08832323.2011.590162
Journal of Education for Business
ISSN: 0883-2323 (Print) 1940-3356 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vjeb20
Effective Learning Approaches for Sustainability: A
Student Perspective
Laura Erskine & Scott D. Johnson
To cite this article: Laura Erskine & Scott D. Johnson (2012) Effective Learning Approaches for
Sustainability: A Student Perspective, Journal of Education for Business, 87:4, 198-205, DOI:
10.1080/08832323.2011.590162
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08832323.2011.590162
Published online: 29 Mar 2012.
Submit your article to this journal
Article views: 342
View related articles
Citing articles: 3 View citing articles
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at
http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=vjeb20
Download by: [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji]
Date: 11 January 2016, At: 22:01
JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FOR BUSINESS, 87: 198–205, 2012
C Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
Copyright
ISSN: 0883-2323 print / 1940-3356 online
DOI: 10.1080/08832323.2011.590162
Effective Learning Approaches for Sustainability:
A Student Perspective
Laura Erskine and Scott D. Johnson
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
The authors offer an exploratory glimpse into the perceived effectiveness of learning approaches presently being used to teach students about sustainability in a business school
setting. Sustainability is a topic of growing importance in business and business education.
Using teaching approaches generated through self-reports related to the Principles for Responsible Management Education, a student population was used to determine which of these
learning approaches are perceived as most effective. Students perceived sustainability to be important for businesses, and agreed that they would prefer to work for a company that embraces
sustainability as a core value.
Keywords: attitudes, perceptions, PRME, students, sustainability
The concept of sustainability continues to gain acceptance
in the business community and business education is beginning to recognize the importance of sustainability in the
curriculum (Grayson, 2010). Corporations such as Target,
3M, Wal-Mart, Nestl´e, Nike, Kraft, P&G, and GE (among
others) are recognizing the need to incorporate sustainability
into their corporate culture (Seidman, 2008; Wasik, 2010).
They recognize that sustainability is an essential component
of long-term profitability. Consumers and suppliers in the
demand and supply chains have a growing consciousness
of the importance of incorporating sustainable concepts in
products, practices, and core values.
A goal of this exploratory empirical study is to provide
an initial perspective of how undergraduate business students at one large Midwestern university evaluate learning
approaches in the context of sustainability. The learning approaches studied are drawn from the self-reports of business
schools reporting their pedagogical experiences as members
of business schools that support UN Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME). The various learning
approaches for sustainability in the curriculum are then evaluated by a student sample as to the perceived effectiveness
of each approach. Findings based on student majors are a
part of the analysis and the importance of sustainability in
Correspondence should be addressed to Laura Erskine, Illinois State University, Department of Management and Quantitative Methods, 410 S. University Avenue, Normal, IL 61790–5500, USA. E-mail: lerskin@ilstu.edu
business and for students personally is reported followed by
a discussion of the findings.
PRINCIPLES FOR RESPONSIBLE
MANAGEMENT EDUCATION
PRME originated in 2007 through the United Nations with
the goal of having an impact on management education by
calling for the incorporation of positive values in curricula and research at business schools (Principles for Responsible Management Education, n.d.). Many accrediting and
certifying organizations associations including the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International
(AACSB), European Foundation for Management Development, the Aspen Institute, the Academy of Business in Society, the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative, and Net
Impact all worked together to draft the six principles. The
principles emerged in part as a response to the criticism leveled at businesses and business schools in the early part of the
21st century. These criticisms ranged from focusing on maximizing shareholder value and advocating for tight controls
to prevent opportunistic behavior (Ghoshal, 2005) to transforming business education to a science and thereby denying
moral and ethical considerations (Ghoshal). In speaking of
the rise of the economic perspective in business schools,
Gioia (2002) wrote, “for all the good that economic perspectives do, they nonetheless emphasize a view of the world
in dollars, profits, returns, etc., which de-emphasizes other
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
EFFECTIVE LEARNING, SUSTAINABILITY
ways in which we might conceptualize the responsibilities of
business” (p. 143).
The first of the six principles is “we will develop the
capabilities of students to be future generators of sustainable value for business and society at large and to work
for an inclusive and sustainable global economy.” The
five other related PRME principles include global social
responsibility, responsible leadership, research in sustainable social–environmental–economic value, interaction with
managers to share experiences, and support dialog related to
global social responsibility.
This study is therefore an early look at what business
schools are doing in response to their pledge to embrace the
sustainability dimension of the PRME principles. In addition, we are reporting on the learning approaches that students believe are the most effective within the context of one
university.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?
There is growing awareness in the business community and
among academics in business schools about sustainability.
Economic growth and development is considered sustainable when “it meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs” (Brundtland Commission, 1987, p. 8). Although the concept of sustainability is built on a foundation
of concern for the natural environment, it gives equal attention to the concern for human and economic development.
This definition suggests, “assuming the reality and severity
of environmental threats, that the only actions that are acceptable for organizations are simultaneously economically
profitable (or at least break-even), environmentally sound,
and socially just” (Rands, 2009, p. 299). Organizations are
beginning to recognize this tripartite approach of economic,
environmental, and social values as a triple bottom line
(Elkington, 1998).
EVOLVING PERSPECTIVES IN MANAGEMENT
EDUCATION
Business schools tend to teach theories and models that emphasize shareholder value and the idea that organizations
need to compete not only with their competitors but also
with their own stakeholders, such as their employees, customers, and suppliers. Some have argued that by propagating
ideologically inspired amoral theories, business schools are
actively freeing students from a sense of corporate responsibility in society (Ghoshal, 2005). This assumption is well
documented (Pfeffer, 2005) and there is a growing interest in
the evolving attitudes and values of business students. The
Aspen Institute has made great strides to track the attitudes
of MBA students at a small number of schools to assess
199
longitudinal changes (Aspen Institute, 2001, 2003, 2008),
but there is little empirical evidence about the perceived effectiveness of different strategies used to impact business
education students’ attitudes about sustainability, especially
in undergraduate populations.
Although sustainability is an important issue to the UN
Global Compact and on the corporate agenda (Nicholson
& DeMoss, 2009), many faculty members still do not feel
they have the proper training to teach about topics broadly
related to corporate social responsibility and if they do, this
would have to come at the expense of foregoing important
technical material (Dean & Beggs, 2006). However, Gioia
(2002) asserted, of the idea that faculty can affect a student’s
ethical framework,
Many of us seem to hold the assumption that we have little
effect on our students’ ethics—that their ethics are essentially
incorrigible by the time they show up on our doorsteps . . .
Why on earth would we assume that, when we assume that
we can influence so many other educational values and orientations? (p. 142)
The principles put forth in PRME are inherently based
in an ethical framework that promotes active discussion and
action related to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. In this context, we might reasonably believe that the
framers of PRME are concluding that knowledge, attitudes,
and behavior can be shaped.
SUSTAINABILITY IN MANAGEMENT
EDUCATION
Sustainability is a relatively new area in management scholarship and in management education. However, studies have
shown, for example, that there is evidence of a positive correlation between stock price and sustainable business practices (Holliday, 2010; Seidman, 2008; Waddock & Graves,
1997). Sustainable practices may even offer a new proxy
for management performance (Bradbury, 2003; Nicholson &
DeMoss, 2009). In addition, as regulatory compliance becomes more complex and costly, sustainable practices may
enable organizations to comply more readily with these
stricter and more comprehensive regulations (Rands, 2009).
