INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS

1. Student's full name: Nguyen Trung Hieu

2. Gender: Male

3. Date of birth: August 14, 2001

4. Place of birth: Hanoi

5. Decision number for student admission:5626/QĐ-XHNV ngày 29 tháng 12 năm 2023 của Hiệu trưởng Trường Đại học Khoa học Xã hội và Nhân văn, Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội.

6. Changes in the training process:

7. Tên đề tài luận văn: Thực hiện trách nhiệm xã hội trong kinh doanh khách sạn 5 sao: Cách tiếp cận các bên liên quan

8. Chuyên ngành: Du lịch; Mã số: 8810101.01

9. Scientific supervisor:

TS Vũ Nam, Khoa Du lịch và Khách sạn, trường Đại học Kinh tế Quốc dân. 

TS Bùi Nhật Quỳnh, Khoa Du lịch học, trường Đại học Khoa học Xã hội và Nhân văn, Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội.

10. Summary of the thesis results:

Luận văn “Thực hiện trách nhiệm xã hội trong kinh doanh khách sạn 5 sao: Cách tiếp cận các bên liên quan” đã tập trung hệ thống hóa những vấn đề lý luận liên quan đến TNXH của doanh nghiệp trong lĩnh vực khách sạn, khái quát các công trình tiêu biểu về TNXH trong doanh nghiệp nói chung, trong kinh doanh du lịch và khách sạn nói riêng, đồng thời phân tích vai trò của các bên liên quan trong việc triển khai TNXH. Bên cạnh đó, luận văn đã làm rõ những khái niệm cốt lõi về TNXH, đặc điểm và nội dung của TNXH trong kinh doanh khách sạn, cũng như vai trò của các bên liên quan trong việc hình thành và thực hiện TNXH. Đặc biệt, mô hình phân loại các bên liên quan theo ba thuộc tính quyền lực, tính chính đáng và mức độ khẩn cấp (Mitchell, 1997) và mô hình xác định tiềm năng hợp tác và đe dọa của các bên liên quan (Savage, 1991) được xem là khung lý thuyết quan trọng để nghiên cứu, phân tích và đánh giá trong đề tài.

Phương pháp nghiên cứu được sử dụng trong luận văn là phương pháp nghiên cứu định tính thông qua phỏng vấn bán cấu trúc. Các nhóm đối tượng phỏng vấn bao gồm quản lý khách sạn, doanh nghiệp đối tác, cơ quan quản lý Nhà nước, nhân viên khách sạn, tổ chức xã hội nghề nghiệp, khách hàng, cộng đồng địa phương và đối thủ cạnh tranh. Việc lựa chọn các nhóm đối tượng này nhằm phản ánh toàn diện vai trò, kỳ vọng và mức độ ảnh hưởng của các bên liên quan đối với việc thực hiện trách nhiệm xã hội trong kinh doanh khách sạn 5 sao. Địa bàn nghiên cứu được xác định tại Hà Nội – thủ đô, trung tâm chính trị, kinh tế và văn hóa của cả nước, đồng thời là một trong những điểm đến du lịch lớn nhất Việt Nam với sự phát triển mạnh mẽ của hệ thống khách sạn hạng sang. Bên cạnh đó, luận văn cũng nêu rõ quy trình xử lý và phân tích dữ liệu bằng phần mềm Nvivo, góp phần đảm bảo tính khoa học, khách quan và hệ thống trong quá trình nghiên cứu.

