Eco-Friendliness As A University Choice Factor : A Study Of Swedish Students’ Attraction Towards Linköping University

• Main Authors: Jafaei, Hesam, Lespinasse, Manon
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Linköpings universitet, Företagsekonomi 2015
• Subjects: Linköping University; University Social Responsibility; USR; Ecofriendliness; Corporate Social Responsibility; CSR; Public Sector; Attractiveness; Higher Education; Sweden; University choice; Impact
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-118768

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between eco-friendliness as part of University Social Responsibility (USR) and the impact it has on students and their attraction towards a university. Previous research have so far not investigated on such a connection due to a general focus on the private sector, companies and therefore Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). However, the literature is full of workable information, theories and conclusions through the acceptance of a specific model considering students as customers. It makes the assumptions being made within the private sector applicable to the public sector of the higher education. The latter is a driving force for any country’s economy by training and shaping a large number of future professionals and citizens. Yet, so far, barely any association has been made with another growing consideration of our developed economies: eco-friendliness and the protection of the environment. The present quantitative study seeks to find the existence of a positive impact of the implementation of eco-friendly measures by Linköping University on Swedish students, notably in terms of attractiveness. Our findings demonstrate that most of LiU Swedish students are attracted towards an eco-friendly university, around 44% of them consider eco-friendliness as a university choice factor and the performance of Linköping University (LiU) in this domain is largely appreciated. Therefore, LiU benefits from a positive public image through its eco-friendly profile. It thus enables and favors attractiveness among Swedish students, even if the latter is seen as improvable, notably through its advertisement since it is thought to be a possible competitive advantage.