Volume 2, Issue 7, July- 201 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology ISSN No: - 2456 – 2165 IJISRT17JL160 www.ijisrt.com 315 Brand Awareness and Perception on Sustainability of Business Students towards Social Business in Thailand Varintra Sirisuthikul Faculty of Social Sciences, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand Jiroj Buranasiri Faculty of Social Sciences, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand Abstract— The purpose of this study is to investigate to what extent business students in university in Thailand have brand awareness and perception about the sustainability impact of social businesses in Thailand. The study focuses on triple bottom line concept of sustainability framework—economic, environment and social. The research employs quantitative approach composing 400 business students who are studying undergraduate or graduate business programs at one of the government universities in Bangkok, Thailand. The finding indicates that the business students’ awareness toward the overall concept of sustainability of social businesses is in moderate level. In comparison, business students can recall mostly social business that are governmental projects, with the focus on social sustainability. Meanwhile, undergraduate students report higher brand awareness toward social business when compared to graduate students. Keywords— Brand Awareness; Sustainability; Social Business. I. INTRODUCTION Nowadays, consumers like us have been living lifestyles that are not environmentally friendly and have been surrounded with social problems which result in our changing lifestyles. As in any part of the world, people could sense that the world has changed negatively with regards to the economy, politics, culture, social and environment. With enormous problems surrounded, government can no longer sustain their role as the sole provider of social services and benefits. It is essential that driving long-term promotion of sustainability can only be achieved through partnership with other sectors. In the educational sector, many universities have taken the initiatives to actively supported government through facilitation of educational programs by expanding their existing business curriculum to include social responsibility component, integrating extracurricular activities to instill social value and sustainability concept, developing new curriculum in the field of social business or social entrepreneurship. In Thailand for the past five years, many government universities have pioneered educational programs in the field of social entrepreneurship, social innovation or social business, by delivering short courses, new degree programs or expansion of existing business programs. Therefore, this study aims to explore to what extent business students in university in Thailand have brand awareness and perception about the sustainability impact of social businesses in Thailand. In assessing business students’ perception on sustainability, triple bottom line approach focusing on economic, environment and social, is applied. II. LITERATURE REVIEW A. The Emerging Concept of Social Business In any society, three actors, public, private, and NGOs have significant roles to make the world a better place. Ironically, the demographic and natural resource challenges confronting many countries all over the world make the government sector increasingly unable to guarantee some services they once provided to their population. Their enormous responsibilities, limited resources, and political instability often lead them to failure in pursuing public mission of eliminating negative externalities in order to improve societal wellbeing [1]. While in the private sector, some manufacturing processes and business operations generate negative effects on the environment and gigantic destruction of natural resources. Balancing between economic opportunity and environmental health is a highly discussed topic among companies around the world. On the other hand, the non-government organizations (NGOs), are facing high competition for fundraising and also their services provided to the public are often seen as inefficient and ineffective. With these traditional organizational circumstances, a new kind of organization called ‘social enterprise’ or ‘social business’ emerges as it attempts to offer a new approach. The term ‘social business’ was developed by Professor Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Graeme Bank in Bangladesh in 1983. He attempted to help poor people escape from poverty by providing small loans to them, and increase their quality of lives. A social business is a ‘no-loss, no- dividend, self-sustaining company that repays its owners’ investments’ [2]. He defines social business as non dividend company that does not distribute all its profits, and a no loss