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Book part
Publication date: 23 October 2020

Divya Sharma

Educational institutions have long been considered a prerogative of charity with an aim to illuminate the human being with the light of knowledge and a social responsibility for…

Abstract

Educational institutions have long been considered a prerogative of charity with an aim to illuminate the human being with the light of knowledge and a social responsibility for working toward developing a better society. In this era of social responsibility, contribution of educational institutions, beyond transaction, appears to be ignored. This chapter proposes an “Integrated Model for Educational Social Responsibility” and highlights need of giving due recognition to an important section of curriculum in education – The Community Work, named variously as co-curricular activity, extension work, volunteer work, social activity, etc. The chapter has presented a vision for comprehensively uniting the varied social charity efforts that are being put up by various entities in doing the similar kind of work.

The chapter discusses historical perspective on social responsibility, concept of corporate social responsibility and educational social responsibility (ESR), importance of ESR, need for corporate educational social responsibility (CESR), planning and strategizing CESR, process for developing CESR, areas of integration for CESR, approaches for integrating socially responsible curriculum, embedded model for ESR and finally the challenges of integration. The CESR model if envisioned in the right manner can go a long way in not only building a sustainable society but also in developing socially responsible people. There is a need of comprehensive efforts on the same footing where the organizations need to work in parallel rather than opposite to each other.

Details

International Perspectives on Policies, Practices & Pedagogies for Promoting Social Responsibility in Higher Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-854-3

Keywords

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 23 October 2020

Abstract

Details

International Perspectives on Policies, Practices & Pedagogies for Promoting Social Responsibility in Higher Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-854-3

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2020

Majid Al Sarrah, Mian M. Ajmal and Charilaos Mertzanis

The civil aviation sector in Dubai has been contributing to its economic development by enhancing transportation services, allowing for the establishment of trade links, promoting…

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Abstract

Purpose

The civil aviation sector in Dubai has been contributing to its economic development by enhancing transportation services, allowing for the establishment of trade links, promoting tourism and providing job opportunities. Despite being a thriving sector of economic activity (Dubai was the third busiest airport in the world in 2018), a common understanding among the stakeholders on the sector’s long-term sustainability strategy is missing. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the identification of important sustainability indicators in the civil aviation sector in Dubai.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses the stakeholder theory to identify sustainability indicators. It deploys a qualitative research design that collects data through multiple focus groups, and it accounts for the stakeholders’ views toward key sustainability indicators. This research classified stakeholders completely in a separate matrix preventing their integration and therefore the confounding of their views. The study addresses the complexity of sustainability in the sector and identifies key indicators based on comprehensive and valid data from different stakeholders. The study focuses separately on the three pillars of sustainability: social, economic and environmental sustainability and identifies sustainability indicators for each pillar from the views of stakeholders. The study uses thematic analysis to produce results by identifying themes according to the collected data.

Findings

The study finds that there is a lack of sustainability knowledge and awareness in the civil aviation sector in Dubai despite its buoyant growth and expansion. The results show that stakeholders highlight the importance of social sustainability indicators that value equitable development in the pursuit of business goals. They also value economic sustainability indicators that focus on changing consumption patterns and increasing preservation. They finally focus on environmental sustainability indicators that promote eco-efficiency and renewable energy. However, considerable differences exist among stakeholders regarding the importance and priority of their suggested indicators.

Practical implications

The implications of the study are theoretical and practical. In the case of the former, it would contribute toward the reduction of uncertainty in the civil aviation sector in Dubai regarding the policy actions required to improve the sector’s sustainability. It is done by identifying the stakeholders’ views on the key sustainability indicators for each pillar of sustainability. In the case of practical implications, the outcomes of the study highlight specific directions that policy actions should take. Although the results are local, they can have tentative global policy implications. Finally, the results of the study are instrumental in addressing the sustainability debate within the civil aviation sector not only in Dubai but also globally.

Originality/value

The study extends existing research efforts to identify sustainability indicators in the civil aviation sector by considering the three different pillars of sustainability and by accounting for the diverse stakeholders’ views on the identification of key sustainability indicators. The study should be extended to account for the role of technological readiness in the region of other innovative approaches in the current civil aviation sectors.

