and the reader must search the goals of the article because they are scattered.

The authors present an analytical evidence-based analyses but this has been done at a broad scope. Similarly, the authors present the main theories for the tourism sector to engage in corporate social sustainable and corporate financial performance.

The article presents the methodology, and it is evident that qualitative research has been applied. The authors ought to have considered using the qualitative and quantitative methods of research to present reliable results⁴.

The purpose of the article is to show how the constant change and the dynamic nature of corporate social responsibility and corporate financial performance have affected the accommodation and the tourism sector. However, the authors have emphasized on applying the wrong approach in achieving the purpose of the article. The authors have adopted a fixed approach instead of using the principles approach.

The validity of the different scenarios that have been applied using the fixed approach cannot be fully relied upon to achieve the end purpose. The fixed approach method is grounded on the gradual approach of responsibility of various institutions.

However, this has been done with the outlook on the main role and the influences on the key stakeholders in the industry. The fixed approach has various weaknesses because it does not prioritize the actions and the direct consequences of corporate responsibility and its role in the tourism sector. The data gathered through this approach is tainted with positive, negative and neutral results⁵.

A critical evaluation of the accuracy and relevance of evidence that is utilized in the article

The article relies on secondary evidence. The evidence is gathered through the qualitative research method. The article has supported the topic with academic data but the method used leaves a lot to be desired. The authors should have combined the qualitative and quantitative research methods. It is well known that a well researched article is based on varied information⁶.

Articles aimed at researching the relationship of two strong variables, the evidence in the research should be reliable. The evidence in the article presents good management approach, whereby the authors argue that the corporate social responsibility and corporate financial performance produce reliable results if they are well managed.

The article seeks to answer the question why and how the relationship between the corporate sustainable responsibility and corporate finance performance affect small and medium accommodation enterprises. The authors should have used the principles approach because it focuses on the impacts of the relationship between the above mentioned factors and how the impacts affect the tourism industry⁷.

The authors have used the stakeholder approach, whereby they presented the impact of the interaction of the tourism industry on the corporate sustainable responsibility and how the relationship stretches from economic level to legal level. The stakeholder interaction and the capabilities presented are innovation and higher integration, which has assisted in transforming the tourism and management industry.

The article presents the main objective to show how business engagement assists in achieving competitive advantage. The main weakness of the article is realized by the failure to mention other factors which enhance competitiveness as far as sustainable practices is hospitality and tourism management is concerned.

The article fails to bring the desired link between competitive advantages and its application in the tourism business⁸.

The presentation of the evidence to support the authors’ arguments is well cited but limited. The author appreciates the scarcity of the literature that relate to the topic of tourism corporate social responsibility. The literature available, which has been reviewed on the contribution of corporate responsibility in explaining the tourism behavior, takes a broad stand.

The narrowing down of the arguments provides doubtful literature, which cannot be relied on. The literature presented provides the reader a chance to doubt because a reliable article is based on stable evidence which can persuade⁹.On the other hand, the corporate sustainable responsibility literature is limited to the environmental practices which have positive impacts on tourism management¹⁰.

A critical evaluation of clarity, rigor, and other aspects of the article

The article has achieved the underlying principles surrounding clarity. The article is not only unclear but it also carries broad overview of main aspects under investigation. The convincing power of the article is mainly eroded with main assurances on the capacity to cover the topic, and this causes the article to be elusive.

The fact that the corporate social responsibility and corporate financial performance are overlapping in the discussion, makes it hard to identify the relationship with small and medium accommodative purposes. The article states the importance of responsibility practices but additional information to show how and why is a major weakness of the article is lacking.¹¹

Conclusion

The article presents the salient arguments and the assumptions in identifying the importance of corporate social responsibility and corporate finance management in the tourism industry. The implications of the assumptions in the article have been evaluated.

The critical evaluation of the evidence used is also considered. The assessment of how clear and convincing the article is has been discussed. The conclusion is to the effect that the main objective of the article is not reached due to the use of broad topic and lack of narrowing down to a specific aspect.

Bibliography

Garaya, L, & Font, X., ‘Doing good to do well? Corporate social responsibility reasons, practices and impacts in small and medium accommodation enterprises’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, vol. 30, 2011, pp.1–9.

Holcomb, J, Upchurch, R & Okumus, F, ‘Corporate social responsibility: what are top hotel companies reporting?’ International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 19, 2007, pp.461–475.

Kang, K, Lee, S & Huh, C, ‘Impacts of positive and negative corporate social responsibility activities on company performance in the hospitality industry’. International Journal of Hospitality Management, vol. 29, 2010, pp.72–82.

Kasim, A, ‘Managerial attitudes towards environmental management among small and medium hotels in Kuala Lumpur’, Journal of Sustainable Tourism vol. 17, 2009, pp.709–725.

Kasim, A, ‘Towards a wider adoption of environmental responsibility in the hotel sector’, International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism, vol. 8, 2007, pp. 25–49.

Footnotes

¹ L Garaya & X Font, ‘Doing good to do well? Corporate social responsibility reasons, practices and impacts in small and medium accommodation enterprises’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, vol. 30, 2011, pp.1–9.

² A Kasim, ‘Managerial attitudes towards environmental management among small and medium hotels in Kuala Lumpur’, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Vol.17, 2009, pp.709–725.

³ JLHolcomb, RS Upchurch, F Okumus, ‘Corporate social responsibility: what are top hotel companies reporting?’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol.19, 2007, pp.461–475.

⁴ K Kang, S Lee, & C Huh, ‘Impacts of positive and negative corporate social responsibility activities on company performance in the hospitality industry’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, vol. 29, 2010, pp.72–82.

⁵ A Kasim, ‘Towards a wider adoption of environmental responsibility in the hotel sector’, International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism vol. 8, 2007, pp. 25–49.

⁶ K Kang, S Lee, & C Huh, ‘Impacts of positive and negative corporate social responsibility activities on company performance in the hospitality industry”, International Journal of Hospitality Management, vol. 29, 2010, pp.72–82.

⁷ A Kasim, ‘Managerial attitudes towards environmental management among small and medium hotels in Kuala Lumpur’, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 17, 2009, pp. 709–725.

⁸ L Garaya, & X Font, ‘Doing good to do well? Corporate social responsibility reasons, practices and impacts in small and medium accommodation enterprises’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, vol. 30, 2011, pp.1–9.

⁹ JL Holcomb, RS Upchurch, & F Okumus, ‘Corporate social responsibility: what are top hotel companies reporting?’ International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 19, 2007, pp.461–475.

¹⁰ Kasim, A., “Towards a wider adoption of environmental responsibility in the hotel sector”, International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism 8, 2007, 25–49.

¹¹ K Kang, S Lee, & C Huh, ‘Impacts of positive and negative corporate social responsibility activities on company performance in the hospitality industry’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, vol. 29, 2010, pp.72–82.