Purpose This paper aims to investigate the relationship between relational capital produced by universities and knowledge structures, which include both the capacities and competencies that students have learned and the capabilities they have put into practice. Design/methodology/approach To analyse research data and test the proposed model, partial least squares structural equation modelling (SmartPLS 3.2.9) is used on a sample of 125 students of a Spanish university. Findings The results of the study demonstrate that the creation of relational capital by universities will depend largely on how students’ capacity is supplemented and merged with students’ competency to develop synergies that increase the students’ capability to give an additional value to the community members. Originality/value This study allows an in-depth analysis of the cause and effect link between the knowledge structures and support the members of higher educational institutions to understand how to achieve relational capital in universities.

The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) over higher education institutions' (HEIs) students' emotional appeal and the effect of two mediating variables, corporate image, and reputation. A sample of 211 students surveyed was obtained, and the study was conducted using partial least squares path modeling (PLS‐SEM) technique. The results showed that emotional appeal is influenced by corporate reputation, corporate image, and CSR practices. These effects are not only direct and positive but significant indirect effects are also obtained, which allow the positive effects of CSR to be heightened. This paper contributes to the literature on CSR considering mediating effects of corporative image and reputation in the relationship between CSR and emotional appeal. The findings provide important implications for theory and practice, indicating consistent strategies for competitive advantage in HEIs by achieving stakeholder engagement and new lines of research in terms of emotional marketing.