Kết quả nghiên cứu thực nghiệm dựa trên phân tích phỏng vấn các bên liên quan, qua đó xác định rõ các thuộc tính quyền lực, tính chính đáng và mức độ khẩn cấp của từng nhóm theo mô hình Mitchell (1997). Kết quả cho thấy quản lý khách sạn, cơ quan quản lý Nhà nước và khách hàng là những bên liên quan có tính nổi bật cao, đóng vai trò trung tâm trong việc tác động đến quá trình thực hiện trách nhiệm xã hội tại các khách sạn 5 sao. Trong khi đó, các nhóm như cộng đồng địa phương, nhân viên hay tổ chức xã hội nghề nghiệp thể hiện mức độ ảnh hưởng hạn chế hơn, chủ yếu thông qua tính chính đáng hoặc uy tín nghề nghiệp. Mô hình thể hiện mức độ đe dọa, hợp tác của các bên liên quan giúp các nhà quản lý hạn chế tối đa rủi ro từ tất cả các nhóm bên liên quan

Ngoài ra, trên cơ sở khung phân loại của Savage (1991), nghiên cứu cũng chỉ ra mức độ ủng hộ và áp lực từ các bên liên quan, qua đó chia thành bốn nhóm: nhóm hỗ trợ (quản lý khách sạn, nhân viên, doanh nghiệp đối tác), nhóm trung lập (cộng đồng địa phương, tổ chức xã hội nghề nghiệp), nhóm hỗn hợp (cơ quan quản lý Nhà nước, khách hàng) và nhóm đối kháng (đối thủ cạnh tranh). Kết quả này góp phần làm rõ bức tranh tổng thể về vị thế, vai trò và ảnh hưởng của từng nhóm đối tượng trong việc thúc đẩy hay kìm hãm quá trình triển khai TNXH

This thesis focuses on discussing research results based on two main theoretical models: Mitchell's (1997) stakeholder classification model and Savage's (1991) stakeholder grouping model. Through comparison and analysis, the study confirms the suitability of these models in explaining the characteristics, level of influence, and multidimensional interactions between stakeholders in the process of implementing social responsibility in 5-star hotel businesses in Hanoi.

Based on theoretical and empirical analyses, this thesis proposes several solutions to improve the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility (CSR) implementation in the hotel industry, including: strengthening the participation of key stakeholders, establishing dialogue and cooperation mechanisms, enhancing transparency in CSR governance, and focusing on community activities and sustainable development. These solutions not only help hotels strengthen their competitiveness but also contribute to enhancing their image, reputation, and long-term commitment to customers and the local community.

 11. Practical applications:

Research findings on implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) using a stakeholder approach in 5-star hotels provide a crucial scientific basis for hotel managers to develop CSR strategies tailored to their practical operating context. By identifying the attributes of each stakeholder group—power, legitimacy, and urgency—managers can pinpoint key stakeholders, develop solutions for each group, and design and adjust CSR programs to be effective, practical, and relevant to actual needs. This optimizes resources, avoids implementing CSR as a fad, and enhances interaction between the hotel and key stakeholders.

Furthermore, the research contributes to supporting 5-star hotels in improving the quality of relationships with stakeholders, especially employees and customers – those who directly impact the hotel's reputation, service quality, and competitiveness. Implementing the solutions proposed in the research helps hotels build a humane and sustainable work environment, thereby increasing employee satisfaction and engagement. Simultaneously, customer-oriented CSR policies will help improve the guest experience, strengthen brand reputation, and maintain customer loyalty.

12. Future research directions:

Based on the findings and limitations identified, future studies could expand the scope to include more hotel groups, including 4-star hotels or smaller-scale accommodations. Comparisons between these segments would clarify differences in the implementation of social responsibility and the level of interaction with stakeholders, thereby improving the generalizability of the research results.

Furthermore, further studies could incorporate quantitative methods to test hypotheses related to the extent of stakeholder influence on the implementation of social responsibility. Combining mixed methods will increase the reliability of the results and facilitate a more specific assessment of the relationships between the factors in the proposed model.

Another potential research direction is to deeply analyze the role of internal factors such as corporate culture, leadership style, or the sustainable development strategy of each hotel. These factors can strongly influence how businesses respond to stakeholder pressure and their level of commitment to social responsibility, but have not been fully explored in the current research.

Furthermore, expanding the analysis to a supply chain perspective is also an important direction. Five-star hotels are affected not only by direct stakeholders but also by suppliers, service partners, and distributors. In-depth research into these relationships will help provide a more comprehensive assessment of social responsibility across the entire hotel business.

