The Impact of Sustainability Curriculum on Student Outcomes

Dr. Leo Wong

Background
The increased importance business is paying to CSR and sustainability, and how students are demanding their employers to be more sustainable. High public awareness of corporate fraud and unethical behaviour.

According to a survey by Cone Inc. (Feb. 2008), of 1080 adults, how many said they were concerned about the environmental impact of their consumption and that they were changing their buying habits to lessen the impact? a. b. c. d. 5% 22% 59% 78%

Answer: C - 59%

According to a study by Cone Inc (2004), 67% of employees would do this, if they found out they worked for an unethical company: a. b. c. d. quit be less loyal to their jobs tell their friends about it justify it as part of doing business

Answer: B be less loyal to their jobs

A 2003 study from Stanford University found that MBA graduates would sacrifice an average of how much in annual salary to work for a socially responsible company?

Answer: $13,700

Background
United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) and how business schools are adopting sustainability education. - 476 schools worldwide - 16 in Canada - MacEwan University to host 1st PRME Canada regional meeting June 11/12

Background
Different approaches: - Business ethics vs sustainability - Integrate vs Separate Debate

Sustainability defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. - Brundtland Commission, 1987 Assumes a triple bottom line approach (economic, social and environmental outcomes)

PRME Video Competition

Background
The role of sustainability education at an introductory business course vs seniorlevel courses. - Most sustainability courses are offered as electives, at a senior level - Cornerstone vs Survey Course - Cornerstone + Capstone link Challenges: - No textbook available - Managing change among multiple instructors across multiple sections (~30 sections/year) - Poorly evaluated course historically due to survey approach and scheduling inconsistencies

Research Purpose Education influences peoples values and social consciousness (Rowe, 2002). Education provides knowledge and skill sets, which can lead to social change.

The impact of sustainability curriculum on learning outcomes and sustainability behaviours in particular, over a multi-year period.
Provide benchmarks to measure impact of business curriculum on sustainable behaviours.

Research Design Pre- and post-semester surveys 3 year period Learning Outcomes: - understanding course concepts - solving economic/social/environmental problems Sustainability Behaviours: - community involvement - other behaviours (i.e., recycling, saving energy, etc.)

Research Design Winter 2012 No changes to curriculum Fall 2012 Changes to curriculum include: - introducing a community service learning (CSL) campaign - Student Food Bank - supplementing sustainability after each chapter in-class - scaling down on usage of 650+ page textbook

Fall 2013 Planned changes: - new textbook (custom publication) - embedding sustainability into each chapter - improving on CSL campaign - Speaker Series - scaling down group project to move away from survey approach

Preliminary Results
Time Periods: Post Winter 2012 / Pre Fall 2012 / Post Fall 2012 Variables: Familiarity with course concepts (ex. management, marketing, etc) Interest with course concepts Familiarity with sustainability concepts Interest with sustainability concepts Confidence with problem solving econ, soc + env Community involvement Interest with CSL Sustainable behaviours future Likert Scale used in all cases (1 not very 4 neutral 7 very)

Preliminary Results
Pre F12 Post F12

N
Familiarity - course concepts Interest - course concepts Familiarity - sustainability concepts Interest - sustainability concepts Confidence problem solving - economic Confidence problem solving - social + environmental Community involvement Interest with CSL Sustainable behaviours - future

394
3.71 5.29 3.93 5.24 4.81 4.54 3.74 4.51 5.04

267
4.94 5.31 5.03 5.22 5.29 5.24 4.17 4.50 5.00 sig. not sig. sig. not sig. sig. sig sig not sig. not sig.

Preliminary Results
Post W12
N Familiarity - course concepts Interest - course concepts Familiarity - sustainability concepts Interest - sustainability concepts Confidence problem solving - economic Confidence problem solving - social + environmental 144 4.39 4.93 3.92 4.76 5.03 4.63

Post F12
267 4.94 5.31 5.03 5.22 5.29 5.24 sig. mar. sig. sig. mar. sig. sig. sig

Potential Conclusions It is difficult to influence sustainable behaviours and interest in community service learning Embedding sustainability and other changes have improved familiarity/interest in course concepts, as well as confidence in solving economic, social and environmental problems Other Results Student Food Bank project raised nearly 10,000 pounds of food in one semester, doubling the Student Food Banks annual demand for food

Any Questions? Contact me at: Leo Wong Assistant Professor of Marketing WongL67@macewan.ca