Details

Social Responsibility Journal, vol. 17 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-1117

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 November 2018

Issam Kouatli

The university social responsibility (USR) is still in embryonic stage compared to corporate social responsibility (CSR) which is still debatable by researchers. The purpose of…

2091

Abstract

Purpose

The university social responsibility (USR) is still in embryonic stage compared to corporate social responsibility (CSR) which is still debatable by researchers. The purpose of this paper is to propose the contemporary dimension (on top of teaching and research dimensions) of USR in most educational institutes. Based on this new definition, a proposal of a mechanism to quantify USR sustainability was presented.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a review of the theme of the CSR with the inter-related recent research on USR with researchers perspectives, characteristics of USR were identified and incorporated in the proposed newly definition of USR. The new definition takes into account the interrelationship of university–corporate communication and create shared value (CSV) principle, as well as the knowledgeability and sustainability.

Findings

Based on the review of most active research in the USR development and the concluded contemporary definition of USR, this paper proposes a new extended version of sustainability suitable for educational institutes, where it is composed of different zones, and each zone was defined in terms of value of sustainability with associated knowledgeability in each zone. The Green Cloud project was taken as a vehicle to demonstrate collaboration between a university and cloud service provider located in Middle East (Dubai). Sustainability quantification was provided with hypothetical numbers to illustrate the technique.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is focused on University-specific social responsibility rather than general CSR. The proposed contemporary definition of the USR is a hybrid of a mutated latest research on CSR as well as cascaded recent development on USR. The view of this new definition can have different arguments depending on the ideology (communitarianism as opposed to individualism) adopted by specific university admiration of the objective of social responsibility which is sometimes driven by the political and strategic views of countries and the regions. However, the proposed sustainability zone-split between the CSV type of projects and the reputation values (described via hypothetical example) can minimize the gap between the two ideologies.

Originality/value

This paper attempts to provide a universally acceptable definition of the USR based on different points of views of researchers and tries to accommodate both ideologies toward social responsibility into one coherent framework. The sustainability Venn diagram was extended and made suitable for educational institutes. This approach facilitates the mechanism of quantifying the value of sustainability of a university or educational institutes. Hypothetical “Green Cloud” project was used as a mechanism to show the quantification process.

Details

Social Responsibility Journal, vol. 15 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-1117

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 October 2022

Annibal Scavarda, Gláucya Daú, Luiz Felipe Scavarda, Prem Chhetri and Patrick Jaska

Many studies have developed the corporate sustainability topic. The United Nations has implemented the 2030 Agenda and has brought “quality education” and “industry, innovation…

Abstract

Purpose

Many studies have developed the corporate sustainability topic. The United Nations has implemented the 2030 Agenda and has brought “quality education” and “industry, innovation, and infrastructure” as two of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The educational processes in higher education can be focused on adding brand value and social value, and they can be promoting the social inclusion. In this sense, the purpose of this study is to answer some questions related to the corporate sustainability practices under the 2030 Agenda lenses in the Latin American higher educational scenario. After the literature review analysis, a conceptual framework was developed.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory research study proposes an educational conceptual framework, improving the corporate sustainability under the 2030 Agenda lenses. A literature review was developed, involving the seven variables: “Latin America,” “higher education,” corporate social responsibility,” “personal social responsibility,” “corporate sustainability,” “governance” and “sustainability.” A matrix was developed with 25 variable combinations, connecting the seven variables. Three questions have been proposed and answered: “How much research has been developed in the Latin American higher education?” “How can the corporate social sustainability be applied in higher education?” and “Which perspectives can be considered?”

Findings

The results of the literature review are presented through the number of papers found with the analysis of the year of publication and the conceptual background. A total of 524 papers were found. Of these studies, 49 addressed the Latin American panorama, 33 had a general approach and 16 promoted interactions between Latin American and European countries, as well as between regions and continents. Six topics emerged from the literature analysis: digital inclusion, internationalization, innovation, research, servitization and social inclusion. These topics are connected in the “discussion” section, and the educational conceptual framework shows the corporative perspectives on sustainability in higher education.

Originality/value

This research study presents “A conceptual framework for the corporate sustainability higher education in Latin America” and it brings some discussion topics: digital inclusion, internationalization, innovation, research, servitization and social inclusion. These topics were identified through the literature analysis, and they were applied in the conceptual framework to improve the quality of education. The implications of this study are connected with the conceptual framework to promote the discussion topics. The implications involved the public and private governance spheres, third sector, as well as the professors, students and other stakeholders of higher educational institutions. These implications can represent an agent of positive change in the Latin American scenario.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 24 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 September 2020

