Studentų požiūris į socialiai atsakingo verslo siekius Lietuvoje

Abstract

Ensuring sustainable, environmentally friendly economic growth, people’s health, and quality of life remains one of the main goals of every country. The realisation of these goals highly depends on creating and implementing socially responsible business products and services in the practical activities of companies encompassing economic, social and environmental factors. In today’s global and unfortunately restless world, it is very important not only to educate but also know the attitude, perceptions, aspirations, and values of young people (students), which are expressed by socially responsible businesses in the context of the global and harmonious development of Lithuania as a country. The article aims to reveal students’ attitudes towards the aspirations of socially responsible businesses in Lithuania and their intentions to start their own socially responsible business. The study involved 103 students of Panevėžys kolegija HEI studying accounting and logistics. The analysis of the data obtained during the research was carried out using the methods of scientific literature analysis and questionnaire survey. The research data were processed by the SPSS program. The statistical methods used include descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, and Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis statistical criteria. The research results revealed that for most students, it is important that Lithuanian companies operate following the principles of social responsibility. From the students’ point of view, the most important issues are product quality assurance, health protection, wage, enforcement of workers’ rights, and ecological waste management. The least important are the issues promoted by social integration, ethical advertising, innovativeness and economic benefits of products, development, and population employment. It was found that students evaluate one-third of the aspirations of socially responsible business differently depending on their study programme and age. Most of the surveyed students support introducing socially responsible businesses in Lithuania. After comparing the attitude of students of accounting and logistics towards implementing socially responsible business in Lithuania, it was revealed that more than half of accounting and one-third of logistics students support the implementation of socially responsible business in Lithuania. The analysis of students’ intentions to start personal socially responsible business showed that more than half of the students of accounting and logistics are planning to start private socially responsible businesses or have not yet fully decided.