The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is known for its humanitarian initiatives. These have been followed by corporates in the UAE in the form of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. Several studies have been conducted to understand the impact of CSR on corporate performance and reputation. In this research, the focus is narrowed down to CSR specifically towards education. Accordingly, this is a pioneering study in the field of CSR toward education in the UAE. It provides crucial insights into what motivates UAE-based corporations to engage in CSR toward education and how it impacts their reputation and performance. The research examines the perceptions of CSR practice in education among the top 595 corporation representatives in the UAE, their motivation for it, and its impact on corporation reputation and performance.

The research adopts a quantitative research method by using a self-administered questionnaire that received responses from 595 respondents, which was followed by a series of regression analyses. The results of the research show reciprocity and involvement to be the most prominent motivators for UAE corporations to engage in CSR toward education, whereas altruism was not found to be a motivator. Additionally, the study found a positive relationship between CSR toward education and corporation performance, with partial mediation by corporation reputation.

This is one of the first academic studies that focused on identifying and understanding the factors that motivate government and private corporations to engage in CSR, specifically in education in the context of the UAE and how in turn, this impacts on a corporation’s reputation and performance.