International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.

net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

Accounting Students' Perception of

Corporate Social Responsibility:
Evidence from Kuwait
Abdullah Almutawa1, Aly M Hewaidy2
1Department of Accounting, College of Business Studies, The Public Authority for Applied

Education and Training (PAAET), Kuwait City, Kuwait, 2Accounting Department, College
of business Administration, Kuwait University, Kuwait
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

This study aims to explore the perceptions and knowledge of

accounting students in Kuwait regarding corporate social
responsibility (CSR). It further investigates whether
sociodemographic factors, such as gender, academic phase and
working during study, influence the students’ perceptions of CSR. To
examine the differences in CSR’s level of attention and importance
among accounting students, a survey questionnaire was developed
and distributed in various accounting students’ classes. The results of
analyzing revealed that accounting students in Kuwait have a
reasonable knowledge about key components of CSR. The analysis
further indicated that improving public image, increasing customer
loyalty and satisfaction, and increasing support from community are
the most important motivations for a company to be a socially
responsible entity. Moreover, the results provide some support for the
three research hypotheses.

Key words: corporate social responsibility, accounting, student, Kuwait

1. Introduction

Classical economists argue that a company’s only responsibility is to increase value for its
shareholders. In line with this view, the key objective of most companies, especially in the
private sector, is to grow profits. However, achieving this objective should not cause negative
side effects for other stakeholders and society as a whole (Galant and Cadez, 2017).

334
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

Research results in the area of corporate responsibility have confirmed this view and concluded
that corporations have a responsibility to various stakeholder groups other than shareholders, and
that social responsibility (SR) is important in determining corporate efficiencies. Barnett and
Salomon (2012) argued that the better a corporation manages its relationships with its
stakeholders, the more successful it will be over time.

The widespread and growing interest in CSR practices and efforts by corporations worldwide
motivates scholars to focus on conducting CSR research. To date, empirical research into CSR
has largely focused upon English-speaking and Western contexts and Far East countries. It has
been argued that culture and norms have a significant effect on the perceptions and opinions of
individuals. Also, there is diversity in culture and norms among countries, so it is important to
gain more insight into the perceptions of accounting students in developing countries such as
Kuwait and to provide a good opportunity to contribute to filling the knowledge gap in the
existing CSR literature.

In the Arab region, limited empirical research has been undertaken, but among it is the work of
Ahmad and Mousa (2010), Al-Shammari (2008), Hewaidy (2016) and Alfraih and Almutawa
(2017). None of these studies explores or investigates the perceptions of individuals, especially
business students, regarding CSR.

Bearing in mind that social responsibility is a growing concern in the business environment, it is
crucial to investigate the perceptions of future employees, that is to say of today’s students, on
this matter (Teixeira et al., 2018). The literature shows differences in CSR perceptions among
students from different countries (Wong et al., 2010; González-Rodríguez et al., 2012;
Fitzpatrick and Cheng, 2013). To the best of authors’ knowledge, no empirical research has been
undertaken in Kuwait to test for business students’ perceptions of CSR. The present research
aims to explore the perceptions and knowledge of accounting students regarding CSR, and to
determine whether sociodemographic factors such as gender, academic phase and work
experience influence their perceptions of CSR.

The remainder of the study proceeds as follows. The next section provides a review of the
literature relating to the subject. This is followed, in Section 3, by an identification of the main
objective of the research and development of the hypotheses. Section 4 discusses the research
results. The final section summarizes the main research findings, its limitations, and direction for
further research.

335
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

2. Accounting education in Kuwait

Official accounting education in Kuwait was instigated in the early 1960s, alongside the growth
of the corporate environment and the development of public companies (Alfraih and Alanezi,
2016). In exploring the professional certification process and accounting education in Kuwait,
Shuaib (1992) claims that the Kuwaiti government established the Secondary School of
Commerce in 1963 to meet a growing need for bookkeepers in the public and private sectors.
Currently, accounting education is well established and delivered through several public and
private higher education institutions as follows:

Kuwait University (KU) is presently the only public university in Kuwait to offer a bachelor’s
degree in Accounting. All other educational providers of bachelor’s degrees in Accounting are
private universities. Kuwait University’s College of Business Administration (CBA) was
established in 1967. It offers a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. Students must take courses in
general education (64 hours), core business (33 hours), their major (27 hours), and an elective (6
hours). Minimum requirements for graduation are 130 hours. Since 2005, the programs have
been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) (CBA,
2019). The number of students majoring in accounting at CBA has significantly increased over
time, as documented by Alanezi and Alfraih (2011), suggesting a significant increase in interest
in accounting education. The other public institution is the Public Authority for Applied
Education and Training (PAAET), which offers a two-year Diploma in Accounting.

The government of Kuwait provides various scholarship opportunities within Kuwait. Kuwaiti
high school students and diploma students may apply for Private Universities Council (PUC)
scholarships. These are fully funded government scholarships that cover all tuition fees and
course enrollment up to the time of graduation at several licensed private universities operating
in Kuwait (PUC, 2019). According to the PUC, in 2019, only three private universities are
licensed to offer a bachelor’s degree in Accounting: the American University of Kuwait (AUK);
the American University of the Middle East (AUM); and the Gulf University for Science and
Technology (GUST).

Since this study explores GUST’s accounting students’ perception concerning the major
corporate responsibilities, as well as their awareness of CSR philosophy and activities, the focus
is on the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST).

GUST is the first private university in Kuwait. In 2017, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) University
Rankings ranked GUST in the top 50 Arab region universities out of nearly 1000 universities and
colleges (GUST, 2019a). The College of Business Administration is a private college that offers
five four-year programs: Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, Marketing, and
336
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

Management Information Systems (MIS). The Department of Accounting and Management

Information Systems at GUST offers a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. As the largest
department in the College of Business Administration, the department provides irreplaceable and
unique learning opportunities designed to lead students to successful careers in the accounting
field. The majority of faculty members in the Department of Accounting hold terminal degrees in
their fields from top universities in the USA, Canada, the U.K., Europe and Australia, and some
are professionally qualified (GUST, 2019b). In 2014, the College of Business Administration
received its accreditation from AACSB.

