Does university social responsibility practices affect Malaysian private universities’ reputation? The mediating roles of university image, student satisfaction, and social reporting & communication

Purpose University social responsibility (USR) is a prominent area of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As an emerging concept, however, it is still understudied. Guided by the Resource-Based View, Social Exchange Theory and Stimulus-Response Model, this study aims to examine the impact of USR practices on university reputation through the mediating roles of university image, student satisfaction and social reporting and communication. Design/methodology/approach Purposive sampling was employed to select a sample of 431 private university students. A quantitative online survey was administered to collect data, which was then analyzed using structural equation modeling partial least square (PLS-SEM). Findings USR practices were found to positively impact university reputation, university image, student satisfaction and social reporting and communication. Student satisfaction indicated a positive influence on university reputation, but university image and social reporting and communication exhibited no such effect. Moreover, only student satisfaction was revealed to mediate the relationship between USR practices and university reputation. Practical implications The study verifies that USR initiatives enhance universities’ customer relationship management, particularly as a strategic marketing and branding tool to attract and retain students. Integrating USR into university curriculum is imperative to improve private universities’ reputation, public trust and visibility. Originality/value The findings add to the limited evidence on USR in the Asian context. The study also introduces the concept of social reporting and communication to the USR literature.