Panoramic difference of academicians in promoting sustainable change
15 Jul 2018-International Journal of Sustainable Strategic Management (Inderscience Publishers)-Vol. 6, Iss: 1, pp 17
TL;DR: In this article, the authors tried to identify the homogenous groups of academicians, with similar viewpoints, and to know their opinion about the given variables that a higher education institute may adopt to promote sustainable change in society.
Abstract: The social, economic, cultural, ecological and political transformations are essential factors of sustainable development and studies have shown that higher education is one of the important sources to bring required sustainable changes across the globe. This paper has tried to identify the homogenous groups of academicians, with similar viewpoints, and to know their opinion about the given variables that a higher education institute may adopt to promote sustainable change in society. The research was descriptive in nature and a data of 168 respondents was finally incorporated for analysis. Data was collected from faculty members of various management and engineering institutes in India. Cluster analysis, chi square test and one way ANOVA using Tukey's post hoc test for equal variance assumed was used for data analysis and hypotheses testing. 16 variables developed and used by Forum for the Future (2003) were used to measure the academicians' opinions. Three clusters were identified with different perspective in which first cluster is very optimistic and support all variables, second is with a very conservative approach and third cluster is with a futuristic approach.
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a model for the analysis of business schools as creators, disseminators, and adopters of knowledge on environmental management, based on which a review of the importance of higher education institutions for sustainability, and more specifically, about their relevance for the creation, diffusion, and adoption of knowledge in environmental management is performed.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a model for the analysis of business schools as creators, disseminators, and adopters of knowledge on environmental management.Design/methodology/approach – A review of the importance of higher education institutions for sustainability, and more specifically, about their relevance for the creation, diffusion, and adoption of knowledge on environmental management is performed. Guided by this reflection, a model for analyzing the contributions of business schools for expertise in environmental management is proposed. This model considers that activities such as teaching, research, extension community, and university management are elementary for these schools. For each addressed topic, empirical evidence on how some business schools and universities are addressing the environmental dimension in its activities is presented.Findings – The paper's discussions lead the reader to a draft of the evolutionary stages of business schools' contribution for environment...
31 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, climate change economics attends to this issue by offering theoretical insights and empirical findings relevant to the design of policies to reduce, avoid, or adapt to climate change, which has yielded new estimates of mitigation benefits, improved understanding of costs in the presence of various market distortions or imperfections, better tools for making policy choices under uncertainty, and alternate mechanisms for allowing flexibility in policy responses.
Abstract: Global climate change poses a threat to the well-being of humans and other living things through impacts on ecosystem functioning, biodiversity, capital productivity, and human health. Climate change economics attends to this issue by offering theoretical insights and empirical findings relevant to the design of policies to reduce, avoid, or adapt to climate change. This economic analysis has yielded new estimates of mitigation benefits, improved understanding of costs in the presence of various market distortions or imperfections, better tools for making policy choices under uncertainty, and alternate mechanisms for allowing flexibility in policy responses. These contributions have influenced the formulation and implementation of a range of climate change policies at the domestic and international levels.
2,783 citations
"Panoramic difference of academician..." refers background in this paper
...National universities and government bodies have included education for sustainability (EFS) in their main agenda and trying to evaluate the role of HEIs for sustainability (IPCC, 2011; Stern, 2007)....
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TL;DR: In this article, a review of the corporate sustainability literature is undertaken to develop the sustainability framework, which relates basic concepts and assumptions within the ecocentric, ecological modernization and neoclassical paradigms to organizational practice and behavior.
Abstract: – This paper seeks to describe a framework used to help MBA students understand and reconcile the different sustainability perspectives., – A review of the corporate sustainability literature is undertaken to develop the sustainability framework., – The sustainability framework relates basic concepts and assumptions within the ecocentric, ecological modernization and neoclassical paradigms to organizational practice and behavior. For the most part, the MBA students have only been exposed to neoclassical economic thinking within the other MBA subjects. The aim of the sustainability framework is to shift the students' thinking by engaging with sustainability from different perspectives, rather than presenting one version of sustainability to them. The framework has proven to be useful in developing critical and reflective thinking and discussion., – The paper provides a summary of sustainability concepts as applied to business practices and describes how this is used in teaching sustainability to business students.
240 citations
"Panoramic difference of academician..." refers background in this paper
...These HEIs can motivate students to understand the importance of sustainable development and help them to develop critical skills to handle sustainability challenges (Stubbs and Cocklin, 2008)....
