How Socially Responsible Are Business Students – Evidence from Slovenia?

Abstract

This paper reports about research examining social responsibility of business students through students’ perception about corporate social responsibility (CSR). Study exposes the behavior and CSR theories and analyzes answers from 183 business students from Slovenia. Authors established a model, to examine students’ perception about the impact of the economic CSR - considered through the “primary concern for economic results” and “devoting resources for CSR”, to the “natural CSR” and “social CSR”. Among student the interest for the natural CSR prevailed, while the economic aspect of CSR is the least appreciated. In the considered sample, associations between CSR aspects reveal significant and negative association between the concern for economic results and the natural and social CSR. In addition, positive and significant impact of devoting resources for CSR to the natural and social CSR exists between students. Devoting resources contributes more to the concern for social than for the natural CSR. The economic CSR explains significantly more variance in the social than in the natural CSR. Findings could help improving students’ CSR behavior as future employees, but also development of education about CSR in the higher education organizations and society.