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1 – 10 of over 48000
Article
Publication date: 2 May 2017

Suraya Hamid, Mohamad Taha Ijab, Hidayah Sulaiman, Rina Md. Anwar and Azah Anir Norman

The explosion of social media use such as Facebook among higher education students is deemed to have great potential in widely disseminating environmental sustainability awareness

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Abstract

Purpose

The explosion of social media use such as Facebook among higher education students is deemed to have great potential in widely disseminating environmental sustainability awareness. The paper aims to capture, summarise, synthesise and comment on the role of social media to garner interest of students and staff on environmental sustainability issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Systematic literature review technique is adopted, and three selected online databases were searched for relevant papers for review. Specific data were extracted from each paper, and the discussion section was based on the developed research questions.

Findings

Higher education needs to fully leverage the ubiquity of social media to extend how environmental sustainability is viewed by the students and staff. Sustainability practices conducted at the university level such as recycling, reduction of electricity and water consumptions and paper reduction in classroom and used to engage students on environmental matters. For staff, social media can be leveraged as to convey the university policy and assist in their quest to become full-fledged green universities.

Research limitations/implications

Some of the limitations of this research include the lack of keyword search using synonyms or related terms equivalent to the term “awareness”, lack of forward and backward searches, and the papers were searched until end of 2013 only. Future research needs to take advantage of the current limitations to investigate this topic and be empirically supported by theories using quantitative, qualitative or mixed-method-based research. Future studies could also develop relevant frameworks to propose an effective use of social media for creating environmental sustainability awareness in higher education.

Practical implications

Propagations of environmental sustainability awareness in higher education would be more effective with the use of social media.

Social implications

In principle, the increase of environmental awareness level would increase the students’ good behavioural conduct on environmental sustainability.

Originality/value

While the broad topic of environmental sustainability in higher education is widely discussed, the role of social media in shaping environmental sustainability awareness is still under researched. This situation provides a significant potential for exploration by sustainability researchers to craft their investigation on the effective role of social media in creating environmental awareness in higher education.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 18 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 September 2022

Loveth Daisy Aikowe and Jana Mazancova

This study aims to assess the current knowledge and awareness of environmental and sustainable development of Nigerian students by investigating the influence of their…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to assess the current knowledge and awareness of environmental and sustainable development of Nigerian students by investigating the influence of their sociodemographics.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adapts the concept of using an assessment model in a bespoke application of Sulitest® and Assessment of Student Knowledge. A total of 650 undergraduate students (in the environment, engineering and agriculture programs) were administered a paper-based questionnaire from June to July 2019.

Findings

This study determined that Nigerian students performed poorly on the sustainability literacy test (SLT). Furthermore, students majoring in agriculture exhibited higher knowledge in the social and overall topics, followed by students majoring in the environmental field. From the study findings, the authors recommend that periodic assessment using SLT measures will help higher education institutions (HEIs) identify targeted sustainability programs for the development of students and educators. Hence, HEIs in Nigeria and elsewhere should use sustainability assessment tools to promote pro-environmental awareness.

Originality/value

The SLT is one of several options to assess sustainability knowledge in HEIs. Several HEIs across the USA and Europe have been known to adopt some SLT assessment techniques to improve environmental literacy among students. However, environmental literacy has global implications; hence, this study contributes to the limited body of literature investigating the level of environmental awareness or literacy among university students from a developing country, focusing on the three main study programs (agriculture, environment and engineering).

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 24 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 May 2023

Mohammed Albattah and Lindita Bande

This study aims to investigate the entry-level student’s awareness of environmental sustainability focussing on the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) campus and measure the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the entry-level student’s awareness of environmental sustainability focussing on the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) campus and measure the effectiveness of the course materials. A comparison between the students who took the general education sustainability (GESU 121) course face to face and the ones who tool it online was applied.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was descriptive in nature, and the data is obtained using a cross-sectional survey of the students attending the UAEU in 2020. The data collection was done in two semesters, Spring 2020 [face-to-face class] and Fall 2020 [online class, after COVID-19 effect]. A total of 160 participants responded to the survey. The Pearson’s Chi-square test for independence was conducted and used to identify if any statistical differences exist between the studied variables.

