The impact of corporate social responsibility on student engagement in sports activities in universities

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in its four dimensions – ethical, environmental, economic and philanthropic – on student engagement in sports activities within Lebanese universities. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative method was used where a structured questionnaire was developed to gather information about the specific tactics and CSR initiatives implemented by universities, as well as the perceptions and involvements of students regarding these efforts. Cross-sectional data was gathered from students from various universities in Lebanon. A random sampling was used, and a sample of 443 students was obtained. Structural equation modeling was performed to test the hypotheses. Findings The results indicate that economic responsibility significantly enhances student engagement in sports activities, suggesting that students place a high value on economic considerations in their participation. Contrarily, ethical, social and philanthropic responsibilities do not show significant impacts, particularly amid the turmoil in Lebanon. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to investigate the direct impact of the four CSR dimensions on student engagement in sports within universities in Lebanon, and it offers a new perspective on the role of CSR in universities. As the context of this study is a resource-constrained region, this study highlights the vital role of economic responsibility that challenges traditional CSR frameworks and stresses the importance of tailoring initiatives to specific economic conditions and designing more efficient CSR strategies.