The social responsibility of universities: an exploratory study within the Moroccan public university

Abstract

CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), as defined by the European Commission, refers to the voluntary integration by companies of social and environmental concerns into their business activities and relations with their stakeholders. The concept applies to the world of higher education and is called University Social Responsibility (RSU). In Morocco, public universities are increasingly committed to this path. In parallel, the Plan to Accelerate the Transformation of the Higher Education Ecosystem, Scientific Research and Innovation (ESRI PACT 2030), drawing its substance from the priority choices of the New Development Model and drawing on its doctrine and founding principles, translates into concrete actions the priorities of the government’s program for the development of human capital and the integration of Morocco into the knowledge society. In this context, the objective of this exploratory case study is to understand the RSU policy of Moroccan public university by mobilizing input from stakeholder theory (Freeman, 1984). As a result, the research methodology adopted is qualitative based on literature review and semi-directional interviews with seven representatives of public educational institutions. The results of the study highlight the elements that characterize the RSU policy of seven public higher education institutions, in addition to the attitudes of its stakeholders, acting on this issue. The study sheds light on the interactions between the stakeholders involved in the RSU policy of these institutions.

Keywords: Social responsibility of universities (RSU), sustainable development, public management, stakeholders.

Classification JEL: I23, Q01, M14

Paper type: Empirical Research