A Legacy of Giving: Mapping the Rise of Corporate Social Consciousness in Hospitality

One of the world's biggest economic industries, the hospitality sector is being increasingly appraised for its environmental track record on consumption of resources, generation of waste, labour relations, and impacts on communities (Aden et al., 2024; Singal and Rhou, 2017). Business Social Responsibility (CSR) and wider SR guidelines—encompassing environmental, social, economic, ethical, and philanthropic concerns (Khatter 2025) - have become essential to industry practices and strategic plans. Hospitality education has a significant role in this paradigm by creating future leaders who can lead and drive responsible practices (Zientara et al, 2025). Academic programs are now tasked with creating a strong sense of sustainability and ethical decision-making to meet the dynamic expectations of consumers, employees, and society (Cheung et al., 2024). Research Gap: While there is an increasing volume of literature on CSR in hospitality and, to some extent, its relevance to education, specific disparities are noted. Several published CSR research studies within hospitality have focused on advanced provinces and primarily used quantitative analysis (Wong 2022). There is a recognised need for qualitative research in various geographical regions and studies to examine multiple stakeholders' perspectives within a study (Wong 2022). Additionally, despite the acknowledged significance of social responsibility (SR) in education, there is a necessity for practical research on the long-term effectiveness of different teaching methods in instilling SR values and competencies among students, and their eventual transfer into effective industry practices upon graduation. Empirical research is also needed to counter misaligned CSR measurement and advance the theoretical underpinnings of CSR scholarly research in hospitality (Aden et al., 2024; Wong, 2022). The highlighted theme demands a greater awareness of the relationships between CSR activities and society (Wong 2022). JEL Codes: Keywords: CSR, Hospitality program, Carroll's Pyramid, Sustainability, Universities