A Review of Cognitive Dissonance Theory for the Hospitality and Tourism Industry: Focusing on contributions and limitations

Purpose: This study aims to systematically review cognitive dissonance research in hospitality and tourism, focusing on its impact on customer decision-making, employee emotional labor, tourism behavior, managerial decision-making, and service failure recovery. Design/methodology/approach: A structured literature review of 28 key studies was conducted, classified into five domains. Each study was analyzed for theoretical contributions, empirical findings and limitations. Findings: Cognitive dissonance consistently influences consumer loyalty, employee well-being, service performance, and organizational outcomes. Key mechanisms include goal-framing, cognitive reappraisal, and perceived organizational support. Studies demonstrate that both individual and collective dissonance shape behavioral responses, yet methodological trends reveal heavy reliance on cross-sectional surveys, convenience samples, and hypothetical scenarios, limiting generalizability and causal inference. Research limitations/implications: Existing studies rely heavily on cross-sectional, self-reported, and single-country designs, limiting causal inference and generalizability. Future research should adopt longitudinal, multi-source, and cross-cultural approaches and further examine technology-induced and multi-stakeholder dissonance in hospitality contexts. Originality/value: This study provides a comprehensive literature review of the overall development, contributions and limitations of cognitive dissonance theory studies in the hospitality and tourism field.