Finally, future research could consider applying modern data analytics technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, or network modeling to measure and predict changes in stakeholder expectations. This approach not only enhances the accuracy of the analysis but also aligns with the trend of digitalized and sustainable hotel management in the new context.

Based on the findings and limitations identified, future studies could expand the scope to include more hotel groups, including 4-star hotels or smaller-scale accommodations. Comparisons between these segments would clarify differences in the implementation of social responsibility and the level of interaction with stakeholders, thereby improving the generalizability of the research results.

Furthermore, further studies could incorporate quantitative methods to test hypotheses related to the extent of stakeholder influence on the implementation of social responsibility. Combining mixed methods would increase the reliability of the results and facilitate a more specific assessment of the relationships between the factors in the proposed model.

Another potential research direction is to deeply analyze the role of internal factors such as corporate culture, leadership style, or the sustainable development strategy of each hotel. These factors can strongly influence how businesses respond to stakeholder pressure and their level of commitment to social responsibility, but have not been fully explored in the current research.

Furthermore, expanding the analysis to a supply chain perspective is also an important direction. Five-star hotels are affected not only by direct stakeholders but also by suppliers, service partners, and distributors. In-depth research into these relationships will help provide a more comprehensive assessment of social responsibility across the entire hotel business.

Finally, future research could consider applying modern data analytics technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, or network modeling to measure and predict changes in stakeholder expectations. This approach not only enhances the accuracy of the analysis but also aligns with the trend of digitalized and sustainable hotel management in the new context.

13. The published works related to the thesis:

Bui, NQ, Nguyen, TH, & Vu, N. (2025). Implementing responsibility in 5-star hotel business in Hanoi: Stakeholder approach.Economics and Finance Magazine, (11), 199–203.

MASTER'S THESIS INFORMATION

1. Full name of student: Nguyen Trung Hieu

2. Gender: Male

3. Date of birth: August 14, 2001

4. Place of birth: Hanoi

5. Decision on admission: No. 5626/QD-XHNV dated December 29, 2023, issued by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes during the study process: (if any)

7. Title of the thesis: Implementing Corporate Social Responsibility in Five-Star Hotel Business: A Stakeholder Approach

8. Major: Tourism – Code: 8810101.01

9. Academic supervisor:

Dr. Vu Nam, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality, National Economics University. Dr. Bui Nhat Quynh, Faculty of Tourism Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

10. Summary of the Thesis Results

The thesis “Implementing Corporate Social Responsibility in Five-Star Hotel Business: A Stakeholder Approach” focuses on systematizing theoretical issues related to corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the hotel sector, summarizing key studies on CSR in businesses in general and in tourism and hospitality in particular, as well as analyzing the role of stakeholders in CSR implementation. In addition, the thesis clarifies core concepts of CSR, its characteristics and components in hotel operations, and the roles of stakeholders in shaping and executing CSR. Notably, the stakeholder classification model based on the three attributes of power, legitimacy, and urgency proposed by Mitchell (1997), and the model assessing stakeholder cooperation potential and threat level developed by Savage (1991), serves as important theoretical frameworks for the study's analysis and evaluation.

The research adopts a qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews. The interviewee groups include hotel managers, partner businesses, government authorities, hotel employees, professional associations, customers, local communities, and competitors. These groups were selected to comprehensively reflect the roles, expectations, and degrees of influence of stakeholders on the implementation of CSR in five-star hotels. The research was conducted in Hanoi—the capital city, a political, economic, and cultural center of Vietnam, and one of the country's leading tourism destinations with a rapidly developing luxury hotel system. The thesis also outlines the data processing and analysis procedures using NVivo software to ensure scientific rigor, objectivity, and systematic research.

The empirical findings, derived from stakeholder interview analysis, identify the specific attributes of power, legitimacy, and urgency for each group based on Mitchell's (1997) model. The results show that hotel managers, government authorities, and customers are highly salient stakeholders who play central roles in involving CSR implementation in five-star hotels. Meanwhile, groups such as local communities, employees, and professional associations demonstrate more limited influence, primarily through legitimacy or professional reputation. The model assess stakeholders' levels of threat and cooperation helps managers minimize risks from all stakeholder groups.

