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1 – 10 of over 38000Sanjeev M.A., Reena Agrawal, Raihan Taqui Syed, Thangaraja Arumugam and Praveena K.
This study aims to ascertain the impact education for sustainable development (ESD) on knowledge, attitude and behavior among senior (last year undergraduate) Indian students.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to ascertain the impact education for sustainable development (ESD) on knowledge, attitude and behavior among senior (last year undergraduate) Indian students.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is a cross-sectional causal investigation with descriptive design using survey method. It uses the knowledge, attitude and behaviors toward the sustainable development scales of the International Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD) for data collection and partial least-square structural equation modelling for empirically testing the proposed research model.
Findings
The study results establish the importance of sustainability education on knowledge, attitude and behavior. The impact of knowledge on behavior is direct and partially mediated through the attitudinal pathway – indicating central and peripheral routes sustainability related information processing and attitude formation. The results also indicate poor knowledge of the impact of socio-cultural issues on sustainability.
Research limitations/implications
The study results will help assess the impact current ESD initiatives in India and redesign the ESD curriculum in line with ESD for 2030 initiatives to facilitate the achievement of UN’s sustainable development goals by 2030. This study is limited to senior students and offers scope for extension to other groups.
Social implications
The study results can help redesign the sustainability curriculum at the school and undergraduate levels in the country in line with ESD for 2023 objectives. The results indicate an urgent need to include the impact of sociocultural issues on sustainability to sensitize Indian students towards the same.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the sustainability education literature by assessing the impact of sustainability curricula on sustainability knowledge, attitude and behavior among Indian senior students – hitherto uninvestigated. It also will help in the informed redesign/ improvement of ESD curriculum under the ESD for 2030 initiatives.
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Natasha Pennell and Gabriela Sabau
This paper aims to investigate the role of multidisciplinary course requirements in shaping student attitudes toward sustainability and education for sustainable development…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the role of multidisciplinary course requirements in shaping student attitudes toward sustainability and education for sustainable development. Previous research indicates that students conceptualize sustainability based on their academic discipline; thus, this research investigates whether there is a difference in student attitudes toward sustainability at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland, where students are encouraged to cross the borders of their academic disciplines.
Design/methodology/approach
This research reports on the findings from a mixed-methods study to assess the impact of program requirements on student attitudes toward sustainability and education for sustainable development at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland. In phase one, an anonymous survey was administered to students regarding their perceptions and attitudes toward sustainability and education for sustainable development. The survey yielded 100 usable responses. Phase 2 consisted of a series of 10 semi-structured expert interviews with key faculty and staff at Grenfell Campus and a representative from the City of Corner Brook, which gave further insights regarding sustainability programming and campus culture.
Findings
Contrary to previous research, the results of this research indicate that the School of Study does not have a statistically significant impact on student attitudes toward sustainability. This may be attributed to Grenfell Campus’s Breadth of Knowledge requirement within the School of Arts and Social Science and the School of Science and the Environment, which requires that students take elective courses from a broad range of subject matter to develop their holistic awareness of social, cultural, scientific and political issues.
Practical implications
The results of this research indicate that students who are exposed to broad multidisciplinary requirements may be more likely to have positive attitudes toward sustainability than students who focus on a single discipline.
Originality/value
A limited number of studies investigate the impact of core program requirements on student attitudes toward sustainability. This paper promotes an effective way of raising sustainability-literate young people/citizens in a Canadian higher education context.
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The purpose of this study was to examine curricular innovation in accounting using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and t-test to measure the effects of transformative…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to examine curricular innovation in accounting using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and t-test to measure the effects of transformative sustainability education in accounting on the attitudes of male and female undergraduate accounting students at a public university in the southwestern USA toward the four sustainable development dimensions of environment, economy, society and education.
Design/methodology/approach
A quasi-experimental research methodology using data from a convenience sample of 157 accounting students’ responses to an online Qualtrics survey compared the attitudes of male and female undergraduate accounting students who had sustainability education in accounting to those who did not toward the four aspects of environment, economy, society and education for sustainable development using correlation, MANOVA, independent- and paired-samples t-tests.
Findings
While there were no significant differences between the male and female accounting students’ attitudes who had sustainability education and those who did not, there were significant differences between some dimensions of sustainable development with medium effect sizes, and correlations between the students’ attitudes were moderate, positive and significant.
Research limitations/implications
This study was relatively small and conducted at one university, but the results indicated that the students consider sustainability education valuable to their future careers, which is important for future curriculum development.
