A Responsabilidade Social da Universidade na Formação de Capital Humano e como Ferramenta de Desenvolvimento Local Sustentável: os casos da UTAD e da UNIFOR
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2012
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Desde o início do século XX, a preocupação com o tema da responsabilidade social das empresas fez incrementar novos conceitos e comportamentos que exigem da sociedade, e de todos os stakeholders, que assumam o seu dever de participar do processo de desenvolvimento social, humano, econômico, político, cultural e ambiental.
O combate às desigualdades sociais e ao abismo cultural que divide os cidadãos, a promoção do desenvolvimento e do bem-estar do ser humano, não são tarefas exclusivas do Estado, elas perpassam por todas as instituições. A construção de uma sociedade mais justa, equanime e fraterna torna-se compromisso individual e da coletividade. Nesse contexto social encontram-se as universidades, formadoras de novos saberes, forjas da responsabilidade social. A educação torna o ser humano mais produtivo ao longo da vida e contribui, de forma eficaz, para o progresso e o crescimento econômico (g)local.
Nesta investigação, procurou-se dar um contributo para melhor entendimento sobre a questão de como as universidades, por meio da responsabilidade social, tem contribuído na formação de capital humano, na construção do capital social e ainda como podem causar impacto no desenvolvimento local sustentável por meio da capacitação profissional. A Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro - UTAD, situada na região norte de Portugal e a Universidade de Fortaleza - UNIFOR, localizada no nordeste do Brasil, foram campos de estudos de investigação e analise deste trabalho, tendo por base um modelo teórico original composto por quatro dimensões: Na análise de dados, recolhidos através de entrevista aos gestores das instituições e de questionários e entrevistas aos alunos dos cursos de capacitação, recorreu-se à análise de conteúdo e à modelação de equações estruturais.
As universidades, UTAD e UNIFOR, apesar das diferenças estruturais, organizacionais e culturais, apresentam o compromisso com o desenvolvimento econômico e social da região onde estão inseridas e promovem projetos de responsabilidade social em diversas áreas do conhecimento, onde se destacam notadamente os projetos educacionais a nível da capacitação profissional.
Os resultados obtidos neste estudo mostraram que as universidades: i) investem no capital humano, com a oferta de cursos gratuitos de capacitação profissional, baseados na demanda e características da região; ii) promovem a melhoria da qualidade de vida das pessoas que vivem nas regiões circunvizinhas às instituições; iii) incentivam a criação de empresas e de novos negócios, na promoção da inovação e do empreendedorismo; iv) formam profissionais de excelência, comprometidos e conscientes com os problemas sociais; v) promovem a auto-estima e a credibilidade entre as pessoas da mesma comunidade, isto é, investem no capital social e vi) tornam-se agentes transformadores e instrumentos de desenvolvimento local sustentável.
Since the early twentieth century, concerns about the corporate social responsibility led to an increasing number of new concepts and behaviors that require the society and all stakeholders to take their duty to participate in the social, human, economic, political, cultural and environmental development process. The struggle against social inequalities and cultural chasm that divides the citizens, promoting development and welfare of human beings, are not exclusive of the State, they permeate all institutions. Building a fairer society, equal and fraternal, becomes an individual and collective commitment. In this social context are the universities, forming new knowledge, forging social responsibility. Education makes the human being productive throughout life and contributes, effectively, to the progress and economic (g)local growth. In this investigation, we have tried to make a contribution to better understanding on how universities, through social responsibility, have contributed to the development of human capital, building social capital, and on how they may impact on local sustainable development through vocational training. The University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro – UTAD, located in northern Portugal, and the University of Fortaleza – UNIFOR, located in northeastern Brazil, were the subject of analysis of this work, based on a theoretical model, composed of four dimensions. The data was collected through interviews to the managers of institutions and questionnaires and interviews with students of the training courses. Content analysis and structural equation modeling has been used for generating the results. Universities, UTAD and UNIFOR, despite the structural, organizational and cultural differences, have an evident commitment with the economic and social development of the region where they operate and promote social responsibility projects in various areas of knowledge, notably, the professional training educational projects. The results of this study showed that the universities are: i) investing in human capital by offering free courses of professional training, based on the demand and characteristics of the region, ii) promoting the improvement of welfare of the people who lives in the region of the institutions, iii) encouraging entrepreneurship and new business opportunities, iv) training professionals of excellence, committed and conscious about the social problems, v) promoting self-esteem and credibility among people of the same community, i.e., invest in social capital and vi) becoming agents and instruments of local sustainable development.
Since the early twentieth century, concerns about the corporate social responsibility led to an increasing number of new concepts and behaviors that require the society and all stakeholders to take their duty to participate in the social, human, economic, political, cultural and environmental development process. The struggle against social inequalities and cultural chasm that divides the citizens, promoting development and welfare of human beings, are not exclusive of the State, they permeate all institutions. Building a fairer society, equal and fraternal, becomes an individual and collective commitment. In this social context are the universities, forming new knowledge, forging social responsibility. Education makes the human being productive throughout life and contributes, effectively, to the progress and economic (g)local growth. In this investigation, we have tried to make a contribution to better understanding on how universities, through social responsibility, have contributed to the development of human capital, building social capital, and on how they may impact on local sustainable development through vocational training. The University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro – UTAD, located in northern Portugal, and the University of Fortaleza – UNIFOR, located in northeastern Brazil, were the subject of analysis of this work, based on a theoretical model, composed of four dimensions. The data was collected through interviews to the managers of institutions and questionnaires and interviews with students of the training courses. Content analysis and structural equation modeling has been used for generating the results. Universities, UTAD and UNIFOR, despite the structural, organizational and cultural differences, have an evident commitment with the economic and social development of the region where they operate and promote social responsibility projects in various areas of knowledge, notably, the professional training educational projects. The results of this study showed that the universities are: i) investing in human capital by offering free courses of professional training, based on the demand and characteristics of the region, ii) promoting the improvement of welfare of the people who lives in the region of the institutions, iii) encouraging entrepreneurship and new business opportunities, iv) training professionals of excellence, committed and conscious about the social problems, v) promoting self-esteem and credibility among people of the same community, i.e., invest in social capital and vi) becoming agents and instruments of local sustainable development.
Descrição
Tese de Doutoramento em Gestão
Palavras-chave
Capital social , Desenvolvimento sustentável , Capital humano , Responsabilidade social da universidade