Importance of Stakeholders within University Social Responsibility

Abstract

Abstract Research purpose. The paper follows a definition of University Social Responsibility (USR) recently formulated by Kouatli in 2019. In accordance with the definition, the main objective of this study is to identify and establish the importance of individual stakeholders to the university. The article also includes several case studies demonstrating the possibilities of cooperation between university management and other stakeholders to address the social aspects of sustainable development primarily. Design / Methodology / Approach. The focus group method was used to identify all stakeholders. For individual focus groups, respondents rated their importance for universities on a scale from 1 to 7. Subsequently, different stakeholders were divided into relevant groups by factor analysis. The obtained outputs were used for the identification of important university stakeholders in the field of education and science. Findings. The university’s most important stakeholders in education were found to include applicants for study and their parents, student, and academic staff, and last but not least, foreign students. In the field of science and research, the university’s main stakeholders are academics, enterprises, and the professional public. Emphasis is placed on how the university can cooperate with its stakeholders in CSR activities. Originality / Value / Practical implications. The value of the proposed stakeholder framework can be seen in the identification of important stakeholders for universities. The paper also includes case studies related to the cooperation with the Czech university to fulfil its USR objectives.