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Introduction
Modern secondary students are very alert to information for their decisions on which university to attend, and the students and their parents use a considerable amount of information to make their decisions from more informed choices (Moogan, 2011). The decision process takes a long time, as they consider many factors which may differ from student to student. The problem is how to find the right university that suits their needs, from among too many to fully evaluate all of them completely. Prospective students may form brand consideration sets (Kardes et al., 1993). In situations where there are a great many brands, consumers cannot examine all brands in detail, so they tend to focus on ones that seem to be most appropriate (Ballantyne et al., 2006). Universities which can differentiate themselves by creating strong brand images are recognized by prospective students during the decision process, and become one of those students and parents investigate in detail.
Corporate societal marketing programs can play an important role in brand image (Hoeffler and Keller, 2002). Many businesses are increasingly aware of the need to engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR); not only is doing good the right thing to do, but it can also enhance performance through its positive effects on key stakeholders (Bhattacharya and Sen, 2004). The heart of the CSR idea reflects social needs and is related to business success (Matten and Moon, 2008). Carroll (1999) demonstrated that the CSR concept is an important part of the business in a range of theoretical frameworks, and it is relevant to what the public expects the business to do for the community.
The university is a part of society which aims to create new knowledge and train people to contribute to society. Almost by definition, one of the university’s primary roles is providing CSR activities, e.g., academic services to society. If the university shows leadership in CSR, the brand image of the university can be enhanced among all stakeholders, and this can result in the university being included in the brand consideration set. This research examines CSR in terms of university social responsibility (USR) in private Thai universities. Universities are a high-involvement service in Thailand, in terms of how much time and effort are required in...