Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-cfpbc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T23:25:43.365Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Sustainability and Undergraduate Management Curricula: Changes Over a 5-Year Period

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 February 2017

Josie Fisher  and
Ingrid Bonn
Josie Fisher*
Affiliation:
University of New England Business School, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
Ingrid Bonn
Affiliation:
School of Business, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Josie Fisher, University of New England Business School, Armidale NSW 2351, Australia. Email: jfisher@une.edu.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Global initiatives and a rapidly expanding academic literature identify the responsibility that universities have to incorporate sustainability education into their curricula. This study had two aims: first, to investigate the extent to which Australian undergraduate management curricula explicitly identified a focus on sustainability and, second, to examine the changes that had occurred between 2009 and 2014. A web-based content analysis was undertaken to gain a snapshot view of the emphasis placed on sustainability in all 40 Australian universities’ business/management courses. Our findings showed that in 2014, three-quarters of the courses identified failed to include even one subject that all students must study that mentioned sustainability. This finding was only marginally different from the 2009 findings, suggesting that there is a long way to go before sustainability education in Australian universities’ undergraduate management curricula could be claimed to be fulfilling the needs of students, businesses, and the broader society.

Keywords

business curriculum and sustainabilityeducation for sustainable developmenthigher educationmanagement curriculum and sustainabilitysustainable development
Type
Feature Articles
Information
Australian Journal of Environmental Education , Volume 33 , Issue 1 , March 2017 , pp. 18 - 33
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Academy of Management. (2016). Organizations and the Natural Environment Division of the Academy of Management. Retrieved from Academy of Management website: http://one.aom.org/ Google Scholar
Adomßent, M., Fischer, D., Godemann, J., Herzig, C., Otte, I., Rieckmann, M., & Timm, J. (2014). Emerging areas in research on higher education for sustainable development — Management education, sustainable consumption and perspectives from central and Eastern Europe. Journal of Cleaner Production, 62, 1–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). (2016). AASHE mission, vision and goals. Retrieved from AASHE website: http://www.aashe.org/about/aashe-mission-vision-goals Google Scholar
Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (AULSF). (1990). The Talloires Declaration: 10 point plan. Retrieved from AULSF website: http://www.ulsf.org/pdf/TD.pdf Google Scholar
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). (2016). Eligibility procedures and accreditation standards for business accreditation. Retrieved from AACSB website: http://www.aacsb.edu/~/media/AACSB/Docs/Accreditation/Standards/2013-bus-standards-update.ashx Google Scholar
Australian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS). (2013). Home. Retrieved from ACTS website: http://www.acts.asn.au/ Google Scholar
Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI). (2015). Corporate reporting in Australia: The sustainability reporting journey. Retrieved from ACSI website: https://www.acsi.org.au/images/stories/ACSIDocuments/detailed_research_papers/Sustainability_Reporting_Journey_2015.Apr15.pdf Google Scholar
Australian Trade and Investment Commission. (2014). International student data. Retrieved from Australian Trade and Investment Commission website: http://www.austrade.gov.au/Education/Student-Data/2014/Pivot-Tables#.VGrIO8scSWY Google Scholar
Bekessy, S., Samson, K., & Clarkson, R. (2007). The failure of nonbinding declarations to achieve university sustainability. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 8 (3), 301–316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benn, S., & Dunphy, D. (2009). Action research as an approach to integrating sustainability into MBA programs: An exploratory study. Journal of Management Education, 33, 276–295.Google Scholar
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.Google Scholar
Caza, A. & Brower, H.H. (2015). Mentioning the unmentioned: An interactive interview about the informal management curriculum. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 14, 96–110.Google Scholar
Christensen, L.J., Pierce, E., Hartman, L.P., Hoffman, W.M., & Carrier, J. (2007). Ethics, CSR, and sustainability education in the Financial Times top 50 global business schools: Baseline data and future research directions. Journal of Business Ethics, 73, 347–368.Google Scholar