3. Stakeholder theory and CSR

Stakeholder theory focuses on the relationship between two sides: a corporate on one side and
various stakeholder groups on the other side. The extant literature offers many definitions for
stakeholder theory. Freeman (1984:46), who is considered to be a pioneer in emerging
stakeholder theory (Windsor, 2001; Post, 2003), defines stakeholders as “any group or individual
who is affected by or can affect the achievement of an organisation’s objectives”. Stakeholder
theory suggests the corporation’s survival and continuing success depends upon the behavior of
any stakeholder groups who have an interest in the corporate’s operations (Parmar et al., 2010).
Thus, corporates must be responsible and contribute to the society in which they operate
(Moorthy et al., 2010). From the perspective of stakeholder theory, corporates work to satisfy the
financial and non-financial demands of multiple sets of stakeholders (Pirsch et al., 2007).

The scope of stakeholder theory focuses on the ability of stakeholder groups to influence the
company’s direction and the process of making decisions. Stakeholder theory is a comprehensive
approach in terms of company relationships, since it concentrates not just on the association
between managers and shareowners but also on the company’s relationship with all its
stakeholder groups. Such groups as customers, shareowners, employees, suppliers, competitors,
lenders, and community. Companies have relationships with all these groups, which can be
divided into parts inside and outside the organization, as well as those who have an interest in it
(Van der Putten, 2005). However, scholars usually prefer to classify stakeholders, based on their
involvement and engagement in transactions with the corporate, as either primary groups (e.g.
customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers) (Freeman, 1984; Waddock and Smith, 2000) or
secondary stakeholder groups (e.g. non-governmental organizations, future generations)
(Waddock and Smith, 2000). Overall, companies concentrate on prominent stakeholder groups
and pay little attention to other interest groups; thus, it can be stated that the identification of
stakeholder groups would enhance their visibility and lead to their greater prominence within the
organization; as a result, a corporate is more likely to consider them part of an integrated
stakeholder strategy (Freeman and Emshoff, 1979). It can be noted that corporates have
relationships and interaction with various stakeholder groups, so it is expected that each group
337
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

has its own demands, requirements, and expectations that need to be satisfied. Freeman and Reed
(1983) point out that the concept of corporate responsibility extends to include the views of all
stakeholders who are able to affect the corporate’s practices and policies.

CSR issues have received a great deal of interest from international bodies (e.g. the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) issued standard ISO 26000). International standard
26000 provides guidelines on SR for corporates and the public. In this sense, KPMG’s survey in
2017 stated that more than two thirds of the leading corporates in the world had adopted
assurance services in their SR reports, whereas, in 2005, the degree of adoption was only 30%
(KPMG, 2017). This result reflects a high level of awareness among companies regarding the
importance of the SR concept.

CSR is defined by The Commission of the European Communities (2001:6) as “a concept

whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations
and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis”. In this sense, Nazari et al.
(2012:555) give a broad definition of CSR as “the activities making companies good citizens who
contribute to society’s welfare beyond their own self-interests”. It has been argued that the
concepts of stakeholder and CSR are closely interrelated (Pirsch et al., 2007). Consequently, the
success of CSR initiatives and programs depends on the ability of corporates to build strong and
permanent relationships with their stakeholder groups (Clarkson, 1995; Waddock and Smith,
2000). Different aspects of corporate CSR performances target various stakeholder groups (Van
der Putten, 2005).

A wide range of studies in the CSR literature, conducted in different countries, used stakeholder
theory (for example, see Asemah et al., 2013; Vázquez et al., 2013; Alonso-Almeida et al., 2015;
Elobeid et al., 2016). The current research, as an exploratory study, employed a stakeholder
approach, as a theoretical framework, to analyze the perceptions of university students as a
stakeholder group – future accountants/employees – regarding awareness of CSR. Using the
perspective of this theory could also help to interpret the views of accounting students regarding
the motivations for and benefits of corporates investing in corporate social activities and
programs.

4. Literature review

As mentioned, CSR is a concept whereby organizations consider the needs of all stakeholders
when making decisions. CSR extends beyond legal compliance to include voluntary actions that
satisfy stakeholders’ expectations. As such, it becomes crucial to investigate the perceptions of
future employees, that is to say of today’s students, on this matter (Teixeira, et al., 2018). In the
same way, Ham et al. (2015) stated that business students represent future business leaders who
338
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

will, through their knowledge and business decisions, create the economic future of their
country. It is important for companies as well as for academia to consider students’ perceptions
of CSR and to evaluate how prepared are they for this type of business environment.

Previous research into students’ perception of CSR has pointed toward the gradual development
of a more positive perception of the subject in recent years (Alonso-Almeida et al., 2015). Some
of this research observed and investigated the situation in a single country, while other research
investigated the situation cross-country.

The majority of the previous research has studied the situation in a single country. Using students
sampled from a Portuguese higher education institution, Teixeira et al. (2018) examined
students’ perception regarding CSR and whether sociodemographic variables (such as gender,
age, professional experience and academic degree) influence their perception. The results
suggest that the students’ perceptions present different dimensions that can be grouped as i) pro
CSR, ii) resistant to CSR and iii) secondary CSR, and sociodemographic variables do not present
statistically significant differences in the perceptions of the different students studied.

Alonso-Admeida et al. (2015) examined Spanish undergraduate business students’ perception of

CSR in cases where they had not attended any specific course, either dealing with CSR or
providing training in ethics. The results show that CSR deserves considerable attention. Female
students were more concerned about CSR issues. The maximization of value for shareholders
was less valued by second- and third-year students than by their first-year counterparts. Kaya et
al. (2014) intended to discover Turkish students’ awareness level on voluntarism and SR
programs. Results showed that no significant difference was found between students who had
taken a SR course and those students who had not, with regard to their attitudes towards
voluntarism.

Conducting a survey among undergraduate and graduate students of all years in the Faculty of
Economics in Osijek (Croatia), Ham et al. (2015) examined the attitudes of business students
towards CSR, investigating the differences in those attitudes and how the education process can
influence students’ understanding of CSR. The results showed that students did perceive the
importance of CSR, proven by the fact that 85% of students were willing to sacrifice some
percentage of their salary to work in a socially responsible company. Elobeid et al. (2016)
conducted a survey among university students and faculty members of a university in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the importance of teaching CSR in business schools, how it should
be taught, and at what level of higher education. The results indicate that promoting awareness
and dialogue about this important phenomenon can help increase accountability, transparency,
and integrity.

339
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

Hilario (2014) observed the level of awareness of CSR among accounting and business
administration students in the Philippines, at the Far Eastern University (FEU-Manila). The
results showed a low level of awareness in both accounting and business administration students,
although accounting students tended to exhibit a relatively higher level of awareness. However,
no significant differences in CSR awareness were detected.

Ravi Kiran’s (2011) study aimed to help understand how Indian students of management
education perceived the introduction of CSR in their curricula. The results reveal that the i)
linkage of CSR, ii) management education and business, iii) business responsibility, iv)
philanthropy, and economic responsibility are the four important factors for describing the need
for and importance of the introduction of CSR in management education.

Apart from profit-oriented business organizations, Burcea and Marinescu (2011) highlighted, in
short, the importance of the SR of institutions, and analyzed the results of research regarding
students’ perceptions of the CSR activities of a Romanian university. The results emphasize that
students attach importance to CSR at an academic level, a fact indicated through their degree of
involvement in the specific activities of this concept.

Using a group of students of different nationalities, a group of researchers examined students’

perception of CSR across countries to test for the influence of culture on students’ perception of
CSR. Among this type of research is that of Wong et al. (2010), González-Rodríguez et al.
(2012) and Fitzpatrick and Cheng (2013). Wong et al. (2010) assessed perceptive differences in
CSR among business students in the United States, China, and India. The study found that
American and Indian respondents attached greater importance to the noneconomic aspects of SR
than Chinese respondents did. Chinese students were more accepting of making facilitating
payments to get things moving. Indian respondents placed more emphasis on philanthropy, while
the US group emphasized legal obligations. In the choice of business goals, there was generally
little difference between the three nationality groups. The two main goals selected were taking
care of owners’ interests and consumers’ needs.

González-Rodríguez et al. (2012) observed students’ perception of CSR, with the objective of
contributing knowledge about the understanding of CSR among business students at universities
in Spain, Poland and Bulgaria. The study’s findings revealed different value profiles by gender,
and diverse attitudes to CSR perception across these European countries. Fitzpatrick and Cheng
(2013) examined the situation among a sample of United States and Hong Kong undergraduate
business students, to investigate how CSR perceptions might be explained by culture, gender,
and spirituality. The results suggest that Hong Kong students are less sensitive to issues of CSR,
even though the percentage of Hong Kong students with ethics education was higher than that of
their American counterparts. An important finding is that spirituality is related to CSR
340
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

perceptions and the intensity of views on ethics more strongly than to any other factors,
including academic performance.

In spite of the previous research on this topic, there is no empirical evidence on the perception of
business students regarding CSR in the context of Kuwait; this is why the present study intends
to investigate the subject in Kuwait. This investigation contributes the CSR body of knowledge.
It is also important to gauge CSR and ethics perceptions among tomorrow’s business
leaders/future accountants – today’s accounting students.

5. Research objectives and hypotheses development

The present research aims to observe and investigate perceptions of accounting students in
Kuwait regarding CSR activities. The research also aims to determine whether sociodemographic
factors, such as gender, academic phase, and working during study, influence the students’
perceptions of CSR. A hypothesis is tested for each of the three sociodemographic factors:
gender, academic phase, and working during study.

5.1 Gender and primary corporate responsibilities

Gender has been considered by most previous research as one of the sociodemographic factors
that explain differences in students’ perception of CSR. Among those researchers are Fitzpatrick
and Cheng (2013), González-Rodríguez et al. (2012) and Wong et al. (2010). According to these
studies, females have greater sensitivity to CSR issues, since they better understand the benefits
that socially responsible actions can bring to the marketing of an organization, whereas males are
more reluctant to accept this idea and believe that organizations often take advantage of
consumers by requesting their support for certain causes (Teixeira et al., 2018). So, the present
study tends to test the following hypothesis:

H1: Female accounting students appear to pay more attention to the six primary
corporate responsibilities than male students do.

5.2 Academic phase and primary corporate responsibilities

In addition to gender, academic phase has been used as a variable to explain difference in CSR
perception. Some of the literature points out that the academic phase is an influential factor and
considers that those in a higher academic phase respond more favorably to the question of CSR,
because they believe that organizations aim at higher levels of fairness (Gavin and Maynard,
1975). As such, the present study tests the following hypothesis:
341
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

H2: Higher-academic phase accounting students pay more attention to the six
primary corporate responsibilities than lower-academic phase students do.

5.3 Working during study and primary corporate responsibilities

Finally, work experience is another factor frequently used for shaping and analyzing CSR
perceptions. It has been found that those who acquire greater experience have a more favorable
idea of the relevance of the theme, since social policies with positive effects affect the
willingness and satisfaction of employees within the organization and contribute to initiatives
that call for social change (Aguilera et al., 2007). Accordingly, the third hypothesis to be tested
is:
H3: Accounting students who work during study are more concerned with the six
primary corporate responsibilities than those who do not work during study.

6. Methodology

In this study, the population used is comprised of accounting students at the College of Business
Administration, GUST. To accomplish the study objectives, a questionnaire was adopted from
previous studies conducted by Tan and Komaran (2006) and Alonso-Almeida et al. (2015). The
questionnaire was piloted to some faculty members of GUST, in order to review and validate, as
well as to assess its appropriateness to achieve its objectives.

