Social Responsibility Education in Germany

Abstract

German companies have recently faced criticism that they tend to lag behind in terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR) compared to their European counterparts. German consumers and its society at large, however, are getting more conscious about the socially responsible behavior of companies and therefore demand responsible management. To meet this demand, educational institutions need to train future employees and leaders to carry out business in a socially responsible way. It is thus important for CSR to form an integral part of the core values and curricula in educational institutions, where the younger generation gains theoretical and practical knowledge. In our examination of CSR education in Germany and its impacts, we use results from expert interviews with German CSR faculty members as well as the case study of Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, RheinAhrCampus. In our study, we found that CSR education influences university students’ perception of CSR in businesses, but their private attitudes on consumption and employment tend to stem from their own inherent understanding of social responsibility. We conclude that having more CSR ambassadors as faculty members in universities is one way of moving forward with CSR education in Germany.