Strategic management of social responsibilities: a mixed methods study of US universities

IMPACT It is vital that social responsibilities become part of nonprofit or public organizations' strategic management. Strategic management of social responsibilities implies continuous attention to these responsibilities-not only during strategic planning but also throughout strategy implementation. Organizations need to assess whether they are mission-focused, planningfocused, opportunity-focused or `savvy' strategists in terms of their strategic management of social responsibilities. Many organizations are planning-focused, indicating aspirations towards social responsibilities in strategic plans without embedding these in concrete implementation activities. Creating centres, offices, and programmes focused on social responsibilities will help to counter this. Moreover, embedding social responsibilities into funding opportunities is also a way to signal more continuous attention. ABSTRACT How are social responsibilities integrated in strategic management? This article describes a framework for strategic management of social responsibilities that was tested on 58 universities in the USA. The mixed methods research, using an integrated dual analytic approach, features integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data were drawn from university websites as strategic management outputs are often communicated online to highlight a university's unique selling proposition in a competitive market. Most universities are planning-focused, implying that social responsibilities are embedded in strategic plans but not in implementation activities (specifically, comprehensive fundraising campaigns). Recommendations for research and practice on strategic management of social responsibilities are discussed.