The questionnaire was administered to the students during accounting classes. Two hundred and
fifteen questionnaires were distributed in various accounting classes offered to students. Of the
215 questionnaires administered, 203 responses were considered suitable for statistical analysis.
Data collected from the questionnaire were analyzed using quantitative methods. Descriptive
statistics and level of agreement were measured on a five-point Likert scale, with 5= strongly
agree, while 1= strongly disagree. This was to help to assess the differences existing among
accounting students in respect of the major corporate responsibilities explored. Non-parametric
tests (Mann-Whitney (M-W) and Kruskal Wallis (KW) tests) were employed to test the research
hypotheses.

7. Data analysis and research results

This section provides descriptive statistics of the demographic characteristics of respondents, the
level of agreement among participants about the major responsibilities of corporates, their
opinion about the most important motivations for a company to be involved in social activities,
and, finally, the results of testing the research hypotheses.
342
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

7.1. Demographic characteristics of respondents

The participants in the questionnaire survey were asked to provide their demographic
information. As shown in Table 1, 63.55% of the participants were female, while the remainder
(36.45%) were male, with most respondents (97%) being aged 20 years or above. The
distribution of respondents according to their marital status implied that 84.20% were single. The
overwhelming majority of accounting students surveyed in this study (91.60% and 98%,
respectively) had college GPA 2.00 or above and were in their second or higher academic year.
The results further indicate that only 12.80% of the participants were employed during their
studies. This result was expected, since the Kuwaiti government provides financial support to
Kuwaiti university students.

Table 1: Demographic characteristics of respondents

Demographic
N Percent
information
Gender Male 74 36.45
Female 129 63.55
Total 203 100.00
Age 18-19 years 6 3.00
20-21 years 76 37.40
22-23 years 67 33.00
24 and over 54 26.60
Total 203 100.00
Marital status Single 171 84.20
Married 30 14.80
Other 2 1.00
Total 203 100.00
High school GPA Below 60% 3 1.50
61%-70% 26 12.80
71%-80% 73 36.00
81%-90% 82 40.40
Above 90% 19 9.40
Total 203 100.00
College GPA Less than 2 17 8.40
2.00-2.49 63 31.00
2.50-2.99 49 24.10
3.00-3.49 45 22.20
3.50-above 29 14.30
Total 203 100.00
Academic phase 1st Year 4 2.00
2nd Year 25 12.30

343
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

3rd Year 67 33.00

4th Year 107 52.70
Total 203 100.00
Working during study Yes 26 12.80
No 177 87.20
Total 203 100.00

7.2 Major responsibilities of the corporate

This section provides the results from analyzing data related to the level of agreement among
accounting students about the six major corporate responsibilities categories, as well as exploring
students’ awareness of CSR philosophy and activities. Table 2 shows these results for each of the
six corporate responsibilities categories. Generally, all statements in each of the six categories
(with few exceptions) are perceived as important aspects of a well-run company in the view of
respondents (see Table 2).

Among the six key corporate responsibility categories, based on the whole sample’s mean
scores, environmental responsibility (with a mean of 4.29, it is clearly in the first place) is rated
the most important corporate responsibility in the view of survey participants as a stakeholder
group. This suggests that Kuwaiti corporates should take greater action and play a significant
role in conserving the natural environment, instead of working only to maximize their
investments and the wealth of their shareholders. The reported result is consistent with Alonso-
Almeida et al.’s (2015) statement that the company is a multi-objective organization a notation
more attuned to stakeholder theory rather than an entity serving one single objective.

The results also indicate that accounting students in Kuwait show strong concern regarding
environmental issues, and this can be interpreted using the perspective of stakeholder theory.
Environmental responsibility is followed by the stewardship principle (mean = 3.81, in second
place), which is just ahead of company–employee relationship (mean = 3.80, in third place)
ethical responsibility (mean = 3.78, in fourth position), economic responsibility (mean = 3.75, in
fifth position) and legal responsibility (mean = 3.72, in last position), in that order. It can be
stated that the accounting students as a part of society and as stakeholders pay great attention to
social activities and corporate social performance, and their views are related to stakeholder
theory. Therefore, corporates should concentrate more on these activities in the society in which
they run their operations. Also, this may be an indication of the high level of public interest and
awareness among accounting students regarding a corporate’s role in social activities and the
concept of CSR. On a different point, the response to economic corporate responsibility shows

344
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

that the interests of the shareholders’/owners’ vision did not receive a high degree of attention
from accounting students.

Table 2: Students’ perceptions regarding the six major corporate responsibilities categories