By broadening their vision to sustainable development, business leaders are recognizing the impact of the organization on
the social and natural environment. Similarly, if businesses
are embracing a triple bottom line, business schools need
to prepare students for triple-bottom-line thinking. Companies are being recognized and are therefore benefitting from
new products, services, and processes that may lessen their
environmental impact (Bradbury).
Sustainability is not a concept that is embraced in
isolation by one firm or one industry. Bradbury (2003)
noted that to meet present needs without penalizing future
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
200
L. ERSKINE AND S. D. JOHNSON
generations, organizations must work together. This is
particularly important for business students, as they will
be involved in shaping organizations in this new context
(Bridges & Wilhelm, 2008; L¨ams¨a, Vehkaper¨a, Puttonen, &
Pesonen, 2007). Most importantly for business education,
employers are demanding that business school graduates
be trained in issues of social responsibility (Nicholson &
DeMoss, 2009). A more focused view of sustainability and
corporate social responsibility may demand longer timeframes, community-based initiatives, and bioregional models
rather than organization-based models (Kearins & Springett,
2003).
Business schools can play an important role in sustainability education by fostering the awareness, understanding,
and concern that might motivate students to take action in
their personal and organizational lives to facilitate environmentally sustainable behavior (Rands, 2009). Students at the
top 30 business schools are being exposed to social and environmental issues in 25% of their coursework, compared to
8% for the remaining schools (Bridges & Wilhelm, 2008).
Scholars in management (Rands, 2009; Rusinko, 2010), marketing (Bridges & Wilhelm), and accounting (Fleischman &
Schuele, 2006) are encouraging an increased focus on the
need for a sustainability curriculum in management education.
Business schools are increasingly concerned about how
to demonstrate that learning outcomes are being met. As sustainability begins to be embraced at the mission level and at
the learning outcome level, understanding what is most effective from the student perspective can be valuable for building
mature assessment practices. Chad Holliday, the former CEO
of DuPont, argued that sustainability is gaining traction and
must be integrated into business school courses as practical, hands-on experiences are the best ways for students to
learn (Holliday, 2010). Others (Alcaraz & Thiruvattal, 2010;
Bridges & Wilhelm, 2008; Fleischman & Schuele, 2006)
agree with the Holliday perspective, but there is also an argument to take a slow, incremental approach to sustainability
issues in business education (e.g., Rusinko, 2010). In either
approach we have little data from a student perspective to understand student perceptions of what are the most effective
approaches to learning about sustainability.
2004). There is a robust relationship between motivation
or willingness to learn and actual learning (Cole, Feild, &
Harris, 2004; Karns, 2005; Zocco, 2009). Although educators may create opportunities based on what students should
learn, it is ultimately the student that makes decisions about
attendance, preparation, and participation (Eastman, Iyer, &
Eastman, 2011). Learning more about what students think are
the most effective ways to learn about sustainability should
help shape the discussion for structure within courses, curricular content, and offerings outside of the classroom experience.
THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDENT
PREFERENCES
Sustainable business practices therefore are business approaches and strategies that would meet the needs of the
present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The following questions focus on your perceptions of the effectiveness of various
approaches to learning about sustainable business practices.
Student acceptance has been shown to be an important key to
the successful implementation of new programs (Martins &
Kellermanns, 2004). We also know that activities that match
student preferences heighten their chances for successful outcomes because when students have a favorable attitude, they
also engage more deeply and experience more positive outcomes (Clarke, Flaherty, & Mottner, 2001; Farias, Farias,
& Fairfield, 2010; Taylor, Humphreys, Singley, & Hunter,
METHOD
Our primary goal in doing this exploratory research was to
more clearly understand the perceived effectiveness of learning strategies about sustainability from a student perspective.
During August 2010, all 125 publicly available PRME Sharing of Information on Progress (SIP) reports were content
analyzed for approaches used to introduce sustainabilityrelated PRME ideas into business school offerings. Members
of PRME publicly shared their progress reports on the PRME
website. The submitted SIP reports analyzed offered a wide
range of practices. The analysis revealed 35 unique learning approaches. Judgment was used to shape the categories
based on a wide range of reporting styles. It should be noted
that we analyzed only those reports that were submitted in
English.
Procedure
Based on the identified learning approaches, we created a
questionnaire to learn about student attitudes toward the effectiveness of each approach. In addition, the questionnaire
included questions about the importance of sustainability as
well as classification questions. We prefaced the questionnaire with the following definition and explanation:
Sustainability is an emerging concept in business education.
Sustainability has been defined as: “meeting the needs of
the present generation without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.”
Sample
We recruited a convenience sample of 183 business students
at a large, public Midwestern university. The profile of the
institution is that of college students of traditional ages. In
EFFECTIVE LEARNING, SUSTAINABILITY
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
this context, 93% of the respondents were between the ages
of 18 and 23. The remaining 7% of respondents were age 24
or older. Work experience for the respondents indicated that
55% had no full-time work experience, whereas 29% had 1–2
years of work experience and 17% had three or more years of
work experience. Women comprised 51% of the respondents
whereas men comprised 49% of respondents. The distribution of identified majors in the sample was representative of
all 10 majors (accountancy, integrated bachelor–master of
professional accountancy, business administration, business
information systems, business teacher education, finance, in-
201
surance, international business, management, and marketing) offered in the business school and approximated the
proportion of actual majors. The sample represented the demographic characteristics on the undergraduate population.
RESULTS
The perceived effectiveness of the 35 approaches to learning about sustainability from a student perspective in business courses and extracurricular activities is summarized in
TABLE 1
Perceived Effectiveness of Learning About Sustainability
Perceived effectiveness of learning approaches
M
SD
n
Most effective learning approaches (aggregate M = 3.83)
Sustainability-related scholarships
Sustainability integrated into various classes
Internships related to sustainable business practices
Sustainability-related business simulations in class
Sustainability practices implemented at the university level
International opportunities to learn about sustainability
3.90
3.89
3.89
3.86
3.81
3.76
1.00
0.85
1.01
0.92
0.95
1.01
144
183
166
146
158
144
More effective learning approaches (aggregate M = 3.60)
A field trip away from campus to learn about sustainability
Points for student involvement in sustainability projects
Case studies in classes about sustainability
Guest speakers in classes to discuss sustainability
Invited lectures by experts in sustainability
Enhanced environmentally friendly (“green”) initiatives on campus
A sustainable business institute in the college
Sustainability learning goals within existing courses
Student team projects related to sustainability
Elective course in sustainability offered for students
A new degree program in sustainability within the college
Student research studies about sustainability
Mentoring program to help school children learn about sustainability
A career fair about sustainability jobs
Student organizations targeting sustainability projects
Workshops with faculty–business people to discuss sustainability issues
3.73
3.71
3.69
3.67
3.67
3.65
3.60
3.60
3.59
3.58
3.54
3.53
3.53
3.52
3.52
3.51
1.03
0.98
0.95
1.01
1.02
1.07
0.91
1.06
1.12
1.02
1.04
0.96
1.00
1.03
0.95
0.97
159
146
183
181
166
153
154
145
166
183
159
158
144
153
146
152
Midlevel effective learning approaches (aggregate M = 3.40)
Independent study projects offered in sustainability
Student competitions in classes about sustainability
A student club focused on sustainability
Sustainability certificate offered to students
Sustainability incorporated into the mission of the college
3.46
3.43
3.40
3.39
3.35
0.98
1.07
1.04
1.14
1.22
158
182
166
165
143
Less effective learning approaches (aggregate M = 3.13)
Required sustainability course for all students in college
A conference focused on sustainability
A film series focused on sustainability issues
Student panel discussion pertaining to sustainability
Alumni network projects related to sustainability
3.25
3.13
3.13
3.11
3.01
1.08
1.02
1.10
0.98
1.00
183
166
144
153
146
Least effective learning approaches (aggregate M = 2.70)
Social night for students to discuss sustainability issues
Online webinars related to sustainability
A pledge taken by students to observe sustainability practices
2.82
2.69
2.60
1.01
1.07
1.14
159
145
152
Note. The prompt provided was: “Assume you will be learning about sustainability business practices in your business courses and in extracurricular
activities. Please rate how EFFECTIVE you would perceive each of the following approaches in learning about sustainability.” Responses were rated on a
5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (very ineffective) to 5 (very effective).
