Universities and CSR Teaching: New Challenges and Trends

This paper aims to analyse how universities are currently improving CSR teaching, pointing out some new challenges and trends emerging from a context in which CSR issues have become increasingly important. The research provides a longitudinal study of the literature for a period of 20 years. After screening the retrieved documents, we based our analysis on 31 main scientific documents. Our findings highlight how universities are improving CSR teaching by utilising the development of new curricula and new teaching methods, such as case methods, service learning, problem-based learning, and action and experiential learning. The paper is novel because it explores how the request for human resources with CSR skills forced universities to widen their teaching programs. Our findings suggest valuable and useful insights for the academic and professional community

A holistic overview on the implementation of socially responsible practices in Higher Education Institutions

This paper aims to present a holistic overview of the integration of multiple socially responsible practices in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). In fact, this topic has nowadays become crucial for universities and other higher education and scientific research institutions to guarantee the satisfaction of the multiple internal and external stakeholders (students, professors, administrative staff, external partners…) and to insure an optimal quality performance of those institutions. For this purpose, we first presented to the university in its changing context; our aim was to show up and to identify the main steps and milestones that characterized the higher education sector. Then, we tackled some several aspects of the University Social Responsibility concept (USR), starting from its roots and relationship with the CSR concept (Corporate Social responsibility), arriving to its diverse definitions. After, we discussed the importance of the university governance system and the stakeholders within the integration of socially responsible practices in HEIs. Moreover, we chose PRME “Principles of Responsible Management Education”, which is a UN (United Nations) initiative, as an example of integrating socially responsible practices in business schools and an inspiration for HEIs in all specialties to proceed in the same way. Finally, we suggested a theoretical model based on the analysis of the different discussed points in this paper. The theoretical model resulting from the analysis made in this article can serve as a basis for future empirical research, with the aim of identifying the main dimensions that act and strongly impact on the integration of socially responsible practices within higher education institutions, in particular through the implementation of a USR approach.This paper aims to present a holistic overview of the integration of multiple socially responsible practices in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). In fact, this topic has nowadays become crucial for universities and other higher education and scientific research institutions to guarantee the satisfaction of the multiple internal and external stakeholders (students, professors, administrative staff, external partners…) and to insure an optimal quality performance of those institutions. For this purpose, we first presented to the university in its changing context; our aim was to show up and to identify the main steps and milestones that characterized the higher education sector. Then, we tackled some several aspects of the University Social Responsibility concept (USR), starting from its roots and relationship with the CSR concept (Corporate Social responsibility), arriving to its diverse definitions. After, we discussed the importance of the university governance system and the stakeholders within the integration of socially responsible practices in HEIs. Moreover, we chose PRME “Principles of Responsible Management Education”, which is a UN (United Nations) initiative, as an example of integrating socially responsible practices in business schools and an inspiration for HEIs in all specialties to proceed in the same way. Finally, we suggested a theoretical model based on the analysis of the different discussed points in this paper. The theoretical model resulting from the analysis made in this article can serve as a basis for future empirical research, with the aim of identifying the main dimensions that act and strongly impact on the integration of socially responsible practices within higher education institutions, in particular through the implementation of a USR approach

Methodology development for measuring virtual university social responsibility (VUSR)

This thesis addresses the most challenging issues in online education and its social responsibility. A world’s first ontology on virtual university social responsibility (VUSR) along with an ontological-driven approach for measuring the corporate social responsibility (CSR) for virtual universities (VUs) in five dimensions, namely education, research, engagement, ethics and transparency is developed. The impact on social, economic and ethical standards is ascertained by rigorously defining measurement indicators and performance assessment attributes to help assess CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility, Stakeholder Engagement, and Universities

The present book contributes to the public administration literature by providing new insights into corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability initiatives, and stakeholder engagement in the higher education context. The fourteen papers published in this Special Issue discuss the role of public universities in promoting sustainability actions, university missions, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) embedded in the 2030 UN Agenda. In each contribution, avenues for research are suggested and, most importantly, stronger analytical connections are advocated between these inter-related research areas. In more detail, two papers focus their attention on university transparency and the processes’ complexity in public institutions. Furthermore, two papers focus on CSR teaching and education, three papers analyze universities’ social responsibility initiatives, and five papers focus on the SDGs. Lastly, taking into account how social networks have changed university communication and become powerful tools for building relationships with stakeholders, two papers of the Special Issue consider social media’s role in university communications