The Mediating Role of HRM in the Relationship between CSR and Performance in the Hospitality Industry

In recent years, the concepts of human resource management (HRM) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) have gained significant focus across industries. The role and implications of CSR are vital for organizational success; similarly, HRM plays a vital role in understanding, developing, and implementing CSR strategies. Therefore, we claimed that the nexus of HRM and CSR is worthwhile to study and relevant in the current pandemic situation. Despite recent calls about the role of human resource management (HRM) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in achieving sustainable performance, a few studies have investigated their role combinedly in the hospitality industry, especially in a cross-cultural context. Therefore, the present study addresses the current lack of comparative research about the impact of HRM and CSR on sustainable performance in the hospitality industry of Pakistan, the UK, and Italy and shows the mediating role of HRM in such a relationship. A quantitative methodology is applied to the survey of the employees from 354 Pakistani, 438 British, and 520 Italian hotels working in three-, four-, and five-star hotels. The results showed a positive correlation between CSR, HRM, and sustainable performance. Moreover, the results also indicated significant differences among the three countries analyzed concerning the mediating role of HRM in this relationship.