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10 Oct 2006
TL;DR: In 1998, the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chair on Reorienting Teacher Education to Address Sustainability established an International Network of 30 teacher education institutions in 28 countries to address this issue as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Area: B. Review national education policies and reorient formal education systems/Task B.3. Develop guidelines for the reorientation of teacher training. But fi rst and foremost our message is directed toward people, whose whole well being is the ultimate goal of all environment and development policies. In particular, the Commission is addressing the young. The World's teachers will have a crucial role to play in bringing this report to them. If we do not succeed in putting our message of urgency through to today's parents and decision makers, we risk undermining our children's fundamental right to a healthy, life-enhancing environment. Unless we are able to translate our words into language that can reach the minds and hearts of people young and old, we shall not be able to undertake the extensive social changes needed to correct the course of development. The authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. In 1998, the Commission on Sustainable Development called for UNESCO to develop guidelines for reorienting teacher training to address sustainability. In turn, UNESCO created a UNITWIN/UNESCO Chair on Reorienting Teacher Education to Address Sustainability at York University in Toronto, Canada. The Chair established an International Network of 30 teacher-education institutions in 28 countries to address this issue. The International Network met in October 2000 and began planning strategies and methods for moving forward. This document is the result of their efforts. It is born of practice informed by theory, not the musings of people who simply imagine how to proceed. The international network undertook many types of initiatives in their efforts to reorient teacher education, decide which themes or sustainability goals to emphasize within their curricula, programs, practices, and policies to ensure that teacher-education programs fi t the environmental, social, and economic conditions and goals of their communities, regions, and nations. Members of the International Network made recommendations related to reorienting teacher education to address sustainability. The recommendations are pieces of wisdom garnered through the experimentation and hard work of teacher educators. The recommendations concern ministerial and national levels to the local level. Members of the International Network repeatedly mentioned the urgency to act and the need for profound change. While many spoke of the enormity of the task at hand, all who participated were able …
224 citations
"Panoramic difference of academician..." refers background in this paper
...Hopkins and McKeown (2005) in their study identified various initiatives of universities and academicians like energy and waste reduction, greenhouse effect and implementation of sustainable buildings....
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TL;DR: The ACES Project as discussed by the authors is a model of the implementation of sustainability principles in higher education, with a special emphasis on curriculum greening, which involved 11 European and Latin American universities, with financial support from the ALFA programme of the European Commission.
Abstract: Purpose – To report on a project involving European and Latin American universities, focusing on curriculum greening.Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents the experiences gained in connection with the “ACES Project” which is a model of the implementation of sustainability principles in higher education, with a special emphasis on curriculum greening. This paper presents the principles and main results of the project, which involved 11 European and Latin American universities, with financial support from the ALFA programme of the European Commission.Findings – The paper identifies ten characteristics of the initial model of curriculum greening which were validated in the process and were interpreted in the paper.Research limitations/implications – The type of action‐oriented research carried out in the context of the ACES Project, by means of cooperative efforts and the accumulation of diverse fields of knowledge, presented working difficulties which are different from those experienced by more...
94 citations
"Panoramic difference of academician..." refers background in this paper
...Geli de Ciurana and Filho (2006) and Diamond and Irwin (2013) suggested some guidance to universities, to integrate sustainability in their process and also inform their faculty members to encourage sustainability in the campus....
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on efforts to develop two stand-alone subjects on sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a mainstream business curriculum at Monash University, Australia.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on efforts to develop two stand‐alone subjects on sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a mainstream business curriculum at Monash University, Australia.Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents details on the educational rationale and design of the two subjects in corporate sustainability and CSR.Findings – Although many universities offer support for education for sustainability, previous research indicates that most curriculum initiatives in this area have been driven by individual faculty. This paper provides examples of curriculum development that emerged from the grass‐roots initiative, in the absence of an integrated and mainstreamed programme for sustainability.Practical implications – The paper encourages all faculty, no matter their circumstances, to consider the development of curriculum for sustainability. While individual subjects cannot effect wholesale change, each effort can, no matter how piecemeal, make a diff...
85 citations
"Panoramic difference of academician..." refers background or result in this paper
...Stubbs and Schapper (2011) suggested few innovations in curriculum content to enhance critical learning skills in students and to understand the relation between education and society....
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...Stubbs and Schapper (2011) found the similar result and identify the importance of research programs to initiate waste reduction and create environmental awareness....
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