Integrating Sustainability in Management Education and Practice–An Alternative Paradigm for Cooperation and Development

Tolani Institute of Management Studies, Adipur, India, International Conference on Research in Management- Lessons for India, December 10-11, 2011

17 Pages Posted: 9 Jun 2018

See all articles by A. K. Aggarwal

A. K. Aggarwal

Bhartiya Skill Development University

Date Written: May 23, 2018

Abstract

Sustainability and development that is sustainable, means different things to different people. The idea of sustainability connotes the capacity for continuance into the long term or the capacity for maintaining or sustaining something into the long term. Sustainability in the context of development is referred to the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Such sort of sustainable development is regarded as a dynamic process which enables all people to realize their potential and improve their quality of life in ways that simultaneously protect and enhance the Earth’s life support systems. However sustainability is defined, one thing is true: the vital need for human society to address its challenges will end up transforming the ways we all work, live, and compete. It will have extraordinary implications for organizations and the people who lead them—work processes, organizational models, competitive strategies, and leadership methods are all going to be affected. Another school of thought advocates that Sustainability is about managing knowledge and information - with appropriateness, timeliness and accessibility.

Sustainability, as a new platform for debating sustainable development, drawing on a range of disciplinary perspectives and knowledge, provides an opportunity to ask some searching questions about this concept. Sustainability may be viewed as a principled form of conduct. Among its effects is a growing emphasis on corporate social responsibility and corporate governance for which the members of corporate world are encouraged to rethink Management ideas and practices.

The integration of sustainability into management education and Practices has improved in the past decade. This is partly a response to external pressure, as societal concerns about sustainability grow and businesses have made greater efforts to green their processes and products. For more than a century management education in India has fostered the development of leaders of many of the world's industrial successes with their immense creation of output that we now see as unsustainable. If we wish to avoid a time of tumultuous environmental crises in the global ecosystem management education must move more to being part of the solution, rather than of the problem. The task of transforming management education to contribute to the challenge of moving to global sustainability is upon us.

Integrating Sustainability in Management Education for corporate, Global and environmental Sustainability provides a diverse and extensive set of perspectives on how management education can be transformed to be a significant part of the solution to the sustainability problem that business and other sectors of our world must grapple with.

Purpose – This paper aims at appreciating the need for and relevance of understanding conceptual paradigm of sustainability, knowledge for sustainability, Management education for sustainability and eventually the resulting commitment to sustainability education. This paper draws upon the empirical research work that makes a focused attempt to appraise the role and impact of sustainability education on the corporate world and its management practices.

Methodology – The research methodology used was focused on secondary data base. A questionnaire was also developed for the educational institutions based upon several of the characteristics from the previous studies mentioned to . The questionnaire highlighted the major aspects of sustainability that educational institutions can focus on or can train their students on this issue. A sample size of 50 institutions were taken out of which 48 respondents replied to the research questionnaire. A 5-point Likert scale has been used to record the rating. The statements were translated and checked for consistency.

Findings/Results – Major results highlighted the interest of institutions to incorporate the education for sustainability in the contents, scope and relevance of management education. The results revealed that not a single institute running AICTE approved autonomous management programs have focussed so far on this aspects and even not providing any sort of training to their students in this regard.

Practical/managerial implications – The findings of this study tended to support the approach and model of integrating education for sustainability into management education. This study suggests that education for sustainability has become accepted practice of the world class educational institutions across the globe. Although many institutions do not practice the paedagogy for education for sustainability, this study suggests widespread support for the idea. There may be uncertainty among some about what education for sustainability is and what purpose it serves. Others, who are supportive of education for sustainability, may be uncertain or unable to implement the strategy. This study, in part, helps illuminate the understanding and degree of understanding of education for sustainability by Management education institutions in India, and it may serve as the basis for future research.

Keywords: knowledge for sustainability, Education, Management Practices, corporate sustainability, CSR, Business Ethics, Strategic management

Suggested Citation

Aggarwal, A. K., Integrating Sustainability in Management Education and Practice–An Alternative Paradigm for Cooperation and Development (May 23, 2018). Tolani Institute of Management Studies, Adipur, India, International Conference on Research in Management- Lessons for India, December 10-11, 2011, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3183658

A. K. Aggarwal (Contact Author)

Bhartiya Skill Development University ( email )

Mahindra World City
Jaipur
Jaipur-Rajasthan, IN Jaipur 125001
India

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