Originality/value
This study showed that transformative sustainability education does not produce gender differences in students’ attitudes toward sustainable development.
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Anna Maija Vuorio, Kaisu Puumalainen and Katharina Fellnhofer
The role of entrepreneurship has changed to include issues beyond economic growth. This has turned attention toward the drivers of entrepreneurial intentions across…
Abstract
Purpose
The role of entrepreneurship has changed to include issues beyond economic growth. This has turned attention toward the drivers of entrepreneurial intentions across entrepreneurship types, particularly in sustainable entrepreneurship. The purpose of this paper is to examine the drivers of entrepreneurial intentions in sustainable entrepreneurship. In particular, the paper aims to extend the existing intention models to include work values and attitudes toward sustainability, thereby bringing the model into the context of sustainable entrepreneurship.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a quantitative research design, data were collected in three European countries through anonymous questionnaires. The data consist of responses from 393 university students.
Findings
The results show that attitude toward sustainability and perceived entrepreneurial desirability enhance sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial intentions. Moreover, adding sustainability into the regression equation adds explanation power, hence suggesting that the theory of planned behavior needs to be adapted when applied to sustainable entrepreneurship. Attitudes toward sustainability are positively impacted by altruism, while perceived entrepreneurial desirability is driven by intrinsic and extrinsic rewards.
Research limitations/implications
The study focuses on one particular type of entrepreneurship and one particular age group.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by applying the entrepreneurial intention model to sustainable entrepreneurship. The results imply that it may be the time to consider the variance in entrepreneurial opportunities in intention models as well as the need to address the conflict between work values. The results show that sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial intentions are driven by attitudes toward sustainability and perceived entrepreneurial desirability. These two attitudes are driven by altruism and extrinsic rewards, and, especially, extrinsic reward plays an opposite role in both drivers of sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial intentions.
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Balamuralithara Balakrishnan, Fumihiko Tochinai, Hidekazu Kanemitsu and Ali Al-Talbe
This study aims to examine the impacts of education for sustainable development subject(s) offered at University A, Japan and University B, Malaysia on the attitude and perception…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the impacts of education for sustainable development subject(s) offered at University A, Japan and University B, Malaysia on the attitude and perception toward environment, social and economic issues of sustainability among the engineering undergraduates of the institutions from different countries.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire survey was administered to 108 engineering students at University A, Japan and 117 engineering students at University B, Malaysia to measure their attitudes and perceptions toward sustainability.
Findings
The findings suggested that the sustainable development courses offered at University A, Japan, have developed positive attitudes and perceptions on environmental and social sustainability issues. The subjects on sustainable development offered at University B, Malaysia have developed positive attitudes and perceptions on the environmental issues of sustainability. Respondents from both universities, Japan and Malaysia, have not properly developed positive attitudes and perceptions toward economic sustainability issues. The findings also revealed that geographical boundaries have no influence toward the development of the attitude and perception toward sustainability issues.
Originality/value
This study provides insight into the attitude and perception toward the three pillars – environment, social and economic – of sustainability among engineering undergraduates from two different institutions of two different countries that apply different pedagogic strategies in education for sustainable development in educating undergraduates on sustainable development.
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José António C. Santos, Manuel Ángel Fernández-Gámez, Antonio Guevara-Plaza, Margarida Custódio Santos and Maria Helena Pestana
This study aimed to assess whether sociodemographic variables explain significant differences in attitudes towards transforming academic conferences into more sustainable events.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to assess whether sociodemographic variables explain significant differences in attitudes towards transforming academic conferences into more sustainable events.
Design/methodology/approach
An analytical model of participants' attitudes towards sustainable conferences based on literature review as well as the theories of reasoned action and planned behaviour was developed and applied to a sample of 532 surveyed individuals from 68 countries who regularly attended academic conferences in the last five years prior to 2020. The results were refined using statistical and computational techniques to achieve more empirically robust conclusions.
Findings
Results reveal that sociodemographic variables such as attendees' gender and age explain differences in attitudes. Women and older adults have stronger pro-environmental attitudes regarding event sustainability. On the other hand, attitudes towards more sustainable academic conferences are quite strong and positive overall. More sustainable events' venues, catering, conference materials and accommodations strongly influence attendees' attitudes towards more sustainable conferences. The strength of attitudes was weaker towards transportation.
