Building Trust in Higher Education Institutions: Using Congruence to Overcome Scepticism and Increase Credibility, Reputation, and Student Employability Through CSR

The purpose of this study is to understand how students perceive social responsibility in HEIs, based on scepticism and congruence, and how it impacts HEIs´ desired outcomes like credibility, reputation, and the employability of their students. Moreover, the importance of the impact on credibility is highlighted, investigating its influence on reputation and employability. The study is based on cross-sectional data collected through a structured questionnaire using two samples of HEIs students: one had 430 Brazilian students, and the other 321 Portuguese students enrolled in different public and private HEIs. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) is used to test the proposed hypotheses. Results show that scepticism and congruence significantly influence the social responsibility perceptions of students. CSR perceptions significantly influence student employability, reinforced by their impact on reputation and credibility. The findings help to guide the marketing management actions of HEIs regarding building student preference, loyalty, and retention. The findings help to guide the marketing management actions of HEIs, especially regarding building student preference, loyalty, and retention.