202
L. ERSKINE AND S. D. JOHNSON
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
TABLE 2
Perceived Effectiveness of Learning About Sustainability, by Major
M
SD
n
Top five: Finance/accounting majors
Sustainability integrated into various classes
Internships related to sustainable business practices
Sustainability-related business simulations in class
Sustainability practices implemented at the University level
Sustainability-related scholarships
3.91
3.91
3.91
3.85
3.78
0.78
0.90
0.78
0.86
0.95
54
54
54
53
54
Top five: Management majors
Sustainability-related scholarships
Internships related to sustainable business practices
Case studies in classes about sustainability
Sustainability integrated into various classes
Sustainability-related business simulations in class
4.00
3.85
3.81
3.80
3.74
1.06
1.20
0.80
1.00
1.07
54
54
54
54
54
Top five: Marketing majors
Sustainability integrated into various classes
Points for student involvement in sustainability projects
Internships related to sustainable business practices
Sustainability-related business simulations in class
Sustainability practices implemented at the university level
4.14
4.03
3.90
3.90
3.90
0.69
0.82
1.05
0.90
0.94
29
29
29
29
29
Note. The prompt was the following: “Assume you will be learning about sustainability business practices in your business courses and in extracurricular
activities. Please rate how EFFECTIVE you would perceive each of the following approaches in learning about sustainability.” Responses were rated on a
5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (very ineffective) to 5 (very effective).
Table 1. The perceived effectiveness of the various approaches ranged from a high of 3.90 to a low of 2.60 in which
a higher value indicates perceived higher effectiveness of the
learning approaches.
The six most effective learning approaches for sustainability include sustainability-related scholarships, integrating sustainability into various classes, internships related to
sustainable business practices, using sustainability related
business simulations in class, sustainability-related practices
implemented at the university level, and international opportunities to learn about sustainability.
Table 1 is also organized to show five groupings of learning approaches from most effective to least effective. These
groupings provide insight into the perceived relative importance of the various learning approaches. However, the
groupings should not be construed as being intrinsically more
or less beneficial to students. The identified aggregate means
for each group are noted in parentheses. A test comparing
these aggregate means resulted in each aggregate mean be-
ing significantly different from every other aggregate mean
at the < .01 level. In this sense, although the groupings are
somewhat arbitrary, they do provide a basis for discussing
relative perceived effectiveness.
Table 2 shows the perceived effectiveness of different
approaches broken down by reported student major. Three
common learning approaches appear in all of the majors: internships, simulations, and integration into various courses.
All of the three items listed also appear in the most effective
learning approaches for sustainability, as noted in Table 1.
Sample size for each of these items varies due to some nonrespondents in these questions. In addition, although other
majors were identified, sample size began to diminish, so
only the three largest majors are reported.
Student attitudes about the importance of sustainability in
business and preferences for working for a company that embraced sustainability as a core value were also investigated.
In addition, self-reported knowledge of sustainability and the
importance to the student of the topic of sustainability were
TABLE 3
Attitudes Toward Sustainability
Sustainability attitudes
I would prefer to work for a company that embraces sustainability
as a core value.
Sustainability is an important topic in business.
Sustainability is an important topic to me.
I am very knowledgeable about sustainability issues in business.
M
SD
n
3.95
.78
136
3.94
3.54
2.97
.81
.94
1.00
136
136
136
Note. Responses were rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).
203
EFFECTIVE LEARNING, SUSTAINABILITY
TABLE 4
Attitudes Toward Sustainability
Sustainability attitudes
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
Sustainability is an important topic in business.
I would prefer to work for a company that embraces sustainability as a core value.
Sustainability is an important topic to me.
I am very knowledgeable about sustainability issues in business.
assessed. Table 3 indicates that students tend to agree that
they would prefer to work for a company that embraces sustainability as a core value (3.95) and that sustainability is
an important topic in business (3.94). However, it is interesting to note that we found a relatively lower value for the
statement “sustainability is important to me” (3.54). Finally,
almost half of the students felt they lacked knowledge about
sustainability issues in business (2.97).
In breaking out some of the responses beyond the mean
scores, Table 4 reports findings that offer a more detailed look
at responses. Interestingly, 78% of the respondents agreed
that sustainability is an important topic in business while
71% agreed that they would prefer to work for a company
that embraced sustainability as a core value. By contrast,
50% of respondents agreed that sustainability was important
to them and only 35% of respondents agreed that they were
very knowledgeable about sustainability issues in business.
Table 5 reports findings on attitudes toward sustainability
by major. Marketing students appear more likely to feel that
sustainability is an important topic in business (83%) and
report more often that they would like to work for a company
that embraces sustainability (83%). Finance and accounting
% Agree
% Strongly agree
% Agree &
strongly agree
56
45
34
31
22
26
16
4
78
71
50
35
students are least likely to agree that sustainability is important to them (41%) and that they are knowledgeable about
sustainability issues (28%).
DISCUSSION
The research findings presented offer an exploratory glimpse
into the present learning approaches that PRME signatories
are utilizing in their effort to teach students about sustainability. The 35 learning approaches should not be construed
as an exhaustive list going forward. Rather it is a snapshot of
what is being tried now as business schools begin to embrace
the mandates of the principles of responsible management in
the area of sustainability. This list will naturally change and
evolve as is the way of all curricula.
The findings show that some learning approaches are
considered to be significantly more or less effective to an
undergraduate population. The five identified groupings can
assist faculty and curriculum teams in formulating discussions about categories of learning approaches that students
might consider more effective. Although it is certainly true
TABLE 5
Attitudes Toward Sustainability, by Major
Sustainability attitudes
Finance/accounting
Sustainability is an important topic in business.
I would prefer to work for a company that embraces sustainability as a core value.
Sustainability is an important topic to me.
I am very knowledgeable about sustainability issues in business.
Management
Sustainability is an important topic in business.
I would prefer to work for a company that embraces
Sustainability as a core value.
Sustainability is an important topic to me.
I am very knowledgeable about sustainability issues in business.
Marketing
Sustainability is an important topic in business.
I would prefer to work for a company that embraces
Sustainability as a core value.
Sustainability is an important topic to me.
I am very knowledgeable about sustainability issues in business.
% Agree
% Strongly agree
% Agree &
strongly agree
59
50
32
26
19
22
9
4
78
72
41
28
50
32
24
30
74
62
33
33
22
6
55
39
59
59
24
24
83
83
41
35
17
3
58
38
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
204
L. ERSKINE AND S. D. JOHNSON
that some faculty members may discount the preferred
learning approaches embraced by students, student feedback
regarding the perceived effectiveness of various learning
approaches may give insight into ways to close the gap
between present student knowledge and the growing
importance placed on sustainability by the corporate world.
