The state of scientific research on university social responsibility (USR) worldwide: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a significant issue in the business world (Rupp et al. 2003). The concept is not limited to businesses; but rather aims to encompass a variety of levels and players. Zaouche (2011) states, "There are as many CSRs as there are players". Stakeholder pressure has pushed higher education institutions to adopt socially responsible practices, resulting in University Social Responsibility (USR), which entails integrating sustainable development practices into public or private universities. RSU research is underexplored because it is a relatively new field (Abdelilah, 2019), whereas international scientific works are numerous in comparison to research in the Moroccan context. Thus, our goal is to provide an overview of scientific research on RSU worldwide from 2004 to 2024, using a systematic literature review of 36 articles published in national and international journals (Scopus, Springer, etc.) and in various contexts. Empirical articles dominated 58% of our sample. Despite changes in the university sector that have highlighted the social dimension of universities, this has not been widely adopted. As a result, Morocco faces significant challenges in terms of university social responsibility (USR).