Ceulemans, K., Molderez, I., & Van Liedekerke, L. (2015). Sustainability reporting in higher education: A comprehensive review of the recent literature and paths for further research. Journal of Cleaner Production, 106, 127–143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doh, J.P., & Tashman, P. (2014). Half a world away: The integration and assimilation of corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and sustainable development in business school curricula. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 21, 131–142.Google Scholar
European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS). (2016). EQUIS Standards and criteria. Retrieved from EQUIS website: https://www.efmd.org/images/stories/efmd/EQUIS/2016/EQUIS_Standards_and_Criteria.pdf Google Scholar
Evangelinos, K.I., & Jones, N. (2009). An analysis of social capital and environmental management of higher education institutions. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 10, 334–342.Google Scholar
Figueiró, P.S., & Raufflet, E. (2015). Sustainability in higher education: A systematic review with focus on management education. Journal of Cleaner Production, 106, 22–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fisher, J., & Bonn, I. (2011). Business sustainability and undergraduate management education: An Australian study. Higher Education, 62, 563–571.Google Scholar
Forum for the Future. (2004, July). Sustainability literacy: Knowledge and skills for the future. Report from Forum for the Future's Consultation Workshop, London.Google Scholar
Galbreath, J. (2009). Addressing sustainability: A strategy development framework. International Journal of Sustainable Strategic Management, 1, 303–319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gao, J., & Bansal, P. (2013). Instrumental and integrative logics in business sustainability. Journal of Business Ethics, 112, 241–255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Global Reporting Initiative Focal Point Australia. (2014). Submission to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government. Retrieved from http://aid.dfat.gov.au/Publications/Documents/global-reporting-initiative.pdf Google Scholar
Godemann, J., Haertle, J., Herzig, C., & Moon, J. (2014). United Nations supported principles for responsible management education: Purpose, progress and prospects. Journal of Cleaner Production, 62, 16–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graduate Careers Australia. (2014). Where graduates go. Retrieved from Graduate Opportunities website: http://www.graduateopportunities.com/wpcontent/uploads/GradsGo2014_v8_printquality.pdf Google Scholar
Hahn, T., Preuss, L., Pinkse, J., & Figge, F. (2014). Cognitive frames in corporate sustainability: Managerial sensemaking with paradoxical and business case frames. Academy of Management Review, 39, 463–487.Google Scholar
Haig, M. (2005). Greening the university curriculum: Appraising an international movement. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 29, 31–48.Google Scholar
Hawken, P. (2007). Blessed unrest: How the largest movement in the world came into being and why no one saw it coming. New York, NY: Viking.Google Scholar
Hörisch, J., Freeman, R.E., & Schaltegger, S. (2014). Applying stakeholder theory in sustainability management: Links, similarities, dissimilarities, and a conceptual framework. Organization & Environment, 27, 328–346.Google Scholar
Huang, S.K., & Wang, Y.-L. (2013). A comparative study of sustainability management education in China and the USA. Environmental Education Research, 19, 64–80.Google Scholar
Kelley, S., & Nahser, R. (2014). Developing sustainable strategies: Foundations, method and pedagogy. Journal of Business Ethics, 123, 631–644.Google Scholar
Khurana, R. (2010). From higher aims to hired hands: The social transformation of American business schools and the unfulfilled promise of management as a profession. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
KPMG. (2012). Prepare for the future: Sustainability as a business driver. Retrieved from KPMG website: http://www.kpmg.com/au/en/issuesandinsights/articlespublications/pages/prepare-future-sustainability-business-driver.aspx Google Scholar
Lubin, D.A., & Esty, D.C. (2010). The sustainability imperative. Harvard Business Review, May, 2–9.Google Scholar
Maloni, M.J., Smith, S.D., & Napsin, S. (2012). A methodology for building faculty support for the United Nations principles for responsible management education. Journal of Management Education, 36, 312–336.Google Scholar
Matten, D., & Moon, J. (2004). Corporate social responsibility education in Europe. Journal of Business Ethics, 54, 323–337.Google Scholar
McDonald, G.M. (2004). A case example: Integrating ethics into the academic business curriculum. Journal of Business Ethics, 54, 371–384.Google Scholar
Moon, J., & Orlitzky, M. (2011). Corporate social responsibility and sustainability education: A trans-Atlantic comparison. Journal of Management & Organization, 17, 583–603.Google Scholar