Because sustainability is, by its nature, a concept and topic
that calls for action, the active learning approaches preferred
by students may be more valuable in this emerging focus of
business inquiry.
We note that many of the more effective approaches can
be described as active learning, whereas many of the least
effective approaches can be described as passive learning.
This finding supports the practical hands on approach favored by Holliday (2010). Active learning describes activities that involve the students in doing things and thinking
about the things they are doing. These can be divided into experiences (doing) and reflection and include such examples
as debates, role-plays, cases, simulations, service learning,
situational observations, authentic projects, and reflective papers (Wingfield & Black, 2005). In contrast, passive learning
occurs when students are receiving information and ideas
(Richlin, 2006). Active learning has been shown to better
prepare students to make meaningful contributions at work
(Wingfield & Black).
Undergraduate students tend to agree that sustainability
is an important topic in business. When diligent students
know what is important in business, whether such items are
technical skills or soft skills, these students will seek out
ways to become more knowledgeable about such topics. It is
therefore likely that student demand for learning experiences
related to sustainability topics will increase in the coming
years. Business schools that are responsive to student interests and student expectations are likely to offer a growing
array of options to students to help them become knowledgeable and engaged in sustainability initiatives and activities.
Both in-class exercises and out of class opportunities will be
valued by students.
A limitation of the study is that it is exploratory in nature.
Although exploratory research can offer new insights into
emerging trends, it may lack the foundation that comes from
numerous prior empirical students. In addition, the findings
represent one university sample and are focused on an undergraduate population. A population of graduate students
or a broader representation of nontraditional students may
provide different judgments of effective learning approaches
in the context of sustainability.
Recruiters should take note that more than half of the
students surveyed would prefer to work for a company
that embraces sustainability. This study shows that undergraduates think the business community values sustainability yet these same students are aware that they do
not yet have a highly developed base of knowledge about
sustainability. By implementing some of the approaches
perceived as most effective by this student population,
business schools may be able to more fully prepare students for an era in which sustainability is a key strategic
priority.
REFERENCES
Alcaraz, J. M., & Thiruvattal, E. (2010). An interview with Manuel Escudero. The United Nations’ principles for responsible management education: A global call for sustainability. Academy of Management Learning
& Education, 9, 542–550.
Aspen Institute. (2001). Where will they lead 2001X? MBA student attitudes
about business and society. New York, NY: Aspen Institute Business and
Society Program.
Aspen Institute. (2003). Where will they lead 2003? MBA student attitudes
about business and society. New York, NY: Aspen Institute Business and
Society Program.
Aspen Institute. (2008). Where will they lead 2008? MBA student attitudes
about business and society. New York, NY: Aspen Institute Business and
Society Program.
Bradbury, H. (2003). Sustaining inner and outer worlds: A whole-systems
approach to developing sustainable business practices in management.
Journal of Management Education, 27, 172–187.
Bridges, C. M., & Wilhelm, W. B. (2008). Going beyond green: The “why
and how” of integrating sustainability into the marketing curriculum.
Journal of Marketing Education, 30, 33–46.
Brundtland Commission. (1987). Our common future: Report of the World
Commission on Environment and Development. Oxford, England: Oxford
University Press.
Clarke, I., Flaherty, T. B., & Mottner, S. (2001). Student perceptions
of educational technology tools. Journal of Marketing Education, 23,
169–177.
Cole, M. S., Feild, H. S., & Harris, S. G. (2004). Student learning motivation
and psychological hardiness: Interactive effects on students’ reactions to
a management class. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 3,
64–85.
Dean, K. L., & Beggs, J. M. (2006). University professors and teaching
ethics: Conceptualizations and expectations. Journal of Management Education, 30, 15–44.
Eastman, J. K., Iyer, R., & Eastman, K. L. (2011). Business students’ perceptions, attitudes, and satisfaction with interactive technology: An exploratory study. Journal of Education for Business, 86, 36–43.
Elkington, J. (1998). Cannibals with forks: The triple bottom line of 21st
Century business. Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada: New Society.
Farias, G., Farias, C. M., & Fairfield, K. D. (2010). Teacher as judge or
partner: The dilemma of grades versus learning. Journal of Education for
Business, 85, 336–342.
Fleischman, R. K., & Schuele, K. (2006). Green accounting: A primer.
Journal of Accounting Education, 24, 35–66.
Ghoshal, S. (2005). Bad management theories are destroying good management practices. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 4,
75–91.
Gioia, D. A. (2002). Business education’s role in the crisis of corporate
confidence. The Academy of Management Executive, 16, 142–144.
Grayson, D. (2010, October 3). Schools ignore sustainability revolution. Financial Times. Retrieved from http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/63cf95b0cd5f-lldf-ab20-00144feab49a.html#axzz10HXe4iig
Holliday, S. (2010). The relationship between sustainability education and
business: An interview with Chad Holliday. Academy of Management
Learning & Education, 9, 532–541.
Karns, G. L. (2005). An update of marketing student perceptions of learning
activities: Structure, preferences, and effectiveness. Journal of Marketing
Education, 27, 163–171.
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
EFFECTIVE LEARNING, SUSTAINABILITY
Kearins, K., & Springett, D. (2003). Educating for sustainability: Developing critical skills. Journal of Management Education, 27, 188–204.
doi:10.1177/1052562903251411
L¨ams¨a, A.-M., Vehkaper¨a, M., Puttonen, T., & Pesonen, H.-L. (2007). Effect of business education on women and men students’ attitudes on
corporate responsibility in society. Journal of Business Ethics, 82, 45–
58.
Martins, L. L., & Kellermanns, F. W. (2004). A model of business school students’ acceptance of a web-based course management system. Academy
of Management Learning & Education, 3, 7–26.
Nicholson, C. Y., & DeMoss, M. (2009). Teaching ethics and social responsibility: An evaluation of undergraduate business education at the discipline level. Journal of Education for Business, 84,
213–218.
Pfeffer, J. (2005). Why do bad management theories persist? A comment on
Ghoshal. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 4, 96–100.
Principles for Responsible Management Education. (n.d.). The six
principles of responsible management education. Retrieved from
http://www.unprme.org/the-6-principles/index.php
Rands, G. P. (2009). A principle-attribute matrix for environmentally sustainable management education and its application. Journal of Management Education, 33, 296–322.
205
Richlin, L. (2006). Blueprint for learning: Constructing college courses to
facilitate, assess, and document learning. Sterling, VA: Stylus.
Rusinko, C. A. (2010). Integrating sustainability in management and business education: A matrix approach. Academy of Management Learning
& Education, 9, 507–519.
Seidman, D. (2008, December 5). Outgreening delivers sustainable
competitive advantage. BusinessWeek. Retrieved from http://www.
businessweek.com/managing/content/dec2008/ca2008125 029230.htm
Taylor, S. A., Humphreys, M., Singley, R., & Hunter, G. L. (2004). Business
student preferences: Exploring the relative importance of web management in course design. Journal of Marketing Education, 26, 42–49.
Waddock, S. A., & Graves, S. B. (1997). The corporate social
performance–financial performance link. Strategic Management Journal,
18, 303–319.
Wasik, J. F. (2010, September 9). The surprising success of the green
supply chain. Fortune. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2010/
08/13/news/companies/corporate sustainability.fortune/index.htm
Wingfield, S. S., & Black, G. (2005). Active versus passive course designs:
The impact on student outcomes. Journal of Education for Business, 81,
119–123.
Zocco, D. (2009). Risk theory and student course selection. Research in
Higher Education, 3, 1–29.