Ihuoma Ikemba-Efughi and Razaq Raj

This study aims to examine managerial behaviour and corporate social responsibilities of private education providers at the primary education level with a view to establishing the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine managerial behaviour and corporate social responsibilities of private education providers at the primary education level with a view to establishing the fact that it is indeed the obligatory adoption of ethical policies and socially responsible behaviour that accounts for the positive impact some private education operators have made in the educational sector. The study also examines the areas where the private education providers have not been accountable in their business models, decision-making and operations and thus suggests ways that the private education providers can collaborate with other stakeholders to bring about transformation and better educational outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

The positive image of the corporate, social and environmental performance of any organisation to a very large extent is critical to the success of the organization. To underscore the need for managers to be more responsive to the effect their business policies and operations have on the society, this study examined the managerial behaviour and corporate social responsibility (CSR) of private education providers in Nigeria, especially at the primary level – the foundation of the educational system all over the world. The study adopted a mixed method for data collection, involving a survey and focus group discussion. Simple random sampling and purposive sampling were used, respectively, to select the final sample size of respondents made up of stakeholders of private schools – parents, teachers, school proprietors and officials of the Ministry of Education. The multiple regression procedure on Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 20 was used to analyse data from the survey, whereas ethnographic content analysis was used to analyse data from focus group discussion. While it is evident that most parents and guardian in the global community are choosing the private schools over the public schools because of their perceived accountability or social responsibility that ensures academic success, findings from the study of private schools, especially in the developing countries show that some private education providers fall short in responsible managerial behaviour and corporate responsibility. Socially responsible managerial behaviour has been found to be a deliberate choice which business-savvy managers make and use to gain competitive advantage and secure their businesses.

Findings

Based on the hypothesis testing, the calculated value of the independent variable on the dependent variable is significant because the probability is less than 0.05 (p < 0.05). The variables under consideration – the obligation to deliver quality education (independent variable) correlated significantly with the dependent variable, the establishment of private schools. Thus, the finding shows that the obligation to deliver quality education and services led to the establishment of private schools. Also, results from the focus group discussion show that the motivation for establishing a school for some private school operators is basically borne out of the need to make a positive impact on society by bringing about positive changes in the educational system.

Research limitations/implications

A major limitation of the study is the dearth of literature in this area of study – corporate social responsibility in private school. There is a dearth of research in this area because of the perception that private schools or educational entrepreneurs are exploitative (Mars and Ginter, 2012; Paul, 2012). Hence, the study adopted an exploratory approach.

Practical implications

The practical implication of the study borders on the need for private school managers and operators to collaborate with stakeholder groups – parents, teachers, the government and its regulatory body – the Ministry of Education for better educational outcomes.

Social implications

The social implication of the study is the need for managers and operators of private schools to deliver cost-effective education so that it can be fairly accessible to a higher percentage of the populace of pupils rather than just a privileged few. This will go a long a to reducing the social inequality among pupils, as a greater population of pupils in Nigeria and many other developing countries are in dilapidated public schools where little or no teaching and learning activities take place.

Originality/value

This study makes an original contribution to the literature on managerial behaviour and CSR as a strategy for making a positive impact on the stakeholders of an organization/institution as the case may be, increasing business performance and having a competitive advantage. Managerial behaviour and CSR in educational institutions, especially private educational institutions is an area that is scarcely studied and thus, there is a dearth of literature in this area (Mars and Ginter, 2012; Paul, 2012). The present study focuses on managerial behaviour of private primary education providers and operators and this because all over the world, the primary education is the basic and the most vulnerable of all the levels in the educational system.

Details

Journal of Global Responsibility, vol. 11 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2041-2568

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 November 2020

Caroline C. Hartmann and Jimmy Carmenate

Board diversity positively impacts corporate social responsibility (CSR); however, there is limited evidence on how board diversity affects the reputation of organizations that…

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Abstract

Purpose

Board diversity positively impacts corporate social responsibility (CSR); however, there is limited evidence on how board diversity affects the reputation of organizations that are involved in CSR. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect board diversity has on socially responsible firms’ corporate social responsibility reputation (CSRR). The authors specifically examine this relationship because an organization’s corporate reputation may be very different to its CSRR gained through engagement in socially responsible activities.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use the CSR reputation scores for the top 100 most socially responsible global companies provided by the RepTrak Database as a measure of CSRR. Board diversity measures are calculated for gender, ethnicity and education to measure their impact on social reputation. The sample for this study consists of 146 observations for the period 2013–2017.

Findings

The authors find a significant and positive relation between having a combination of women and ethnically diverse members on the board and firms’ CSRR. The authors also find a significant positive effect on CSRR when the board is composed of women and educationally diverse members.

