Attitudes of undergraduate business students toward sustainability issues

Eagle, Lynne; Low, David; Case, Peter; Vandommele, Lisa

Abstract

© 2015 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Purpose – This paper aims to report on findings from the first phase of a longitudinal study of undergraduate business students’ attitudes, beliefs and perceptions concerning sustainability issues. Design/methodology/approach – To improve understanding of the potential effects of changes in the curriculum, business students enrolled during the academic year prior to a redesigned, sustainability-informed, curriculum were surveyed. Familiarity with key sustainability terms was tested using a semi-structured questionnaire applied across two campuses of James Cook University, Australia. Quantitative data were complemented by use of open-ended questions that yielded qualitative insight into a range of student knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and normative influences relating to sustainability and climate change. Findings – Findings reflect naïve awareness of the potential impact of individual contributions to sustainability and environmental challenges. They reveal a tendency to regard major issues as beyond personal control and to view solutions as being the responsibility of others. This is coupled with reluctance to consider major lifestyle changes. Social implications – Universities are increasing their focus on sustainability-related issues and the ways in which these can be effectively communicated via curricula. This paper carries implications for this societal agenda, particularly in relation to the need to address disconnections between awareness of issues, personal relevance and effective strategies for addressing sustainability issues. Originality/value – The findings shed fresh light on the attitudes and behavioural dispositions of undergraduate business students and could help guide the development and delivery of curriculum content.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Mar 2, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 15, 2016
• Journal: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
• Print ISSN: 1467-6370
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 650-668
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-04-2014-0054
• Keywords: business students, higher education, sustainability, climate change, environment, attitudes, behaviour change
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/841764
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-04-2014-0054
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This article is (c) Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/25120/. Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
• Contract Date: Nov 15, 2016