Can storytelling increase organisations' engagement with their stakeholders? This study used a scenario-based laboratory experiment to test 3 storytelling approaches to increase pro-environmental behaviour in hotels. The results can be applied to other fields.

1. Great stories can
change the world.
An experimental design to enhance
pro-environmental behaviours through storytelling

2. Climate change
It’s a real issue.
For the first time, the top 5 global risk in terms of likelihood
are all environment-related. Due to non-strategic human
activities, carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere
has reached a record high. To tackle these shared risks,
organisations worldwide must engage in responsible
environmental practices.
Top 5 global risks in terms of likelihood 2020
by the World Economic Forum
! " # $
Extreme
weather
%
Climate
action
failure
&
Natural
disasters
'
Bio-diversity
loss
(
Human-made
environmental
disasters
)
*

3. Environmental sustainability
More than just buzz words.
Hotels contribute
towards global warming
while developing
their businesses
Hotel guests are becoming more concerned
about the environment and hotels aim to be
more sustainable in their operations through
environmental sustainability initiatives.

4. Hotel environmental sustainability initiatives
Towel reuse programme. One of the most popular
environmental sustainability initiatives in hotels.
Reusing towels allow hotels to save electricity and water.

5. Hotel environmental sustainability initiatives
Reducing food waste. Displaying signs to take smaller
portions of food at a time and reducing plate sizes are
methods hotel uses to reduce food wastage.

6. Hotel environmental sustainability initiatives
Energy conservation. Switching to automated lighting
and leveraging natural lighting allow hotels to reduce
electricity consumption.

7. Building trust and
brand loyalty
can be costly.
Once hotel guests are not convinced by the
environmental sustainability initiatives,
their perceived trust towards the initiatives
and hotel reduces.

8. It gets
complicated.
Males are less likely to display pro-environmental
behaviours than females. Hotels are expected to
face difficulties in their green engagement strategies.

9. Engagement strategy
Great stories can change the world.
Stories can move and inspire us.
They can surprise us and challenge
our assumptions.
Storytelling as an engagement strategy has been practiced
in industries such as food & beverages and fashion retail to
encourage certain behaviours. However, there is a lack of
research on using storytelling as an engagement strategy to
encourage environmental sustainability behaviours in the
hotel guest context.

10. Research objectives
New green engagement strategies to encourage guests’ participation in hotel
environmental sustainability initiatives
Effectiveness of various storytelling approaches to persuade towel reuse when
compared to no storytelling approaches
Compare which storytelling approaches has greater persuasive effect on
towel reuse behavour
Develop a framework to assist hotels in encouraging guest participation in
environmental sustainability initiatives

11. Research questions
What effect does each storytelling approach have on hotels’ environmental
sustainability initiatives?
How significant are the effects on hotel guests when compared to each other?
Any differences in the storytelling effects on gender towards hotel environmental
sustainability initiatives?
"
#
$

12. Types of storytelling
Not all stories have a happily every after.
The Hero
Storytelling
The Horror
Storytelling
The Learning
Storytelling

13. Storytelling approaches criteria checklist
Hero
! Introduction and anticipation
(a triggering event)
! Introduction of the hero
! Conflict and change occured
! A climax
! Contribution to resolve
the conflict
! Goal attainment
Horror
! Apocalyptic versions
(pessimistic)
! Fearful narratives of doom,
death,judgement,and hell
! Do not contain inspring or
educational elements
! Construction of evil and its
relationship with the real
world
Learning
! To impact life lessons and
document edicational
development
! Specific context
! Real situation or problem
! Real people (protagonists
are usually ordinary people
who need to respond to
a challenge)

14. Storytelling for towel reuse
As towel reuse programme is widely used by hotels
globally, the research results and recommendations can
be implemented immediately. In fact, the results are
replicable to bed linen programme too.

15. PICK YOUR
CHARACTER
Research Methodology
Creativity and imagination at play.
At a time when hotels are not operating, reaching out to
leisure and business travellers had to be different - and a
little creative. A scenario-based laboratory experiment allow
travellers to imagine they are on a trip.
IMAGINE
YOU’RE ON A
VACATION OR
BUSINESS TRIP

16. Storyline. The storyline adapts accordingly
to the choices made by each participants.

17. The Hero
Storytelling
The Horror
Storytelling
The Learning
Storytelling

18. Participants are randomly assigned to a room with a
particular storytelling approach or a room without
any prompts to reuse their towels.
Their intention to reuse towels are recorded.

19. participants took part
in the experiment
over one month

20. Industry adoption
The story unfolds.
Storytelling effects
The hero,horror,and learning storytelling approaches were
compared against each other and against participants who
did not receive any storytelling approaches.
Significant increase in
towel reuse intention
when stoytelling is used.

21. Towel reuse intention
Towel reuse intention reduces when no storytelling approaches were present.
The horror storytelling approach has a lower reuse intention average compared
to the other two approaches.
Hero storytelling
4.7 on a 6-point average scale
Storytelling is an
effective
engagement
strategy for hotels
to encourage
pro-environmental
behaviours.
Horror storytelling
4.4 on a 6-point average scale
Learning storytelling
4.8 on a 6-point average scale
No storytelling
3.2 on a 6-point average scale

22. Gender differences
Studies have shown that males are less likely to respond to
environmental appeals compared to females.Hotels are
expected to face difficulties in their green engagement
strategies towards males.
Reuse intention
with storytelling approaches
4.6 on a 6-point average scale
Reused towels in the past
without storytelling approaches
3.6 on a 6-point average scale
Compared to past behaviour
There is a significant increase in males’ towel reuse intention upon
reading the storytelling approaches compared to their past
experiences in hotels without storytelling approaches.
Storytelling influence on males
Hotels with male guests as their main demographics are highly
encouraged to adopt the storytelling approaches.

23. Adaptability
The three storytelling approaches were developed based
on a generic type of hotel with adults in mind.
Create multiple versions of the
storytelling approaches
Hotels can encourage
pro-environmental
behaviours according to
the type of guests in
each room and the type
of hotel such as
nature-themed or
city-themed.

24. Get creative
For family-oriented
hotels, using popular
fictional characters as
part of the storytelling
approach may connect
with children more than
the approaches used in
this study.

25. Framework
Empirical evidence suggests that storytelling is an effective
approach to encourage hotel guests’ participation in
environmental sustainability initiatives.The storytelling
approaches may be replicated to other hotel initiatives.

26. Future study
The next chapter.
Field experiment
Continue this research study
with a field experiment at a hotel to
generalise the results.

27. Future study
The next chapter.
Categories
Test storytelling approaches on
different hotel categories to
explore potential differences in
pro-environmental behaviours.

28. Future study
The next chapter.
Variations
Explore variations per
storytelling approaches and
extend scope to design and
colour interventions.

29. Future study
The next chapter.
Extensions
Replicate and test
storytelling approaches for other
environmental sustainability
initiatives.

30. Great stories can
change the world.
An experimental design to enhance
pro-environmental behaviours through storytelling