From digital tools to sustainable change: How change agents enable the twin transition in hospitality

This study explores how change agents drive sustainable service change in hospitality networks through engagement in the twin transition—combining digitalization and sustainability. Using a multi-level sensemaking framework (extraorganizational, intraorganizational, intraindividual), we analyze the role of a local hoteliers’ association promoting a business intelligence solution (BIS) to support this transition. Drawing on a case study of 43 hotels in northeastern Italy, supplemented by a simulation study, we examine how twin transition engagement mediates the effects of social capital, category-based sensemaking, and stewardship on sustainable service change. Findings show that structural and cognitive social capital influence sustainability directly, but not twin transition engagement, underscoring the critical role of the change agent. Category-based sensemaking is fully mediated, while stewardship affects sustainability but not digital adoption. The study contributes to hospitality research by linking sensemaking and stewardship to digital–sustainability innovation, and highlights simulation as a useful method to validate findings in data-constrained environments.