Defining and Advancing Pro-Environmental Behavior in Hospitality: A Systematic Review of the Hospitality Literature

Despite the growing body of literature on pro-environmental behavior (PEB) across various domains, a systematic review that synthesizes the application of theoretical frameworks to examine the internal and external factors influencing PEB within the hospitality domain remains noticeably absent. Therefore, this study aims to examine the progress of the current literature in exploring the concept of PEB by answering three primary questions: (1) How has PEB been defined in the hospitality literature? (2) What theories have various authors adopted? (3) What future research recommendations have been identified in the literature? A total of 104 peer-reviewed articles were analyzed using thematic analysis. The analysis indicated that the view of employee-focused studies on the definition of PEB has changed to be conceptualized through the lens of workplace–environmental citizenship, while the current guest-focused studies have acknowledged the psychological effect of hotel guests on their engagement in environmental practices. Traditional theories, such as the theory of planned behavior and socially oriented theories, remain dominant, and most studies recommend future research to integrate constructional and psychological factors to expand current research models. Overall, this review can serve as a useful tool for future studies to identify the right definition and theoretical lens. Additionally, the review calls for the use of diverse frameworks to deepen our understanding of how PEB unfolds within hospitality settings.