The Place of the Natural Environment in Activities for Social Responsibility in the Opinion of Students of Electrical Engineering

Abstract

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) permeates the curricula of various fields of study at many universities. The aim of the article is to present the assessment of the students at the Lublin University of Technology in the field of Electrical Engineering on the importance of individual dimensions of CSR, with particular emphasis on the environmental dimension. The method used in the study is a diagnostic survey conducted among students of full-time first- and second-cycle studies. The research was carried out using a questionnaire based on the four-dimensional model of CSR developed by Carroll and was extended to the environmental dimension. The tool consists of 60 statements divided into 12 groups. Each group contains five statements—one for each of the distinguished CSR components. The hierarchy of CSR dimensions in both surveyed groups is analogous (economic, legal, ethical, philanthropic, and environmental dimensions). The study groups differed, however, in their assessment of the importance of the legal and ethical dimensions. Bilateral comparisons of individual dimensions in the group of second-cycle students revealed fewer differences than in the group of first-cycle students, which proves that the links between different categories of the company’s stakeholders and obligations toward them are more clearly perceived by the group of second-cycle students. The conclusions from the research make it possible to recommend universities to include in their curricula content aimed at better preparing graduates to undertake CSR activities.