ISSN: 0883-2323 (Print) 1940-3356 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vjeb20
Effective Learning Approaches for Sustainability: A
Student Perspective
Laura Erskine & Scott D. Johnson
To cite this article: Laura Erskine & Scott D. Johnson (2012) Effective Learning Approaches for
Sustainability: A Student Perspective, Journal of Education for Business, 87:4, 198-205, DOI:
10.1080/08832323.2011.590162
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08832323.2011.590162
Published online: 29 Mar 2012.
Submit your article to this journal
Article views: 342
View related articles
Citing articles: 3 View citing articles
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at
http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=vjeb20
Download by: [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji]
Date: 11 January 2016, At: 22:01
JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FOR BUSINESS, 87: 198–205, 2012
C Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
Copyright
ISSN: 0883-2323 print / 1940-3356 online
DOI: 10.1080/08832323.2011.590162
Effective Learning Approaches for Sustainability:
A Student Perspective
Laura Erskine and Scott D. Johnson
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA
The authors offer an exploratory glimpse into the perceived effectiveness of learning approaches presently being used to teach students about sustainability in a business school
setting. Sustainability is a topic of growing importance in business and business education.
Using teaching approaches generated through self-reports related to the Principles for Responsible Management Education, a student population was used to determine which of these
learning approaches are perceived as most effective. Students perceived sustainability to be important for businesses, and agreed that they would prefer to work for a company that embraces
sustainability as a core value.
Keywords: attitudes, perceptions, PRME, students, sustainability
The concept of sustainability continues to gain acceptance
in the business community and business education is beginning to recognize the importance of sustainability in the
curriculum (Grayson, 2010). Corporations such as Target,
3M, Wal-Mart, Nestl´e, Nike, Kraft, P&G, and GE (among
others) are recognizing the need to incorporate sustainability
into their corporate culture (Seidman, 2008; Wasik, 2010).
They recognize that sustainability is an essential component
of long-term profitability. Consumers and suppliers in the
demand and supply chains have a growing consciousness
of the importance of incorporating sustainable concepts in
products, practices, and core values.
A goal of this exploratory empirical study is to provide
an initial perspective of how undergraduate business students at one large Midwestern university evaluate learning
approaches in the context of sustainability. The learning approaches studied are drawn from the self-reports of business
schools reporting their pedagogical experiences as members
of business schools that support UN Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME). The various learning
approaches for sustainability in the curriculum are then evaluated by a student sample as to the perceived effectiveness
of each approach. Findings based on student majors are a
part of the analysis and the importance of sustainability in
Correspondence should be addressed to Laura Erskine, Illinois State University, Department of Management and Quantitative Methods, 410 S. University Avenue, Normal, IL 61790–5500, USA. E-mail: lerskin@ilstu.edu
business and for students personally is reported followed by
a discussion of the findings.
PRINCIPLES FOR RESPONSIBLE
MANAGEMENT EDUCATION
PRME originated in 2007 through the United Nations with
the goal of having an impact on management education by
calling for the incorporation of positive values in curricula and research at business schools (Principles for Responsible Management Education, n.d.). Many accrediting and
certifying organizations associations including the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International
(AACSB), European Foundation for Management Development, the Aspen Institute, the Academy of Business in Society, the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative, and Net
Impact all worked together to draft the six principles. The
principles emerged in part as a response to the criticism leveled at businesses and business schools in the early part of the
21st century. These criticisms ranged from focusing on maximizing shareholder value and advocating for tight controls
to prevent opportunistic behavior (Ghoshal, 2005) to transforming business education to a science and thereby denying
moral and ethical considerations (Ghoshal). In speaking of
the rise of the economic perspective in business schools,
Gioia (2002) wrote, “for all the good that economic perspectives do, they nonetheless emphasize a view of the world
in dollars, profits, returns, etc., which de-emphasizes other
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
EFFECTIVE LEARNING, SUSTAINABILITY
ways in which we might conceptualize the responsibilities of
business” (p. 143).
The first of the six principles is “we will develop the
capabilities of students to be future generators of sustainable value for business and society at large and to work
for an inclusive and sustainable global economy.” The
five other related PRME principles include global social
responsibility, responsible leadership, research in sustainable social–environmental–economic value, interaction with
managers to share experiences, and support dialog related to
global social responsibility.
This study is therefore an early look at what business
schools are doing in response to their pledge to embrace the
sustainability dimension of the PRME principles. In addition, we are reporting on the learning approaches that students believe are the most effective within the context of one
university.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?
There is growing awareness in the business community and
among academics in business schools about sustainability.
Economic growth and development is considered sustainable when “it meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs” (Brundtland Commission, 1987, p. 8). Although the concept of sustainability is built on a foundation
of concern for the natural environment, it gives equal attention to the concern for human and economic development.
This definition suggests, “assuming the reality and severity
of environmental threats, that the only actions that are acceptable for organizations are simultaneously economically
profitable (or at least break-even), environmentally sound,
and socially just” (Rands, 2009, p. 299). Organizations are
beginning to recognize this tripartite approach of economic,
environmental, and social values as a triple bottom line
(Elkington, 1998).
EVOLVING PERSPECTIVES IN MANAGEMENT
EDUCATION
Business schools tend to teach theories and models that emphasize shareholder value and the idea that organizations
need to compete not only with their competitors but also
with their own stakeholders, such as their employees, customers, and suppliers. Some have argued that by propagating
ideologically inspired amoral theories, business schools are
actively freeing students from a sense of corporate responsibility in society (Ghoshal, 2005). This assumption is well
documented (Pfeffer, 2005) and there is a growing interest in
the evolving attitudes and values of business students. The
Aspen Institute has made great strides to track the attitudes
of MBA students at a small number of schools to assess
199
longitudinal changes (Aspen Institute, 2001, 2003, 2008),
but there is little empirical evidence about the perceived effectiveness of different strategies used to impact business
education students’ attitudes about sustainability, especially
in undergraduate populations.
Although sustainability is an important issue to the UN
Global Compact and on the corporate agenda (Nicholson
& DeMoss, 2009), many faculty members still do not feel
they have the proper training to teach about topics broadly
related to corporate social responsibility and if they do, this
would have to come at the expense of foregoing important
technical material (Dean & Beggs, 2006). However, Gioia
(2002) asserted, of the idea that faculty can affect a student’s
ethical framework,
Many of us seem to hold the assumption that we have little
effect on our students’ ethics—that their ethics are essentially
incorrigible by the time they show up on our doorsteps . . .
Why on earth would we assume that, when we assume that
we can influence so many other educational values and orientations? (p. 142)
The principles put forth in PRME are inherently based
in an ethical framework that promotes active discussion and
action related to sustainability and corporate social responsibility. In this context, we might reasonably believe that the
framers of PRME are concluding that knowledge, attitudes,
and behavior can be shaped.
SUSTAINABILITY IN MANAGEMENT
EDUCATION
Sustainability is a relatively new area in management scholarship and in management education. However, studies have
shown, for example, that there is evidence of a positive correlation between stock price and sustainable business practices (Holliday, 2010; Seidman, 2008; Waddock & Graves,
1997). Sustainable practices may even offer a new proxy
for management performance (Bradbury, 2003; Nicholson &
DeMoss, 2009). In addition, as regulatory compliance becomes more complex and costly, sustainable practices may
enable organizations to comply more readily with these
stricter and more comprehensive regulations (Rands, 2009).
