Corporate social responsibility and sustainable development goals in higher education: a literature review from 2014 to 2023

Abstract

Purpose

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the sustainable development goals (SDGs) have multiple interactions with higher education institutions (HEIs), and CSR strategies present a remarkable importance for companies and society, being necessary for universities to provide teaching and research within this topic. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the practical implications of the implementation of sustainability concepts in HEIs and, by extension, in society.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample formed by papers obtained from WoS (Web of Science) and Scopus databases was used (34 papers from WoS and 30 papers from Scopus). Both bibliometric and content analysis were performed to better understand the main characteristics of the sample, such as the most prolific countries and universities, as well as the main practical implications of each of the 64 papers analyzed.

Findings

The findings show the state of the art of the literature about sustainability and responsible management education published between 2014 and 2023. This paper also reports results like the most prolific authors and universities, the most cited papers and authors and the yearly production of papers, among other data. Implementing CSR and sustainability courses in HEIs curricula has a plurality of practical implications for businesses, the academic institutions and for society.

Research limitations/implications

The sample is limited because it is formed of papers written in English only, and that affects the productivity figures of both Spanish and Latin American universities. Having used a single piece of software for bibliometric analysis also limits the scope and depth of the results.

Practical implications

By analyzing a sample of 64 papers with different practical implications, this paper offers important data and practical ideas for HEIs to implement sustainability and responsible management education in their curricula, as well as of University Social Responsibility (USR) practices implementation. The paper also offers some insight into practical experiences with sustainability education for both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as advice for policymakers.

Originality/value

The paper’s originality and value are trifold: First, it links CSR and the SDGs with HEIs. Second, it combines a bibliometric analysis with a content analysis, creating added value for the research. And third, this paper studies the effect of the impact of CSR both in HEIs and in society.

Citation

Gallardo-Vázquez, D., Sánchez-Domínguez, J.d.l.C. and Valdez-Juárez, L.E. (2024), "Corporate social responsibility and sustainable development goals in higher education: a literature review from 2014 to 2023", The Bottom Line, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/BL-08-2023-0232