Research limitations/implications

Board diversity characteristics continue to impact organizations’ decision-making processes and their involvement in CSR activities as public stakeholders demand greater representation of females and minorities on the board. Because research on board diversity is in its infancy, the authors urge scholars to continue to investigate the impact board diversity has on an organization’s motivation to be socially responsible as well as how it affects their CSRR.

Practical implications

The findings of this study highlight the importance stakeholders place on an organization’s social responsibility reputation and the positive effects of board diversity in managing their CSRR.

Social implications

The findings provide evidence that the composition of the board can influence a company’s engagement in CSR activities and their CSRR as perceived by its stakeholders.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the CSR literature by introducing the concept of CSRR. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study also extends research in the diversity literature by examining the relationship between board diversity variables and an organization’s CSRR. The findings highlight the importance of having a diverse board composed of ethnically and educationally varied individuals and provide evidence of a link between organizations’ involvement in socially responsible activities and their CSRR.

Details

Social Responsibility Journal, vol. 17 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-1117

Keywords

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 14 January 2019

Morgan R. Clevenger and Cynthia J. MacGregor

Abstract

Details

Business and Corporation Engagement with Higher Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78754-656-1

Book part
Publication date: 17 September 2014

Lina Gomez

To review and understand the importance of a well-known movement among universities in Hispanic America called “university social responsibility” (USR). USR places responsible and…

Abstract

Purpose

To review and understand the importance of a well-known movement among universities in Hispanic America called “university social responsibility” (USR). USR places responsible and sustainable practices in the bottom line of everyday university management processes (e.g., campus operations, teaching, research, and community outreach).

Methodology/approach

Through a selection of relevant literature in USR, the concept, origins, importance, and implementation of USR practices are discussed in three sections (corporate social responsibility, the importance of USR, and planning, developing, and evaluating USR).

Findings

Results indicate the relevance of the practice of USR in Hispanic America because it points out specific impacts and core areas that other definitions (e.g., CSR) have not considered. Practical cases from different Hispanic universities are shown as examples of the practice of USR.

Research limitations

This chapter does not present a complete list of all authors that have studied USR. However, it fulfills to introduce, review, and grasp the practice of USR.

Practical implications

It serves as a guide to all members of the university community (e.g., administrators, professors, students, researchers, and local communities) to understand the role of universities in achieving sustainable development.

Originality/value of chapter

USR is an emergent approach that promotes responsible everyday management. This chapter is a starting point for new reflections, theories, and discussions regarding USR around the world. It also engages in further studies regarding USR in other developing regions like Africa, Asia, or Eastern Europe.

Details

Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability: Emerging Trends in Developing Economies
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78441-152-7

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 November 2020

Habib Jouber

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of board diversity on corporate social responsibility (CSR). The aim is twofold; does board diversity has any effect on CSR…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of board diversity on corporate social responsibility (CSR). The aim is twofold; does board diversity has any effect on CSR, do structural and demographic differences between one-tier and two-tier board models may impact this effect?

Design/methodology/approach

This paper applies a panel generalized method of moments estimator to a sample of 2,544 non-financial listed firms from 42 countries over the period of 2013–2017.

Findings

The findings reveal that board diversity leads to effective CSR. By distinguishing between diversity among boards from diversity within boards, the results display the effects of the specific variables that make up the manner and latter’s constructs within unitary and two-tier board structures. Specifically, this paper reveals that tenure, ideology and educational level (gender and nationality) predominantly appear to drive a firm’s CSR within one (two)-tier boards settings. These results remain consistent when robustness tests are ruled.

Practical implications

The study provides managers, investors and policymakers with knowledge about how among and within board diversity attributes favor the decision-making process around CSR. The evidence is useful for companies in setting the criteria to identify directors who can support their strategic decisions. It benefits, moreover, academics in better understanding firms’ CSR determinants and practices under different corporate board models.

Social implications

Examining how different sets of board diversity affect firms’ CSR given divergences between one-tier and two-tier board structure is a useful and informative endeavor for all community actors.

Originality/value

Unlike prior studies that identify the limited scope of diversity, the study is the first to examine the effect of broader dimensions of board diversity on CSR under both one-tier and two-tier board settings. This paper provides a contribution to a greater understanding of the impacts underlying board models and different attributes of board diversity on CSR. This new understanding will help to improve predictions of different features of board diversity impacts on decision-making processes around organizational outcomes.

Details

Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, vol. 21 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-0701

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 24000