By broadening their vision to sustainable development, business leaders are recognizing the impact of the organization on
the social and natural environment. Similarly, if businesses
are embracing a triple bottom line, business schools need
to prepare students for triple-bottom-line thinking. Companies are being recognized and are therefore benefitting from
new products, services, and processes that may lessen their
environmental impact (Bradbury).
Sustainability is not a concept that is embraced in
isolation by one firm or one industry. Bradbury (2003)
noted that to meet present needs without penalizing future
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
200
L. ERSKINE AND S. D. JOHNSON
generations, organizations must work together. This is
particularly important for business students, as they will
be involved in shaping organizations in this new context
(Bridges & Wilhelm, 2008; L¨ams¨a, Vehkaper¨a, Puttonen, &
Pesonen, 2007). Most importantly for business education,
employers are demanding that business school graduates
be trained in issues of social responsibility (Nicholson &
DeMoss, 2009). A more focused view of sustainability and
corporate social responsibility may demand longer timeframes, community-based initiatives, and bioregional models
rather than organization-based models (Kearins & Springett,
2003).
Business schools can play an important role in sustainability education by fostering the awareness, understanding,
and concern that might motivate students to take action in
their personal and organizational lives to facilitate environmentally sustainable behavior (Rands, 2009). Students at the
top 30 business schools are being exposed to social and environmental issues in 25% of their coursework, compared to
8% for the remaining schools (Bridges & Wilhelm, 2008).
Scholars in management (Rands, 2009; Rusinko, 2010), marketing (Bridges & Wilhelm), and accounting (Fleischman &
Schuele, 2006) are encouraging an increased focus on the
need for a sustainability curriculum in management education.
Business schools are increasingly concerned about how
to demonstrate that learning outcomes are being met. As sustainability begins to be embraced at the mission level and at
the learning outcome level, understanding what is most effective from the student perspective can be valuable for building
mature assessment practices. Chad Holliday, the former CEO
of DuPont, argued that sustainability is gaining traction and
must be integrated into business school courses as practical, hands-on experiences are the best ways for students to
learn (Holliday, 2010). Others (Alcaraz & Thiruvattal, 2010;
Bridges & Wilhelm, 2008; Fleischman & Schuele, 2006)
agree with the Holliday perspective, but there is also an argument to take a slow, incremental approach to sustainability
issues in business education (e.g., Rusinko, 2010). In either
approach we have little data from a student perspective to understand student perceptions of what are the most effective
approaches to learning about sustainability.
2004). There is a robust relationship between motivation
or willingness to learn and actual learning (Cole, Feild, &
Harris, 2004; Karns, 2005; Zocco, 2009). Although educators may create opportunities based on what students should
learn, it is ultimately the student that makes decisions about
attendance, preparation, and participation (Eastman, Iyer, &
Eastman, 2011). Learning more about what students think are
the most effective ways to learn about sustainability should
help shape the discussion for structure within courses, curricular content, and offerings outside of the classroom experience.
THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDENT
PREFERENCES
Sustainable business practices therefore are business approaches and strategies that would meet the needs of the
present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The following questions focus on your perceptions of the effectiveness of various
approaches to learning about sustainable business practices.
Student acceptance has been shown to be an important key to
the successful implementation of new programs (Martins &
Kellermanns, 2004). We also know that activities that match
student preferences heighten their chances for successful outcomes because when students have a favorable attitude, they
also engage more deeply and experience more positive outcomes (Clarke, Flaherty, & Mottner, 2001; Farias, Farias,
& Fairfield, 2010; Taylor, Humphreys, Singley, & Hunter,
METHOD
Our primary goal in doing this exploratory research was to
more clearly understand the perceived effectiveness of learning strategies about sustainability from a student perspective.
During August 2010, all 125 publicly available PRME Sharing of Information on Progress (SIP) reports were content
analyzed for approaches used to introduce sustainabilityrelated PRME ideas into business school offerings. Members
of PRME publicly shared their progress reports on the PRME
website. The submitted SIP reports analyzed offered a wide
range of practices. The analysis revealed 35 unique learning approaches. Judgment was used to shape the categories
based on a wide range of reporting styles. It should be noted
that we analyzed only those reports that were submitted in
English.
Procedure
Based on the identified learning approaches, we created a
questionnaire to learn about student attitudes toward the effectiveness of each approach. In addition, the questionnaire
included questions about the importance of sustainability as
well as classification questions. We prefaced the questionnaire with the following definition and explanation:
Sustainability is an emerging concept in business education.
Sustainability has been defined as: “meeting the needs of
the present generation without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.”
Sample
We recruited a convenience sample of 183 business students
at a large, public Midwestern university. The profile of the
institution is that of college students of traditional ages. In
EFFECTIVE LEARNING, SUSTAINABILITY
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
this context, 93% of the respondents were between the ages
of 18 and 23. The remaining 7% of respondents were age 24
or older. Work experience for the respondents indicated that
55% had no full-time work experience, whereas 29% had 1–2
years of work experience and 17% had three or more years of
work experience. Women comprised 51% of the respondents
whereas men comprised 49% of respondents. The distribution of identified majors in the sample was representative of
all 10 majors (accountancy, integrated bachelor–master of
professional accountancy, business administration, business
information systems, business teacher education, finance, in-
201
surance, international business, management, and marketing) offered in the business school and approximated the
proportion of actual majors. The sample represented the demographic characteristics on the undergraduate population.
RESULTS
The perceived effectiveness of the 35 approaches to learning about sustainability from a student perspective in business courses and extracurricular activities is summarized in
TABLE 1
Perceived Effectiveness of Learning About Sustainability
Perceived effectiveness of learning approaches
M
SD
n
Most effective learning approaches (aggregate M = 3.83)
Sustainability-related scholarships
Sustainability integrated into various classes
Internships related to sustainable business practices
Sustainability-related business simulations in class
Sustainability practices implemented at the university level
International opportunities to learn about sustainability
3.90
3.89
3.89
3.86
3.81
3.76
1.00
0.85
1.01
0.92
0.95
1.01
144
183
166
146
158
144
More effective learning approaches (aggregate M = 3.60)
A field trip away from campus to learn about sustainability
Points for student involvement in sustainability projects
Case studies in classes about sustainability
Guest speakers in classes to discuss sustainability
Invited lectures by experts in sustainability
Enhanced environmentally friendly (“green”) initiatives on campus
A sustainable business institute in the college
Sustainability learning goals within existing courses
Student team projects related to sustainability
Elective course in sustainability offered for students
A new degree program in sustainability within the college
Student research studies about sustainability
Mentoring program to help school children learn about sustainability
A career fair about sustainability jobs
Student organizations targeting sustainability projects
Workshops with faculty–business people to discuss sustainability issues
3.73
3.71
3.69
3.67
3.67
3.65
3.60
3.60
3.59
3.58
3.54
3.53
3.53
3.52
3.52
3.51
1.03
0.98
0.95
1.01
1.02
1.07
0.91
1.06
1.12
1.02
1.04
0.96
1.00
1.03
0.95
0.97
159
146
183
181
166
153
154
145
166
183
159
158
144
153
146
152
Midlevel effective learning approaches (aggregate M = 3.40)
Independent study projects offered in sustainability
Student competitions in classes about sustainability
A student club focused on sustainability
Sustainability certificate offered to students
Sustainability incorporated into the mission of the college
3.46
3.43
3.40
3.39
3.35
0.98
1.07
1.04
1.14
1.22
158
182
166
165
143
Less effective learning approaches (aggregate M = 3.13)
Required sustainability course for all students in college
A conference focused on sustainability
A film series focused on sustainability issues
Student panel discussion pertaining to sustainability
Alumni network projects related to sustainability
3.25
3.13
3.13
3.11
3.01
1.08
1.02
1.10
0.98
1.00
183
166
144
153
146
Least effective learning approaches (aggregate M = 2.70)
Social night for students to discuss sustainability issues
Online webinars related to sustainability
A pledge taken by students to observe sustainability practices
2.82
2.69
2.60
1.01
1.07
1.14
159
145
152
Note. The prompt provided was: “Assume you will be learning about sustainability business practices in your business courses and in extracurricular
activities. Please rate how EFFECTIVE you would perceive each of the following approaches in learning about sustainability.” Responses were rated on a
5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (very ineffective) to 5 (very effective).