Findings

This study revealed that the awareness of environmental sustainability was increased in both groups [face-to-face students and online students], after taking the course. In addition, around 80% of the students were interested to participate in sustainability initiatives on the UAEU campus. The students’ perception of the statements about the UAEU campus environmental sustainability varied from Spring 2020 (53.3% were not sure that the UAEU campus is environmentally sustainable) to Fall 2022 (63% of the online students believed that the campus is environmentally sustainable).

Originality/value

Students’ awareness and perception are very important to improve the environmental sustainability of the University campus. The novelty of this study is to examine the awareness of entry-level students among the environmental sustainability focussing on the UAEU campus and examine the effect of COVID-19 [online classes] on delivering the course knowledge. The findings of this study provide the information for the improvement of the course for the future semesters.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 24 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 January 2017

Ksenia D. Shelest, Victor V. Ionov and Leonid Y. Tikhomirov

This paper aims to the environmental awareness raising as a key issue of education for sustainable development. Youth Environmental Volunteers Movement in the area of coastal oil…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to the environmental awareness raising as a key issue of education for sustainable development. Youth Environmental Volunteers Movement in the area of coastal oil response operations in St. Petersburg is presented in this paper as a successful initiative in the field of environmental awareness through universities and city authorities’ cooperation.

Design/methodology/approach

The main approach is to explore ways of environmental awareness raising through the cooperation between universities and city authorities in practice. It is shown as a system of preparation by environmental volunteers for oil recovery operations in the coastal zone of the Baltic Sea. The use of a voluntary rescue movement as an organization for support state authorities is investigated.

Findings

The program for environmental volunteers' tuition was created due to mutual cooperation between universities and state authorities. The purpose is to give necessary knowledge to and skills required by experts and young people on how to run together rescue and oil spill response operations. Practical field trainings with simulated oil accidents were realized in situ on the coastal zone of the Gulf of Finland.

Social implications

Coastal oil recovery operations are the key responsibility of state authorities and professional organizations in all countries around the Baltic Sea. Active involvement of young people in public participation helps to solve environmental problems at local and regional levels.

Originality/value

The Environmental Committee, City of St. Petersburg together with universities, provided practical implementation of the Youth Environmental Volunteers Movement. It contributes to the improvement of the marine environment and gives a necessary experience for implementation of new initiatives in the field of sustainable education and environmental protection in the Baltic Sea region.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 March 2022

Bekir Değirmenci, Yakup Durmaz, Ahmet Fidanoğlu and Sibel Değirmenci

This study aims to discover whether COVID-19 phobia has a positive and significant effect on the stress, depression and anxiety levels of industrial consumers in addition to…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to discover whether COVID-19 phobia has a positive and significant effect on the stress, depression and anxiety levels of industrial consumers in addition to reveal whether environmental awareness plays a mediating role between COVID-19 phobia and stress, depression and anxiety.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, a quantitative method was used to reveal the role of anxiety, depression and stress (psychological effects) and environmental awareness caused by covid-19 phobia on industrial consumers. The universe of the study is small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the province of Sanliurfa, which is located in the southeast region of Turkey and the second largest city in the region, and are industrial customers. Questionnaire method was used in the study. In addition, data were collected from 406 people who agreed to participate in the study. In the study, in which intermediary and regulatory analyzes were made, the process macro program was used.

Findings

The results show that there is a medium relationship between COVID-19 phobia and environmental awareness; and COVID-19 phobia and stress, depression and anxiety. No relationship was found between environmental awareness and stress, depression and anxiety. COVID-19 phobia was found to have a positive and significant effect on environmental awareness and stress, depression and anxiety, while environmental awareness was found to have no effect on stress, depression and anxiety. Finally, environmental awareness was found to play a mediating role between COVID-19 phobia and stress, depression and anxiety.

