Triple Bottom Line: Exploratory Data Analysis of Lodging Real Estate Investment Trusts

Abstract

Popular frameworks for firm efficiency were developed 40+ years ago by educated, Western businessmen. The world is different now and needs to be analyzed through modern lenses to address complex and evolving business challenges. Students learn how firms can become profitable, however, modern curriculum still does not address why. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) created space to better People, Planet, and Profit in topline decision-making, however CSR has become an echo chamber. This research aims to provide a purpose for profit by asking what popular focuses are in an industry, how they differ among firms, and how this research might be used for the benefit of all stakeholders. Firms can use this analysis for decision-making to innovate allocation of resources, educational deployment, and investment in infrastructure to better serve the purpose of profit; external stakeholders can use this analysis to explore industry-wide policy gaps and create tailored solutions for societal needs.