Disagree

Neutral
Disagree
Strongly

Agree

Agree
Strongly
mean
sample
Whole

Rank
A Economic responsibility

1 The primary goal of companies is to make as 0.00 4.43 16.26 43.35 35.96 4.11 1
much profit as possible.
2 Companies strive to lower their operational 0.49 2.96 28.08 48.77 19.70 3.84 2
costs.
3 Companies should strive to maximize the 0.00 3.45 29.56 48.28 18.72 3.82 3
wealth of their shareholders.
4 Companies should not be distracted from their 3.45 23.65 30.05 31.03 11.82 3.24 4
economic functions by solving social problems.
B Legal responsibility
1 Companies strive to comply with all laws and 0.00 3.94 26.60 36.45 33.00 3.99 2
regulations.
2 Companies must operate strictly within the 0.49 2.96 19.21 47.29 30.05 4.03 1
legal framework of the society.
3 It is sometimes convenient for companies to 8.40 25.10 33.50 23.60 9.40 3.00 4
violate some laws and regulations.
4 Companies have to adhere to all rules and 0.49 5.42 28.57 38.42 27.09 3.86 3
regulations even though it may be costly for
them.
C Ethical responsibility
1 Companies should not compromise ethical 6.40 16.75 20.69 25.12 31.03 3.58 3
norms and social values to achieve their goals.
2 Socially responsible companies always do what 1.48 7.39 24.14 37.93 29.06 3.86 2
is right, fair and just.
3 Companies should avoid doing harm at all cost. 0.00 2.46 17.73 32.51 47.29 4.25 1
4 It is sometimes convenient for companies to 6.40 10.84 30.05 36.45 16.26 3.45 4
engage in questionable practices for economic
gains.
D Stewardship principle
1 Companies have an obligation to see that 1.48 7.39 27.09 41.87 22.17 3.76 3
everyone in the society benefits from their
actions.
2 Companies should consider the interests of all 0.99 3.45 18.72 48.77 28.08 4.00 1
who are affected by their decisions and actions.
3 Successful companies should balance the 0.49 2.96 21.67 46.31 28.57 4.00 1
interests and needs of different groups in the
society in which they operate.
4 Companies and society are interrelated. 5.91 7.39 35.47 34.98 16.26 3.48 4
E Company-employee relationship
1 Companies are stable employers. 3.45 8.37 36.45 33.99 17.73 3.54 4
2 Companies invest in employee training and 0.00 3.45 27.09 38.42 31.03 3.97 2
development programs.
345
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

3 Companies offer competitive compensation 0.49 1.97 19.21 52.22 26.11 4.01 1
and benefit packages.
4 Companies offer equal-opportunity 1.97 14.78 24.63 33.00 25.62 3.66 3
employment.
F Environmental responsibility
1 Companies should take care of the environment 0.00 0.99 9.85 30.54 58.62 4.47 1
(e.g. participate in the rationalization of energy
consumption and in environmentally friendly
activities).
2 Companies should avoid damaging the 0.00 2.96 10.34 28.08 58.62 4.42 2
environment as a part of their strategies.
3 Companies should contribute to the upkeep of 0.00 1.97 18.23 35.47 44.33 4.22 4
the environment.
4 Companies should have waste minimization 0.49 3.94 22.66 29.56 43.35 4.11 5
and recycling programs.
5 Companies should encourage their staff to 0.49 2.96 19.70 26.11 50.74 4.24 3
conserve natural resources and energy in the
society in which they operate.

7.3 Perceived benefits of corporate social responsibility

The results in Table 3 suggest that all proposed statements related to the motivations behind
corporates’ participation in social events and activities with the exception of the final statement,
which falls in the neutral rating (mean = 2.58) received a high level of agreement from the
majority of respondents, as is clear from the overall sample mean values of 3.23 or above. The
following statements are considered the most important motivations and are rated the top three
perceived benefits by respondents:

1. Improve public image/reputation (mean = 4.44)

2. Increase customer loyalty and satisfaction (mean = 4.29)
3. Increase support from the community (mean = 4.27).

These results could be explained on the grounds that, in the view of participants, the motivations
and benefits behind corporates’ CSR practices are to strengthen their competitive position among
others in the market, increase the number of deals and their share prices, and foster political and
community support. Overall, these findings lend support to the predictions suggested by
stakeholder theory. Based on the above findings, it is noteworthy that corporates practice social
activities in different mechanisms, in order to achieve their goals. In this sense, corporates
employ different strategies to disclose information about their social and environmental
performance, and this may help to influence public opinion (Haider and Nishitani, 2020). The
study results are in line with those of Tan and Komaran (2006), who observe that social and
environmental friendliness are highly rated. Moreover, participants’ responses clearly indicate
that they did not give a high ranking to the last item, “no benefit”, and therefore it is found in the

346
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

last position. It could be argued that this result takes into account the fact that participants
believe that a number of motivations encourage companies to participate in social activities and
national campaigns, and this is consistent with the propositions of stakeholder theory.

Table 3: Perceived benefits of CSR practices

Statement Whole Rank
sample
mean
Improve public image/reputation 4.44 1
Increase brand image 4.19 5
Increase support from the community 4.27 3
Improve employee morale 4.26 4
Increase customer loyalty and satisfaction 4.29 2

Reduce criticism from the public 3.75 13

Enhance investors’ confidence 3.96 10
Attract quality employees 4.19 5
Enhance employee loyalty 4.13 7
Increase sales 4.00 8
Minimize regulatory problems 3.98 9
Minimize restrictive regulations 3.79 12
Improve market price of shares 3.96 10
Others 3.23 14
No benefit 2.58 15

7.4 Testing the research hypotheses

This section presents and analyzes the results of testing the three research hypotheses related to
the issue of whether sociodemographic factors, including gender, academic phase, and working
during study, influence the students’ perceptions of CSR.

7.4.1 Testing H1: Gender and CSR

The Mann-Whitney (M-W) tests were used to examine the differences between genders in the
level of awareness of and importance allocated to each of the six primary corporate
responsibilities. Table 4 shows that economic responsibility was the only primary corporate
responsibility that showed a significant difference between the genders (p < 0.10). Unexpectedly,
males placed more emphasis on economic responsibility than females, with mean ranks of
112.38 and 96.05, respectively. However, the remaining five primary corporate responsibilities
did not show any significant difference, when the gender dimension was considered. This result
may be interpreted on the grounds that, as future accountants/businessmen in Kuwait, male

347
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

accounting students believe that profit is an important measure for successful corporates and
enhances their competitive position in the market, more than their female counterparts do. Thus,
these findings do not support the research’s hypothesis. This finding is consistent with that of
Tan and Komaran (2006), who observed a significant difference in CSR rating due to gender.

Table 4: Results of testing hypothesis 1

Primary Gender Mean rank Z p-value
corporate
responsibilities
Economic res. Male 112.38 1.927 .054*

Female 96.05
Legal res. Male 102.02 .004 .997

Female 101.99
Ethical res. Male 99.89 .392 .695

Female 103.21
Stewardship Male 102.24 .044 .965
Principle
Female 101.86
Company– Male 101.75 .046 .963
employee
relationship Female 102.14
Environmental Male 100.90 .204 .838
res.
Female 102.63
⁎ p < .10.

7.4.2 Testing H2: Academic phase and CSR

The Kruskal Wallis (KW) tests were employed to assess the second assumption, “higher-
academic phase accounting students pay more attention to the six primary corporate
responsibilities than lower-academic phase students”. As depicted in Table 5, it can be concluded
that there are only statistically significant differences in the views of participants regarding
ethical responsibility (p < 0.05). Senior accounting students (4th academic phase) pay greater
attention to ethical responsibility than other students from different academic phases, with mean
rankings of 83.25, 89.12, 89.09, and 113.79, respectively. On the other hand, the remaining five
main corporate responsibilities did not display any significant differences, when the academic
phase perspective was taken into account.
It could be argued that this result indicates that senior accounting students believe this type of
corporate responsibility has a positive impact on enhancing the corporate’s reputation globally
and locally, as well as its competitive position, compared to the other main responsibilities. Also,
348
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

the results indicate that life experience and academic background and knowledge play a key role
in improving accounting students’ attitudes and views toward primary corporate responsibilities.

Hanifa and Kahar (2015) claim that education institutions which provide their accounting
students, as future accountants, with a good academic background in environmental topics will
have a positive impact on creating accountants who are interested in and aware of environmental
affairs. In line with this, Matten and Moon (2004) and Alonso-Almeida et al. (2015) state that
universities should adopt CSR-related issues in their curricula, to build students' awareness and
help them to make sound decisions when they join the work environment.

Consequently, it can be stated that these results lend support to the study’s proposition regarding
the academic phase of students, in the case of ethical responsibility but not in respect of the other
five primary corporate responsibilities. These findings are similar to those of Alonso-Almeida et
al. (2015), who found significant differences in CSR perception between entry-level and upper-
level students. Their results reveal that upper-level students have a more positive perception of
CSR than entry-level students.

Table 5: Results of testing hypothesis 2

Primary
Academic Mean
corporate ꭓ2 Df p-value
phase rank
responsibilities
Economic res. 1st Year 77.63 1.758 3
2nd Year 106.60
0.624
3rd Year 96.63
4th Year 105.20
Legal res. 1st Year 124.63 1.495 3
2nd Year 92.16
0.683
3rd Year 100.94
4th Year 104.12
Ethical res. 1st Year 83.25 9.337 3
2nd Year 89.12
0.025*
3rd Year 89.09
4th Year 113.79
Stewardship 1st Year
91.63 .886 3
principle

2nd Year 103.52

0.829
3rd Year 97.22

4th Year 105.02

349
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

Company– 1st Year

84.13 2.518 3
employee
relationship
2nd Year 117.00 0.472
3rd Year 97.00

4th Year 102.29

Environmental 1st Year 117.00 1.013 3

res. 2nd Year 94.52
0.798
3rd Year 99.65
4th Year 104.66

⁎ p < .05.

7.4.3 Testing H3: Working during study and CSR

The Mann-Whitney (M-W) tests were conducted to assess the differences in the level of
awareness of and importance placed on each of the six primary corporate responsibilities by
accounting students with work experience and those with no work experience. Ethical
responsibility and stewardship responsibility were the primary corporate responsibilities that
showed a significant difference between students with work experience and those without work
experience (p < 0.10) (see Table 6). Unexpectedly, accounting students without work experience
give greater importance to ethical responsibility than other colleagues with work experience,
with mean ranks of 81.31 and 105.04, respectively. This finding is consistent with that of
Alonso-Almeida et al. (2015), who failed to find significant differences in CSR perception
among business students, with respect to work experience.

Another result is that, as expected, accounting students with work experience give greater
importance to stewardship responsibility than their non-working counterparts, with mean ranks
of 121.27 and 99.17, respectively. This finding was expected and consistent with Alonso-
Almeida et al.’s (2015) argument that a company is a multi-objective organization rather than an
entity serving one single objective. On the other hand, no statistical differences were found in the
other four primary corporate responsibilities, when the work experience attribute was taken into
consideration.

350
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

Table 6: Results of testing hypothesis 3

Primary corporate responsibilities Working during Mean Z p-value
study rank
Economic res. Yes 109.35 .690 0.490
No 100.92
Legal res. Yes 95.27 .634 0.526
No 102.99
Ethical res. Yes 81.31 1.942 0.052*
No 105.04
Stewardship principle Yes 121.27 1.810 0.070*
No 99.17
Company–employee relationship Yes 94.75 .678 0.498
No 103.06
Environmental res. Yes 107.06 .475 0.635
No 101.26

⁎ p < .10.

8. Conclusion, Limitations and Future Studies

This paper explores the perceptions and knowledge of the GUST accounting students in respect
of CSR. Further, the paper tests whether sociodemographic factors, such as gender, academic
phase, and working during study, influence the students’ perceptions of CSR. To achieve these
objectives, the differences in the level of awareness of and interest accounting students showed
in CSR philosophy and activities was examined. A questionnaire was developed from previous
studies. Data collected from the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics, level of
agreement and non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney and Kruskal Wallis tests).

The results imply that the accounting students in Kuwait have a reasonable knowledge about key
components of corporate responsibility. The results also revealed that students show a strong
concern about environmental issues. The analysis further indicated that improved public image,
increased customer loyalty and satisfaction, and increased support from the community are
considered the most important motivations for a company to be involved in social activities.
With the exception of economic responsibility, there is no significant difference between males
and females as to the other five components of CSR. Moreover, based on their academic phase
aspect, there is significant difference between students’ perceptions regarding ethical
responsibilities alone. The result of the third factor tested, working during study, revealed that
there is a significant difference between those who are employed in work during their studies and
those who are not, as regards ethical responsibility and the stewardship principle.