Research limitations/implications
First, the analyses focused on only aspects related to the attendees' attitudes. Assessing their real behaviour would complete this research. The geographical areas defined by the U.N. and used in this study have the limitation of combining highly developed countries and developing countries in the same geographical area, for example, the Americas and Asia and the Pacific.
Practical implications
Specific socio-demographic variables' effects on attitudes towards sustainable academic conferences can indicate how organisers can best promote these events according to attendees' characteristics and develop differentiated marketing campaigns. For women and older adults, event sustainability should be emphasised as a competitive strategy to promote events and attract these audiences. Marketing strategies for younger attendees (under 30 years old) could focus on technology, networking or attractive social programmes. Sustainable venues, catering, conference materials and accommodations are easier to promote. Event organisers should encourage participants to make more environmentally friendly decisions regarding more sustainable event transport.
Social implications
A strategy based on promoting the event as contributing to sustainable development could educate attendees and put them on the path to developing stronger positive attitudes regarding sustainability and more sustainable behaviours. Sustainable academic conferences can educate students, organisers, service providers and delegates through their involvement in sustainable practices.
Originality/value
To our best knowledge, this research is the first to assess whether sociodemographic variables explain significant differences in attitudes towards the sustainable transformation of academic conferences.
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Sandeep Jagani, Vafa Saboorideilami and Saraf Tarannum
This study aims to investigate the conditional relationships among sustainability implementation, brand awareness, brand attitude and brand loyalty through the lens of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the conditional relationships among sustainability implementation, brand awareness, brand attitude and brand loyalty through the lens of transformative service research (TSR). The research also aims to explain how brand loyalty moderates the mediated effect of brand awareness and attitude in the context of social and environmental sustainability initiatives.
Design/methodology/approach
Using both primary and secondary data sources from 31 prominent service companies and their 6,891 customers, this paper investigates the impact of sustainability practices and brand awareness on customer attitude. The paper also examines the moderated mediation effect of brand loyalty, explaining how it alters brand attitudes in the context of sustainability implementation. Finally, the study conducts a comparative analysis of how environmental and social shape brand attitudes in loyal customers.
Findings
Sustainability implementation has a negative impact on both brand awareness and customer attitude. However, this negative influence is mitigated for highly brand-loyal customers, resulting in a positive brand attitude. Further, the comparative analysis reveals that social implementation positively influences brand attitude in high-loyalty contexts.
Research limitations/implications
This research uses subjective judgments of researchers regarding companies’ sustainability practices, combining them with customer attitudes gathered through survey questionnaires. Additionally, the data set comprises data from 31 large service companies, potentially limiting the generalizability of findings to large service companies. Nevertheless, this paper extends TSR into the realm of sustainability and branding.
Practical implications
The positive outcomes of sustainability implementation practices are most pronounced when customer loyalty toward a brand is strong. Social implementation has a more potent effect on brand attitude, particularly among loyal customers. Companies can tailor their sustainability efforts more effectively.
Originality/value
With the lens of TSR, this research deepens our understanding of how sustainability affects consumer psychology but also offers a methodological advancement by using advanced statistical models and a variety of data sources. The distinctiveness of this research is also highlighted in the examination of how environmental and social sustainability initiatives influence brand attitude, especially among customers who exhibit strong brand loyalty.
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Ahmed Eid, Matevz Obrecht, Ahmed Hussein Ali and Mahmoud Barakat
Drawing on the reasoned action theory, this study aims to examine the impact of environmental knowledge (EK) and environmental sustainability performance (EP) on environmental…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the reasoned action theory, this study aims to examine the impact of environmental knowledge (EK) and environmental sustainability performance (EP) on environmental behavior (EB) mediated by environmental attitude (ATT). Furthermore, to examine the moderating effect of environmental advertising (ADD) on the indirect relationship between EP and EB, mediated by ATT on the one hand, and EK on EB, on the other hand, mediated by ATT.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were gathered within an international context for passengers from North African countries (NAC) (Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco and Sudan) using primary quantitative data from online and self-administered questionnaires. A total of 1,052 questionnaires were collected from passengers who traveled through Egyptian airports. The collected data were analyzed through covariance-based structural equation modeling.
Findings
The findings indicated that ATT moderates the relationship between environmental knowledge and behavior. In addition, ATT mediates the airports' environmental behavior and environmental sustainability performance. Moreover, ADD moderates the indirect association between EP and individuals' environmental knowledge and behavior through the mediated effect of ATT.
Research limitations/implications
This research output will help extend the theory’s scope by conceptualizing its abstract ideas using research variables and applying them in NAC countries. This can be a milestone for altering individuals' behavior toward the environment in airports.
