**6. Proposal of USR management tool**

In order to develop USR in a proper and formal way within HEIs, social responsibility should be introduced in the strategic planning of the university [64]. In this line, the HEIs are managed by the university strategic management, which is composed by the technical and human team in charge of managing activities related to the university work and tasks. This process is imple‐ mented in cyclical steps through three important sections: planning, execution and evaluation at different levels (institutional, sectorial, unit and individual) [65].

Moreover, university strategic management must include in its strategic plan the mission, vision and definition of objectives and actions, ensuring an appropriate use of resources to serve to its social mission and the development of internal and external diagnostics. The con‐ ceptual proposal is presented as follows (**Figure 2**).

**Figure 2.** Role of the USR into the universities.

**3.** Social scope, referred to the participation of universities into society activities to boost

**4.** Cognitive scope, related to the generation of knowledge that contributes to solve social challenges, linked with theoretical approaches, lines of research, processes of production

Thus, when universities evaluate their impacts, it can be considered that university imple‐ ments a cycle of continuous improvements toward the effective fulfilment of its social mis‐ sion through four processes: (1) ethical and environmental management of the institution; (2) formation of responsible and supportive citizens; (3) production and dissemination of socially relevant knowledge and (4) social participation in promoting a more humane and sustainable development model [10]. Therefore, we must also emphasize that the importance of the USR comes from the commitment to society where HEIs must generate a dynamic of

This chapter in order to provide evidences of the USR practices and their integration in uni‐ versity strategic programs made a content analysis of the web pages of the authors of the con‐ tribution. A content analysis of the University of Cadiz—UCA—and Polytechnic University

Source: USR practices extracted from the web pages of the universities, UCA: http://www. uca.es/vrsocial/funciones and UPC: https://www.upc.edu/rsu/es/eliminar/las‐acciones‐

In both universities, we identified several cultural, environmental and educational activities related to the integration of social responsibility in university activities. Most of these activities are focusing in two of the most important stakeholder groups for the universities: the employ‐ ee's staff and the students. In the specific case of the UPC, the web page classified these activities in four specific groups, aimed at satisfying and introducing socially responsible orientation in: research, teaching, organization and reflection. This classification allows us to identify what are the key strategic areas in the implementation of socially responsible practices in universities.

Most of these USR practices also meet the conditions of Burke and Logsdon [12], because they take part from the central aim of the universities, can give a differential position to them, pro‐ vide the capacity to anticipate future stakeholder expectations and are voluntary and visible

Despite the fact that the content analysis is limited to two universities, it represents the first step in the identification of USR activities as well as their integration into strategic programs and plans of universities. Hence, we proposed the use of USR management tool for those

In order to develop USR in a proper and formal way within HEIs, social responsibility should be introduced in the strategic planning of the university [64]. In this line, the HEIs are managed

universities, which are interested in integrating responsible initiatives.

of Catalonia—UPC—allows the identification of several USR practices (**Table 1**).

plenty welfare into its community.

208 Corporate Governance and Strategic Decision Making

and dissemination of knowledge.

change toward a more fair society [63].

que‐hacemos‐en‐la‐upc

in the university web pages.

**6. Proposal of USR management tool**

Therefore, it is necessary to identify how this perception could be included in the strategic plan, which includes mainly the integration of USR as philosophy of planning strategic actions (**Figure 2**). University strategic management should be oriented to evaluate the ful‐ filment of the needs and expectations of the stakeholders tracing the course of the univer‐ sity, which must be based on the USR.

Thus, university strategic management will succeed if managers are able to respond to stake‐ holder's needs and create welfare and if they are capable of gaining trust and generating cooperation between all university stakeholders.