351
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

Young people such as accounting students are members of the community and play a crucial role
in it. Overall, they are eager to obtain a better life and progress in the accounting profession and
business environment. Moreover, the results of the study imply that accounting students have a
reasonable knowledge about key components of corporate responsibilities; thus, it is worthwhile
for academic institutions in Kuwait to widen education issues related to social activities, and this
may improve the students’ knowledge and awareness about these topics before starting their
professional life. As an example, in the context of CSR education, Kaya et al. (2014) proposed
that, when corporates are aware of their stakeholder groups’ expectations, they tend to recruit
people who are influenced by social effects such as SR education. Hence, it is crucial to provide
degree programs with awareness about SR for the future work force.

The current study has some limitations, and this provides a good opportunity to recommend
future research streams. Future research may utilize another data-gathering method such as the
interview technique, a qualitative approach, to support the outcomes of this study. Further
research could be conducted by including business students from other majors, as future
managers, in order to gain a deeper understanding of their views and attitudes regarding the
concept of CSR and its policies and practices. Other promising research issues derive from
undertaking a comparative study between business students in private universities and those in
public universities, regarding their perceptions of corporate social activities’ engagement, since a
difference is expected in the levels of importance and value that students place on these topics.
Further insight could also be gained by comparing the views of graduate/MBA students from
private and public universities on corporate social performance. On a different point, the
education on CSR matters has a vital role to play in building and developing the skills and
abilities of business students, as young people who will become future accountants and
managers, in terms of education and ethics, and this may have a positive impact on them, by
enhancing their sense of caring SR and its importance. Consequently, it is important to explore
the instructors’ perceptions and views regarding the role of the education system in teaching
CSR issues as a part of the curriculum.

352
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

REFERENCES

Aguilera, R. V., Rupp, D. E., Williams, C. A., & Ganapathi, J. (2007). Putting the S back in
corporate social responsibility: A multilevel theory of social change in organizations. The
Academy of Management Review, Vol. 32 (3), pp. 836-863.
Ahmad, N. S., & Mousa, F. R. (2010). Corporate environmental disclosure in Libya: A little
improvement. World Journal of Entrepreneurship. Management and Sustainable
Development, Vol. 6 (1/2), pp. 149-159.
Alanezi, F., & Alfraih, M. (2011). Determinants of students' choice of an accounting major at
Kuwait University. GSTF Business Review (GBR), Vol. 1 (1), pp. 39-43.
Alfraih, M., & Alanezi, F. S. (2016). Accounting Students’ Perceptions of Effective Faculty
Attributes. Journal of International Education in Business, Vol. 9 (2), pp. 123-142.
doi:10.1108/JIEB-04-2016-0004.
Alfraih, M. M., & Almutawa, A. M. (2014). Firm-specific characteristics and corporate financial
disclosure: Evidence from an emerging market. International Journal of Accounting and
Taxation, Vol. 2 (3), pp. 55-78.
Alfraih, M. M., & Almutawa, A. M. (2017). Voluntary disclosure and corporate governance:
Empirical evidence from Kuwait. International Journal of Law and Management. Vol. 59
(2), pp. 217-236.
Alonso‐Almeida, M. d. M., Fernández de Navarrete, F. C., & Rodriguez‐Pomeda, J. (2015).
Corporate social responsibility perception in business students as future managers: A
multifactorial analysis. Business Ethics: A European Review, Vol. 24 (1), pp. 1-17.
Al-Shammari, B. (2008). Voluntary disclosure in Kuwait corporate annual reports. Review of
Business Research, Vol. 8 (1), pp. 62-81.
Asemah, E. S., Okpanachi, R. A., & Olumuji, E. (2013). Universities and corporate social
responsibility performance: An implosion of the reality. African Research Review, Vol. 7
(4), pp. 195-224.
Barnett, M. L., & Salomon, R. M. (2012). Does it pay to be really good? Addressing the shape of
the relationship between social and financial performance. Strategic Management
Journal, Vol. 33, pp. 1304-1320.
Burcea, M., & Marinescu, P. (2011). Students’ perceptions of corporate social responsibility at
the academic level case study: The Faculty of Administration and Business, University of
Bucharest. Amfiteatru Economic, Vol. 8 (29).

CBA. (2019). About the College of Business Administration (CBA), Kuwait University.
Available at: http://www.cba.edu.kw/COBA/AboutCBA/index.htm (accessed 15
December 2019).
Clarkson, M. E. (1995). A stakeholder framework for analyzing and evaluating corporate social
performance. Academy of Management Review, Vol. 20 (1), pp. 92-117.
353
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

Commission of the European Communities. (2001). Promoting a European framework for

corporate social responsibility (Green Paper). Brussels, Belgium: Author.
Elobeid, D. E., Lele, U., & Kaifi, B. A. (2016). Corporate social responsibility in higher
education institutions: The experience of the College of Business and Economics at
Qassim University. International Leadership Journal, Vol. 8 (1).
Fitzpatrick, J., & Cheng, J. (2013). An investigation of United States and Hong Kong business
students’ perceptions of corporate social responsibility. Journal of Academic and
Business Ethics, pp. 1-20.
Freeman, R., & Emshoff, J. (1979). Who’s butting into your business’. The Wharton Magazine,
pp. 44-48.
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Marshfield, MA:
Pitman Publishing Inc.
Freeman, R. E., & Reed, D. L. (1983). Stockholders and stakeholders: A new perspective on
corporate governance. California Management Review, Vol. 25 (3), pp. 88-106.
Galant, A., & Cadez, S. (2017). Corporate social responsibility and financial performance
relationship: A review of measurement approaches. Economic Research, Vol. 30 (1), pp.
676-693.
Gavin, J. F., & Maynard, W. S. (1975). Perceptions of corporate social responsibility. Personnel
Psychology, Vol. 28 (3), pp. 377-387.
González-Rodríguez, M. R., Díaz-Fernández, M. C., Pawlak, M., & Simonetti, B. (2012).
Perceptions of students university of corporate social responsibility. Quality & Quantity,
Vol. 47 (4), pp. 2361-2377.
GUST. (2019a). President's Welcome, Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST).
Available at: https://www.gust.edu.kw/about-us/president_welcome (accessed 23
December 2019).
GUST. (2019b). Accounting Department, Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST).
Available at: https://www.gust.edu.kw/business_administration/accounting_mis
(accessed 23 December 2019).