Practical implications
This study aims to assist airport authorities in the development of standards for enhancing environmental performance. Enhancing environmental issues is of utmost importance, especially in the context of airports, which have been a subject of significant environmental concern. This study examined the environmental practices of airport passengers in NAC, given their significant role as the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions on the African continent. The present approach has the potential to be utilized in modifying airport conduct and enhancing stakeholder engagement, specifically within the context of NAC.
Social implications
The objective of this study is to enhance the relationship between nature and humans by endeavoring to modify human attitudes toward the environment. The objective of this initiative is to bridge the current disparity in the socio-environmental connection by fostering environmental consciousness among individuals who utilize airport facilities. The objective will be accomplished by the construction of a theoretical framework that integrates crucial elements acknowledged for their substantial influence on altering human attitudes, thus fostering a greater sense of environmental consciousness and ultimately improving societal well-being.
Originality/value
Since the global supply chain prioritizes environmental transportation systems, this study provides a conceptual framework for airport authorities to develop and create policies to push air passengers' behavior toward environmental practices in NAC.
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Ana Tkalac Verčič and Dejan Verčič
This study investigates how sustainability influences employer branding across generational cohorts – Generations Z, Y and X – and between two neighboring countries, Slovenia and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates how sustainability influences employer branding across generational cohorts – Generations Z, Y and X – and between two neighboring countries, Slovenia and Croatia, with different economic development levels.
Design/methodology/approach
A comparative cross-generational survey was conducted among respondents from Slovenia and Croatia to assess the impact of sustainability on employer brand perception. The survey explored generational attitudes toward sustainability and its integration into the employer value proposition.
Findings
The study found that all the generational cohorts view sustainability as an important factor in their evaluation of employer brands. Generation X showed the most favorable attitude toward sustainability, followed by Generation Z, highlighting the need for organizations to communicate sustainability efforts effectively to attract these groups. However, there were subtle differences between the countries, with Slovenian respondents indicating a slightly higher preference for sustainable practices. Additionally, while Generation Z may not have the same financial leverage as Generation X, their high valuation of sustainability in employer branding demonstrates their future influence as they enter the workforce.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations include the survey’s conceptual framing, which may be inherently biased toward the more affluent Generation X’s capacity to prioritize sustainability and the focus on USA-based generational definitions, which may not be fully applicable across different cultural settings. Future research could address these limitations by refining the conceptual approach and expanding the sample to include more diverse geographical contexts.
Originality/value
By comparing responses from two economically distinct neighboring countries, the study reveals complex inter-generational dynamics and national contexts affecting sustainability’s role in employer attractiveness.
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Dawn Christina Null and Jebaraj Asirvatham
The purpose of this study is to examine the differences in sustainability knowledge, behaviors and attitudes among college students and to estimate the influence of knowledge of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the differences in sustainability knowledge, behaviors and attitudes among college students and to estimate the influence of knowledge of sustainability on students’ sustainable behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional online survey was used to collect quantitative data on sustainability knowledge, behaviors and attitudes among 291 undergraduate college students at a mid-size Midwestern US university. This study used a structural equation model to answer the research questions.
Findings
In all, 291 students completed a sustainability attitudes and behaviors survey. The results of this study show sustainability knowledge is poor (average score 5.3/10). Statistical modeling indicates positive influence of economic attitudes on sustainable behaviors; however, ecology and social attitudes were not associated with sustainable behaviors. Furthermore, those with greater sustainable knowledge engaged in fewer sustainable behaviors.
Practical implications
Sustainability and/or wellness initiatives can provide education targeting actionable behaviors college students can make to reduce their carbon footprint, including washing clothes in cold water, limiting red meat consumption, recycling, reducing food waste and taking shorter showers. Sustainability initiatives such as organizing a recycling competition and coordinating volunteers for local clean-up days and events such as Earth Day celebrations offer opportunities for collaboration between campus departments and engagement and socialization among students, staff and faculty. The inclusion of sustainability in college curricula may increase students’ knowledge, develop critical thinking skills and self-efficacy related to sustainability and promote climate action.
Originality/value
First, this study adds to the literature in terms of the use of structural equation modeling. Second, this study’s results indicate a dissociation between positive sustainable attitudes as they relate to sustainable behaviors. Why is it that students think the environment is important yet do not place importance on sustainable behaviors? These issues are highly relevant and present opportunities for future research and interventions aimed at increasing sustainable behaviors.
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