LGBTQ+ friendly brand management: A brand legitimacy perspective

IF 9.9 1区管理学 Q1 HOSPITALITY, LEISURE, SPORT & TOURISM

International Journal of Hospitality Management Pub Date : 2025-03-21 DOI:10.1016/j.ijhm.2025.104172

Heejung Ro, Juhee Kang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Academics and practitioners have acknowledged that LGBTQ+ customers look for brands perceived as LGBTQ+ friendly; and therefore, LGBTQ+ friendly brand management has become of great interest to hospitality business. This research focuses on LGBTQ+ customers’ perceptions of brand legitimacy in the LGBTQ+ friendly hotel branding context. Two experiments are conducted to examine how LGBTQ+ customers evaluate a hotel’s LGBTQ+ friendly brand management efforts. Study 1 (n = 240) demonstrates that the brand legitimacy is increased when internal policies toward LGBTQ+ employees and service experiences via employee behaviors are aligned with firm’s LGBTQ+ friendly branding. Study 2 (n = 316) reveals that the alignment effects on brand legitimacy are fully mediated by brand authenticity. The findings of this research emphasize the integration of internal policies and employee behaviors with LGBTQ+ friendly branding in order to increase brand authenticity, and ultimately brand legitimacy.

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来源期刊

International Journal of Hospitality Management HOSPITALITY, LEISURE, SPORT & TOURISM-

CiteScore

21.20

自引率

9.40%

发文量

218

审稿时长

85 days

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Hospitality Management serves as a platform for discussing significant trends and advancements in various disciplines related to the hospitality industry. The publication covers a wide range of topics, including human resources management, consumer behavior and marketing, business forecasting and applied economics, operational management, strategic management, financial management, planning and design, information technology and e-commerce, training and development, technological developments, and national and international legislation. In addition to covering these topics, the journal features research papers, state-of-the-art reviews, and analyses of business practices within the hospitality industry. It aims to provide readers with valuable insights and knowledge in order to advance research and improve practices in the field. The journal is also indexed and abstracted in various databases, including the Journal of Travel Research, PIRA, Academic Journal Guide, Documentation Touristique, Leisure, Recreation and Tourism Abstracts, Lodging and Restaurant Index, Scopus, CIRET, and the Social Sciences Citation Index. This ensures that the journal's content is widely accessible and discoverable by researchers and practitioners in the hospitality field.