202
L. ERSKINE AND S. D. JOHNSON
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
TABLE 2
Perceived Effectiveness of Learning About Sustainability, by Major
M
SD
n
Top five: Finance/accounting majors
Sustainability integrated into various classes
Internships related to sustainable business practices
Sustainability-related business simulations in class
Sustainability practices implemented at the University level
Sustainability-related scholarships
3.91
3.91
3.91
3.85
3.78
0.78
0.90
0.78
0.86
0.95
54
54
54
53
54
Top five: Management majors
Sustainability-related scholarships
Internships related to sustainable business practices
Case studies in classes about sustainability
Sustainability integrated into various classes
Sustainability-related business simulations in class
4.00
3.85
3.81
3.80
3.74
1.06
1.20
0.80
1.00
1.07
54
54
54
54
54
Top five: Marketing majors
Sustainability integrated into various classes
Points for student involvement in sustainability projects
Internships related to sustainable business practices
Sustainability-related business simulations in class
Sustainability practices implemented at the university level
4.14
4.03
3.90
3.90
3.90
0.69
0.82
1.05
0.90
0.94
29
29
29
29
29
Note. The prompt was the following: “Assume you will be learning about sustainability business practices in your business courses and in extracurricular
activities. Please rate how EFFECTIVE you would perceive each of the following approaches in learning about sustainability.” Responses were rated on a
5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (very ineffective) to 5 (very effective).
Table 1. The perceived effectiveness of the various approaches ranged from a high of 3.90 to a low of 2.60 in which
a higher value indicates perceived higher effectiveness of the
learning approaches.
The six most effective learning approaches for sustainability include sustainability-related scholarships, integrating sustainability into various classes, internships related to
sustainable business practices, using sustainability related
business simulations in class, sustainability-related practices
implemented at the university level, and international opportunities to learn about sustainability.
Table 1 is also organized to show five groupings of learning approaches from most effective to least effective. These
groupings provide insight into the perceived relative importance of the various learning approaches. However, the
groupings should not be construed as being intrinsically more
or less beneficial to students. The identified aggregate means
for each group are noted in parentheses. A test comparing
these aggregate means resulted in each aggregate mean be-
ing significantly different from every other aggregate mean
at the < .01 level. In this sense, although the groupings are
somewhat arbitrary, they do provide a basis for discussing
relative perceived effectiveness.
Table 2 shows the perceived effectiveness of different
approaches broken down by reported student major. Three
common learning approaches appear in all of the majors: internships, simulations, and integration into various courses.
All of the three items listed also appear in the most effective
learning approaches for sustainability, as noted in Table 1.
Sample size for each of these items varies due to some nonrespondents in these questions. In addition, although other
majors were identified, sample size began to diminish, so
only the three largest majors are reported.
Student attitudes about the importance of sustainability in
business and preferences for working for a company that embraced sustainability as a core value were also investigated.
In addition, self-reported knowledge of sustainability and the
importance to the student of the topic of sustainability were
TABLE 3
Attitudes Toward Sustainability
Sustainability attitudes
I would prefer to work for a company that embraces sustainability
as a core value.
Sustainability is an important topic in business.
Sustainability is an important topic to me.
I am very knowledgeable about sustainability issues in business.
M
SD
n
3.95
.78
136
3.94
3.54
2.97
.81
.94
1.00
136
136
136
Note. Responses were rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).
203
EFFECTIVE LEARNING, SUSTAINABILITY
TABLE 4
Attitudes Toward Sustainability
Sustainability attitudes
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
Sustainability is an important topic in business.
I would prefer to work for a company that embraces sustainability as a core value.
Sustainability is an important topic to me.
I am very knowledgeable about sustainability issues in business.
assessed. Table 3 indicates that students tend to agree that
they would prefer to work for a company that embraces sustainability as a core value (3.95) and that sustainability is
an important topic in business (3.94). However, it is interesting to note that we found a relatively lower value for the
statement “sustainability is important to me” (3.54). Finally,
almost half of the students felt they lacked knowledge about
sustainability issues in business (2.97).
In breaking out some of the responses beyond the mean
scores, Table 4 reports findings that offer a more detailed look
at responses. Interestingly, 78% of the respondents agreed
that sustainability is an important topic in business while
71% agreed that they would prefer to work for a company
that embraced sustainability as a core value. By contrast,
50% of respondents agreed that sustainability was important
to them and only 35% of respondents agreed that they were
very knowledgeable about sustainability issues in business.
Table 5 reports findings on attitudes toward sustainability
by major. Marketing students appear more likely to feel that
sustainability is an important topic in business (83%) and
report more often that they would like to work for a company
that embraces sustainability (83%). Finance and accounting
% Agree
% Strongly agree
% Agree &
strongly agree
56
45
34
31
22
26
16
4
78
71
50
35
students are least likely to agree that sustainability is important to them (41%) and that they are knowledgeable about
sustainability issues (28%).
DISCUSSION
The research findings presented offer an exploratory glimpse
into the present learning approaches that PRME signatories
are utilizing in their effort to teach students about sustainability. The 35 learning approaches should not be construed
as an exhaustive list going forward. Rather it is a snapshot of
what is being tried now as business schools begin to embrace
the mandates of the principles of responsible management in
the area of sustainability. This list will naturally change and
evolve as is the way of all curricula.
The findings show that some learning approaches are
considered to be significantly more or less effective to an
undergraduate population. The five identified groupings can
assist faculty and curriculum teams in formulating discussions about categories of learning approaches that students
might consider more effective. Although it is certainly true
TABLE 5
Attitudes Toward Sustainability, by Major
Sustainability attitudes
Finance/accounting
Sustainability is an important topic in business.
I would prefer to work for a company that embraces sustainability as a core value.
Sustainability is an important topic to me.
I am very knowledgeable about sustainability issues in business.
Management
Sustainability is an important topic in business.
I would prefer to work for a company that embraces
Sustainability as a core value.
Sustainability is an important topic to me.
I am very knowledgeable about sustainability issues in business.
Marketing
Sustainability is an important topic in business.
I would prefer to work for a company that embraces
Sustainability as a core value.
Sustainability is an important topic to me.
I am very knowledgeable about sustainability issues in business.
% Agree
% Strongly agree
% Agree &
strongly agree
59
50
32
26
19
22
9
4
78
72
41
28
50
32
24
30
74
62
33
33
22
6
55
39
59
59
24
24
83
83
41
35
17
3
58
38
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
204
L. ERSKINE AND S. D. JOHNSON
that some faculty members may discount the preferred
learning approaches embraced by students, student feedback
regarding the perceived effectiveness of various learning
approaches may give insight into ways to close the gap
between present student knowledge and the growing
importance placed on sustainability by the corporate world.
Because sustainability is, by its nature, a concept and topic
that calls for action, the active learning approaches preferred
by students may be more valuable in this emerging focus of
business inquiry.
