From service to virtue: how organizations harness hospitality for transformative social change

Purpose While hospitality has been conceptualized as a human virtue; less is understood regarding how this virtue can be practiced at the organizational level. This paper aims to address this gap by proposing that organizations – from corporations and nonprofits to governmental institutions – can leverage hospitality as a virtue to drive systemic social transformation. We explore hospitality’s transformative potential through its ethical foundations and its evolution beyond traditional industry boundaries. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses the E3 framework of hospitality virtue, comprising empathy, execution and embrace, to illustrate how five organizations – Project Hope, World Central Kitchen, Khan Academy, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Mejdi Tours–use hospitality virtue (to varying degrees) to drive social impact/change. Distinguishing between the structural and transformative changes, the impacts are framed within the context of the United Nations sustainable development goals. Findings A broader understanding of organization-level hospitality virtue can reshape both organizations and societies. By embedding hospitality into their values and practices, organizations can play a crucial role in addressing global challenges and promoting sustainable development. This paper redefines hospitality’s academic role as an industry context with an emphasis on its capacity to drive transformative change in contemporary society. It concludes with a research agenda to solidify hospitality’s legitimacy and broaden its societal impact. Originality/value Existing research has mainly focused on hospitality as an industry or context, neglecting its potential as a driver of transformative change. This study fills that gap by proposing that organizations across sectors can integrate hospitality as a core virtue to achieve systemic social impact. It also provides a practical framework to help organizations operationalize this virtue and foster societal value.