Are business students at Jesuit universities more socially responsible?

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of different types of collegiate education by examining collegiate business students' sentiment toward marketing. Design/methodology/approach – Students attending marketing classes at two universities (a Jesuit university and a state university) in the same region in the USA were sampled. The questionnaires included the Index of Consumer Sentiment toward Marketing (ICSM). Findings – For overall sentiment toward marketing and for each of the aspects of marketing, significant (at the 0.05 level) differences are noted. In each instance, students attending the state university report more positive sentiment toward marketing than students attending the Jesuit university. Research limitations/implications – The sample is comprised of students attending only two universities located in the same region. Practical implications – The findings suggest that students attending Jesuit universities may possess more negative sentiment toward marketing than students attending the state university. The increased emphasis on social justice and social responsibility at the Jesuit university may increase the standards with which their students evaluate marketers. Business students from Jesuit universities may be more likely to act socially responsibly than business students from state universities in their subsequent employment. Originality/value – Jesuit colleges of business purport to produce students who are more socially responsible than students attending colleges of business at state universities, but these claims have not been examined empirically.