Monografico_8_EN_Doxa_27

The State Council for Corporate Social Responsibility (CERSE) an advisory body of the Spanish Government, currently the Ministry for Employment and Social Security under the General Directorate for the Self-employed, Social Economy and Social Responsibility of Companies, includes the working group “Education, Training and Dissemination of CSR” as one of several working groups.

In October 2014 the Council of Ministers passed the Spanish Strategy for Corporate Social Responsibility 2014-2020 in response to the EU recommendations in their Renewed strategy on Corporate Social Responsibility, with the aim of “ad-vancing towards a more competitive, productive, sustainable and inclusive society and economy” (Ministerio de Empleo y Seguridad Social (MESS, 2015:1).

This document, which aims to conceptualize and reach a consensus on the importance of CSR in private companies, pub-lic administration and in society in general, includes among its objectives “To disseminate the values of CSR in society as a whole” (MESS, 2015: 30). In addition, within its lines of action it specifies the “Integration of CSR in education, training and research” (MESS, 2015: 31). Also, among the measures proposed it indicates “To promote CSR studies in both profes-sional training centres and undergraduate university courses, as well as in research centres” (MESS, 2015: 37). All of which derive from the following consideration:

Education in values of responsible behaviour, training in socially responsible management techniques and research geared towards the effective application of its criteria are the basic cornerstones for accelerating change in the way of thinking and sustainable action for generations now and in the future (MESS, 2015: 36).

And as is well known, universities are responsible for:

- Offering high-level training in scientific, professional, humanistic, artistic and technical fields.

- Contributing to economic competitiveness and sustainable human development.

- Promoting the generation, development and dissemination of knowledge in all its forms.

- Contributing to the preservation of national culture and the development of attitudes and values.

- Training people to be responsible, with and ethical and caring conscience, who are thoughtful, innovative, critical, capable of improving the quality of life, reinforcing respect for the environment, for the country’s institutions and the validity of the democratic order (Díaz de Iparraguirre, 2008: 4).

What is more, as the Team coordinator of University makes a Country (Universidad Construye Pais) points out, (Fernán-dez, Delpiano, & De Ferari, 2006), the greatest contribution that higher education centres can offer society is, precisely, that of training qualified professionals who are committed, sensitive and capable of valuing the consequences of their professional practice.

Vallaeys, De la Cruz and Sasia (2009) summarise as four interdependent processes the self-regulation of corporative man-agement in relation to the definitions and practices of social responsibility, in such a way that these processes confirm the social nature of the organization and aid its position in society. The processes referred to are: