CSR at HEIs: Between Ignorance, Awareness and Knowledge

• Authors: Julita E. Wasilczuk , Magdalena Popowska

Title variants

PL

CSR na uczelniach: między ignorancją, świadomością a wiedzą

Abstracts

PL

Cel: niniejszy artykuł koncentruje się na edukacji w zakresie CSRS (Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability) w szkołach wyższych. Analizuje obecne podejścia do tej edukacji oraz ulepszenia już wdrożone w perspektywie międzynarodowej. Głównym celem jest konceptualizacja form edukacji CSRS w kontekście uczelni zorientowanych na technologię i zaproponowanie modelu tej edukacji. Model ten został również częściowo zweryfikowany na przykładach czterech uczelni technicznych. Projekt/metody badawcze/podejście: w badaniu wykorzystano jakościowe i ilościowe metody badawcze. Przegląd literatury służy do śledzenia metod zaangażowania uczelni w edukację i działania w zakresie CSRS. Na podstawie tego przeglądu zaproponowano model kształcenia CSRS w uczelniach. Następnie sprawdzono, w jakim stopniu elementy modelu są wykorzystywane w czterech uczelniach technicznych z: Łotwy, Litwy, Ukrainy i Polski. W tym celu przeanalizowano programy edukacyjne na uczelniach. Skonfrontowano również działalność tych uczelni z wiedzą studentów na temat CSRS. Do opracowania tego aspektu przyczyniły się wyniki ankiety przeprowadzonej wśród 3424 studentów z badanych uniwersytetów. Wyniki: wyniki potwierdzają, że studenci nie znają CSRS, przy czym dotyczy to również tych, którzy studiują na kierunkach biznesowych. Co zaskakujące, nawet ci studenci, którzy są właścicielami firm, nie wykazują wysokiego poziomu wiedzy na temat CSRS. Uniwersytety natomiast nie dają możliwości wyeliminowania tej niewiedzy. Tymczasem autorki są zdania, że szkoły wyższe mogą to zrobić nie tylko poprzez edukację dedykowaną w zakresie CSRS, lecz także poprzez włączenie CSRS do innych kursów i dawanie dobrego przykładu. Ograniczenia/implikacje badawcze: z uwagi na bariery językowe przedstawiony model został tylko częściowo zweryfikowany na wybranych uczelniach, przeanalizowano bowiem jedynie programy w języku angielskim. Badania przeprowadzono w uczelniach technicznych, co także może wpływać na ostateczny ich wynik. Uzyskane wyniki dotyczą studentów i uczelni z Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej, co wymagałoby pogłębienia o badania studentów i uczelni z zachodniej części Europy. Oryginalność/wartość: mając na uwadze aktualny poziom realizacji kształcenia w obszarze CSR oraz wyniki przeprowadzonych badań, zaproponowano model kształcenia obejmujący trzy filary: dobry przykład uczelni (uczelnia odpowiedzialna społecznie), kształcenie odpowiedzialnych menedżerów (RME) oraz podnoszenie świadomości wśród studentów kierunków niebiznesowych (ASR). Jednocześnie wykazano dużą lukę między potrzebami edukacyjnymi w obszarze CSRS a ofertą przebadanych uczelni.

EN

Purpose: This paper focuses on CSR education in the Higher Education Institutions. It analyzes current approaches to this education and the enhancements already deployed in the international perspective. The main aim is to conceptualize on CSRS education forms within the context of technology-oriented HEIs and propose the model for this education. This model has also been partially verified using the cases of four technical universities. Design/methodology/approach: This research uses qualitative and quantitative research methods. The iterature review is applied to trace HEIs’ educational and organizational CSR commitment methods. Based on this review, we proposed a model of CSRS education in HEIs. Using this model, we checked to what extent its elements are used in four technical universities from: Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Poland.For this purpose, educational programs at universities were analyzed. We also confronted the activity of these universities with the students’ knowledge about CSRS. The results of the survey conducted among 3,424 students from these universities contributed to elaborating on this aspect. Findings: The results confirm that students are ignorant of CSR, even those studying at business faculties. What is surprising, even those students who are business owners do not demonstrate a high level of knowledge about CSR. Universities, on the other hand, do not offer the possibility of eliminating this ignorance. Meanwhile, we believe they can do so not only through the standing-alone CSRS education but also by including CSR in other courses and by giving a good example. Research limitations/implications: Due to language barriers, the submitted model was only partially verified at selected universities. We are also aware that the described situation may be one-sided as the four cases presented in this study are homogeneous, as they represent technical universities, so only one profile among a variety of universities’ profiles (technical versus humanities versus economic). Moreover, the conducted research covered students and universities from Central and Eastern Europe, which might also have an impact on the obtained results. Originality/value: Bearing in mind the current level of implementation of education in the area of CSR and the results of the research carried out, we propose a model of education that includes three pillars: a good example of a university (socially responsible university), responsible managers education (RME) and raising awareness among students of non-business faculties (ASR). At the same time, we indicated a large gap between the educational needs in the area of CSRS and the offer of four technical universities.

Keywords

EN

CSR; responsible education; CSR awareness; responsible university

PL

CSR; odpowiedzialna edukacja; świadomość CSR; odpowiedzialna uczelnia

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Warszawski. Wydawnictwo Naukowe Wydziału Zarządzania
• Journal: Problemy Zarządzania
• Year: 2022
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 1/2022 (95)
• Pages: 87-105

Dates

published

2022

Contributors

author

Julita E. Wasilczuk

• Faculty of Management and Economics, Gdańsk University of Technology, Poland

• https://orcid.org/0000000293730293

author

Magdalena Popowska

• Faculty of Management and Economics, Gdańsk University of Technology, Poland

• https://orcid.org/0000000222357196

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Identifiers

DOI

10.7172/1644-9584.95.4

Biblioteka Nauki

2098414