Measuring Territorial Social Responsibility and Sustainability Using the EFQM Excellence Model

Abstract

Sustainability and social responsibility are goals that are currently aimed for by companies, entities and institutions as well as national and international agendas. In a globalized and highly connected world, the achievement of both goals must be pursued. This means more than mere compliance with agendas approved by national and international agencies; it means that all of these entities, each in their own field and area of responsibility, become co-responsible for their own social, environmental and economic situation. Because of this co-responsibility, their decisions and activities must contribute to the deployment of a jointly responsible and sustainable model of innovation, development and social transformation. In this context, this article aims to propose a model based on the principles of total quality management that will make it possible to explore the degree of territorial social responsibility and sustainability linked to the companies and institutions of a territory. The validity of this model is based on the application of the model of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) and its applicability to all types of organizations. The empirical validation was carried out in the specific region of Girona (Spain) with the participation of the University Social Responsibility (USR) Chair of the University of Girona (UdG).