Introduction: There is overwhelming evidence that companies with women on their boards of directors have higher levels of Corporate Social Responsibility. The relation between professional women and collective or organisational responsibility has been widely studied. However, to date there has been little research into the individual attitudes of women towards social responsibility. The purpose of this study is to analyse the differences in attitudes towards social responsibility between men and women in their professional life.Methods: A study sample (N = 524; 347 women; M_edad = 37) was assembled using the LinkedIn social media platform and participants, after providing their informed consent, were asked to answer the Professional Social Responsibility Questionnaire.Results: The results showed significant differences in Professional Social Responsibility between men and women, with moderate effect (t₍₅₂₂₎ = 2.078; p = 0.038; η² = 0.191), in favour of women. The women participants scored higher in the dimensions Discovery of Personal Values (t₍₅₂₂₎ = 2.342; p = 0.020; η² = 0.216) and Social Awareness (t₍₅₂₂₎ = 2.179; p = 0.030; η² = 0.201), both with representative effect sizes.Discussion: These results suggest that the greater commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility of companies with women on their boards of directors is due, in part, to the greater individual or personal social responsibility of women. Higher levels of Discovery of Personal Values and Social Awareness amongst women may also result in better decision-making, ultimately accruing to the benefit of the company in terms of its financial results and reputation.

The Prosocial Tendencies Measure (PTM) and its revised version (PTM-R) are used internationally to measure prosocial behaviors in different life situations. To obtain accumulated evidence of the report and the reliability of its scores, a meta-analysis of the reliability of internal consistency was performed. The databases of Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus were reviewed and all the studies that applied it from 2002 to 2021 were selected. Results: Only 47.9% of the studies presented the index of reliability of PTM and PTM-R. The meta-analytic results of the reliability report of the subscales that the PTM and the PTM-R have in common were: Public 0.78 (95% CI: 0.76–0.80), Anonymous 0.80 (95% CI: 0.79–0.82), Dire 0.74 (95% CI: 0.71–0.76), and Compliant 0.71 (95% CI: 0.72–0.78). Each one of them presents high levels of heterogeneity derived from the gender of the participants (percentage of women), the continent of the population, the validation design, the incentive to participate, and the form of application. It is concluded that both versions present acceptable reliabilities to measure prosocial behavior in different groups and situations, as adolescents and young people, but their clinical use is discouraged.

INTRODUCCIÓN. La Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible exige a la Educación Superior un mayor esfuerzo por crear una conciencia social en los universitarios. No obstante, son pocas las iniciativas encaminadas concretamente al desarrollo de la conciencia social del universitario. La asignatura de “Educación para la Responsabilidad Social”, de una universidad privada de Madrid, busca formar profesionales con conciencia social y comprometidos con el bien común. Veinticinco años después de su implantación en varios grados universitarios, se busca analizar su impacto cuando el egresado ya se encuentra en el desempeño de su profesión. MÉTODO. A través de un estudio empírico ex post facto en el que se analiza un grupo clave (272 sujetos) que cursó la asignatura y un grupo cuasi-control (252 sujetos) que no la cursó, se trata de determinar si existe un efecto diferencial en el grado de responsabilidad social. En concreto: en sus valores, en su conciencia social, en su compromiso con los demás y con el medio ambiente, y en el planteamiento de la profesión como servicio. Se elaboró un instrumento de medida de la Responsabilidad Social del Profesional y posteriormente se confirmó satisfactoriamente su fiabilidad y validez. RESULTADOS. Los resultados muestran que existen diferencias significativas a favor de los profesionales que cursaron la asignatura en la universidad (F(1,522) = 4.25; p = .040; η² = .008). Tienen mayor responsabilidad social global, una mejor percepción de los valores y un mejor planteamiento de la profesión como servicio. DISCUSIÓN. Se espera que se adopten iniciativas similares en otras universidades, con el fin de crear una diferencia significativa en la formación de profesionales socialmente responsables. Se aconseja la creación de programas que potencien la sensibilidad y el compromiso social. Las iniciativas en las que el alumno desarrolla una labor social o tiene un contacto directo con un colectivo en exclusión social son las más educativas.

Universities must confront social challenges and prepare their students to be future socially responsible professionals. This research considers social responsibility in depth and examines how it can be promoted among university students. Specifically, it analyses whether prosocial behaviour and moral values are predictor variables, and to study whether moral values are a mediator variable between prosocial behaviour and university student social responsibility. Non-probabilistic convenience sampling was used in a Spanish university (N = 193; 115 females; Mage = 19). Three scales were applied: the University Student Social Responsibility scale, the Prosocial Tendencies Measures scale and the Importance of Personal and Professional Values scale. The results of the regression models showed that prosocial behaviour and moral values both contributed significantly to the model (F (2,196) = 41.979; p < .001), predicting 30.2% of university student social responsibility. In the mediation model, total effects between the variables were observed, as was an indirect effect of prosocial behaviour on social responsibility mediated by moral values (β = .07; t = 3.80; p < .001). This suggests that university programmes that seek to help the community and enable people to discover values will more effectively be able to develop social responsibility.

The subject "Social Responsibility" is designed to instil a commitment to Sustainable Development Goals among future professionals. The social practicum of the subject consists of 50 hours of service at associations attending the most vulnerable. The aim of this study is to analyse the meaning of this practicum on the lives of alumni who are now working professions. A phenomenological qualitative study was conducted with the participation of 20 people who met the inclusion criteria. The sample was collected using convenience and snowball sampling. The average age was 32 and 60% of the participants were women. Data analysis was carried out in line with Giorgi's (1997) proposal and according to COREQ (2007) guidelines to ensure the quality of the study. The participants indicated that the practicum was a very significant experience in their lives, in which they discovered values such as empathy, justice and respect. They also developed greater social awareness, especially their sensitivity towards the vulnerable or those with disabilities, while also helping them to be more open-minded towards other realities and, in general, to mature. Finally, the participants noted that they learned to regard their profession as a service to society.

Purpose: The purpose is to examine engineering students’ perceptions of soft skills, focussing on the gap between their self-perceived acquisition and the importance attributed to these skills by employers. Particular attention is given to leadership, innovation, ethical and social responsibility, and adaptability as key skills. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on a cross-sectional survey of 344 first-year engineering students (70 females; M age = 18) from two Spanish universities. A newly validated instrument (HABEI) measured perceived importance, self-reported acquisition and employer relevance of nine core soft skills. Findings: Results reveal a consistent gap between the value students attribute to soft skills and their self-perceived acquisition. Ethical and social responsibility, in particular, is undervalued despite being recognised as highly relevant by employers. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited to first-year engineering students in Spain and relies on self-report measures, which may introduce bias. Future research could include longitudinal designs and cross-cultural comparisons. Practical implications: The findings highlight the need to integrate soft skills training, especially in ethical and social domains, more explicitly into engineering curricula. Universities should design learning experiences that bridge the gap between academic formation and workplace expectations. Originality/value: It provides empirical evidence using a novel instrument, offering both conceptual and practical contributions to understanding and addressing the soft skills gap in engineering education.