Abstract:
Today, the fierce competition in the Higher Education industry and the increasing number of
universities is hindering institutions’ efforts to raise or at least maintain their enrollment rates.
This pressure is coupled with further strains caused by the rise of social and environmental
challenges associated with globalization. Since universities play a vital role in fostering
sustainable societies, the Higher Education industry witnessed the emergence of university
social responsibility (USR) as a key element with a growing significance. This study aims to
highlight the importance of USR by examining its impact on student-university identification
and loyalty, the latter being a key factor that affects recruitment and retention. It also assesses
the mediating effect of student-university identification on the relationship between USR and
student loyalty. A conceptual model was developed and empirically tested using data collected
via online questionnaire. The survey was sent to all currently enrolled undergraduate and
graduate students at the Lebanese American University, one of the prominent private higher
education institutions in Lebanon and the region. A total of 439 completed questionnaires were
returned, 429 of which were found to be useful. The conceptual model was tested by applying the Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling technique using the Smart PLS 3.0
software. The results indicated that student loyalty can be achieved directly through university
social responsibility, or indirectly through student-university identification. The relationships
in the proposed model and the inferred outcomes have major practical implications. Upon
identifying the factors that impact student loyalty, universities can enhance the efficiency of
their recruitment and retention efforts by introducing tailored social responsibility programs
and initiatives, and by focusing on the factors that lead to the desired students’ attitudes.
