Enhancing Halal Compliance: The Critical Role of Certification Awareness in Strengthening Managerial Commitment in Hotel Kitchens

Abstract

The increasing demand for Shariah-compliant hospitality services has heightened the importance of halal certification in hotel kitchens as a key determinant of operational integrity and customer trust. Despite its recognized benefits, many hotels continue to face challenges in maintaining halal compliance due to limited managerial awareness, regulatory complexities, and inconsistent commitment among hotel operators. This study aims to explore the role of certification awareness in strengthening managerial commitment toward enhancing halal compliance within hotel kitchens. Adopting a narrative review methodology, the study synthesizes existing research retrieved from the Scopus database using a structured search strategy that includes relevant keywords related to halal compliance, hospitality, and certification practices. An integrative thematic analysis was conducted to identify dominant themes, theoretical perspectives, and conceptual linkages across studies. The findings reveal that certification awareness serves as a mediating factor that reinforces managerial commitment, leading to stronger ethical compliance, improved operational performance, and enhanced consumer confidence. Theoretically, the study extends institutional theory by illustrating how normative and cognitive mechanisms, such as awareness and education, translate external regulatory pressures into internalized compliance behavior. Practically, it emphasizes the need for targeted training, policy support, and stakeholder collaboration to improve halal certification literacy among hotel managers. The study concludes that greater certification awareness not only strengthens managerial accountability but also ensures the sustainability of halal compliance in hospitality operations. Future research should empirically test the proposed framework across diverse hotel contexts to validate the mediating role of certification awareness in promoting halal excellence.