Haider, M. B., & Nishitani, K. (2020). Views of corporate managers on assurance of

sustainability reporting: Evidence from Japan. International Journal of Disclosure and
Governance, pp. 1-19.
Ham, M., Pap, A., & Pezic, M. (2015). The attitudes of business students towards corporate
social responsibility: Evidence from Eastern Croatia. Economy of Eastern Croatia
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, Vol. 4, pp. 693-702.
Hanifa, S., & Kahar, A. (2015). Green accounting: Comprehension of accounting students. Paper
presented at the International Conference on Economics and Banking (iceb-15).

354
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

Hewaidy, A. M. (2016). Social and environmental disclosure in corporate annual reports:

Evidence from Kuwait. International Journal of Social Sciences and Management, Vol. 3
(1), pp. 8-16.
Hilario, J. S. (2014). A comparative analysis of the perceptions of accounting and business
administration students on corporate social responsibility (CSR). International Journal of
Education and Research, Vol. 2 (11), pp. 287-296.
Hossain, M., Islam, K., & Andrew, J. (2006). Corporate social and environmental disclosure in
developing countries: Evidence from Bangladesh. In Proceedings of the Asian Pacific
Conference on International Accounting Issues, Hawaii, October 2006.
Kaya, Ç., Ötken, A. B., & Okan, E. Y. (2014). Turkish students’ perceptions of social
responsibility and voluntarism. MIBES Transactions, Vol. 8, pp. 56-67.
KPMG. (2017). The road ahead: The KPMG Survey of Corporate Responsibility Reporting
2017. KPMG International.
March, J. G., & Simon, H. A. (1958). Organizations. New York: Wiley.
Matten, D., & Moon, J. (2004). Corporate social responsibility education in Europe. Journal of
Business Ethics, Vol. 54 (4), pp. 323-337.
Moorthy, M., Arokiasamy, L., & Chelliah, T. (2010). Corporate social responsibility: Awareness
level among undergraduates. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in
Business, Vol. 2 (2), pp. 440-460.
Nazari, K., Parvizi, M., & Emami, M. (2012). Corporate social responsibility: Approaches and
perspectives. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, Vol. 3 (9),
pp. 554-563.
Parmar, B. L., Freeman, R. E., Harrison, J. S., Wicks, A. C., Purnell, P., & de Colle, S. (2010).
Stakeholder theory: The state of the art. The Academy of Management Annals, Vol. 4,
pp. 403-445.
Parviainen, T., Lehikoinen, A., Kuikka, S., & Haapasaari, P. (2018). How can stakeholders
promote environmental and social responsibility in the shipping industry? WMU Journal
of Maritime Affairs, Vol. 17 (1), pp. 49-70.
Pirsch, J., Gupta, S., & Grau, S. L. (2007). A framework for understanding corporate social
responsibility programs as a continuum: An exploratory study. Journal of Business
Ethics, Vol. 70 (2), pp. 125-140.
Post, F. R. (2003). A response to the social responsibility of corporate management: A classical
critique. Mid-American Journal of Business, Vol. 18 (1), pp. 25-35.
PUC. (2019). Accredited Institutions, Private Universities’ Council (PUC). Available at:
http://www.puc.edu.kw (accessed 12 December 2019).
Ravi Kiran, A. S. (2011). Corporate social responsibility and management education: Changing
perception and perspectives. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, Vol.
11 (6) 1.0, pp. 56-67.

355
 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net
Volume 14, Issue 9, 2020

Schaefer, S. D., Terlutter, R., & Diehl, S. (2020). Talking about CSR matters: Employees’
perception of and reaction to their company’s CSR communication in four different CSR
domains. International Journal of Advertising, Vol. 39 (2), pp. 191-212.
Shuaib, S. A. (1992). Chapter 7 - Professional certification process and accounting education in
Kuwait. In K. Anyane-Ntow (ed.), International Handbook of Accounting Education and
Certification (pp. 107-125). Amsterdam: Pergamon.
Tan, G., & Komaran, R. (2006). Perceptions of corporate social responsibility: An empirical
study in Singapore. Submitted for the 19th Annual International Conference on Advances
in Management, Lisbon, 1, Research Collection Lee Kong China School of Business.
Teixeira, A., Ferreira, M. R., Correia, A., & Lima, V. (2018). Students’ perceptions of corporate
social responsibility: evidences from a Portuguese higher education institution.
International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Vol. 15 (2), pp. 235-252.
Van der Putten, F. P. (2005). A research agenda for international corporate social responsibility.
NRG Working Paper series no. 05-09. Available at:
http://www.nyenrode.nl/research/publications (accessed 26 Feb. 2020).
Vázquez, J. L., Lanero, A., & Licandro, O. (2013). Corporate social responsibility and higher
education: Uruguay university students 'perceptions 1. Economics & Sociology, Vol. 6
(2), p. 145.
Waddock, S., & Smith, N. (2000). Relationships: The real challenge of corporate global
citizenship. Business and Society Review, Vol. 105, pp. 47-62.
Weber, M. (2008). The business case for corporate social responsibility: A company level
measurement approach for CSR. European Management Journal, Vol. 26, pp. 247-261.
Windsor, D. (2001). The future of corporate responsibility. International Journal of
Organizational Analysis, Vol. 9 (3), pp. 225-56.
Wong, A., Long, F., & Elankumaran, S. (2010). Business students' perception of corporate social
responsibility: The United States, China, and India. Corporate Social Responsibility and
Environmental Management, Vol. 17 (5), pp. 299-310.

356