Research limitations/implications

In this study, four hypotheses were developed. Of these hypotheses, three are for the simple effect and one for the mediation effect. Out of four hypotheses, three were supported. The most important inference obtained from the study was finding the mediation effect of environmental awareness between COVID-19 phobia and anxiety, depression and stress.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no studies in the literature were made on the relationship among COVID-19 phobia, environmental awareness, stress, depression and anxiety. This study also examines the mediating effect of environmental awareness in the relationship between COVID-19 phobia and stress, depression and anxiety. The fact that the study is on the negative effects of the pandemic on one of the most affected occupational group also increases its original value.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 38 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Abstract

Purpose

Sustainability is understood as a complex and integrating area, involving the most diverse areas and fields of knowledge. Because of the innumerable socio-environmental challenges in the current scenario, a sustainable development that finds the necessary changes and advances for communities, industry and the various stakeholders involved is required. In this process of promoting sustainable development, universities stand out for being institutions capable of taking an analytical and questioning look at the directions of the society in which they are inserted and not just helping them to pursue them, serving as a model and living laboratory for the implementation of greener practices in cities. One of the actions that contributes to the consolidation process of a more sustainable university and the development of the green campus is the use of green marketing, understood as a set of all the practices that involve conventional marketing, focused on the search to reduce the negative impact or promote positive effects on the relationship between the institution and the environment. This paper aims, based on the balanced scorecard (BSC), to propose a strategic management tool as support for green marketing strategies, thus promoting, more quickly, the promotion of sustainable development in higher education institutions (HEIs).

Design/methodology/approach

Four universities were chosen, from the literature, in terms of best practices for sustainable development, where the main dimensions used by green marketing were mapped. Based on them, the BSC structure was adapted to enhance its strategies.

Findings

To achieve the objective of this work, this paper proposed an adaptation of the original BSC for better management of green marketing strategies for universities, based on four dimensions: community members, university members, product and strategy.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this paper is to propose a BSC as a strategic management system focused on the green marketing of universities to accelerate the promotion of sustainable development in HEIs.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 21 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 February 2024

Benedict Ansere, Joshua Ayarkwa, Michael Nii Addy, Dickson Osei-Asibey and Ivy Maame Abu

This study aims to assess the awareness and knowledge level of procurement officers (POs) in Ghanaian tertiary educational institutions regarding sustainability in general and…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to assess the awareness and knowledge level of procurement officers (POs) in Ghanaian tertiary educational institutions regarding sustainability in general and specifically on environmental sustainability in the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) as amended.

Design/methodology/approach

Through purposive sampling technique and face-to-face interviews using semi-structured open-ended questions, qualitative data was collected from 19 POs who are well vested in the procurement profession and willingly agreed to partake in the research. The qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis technique to help organize and elicit meaning from the data collected and to draw realistic conclusions from it.

Findings

The results showed that most POs were aware of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) as amended, primarily through seminars and workshops organized by the Public Procurement Authority. The interviewees demonstrated a good understanding of sustainable procurement, considering its social, environmental and economic aspects. However, one respondent primarily associated sustainability with only environmental issues. The POs were, however, of the view that the Amended Act 914 (2016) does not give detailed highlights on environmental sustainability, making implementation very difficult, especially regarding the procurement of goods. Overall, the findings indicate a positive level of environmental sustainability awareness and knowledge among the interviewed POs regarding the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) as amended.

Social implications

The findings from the study could be used by policymakers to strategize educational campaigns by using the POs’ knowledge and awareness to the implementers of Act 663 (2003) as amended to effectively ensure environmental sustainability in procurement practices. The findings from the study have also contributed to the literature on procurement policy by drawing the attention of policy formulators to give equal attention to all the sustainability pillars, i.e. social, economic and environmental. This would consequently help the implementers to contribute to achieving sustainable development.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few empirical qualitative types of research seeking the views of POs in tertiary educational institutions in Ghana on sustainability and environmental sustainability as enshrined in the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) as amended. The findings give positive feedback to policymakers on the knowledge and awareness level of the POs on environmental sustainability and highlight the importance of awareness programmes and educational initiatives by the Public Procurement Authority and other stakeholders to ensure compliance with the Act.

Details

Journal of Public Procurement, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1535-0118

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 February 2024

Israel Javier Juma Michilena, Maria Eugenia Ruiz Molina and Irene Gil-Saura

The purpose of this study is to identify groups of employees based on their motivations, detecting the main barriers that may influence their willingness to participate in the pro…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify groups of employees based on their motivations, detecting the main barriers that may influence their willingness to participate in the pro-environmental initiatives proposed by their employer.

