CSR Education in Italy: The Case of the University of Perugia

Abstract

In recent years there has been a trend towards a widespread growth in the prominence of CSR education, at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. This chapter aims to draw a picture of the state of the art in Italy, and at the Department of Economics of the University of Perugia in particular. The first part presents an analysis of the Italian context. Three main aspects are considered: the evolution of the academic literature on the issue, the regulatory approach of the Italian state towards CSR, and attitudes towards CSR among the business community. This framework is followed by a description of the status of CSR education in the Italian university system. The second part of the chapter focuses on CSR education at the University of Perugia, analysing the social responsibility courses in the context of the educational offer at the Department of Economics. The third section presents an in-depth analysis of CSR education at the Department of Economics, with a questionnaire submitted to students employed as the main tool. The results also allow for an evaluation of the students’ behaviour as socially responsible citizens, consumers and employees, with the aim of measuring the impact CSR education has on their attitudes. The chapter ends with a presentation of the conclusions that have been drawn. © 2016, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.