"More Than a University": The Impact of CSR Initiatives on Business Students' Perceptions as Future Managers

Antoniadou, M ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4025-035X (2019) "More Than a University": The Impact of CSR Initiatives on Business Students' Perceptions as Future Managers. In: Cases on Corporate Social Responsibility and Contemporary Issues in Organisations. IGI Global, pp. 110-130. ISBN 9781522577157

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Abstract

Given that research into attitudes to responsible management in education is still in its infancy, this chapter explored business students' experiences in relation to award-winning corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of their university and mandatory curriculum on responsible management, based on the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME). Drawing on a qualitative study, focus groups were conducted with 107 students who were asked about their awareness, perceptions, and impact of the ethical, environmental, and social practices that their university implements. The findings suggested strong awareness and pride of its ethical standards, while many students' choice of university was influenced by their institution's sustainability practices. However, while students enjoy an immersive experience in CSR and ethics education, some doubted that this prepares them to face ethical quandaries in the real world. The chapter highlights a number of important orientations for the future development of university curriculum in relation to CSR.