We note that many of the more effective approaches can
be described as active learning, whereas many of the least
effective approaches can be described as passive learning.
This finding supports the practical hands on approach favored by Holliday (2010). Active learning describes activities that involve the students in doing things and thinking
about the things they are doing. These can be divided into experiences (doing) and reflection and include such examples
as debates, role-plays, cases, simulations, service learning,
situational observations, authentic projects, and reflective papers (Wingfield & Black, 2005). In contrast, passive learning
occurs when students are receiving information and ideas
(Richlin, 2006). Active learning has been shown to better
prepare students to make meaningful contributions at work
(Wingfield & Black).
Undergraduate students tend to agree that sustainability
is an important topic in business. When diligent students
know what is important in business, whether such items are
technical skills or soft skills, these students will seek out
ways to become more knowledgeable about such topics. It is
therefore likely that student demand for learning experiences
related to sustainability topics will increase in the coming
years. Business schools that are responsive to student interests and student expectations are likely to offer a growing
array of options to students to help them become knowledgeable and engaged in sustainability initiatives and activities.
Both in-class exercises and out of class opportunities will be
valued by students.
A limitation of the study is that it is exploratory in nature.
Although exploratory research can offer new insights into
emerging trends, it may lack the foundation that comes from
numerous prior empirical students. In addition, the findings
represent one university sample and are focused on an undergraduate population. A population of graduate students
or a broader representation of nontraditional students may
provide different judgments of effective learning approaches
in the context of sustainability.
Recruiters should take note that more than half of the
students surveyed would prefer to work for a company
that embraces sustainability. This study shows that undergraduates think the business community values sustainability yet these same students are aware that they do
not yet have a highly developed base of knowledge about
sustainability. By implementing some of the approaches
perceived as most effective by this student population,
business schools may be able to more fully prepare students for an era in which sustainability is a key strategic
priority.
REFERENCES
Alcaraz, J. M., & Thiruvattal, E. (2010). An interview with Manuel Escudero. The United Nations’ principles for responsible management education: A global call for sustainability. Academy of Management Learning
& Education, 9, 542–550.
Aspen Institute. (2001). Where will they lead 2001X? MBA student attitudes
about business and society. New York, NY: Aspen Institute Business and
Society Program.
Aspen Institute. (2003). Where will they lead 2003? MBA student attitudes
about business and society. New York, NY: Aspen Institute Business and
Society Program.
Aspen Institute. (2008). Where will they lead 2008? MBA student attitudes
about business and society. New York, NY: Aspen Institute Business and
Society Program.
Bradbury, H. (2003). Sustaining inner and outer worlds: A whole-systems
approach to developing sustainable business practices in management.
Journal of Management Education, 27, 172–187.
Bridges, C. M., & Wilhelm, W. B. (2008). Going beyond green: The “why
and how” of integrating sustainability into the marketing curriculum.
Journal of Marketing Education, 30, 33–46.
Brundtland Commission. (1987). Our common future: Report of the World
Commission on Environment and Development. Oxford, England: Oxford
University Press.
Clarke, I., Flaherty, T. B., & Mottner, S. (2001). Student perceptions
of educational technology tools. Journal of Marketing Education, 23,
169–177.
Cole, M. S., Feild, H. S., & Harris, S. G. (2004). Student learning motivation
and psychological hardiness: Interactive effects on students’ reactions to
a management class. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 3,
64–85.
Dean, K. L., & Beggs, J. M. (2006). University professors and teaching
ethics: Conceptualizations and expectations. Journal of Management Education, 30, 15–44.
Eastman, J. K., Iyer, R., & Eastman, K. L. (2011). Business students’ perceptions, attitudes, and satisfaction with interactive technology: An exploratory study. Journal of Education for Business, 86, 36–43.
Elkington, J. (1998). Cannibals with forks: The triple bottom line of 21st
Century business. Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada: New Society.
Farias, G., Farias, C. M., & Fairfield, K. D. (2010). Teacher as judge or
partner: The dilemma of grades versus learning. Journal of Education for
Business, 85, 336–342.
Fleischman, R. K., & Schuele, K. (2006). Green accounting: A primer.
Journal of Accounting Education, 24, 35–66.
Ghoshal, S. (2005). Bad management theories are destroying good management practices. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 4,
75–91.
Gioia, D. A. (2002). Business education’s role in the crisis of corporate
confidence. The Academy of Management Executive, 16, 142–144.
Grayson, D. (2010, October 3). Schools ignore sustainability revolution. Financial Times. Retrieved from http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/63cf95b0cd5f-lldf-ab20-00144feab49a.html#axzz10HXe4iig
Holliday, S. (2010). The relationship between sustainability education and
business: An interview with Chad Holliday. Academy of Management
Learning & Education, 9, 532–541.
Karns, G. L. (2005). An update of marketing student perceptions of learning
activities: Structure, preferences, and effectiveness. Journal of Marketing
Education, 27, 163–171.
Downloaded by [Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji] at 22:01 11 January 2016
EFFECTIVE LEARNING, SUSTAINABILITY
Kearins, K., & Springett, D. (2003). Educating for sustainability: Developing critical skills. Journal of Management Education, 27, 188–204.
doi:10.1177/1052562903251411
L¨ams¨a, A.-M., Vehkaper¨a, M., Puttonen, T., & Pesonen, H.-L. (2007). Effect of business education on women and men students’ attitudes on
corporate responsibility in society. Journal of Business Ethics, 82, 45–
58.
Martins, L. L., & Kellermanns, F. W. (2004). A model of business school students’ acceptance of a web-based course management system. Academy
of Management Learning & Education, 3, 7–26.
Nicholson, C. Y., & DeMoss, M. (2009). Teaching ethics and social responsibility: An evaluation of undergraduate business education at the discipline level. Journal of Education for Business, 84,
213–218.
Pfeffer, J. (2005). Why do bad management theories persist? A comment on
Ghoshal. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 4, 96–100.
Principles for Responsible Management Education. (n.d.). The six
principles of responsible management education. Retrieved from
http://www.unprme.org/the-6-principles/index.php
Rands, G. P. (2009). A principle-attribute matrix for environmentally sustainable management education and its application. Journal of Management Education, 33, 296–322.
205
Richlin, L. (2006). Blueprint for learning: Constructing college courses to
facilitate, assess, and document learning. Sterling, VA: Stylus.
Rusinko, C. A. (2010). Integrating sustainability in management and business education: A matrix approach. Academy of Management Learning
& Education, 9, 507–519.
Seidman, D. (2008, December 5). Outgreening delivers sustainable
competitive advantage. BusinessWeek. Retrieved from http://www.
businessweek.com/managing/content/dec2008/ca2008125 029230.htm
Taylor, S. A., Humphreys, M., Singley, R., & Hunter, G. L. (2004). Business
student preferences: Exploring the relative importance of web management in course design. Journal of Marketing Education, 26, 42–49.
Waddock, S. A., & Graves, S. B. (1997). The corporate social
performance–financial performance link. Strategic Management Journal,
18, 303–319.
Wasik, J. F. (2010, September 9). The surprising success of the green
supply chain. Fortune. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2010/
08/13/news/companies/corporate sustainability.fortune/index.htm
Wingfield, S. S., & Black, G. (2005). Active versus passive course designs:
The impact on student outcomes. Journal of Education for Business, 81,
119–123.
Zocco, D. (2009). Risk theory and student course selection. Research in
Higher Education, 3, 1–29.