Furthermore, based on Savage's (1991) classification framework, the study identifies levels of support and pressure from stakeholders and categorizes them into four groups: supportive stakeholders (hotel stakeholders, employees, partner businesses), marginal stakeholders (local communities, professional associations), mixed-blessing (government authorities, customers), and non-supportive stakeholders (competitors). These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the positions, roles, and influences of each stakeholder group in either promoting or constraining CSR implementation.

The thesis discusses the research findings through the lens of the two theoretical models: Mitchell's (1997) stakeholder classification model and Savage's (1991) stakeholder grouping model. By comparing and analyzing these frameworks, the study affirms their relevance in explaining the characteristics, levels of influence, and multidimensional interactions among stakeholders in the process of CSR implementation in five-star hotels in Hanoi.

Based on theoretical and empirical analyses, the thesis proposes several recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of CSR implementation in the hotel sector, including strengthening the engagement of key stakeholders, establishing dialogue and cooperation mechanisms, improving transparency in CSR governance, and emphasizing community engagement and sustainable development. These solutions not only help hotels strengthen their competitive advantage but also contribute to improving their image, reputation, and long-term relationships with customers and local communities.

11. Practical Applicability

The research findings on implementing corporate social responsibility from a stakeholder approach in five-star hotels provide an important scientific foundation for hotel managers to develop CSR strategies that align with practical operational contexts. By identifying the attributes of power, legitimacy, and urgency of each stakeholder group, managers can determine which stakeholders are most critical and develop tailored solutions for each group. This hotels enables to design and adjust CSR programs in a more effective and practical manner that meets actual needs. Such an approach helps optimize resource allocation, avoid superficial or trend-driven CSR activities, and enhance the quality of interactions between the hotel and its primary stakeholder groups.

In addition, the study supports five-star hotels in improving the quality of relationships with stakeholders—especially employees and customers, who exert direct influence on the hotel's reputation, service quality, and competitive capacity. The application of the study's recommended solutions hotels help build a humane and sustainable working environment, thereby increasing employee satisfaction and engagement. At the same time, CSR policies targeting customers contribute to enhancing the guest experience, strengthening brand reputation, and maintaining customer loyalty.

12. Future Research Directions

Based on the results achieved and the limitations identified, future research may expand the scope of investigation to a wider range of hotel groups, including four-star hotels or smaller lodging establishments. A comparative analysis across these segments would help clarify differences in the implementation of corporate social responsibility and the level of stakeholder engagement, thereby enhancing the generalizability of the research findings.

In addition, subsequent studies may incorporate quantitative methods to test hypotheses related to the influence of stakeholders on CSR implementation. The adoption of mixed-methods approaches would increase the reliability of the results while enabling a more detailed assessment of the relationships among factors in the proposed model.

Another promising direction for future research is to conduct an in-depth analysis of internal factors such as corporate culture, leadership style, and each hotel's sustainable development strategy. These factors may significantly influence how businesses perceive stakeholder pressures and the extent of their commitment to CSR, yet they have not been fully explored in the present study.

Furthermore, extending the analysis to a supply chain perspective represents an important research avenue. Five-star hotels are not only influenced by direct stakeholders but also by suppliers, service partners, and distribution units. Investigating these relationships would provide a more comprehensive assessment of CSR across the hotel's entire business operations.

Finally, future research could consider the application of modern data analytics technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, or network modeling to measure and forecast changes in stakeholder expectations. This approach will not only enhance analytical precision but also align with emerging trends in digitalized and sustainable hotel management within the contemporary context.

13. Related Publications to the Thesis:

 Bui, NQ, Nguyen, TH, & Vu, N. (2025). Implementing corporate social responsibility in five-star hotel business in Hanoi: A stakeholder approach.Journal of Economics and Finance, (11), 199–203.