Design/methodology/approach

To identify the different groups of employees, an online survey was conducted, and the Chi-square automatic interaction detection algorithm segmentation technique was used with a sample of 483 employees from 9 Latin American universities.

Findings

The results allowed us to identify various segments, in which the main obstacle linked to intrinsic motivation is the university culture and, to a lesser extent, the lack of equipment, while for extrinsic motivation, the lack of infrastructure is the most determining factor. Likewise, the results reflect that, compared to the less motivated employees, those who show greater motivation (both intrinsic and extrinsic) are the ones who encounter the greatest barriers, so that the perceptions of the most motivated, as expert observers, help to identify the main obstacles that organisations must remove to promote pro-environmental behaviours among staff members.

Practical implications

The results obtained help to guide the representatives or organisational leaders on the actions that generate the greatest impact in the mitigation of climate change from a motivational approach of behavioural prediction.

Social implications

This study contributes to a more sustainable society by developing an understanding of how employees react to issues related to climate change. Knowing the perceptions of employees can be a turning point so that other members of society can get involved in pro-environmental behaviours.

Originality/value

Many studies have analysed the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of employees to engage in pro-environmental behaviours; however, as far as the authors are aware, this has not been analysed from the perspective of barriers to motivation.

Details

Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8021

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 May 2017

Miguel Pardellas Santiago, Pablo Meira Cartea and Lucía Iglesias da Cunha

This paper deals with the experiences of three European universities that have implemented transition initiatives, using the Transition Network’s methodology to promote their…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper deals with the experiences of three European universities that have implemented transition initiatives, using the Transition Network’s methodology to promote their sustainability plans. The Transition Communities’ model for change is presented from a socio-educational perspective as an effective methodology for encouraging university environmental sustainability processes. In this context, the purpose of this paper was to analyze Transition Communities at universities using an environmental–educational approach in three different scenarios: the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), the University of Edinburgh (UEd) and the Universidade do Minho (UMinho).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors engaged in a comparative analysis of multiple case studies in the Transition “phenomenon”, looking for convergences and divergences among them.

Findings

The comparative analysis revealed three very different scenarios, which ironically shared an absence of explicit theoretical–methodological references in the design, execution and evaluation of the educational actions that were implemented. Examination of the impact and continuity of these initiatives uncovered the existence of a “glass ceiling” in university environmental sustainability strategies. Even the innovative Transition methodology was unable to subvert the established academic, corporate, organizational and cultural structures and dynamics that perpetuate unsustainability.

Originality/value

This study was carried out from an innovative perspective with few precedents in the Transition context. The authors’ educational–environmental approach provides insight for articulating educational strategies for environmental sustainability at universities and for constructing a Transition model for education.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 18 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2018

Ali Khalfan Al-Naqbi and Qasim Alshannag

This study aims to investigate United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) students’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors toward education for sustainable development (ESD) and the…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) students’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors toward education for sustainable development (ESD) and the environment. Several independent variables (i.e. students’ gender, nationality, college, academic level and grade point average [GPA]) were also considered.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was descriptive in nature, and the data were obtained using a cross-sectional survey. A total of 823 participants responded to an e-education for sustainable development survey. Several data analysis procedures were used, including descriptive analyses, analyses of variance and t-tests.

Findings

The study revealed that the UAEU students showed a high level of understanding, very strong positive attitudes and moderate positive behavior toward ESD and the environment. Findings associated with students’ gender, nationality, college, academic level and GPA were also reported and discussed.

Research limitations/implications

First, the participating students came from one public university. Although this university is a major university in the nation, further studies should include samples from other public and private institutions. Second, this study did not examine the correlation among the three main components: knowledge, attitude and behavior. Thus, similar to other previous studies, the correlations among these three components should be investigated. Third, this study used previous research findings in the areas of ESD, SD and environmental education (EE) because they all relate to each other and ESD is currently the active trend in the field.

Originality value

No previous ESD studies have been conducted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), although the country is working hard to support ESD and SD. Therefore, this study explored the current education levels with regard to SD and sustainability knowledge, attitudes and behavior of tertiary students in the UAE. In addition, previous studies have clearly recommended investigating the status of EE and ESD in younger generations, especially those with higher education levels, because they are the agents of change, and they will be affected by the environmental problems that are being created by present human activities.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 19 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

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