Neuendorf, K.A. (2002). The content analysis guidebook. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Nicolaides, A. (2006). The implementation of environmental management towards sustainabile universities and education for sustainable development as a ethical imperative. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 7, 414–424.Google Scholar
Perry, M., & Winn, S. (2013). An evaluation of PRME's contribution to responsibility in higher education. Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 49, 48–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Persons, O. (2012). Incorporating corporate social responsibility into a business course: A shared experience. Journal of Education for Business, 87, 63–72.Google Scholar
Pfeffer, J., & Fong, C. (2002). The end of business schools? Less success than meets the eye. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 1, 78–95.Google Scholar
Principles for Responsible Management Education (PREM). (2014). Six principles. Retrieved from PREM website: http://www.unprme.org/about-prme/the-six-principles.php Google Scholar
Ralph, M., & Stubbs, W. (2014). Integrating environmental sustainability into universities. Higher Education, 67, 71–90.Google Scholar
Ramos, T.B, Caeiro, S. van Hoof, B., & Lozano, R. (2015). Experiences from the implementation of sustainable development in higher education institutions: Environmental management for sustainable universities. Journal of Cleaner Production, 106, 3–10.Google Scholar
Reid, A., & Petocz, P. (2006). University lecturers’ understanding of sustainability. Higher Education, 51, 105–123.Google Scholar
Rundle-Thiele, S.R., & Wymer, W. (2010). Stand-alone ethics, social responsibility, and sustainability course requirements. A snapshot from Australia and New Zealand. Journal of Marketing Education, 32, 5–12.Google Scholar
Setó-Pamies, D., & Papaoikonomou, E. (2015). A multi-level perspective for the integration of ethics, corporate social responsibility and sustainability (ECSRS) in management education. Journal of Business Ethics, (3). doi:10.1007/s10551-014-2535-7 Google Scholar
Starkey, K., & Tempest, S. (2008). A clear sense of purpose? The evolving role of the business school. Journal of Management Development, 27, 379–390.Google Scholar
Stephens, J.C., & Graham, A.C. (2010). Toward an empirical research agenda for sustainability in higher education: Exploring the transition management framework. Journal of Cleaner Production, 18, 611–618.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stubbs, W. (2011). Addressing the business-sustainability nexus in postgraduate education. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 14, 25–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomas, I., & Day, T. (2014). Sustainability capabilities, graduate capabilities, and Australian universities. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 15, 208–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tilbury, D. (2011). Higher education for sustainability: A global overview of commitment and progress. In GUNI, (Ed.), Higher education's commitment to sustainability: From understanding to action (pp. 1–21). Paris: Palgrave-Macmillan.Google Scholar
Tilbury, D., Keogh, A., Leighton, A., & Kent, J. (2005). A national review of environmental education and its contribution to sustainability in Australia: Further and higher education. Canberra, Australia: Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage and Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability.Google Scholar
UNESCO. (2005). UN decade of education for sustainable development 2005–2014. Retrieved from UNESCO website: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001416/141629e.pdf Google Scholar
United Nations. Higher education sustainability initiative . (2014). Retrieved from UN website: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?menu=1073 Google Scholar
von der Heidt, T., & Lamberton, G. (2011). Sustainability in the undergraduate and postgraduate business curriculum of a regional university: A critical perspective. Journal of Management & Organization, 17, 670–690.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
von der Heidt, T., & Lamberton, G. (2014). How academics in undergraduate business programs at an Australian university view sustainability. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 30, 215–238.Google Scholar
Wals, A.E.J. (2014). Sustainability in higher education in the context of the UN DESD: A review of learning and institutionalization processes. Journal of Cleaner Production, 62, 8–15.Google Scholar
Waddock, S. (2007). Leadership integrity in a fractured knowledge world. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 6, 543–557.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, T. (2010). University presidents’ conceptualizations of sustainability in higher education. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 11, 61–73.Google Scholar
Wu, Y-C.J., Huang, S., Kuo, L., & Wu, W-H. (2010). Management education for sustainability: A web-based content analysis. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 10, 520–531.Google Scholar