Jan. 17, 2008 -- Three-quarters of top MBA students say corporate reputation will play a critical role in deciding where to work, according to a new survey of students at elite business schools in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. While respondents cited quality of management, products, and talent as the key drivers of corporate reputation, 40% of those surveyed rated social responsibility as an "extremely" or "very" important reputational measure.

When asked to name the top factors in career choice, issues of sustainability corporate governance and ethics, social responsiblity, and environmental policy came in third behind the broad categories of career opportunities and company performance. Here's the breakdown (numbers refer to percentage that rate each factor as "extremely" or "very" important):

Important Factors in Choosing Job

• Career opportunities (95%)
• Corporate culture and working environment (86%)
• Compensation and benefits package (85%)
• Employee satisfaction (84%)
• Quality of products and services (75%)
• Financial performance and growth potential (73%)
• Corporate governance and ethics (58%)
• Social responsibility and community involvement (49%)
• Brand and marketing message (48%)
• Environmental /green policy (34%)

"The best talent, like the most attractive real estate, will always be in scarce supply," saus Paul Taaffe, chairman and CEO of Hill & Knowlton, which conducted the study. "The future winners in the corporate world will be the ones who are the quickest to recognize this and take action to enhance and protect reputation."

On the other hand, MBA candidates who consider sustainability a top priority may have more opportunities than ever. A recent study finds that the number of CSR job listings has more than doubled over the past three years.

Download full text of the Hill and Knowlton study here (PDF).