Does the sustainability of universities influence their organizational legitimacy? / ¿La sostenibilidad de las universidades influye en su legitimidad organizativa?

Abstract

Current explanations of the business consequences of achieving sustainability goals are incomplete. This paper provides empirical evidence of the effect of environmental and social sustainability on organizational legitimacy. Using structural equation modelling, in a sample of 77 Spanish state and private universities, the results show that achieving environmental and social sustainability goals positively influences organizational legitimacy. Furthermore, there is a positive relationship between environmental sustainability and social sustainability. In the field of legitimacy, this research expands our knowledge on the antecedents of organizational legitimacy. In the field of sustainability, it sheds light on the effects of environmental and social sustainability on organizations. At the same time, we provide empirical support to the link between environmental and social sustainability. For practising professionals, the results justify the relevance of actions supporting environmental and social sustainability.