In response, ethical business practices and producer responsibility, particularly within the European Union, have transcended corporate social responsibility to become official policies. These practices have the potential to shape consumer behaviour, thereby influencing corporate policies. This spillover effect can positively influence other sectors and foster a broader cultural shift towards sustainability.
Business education emerges as a crucial tool in this context. Business schools, in particular, play a pivotal role in shaping mindsets and skills. Their influence on future leaders is significant, making the embedding of sustainability into the curriculum imperative. This ensures that students gain a deeper understanding of sustainable practices and their integration into business decisions, fostering a generation of leaders committed to addressing sustainability issues.
Aleksandra Kekkonen, EBS Senior Researcher, PhD: "Currently, EBS researchers are exploring how business education can become a tool to change attitudes and behaviour, providing a feedback loop that would help regulate students’ behaviour to be more sustainable. A critical research gap—the lack of bridges between knowledge and behaviour—highlights the inadequacy of simply imparting knowledge. Instead, facilitating behavioural change through self-regulation is a crucial strategy. The concept of self-regulation and its application in fostering sustainable habits, particularly in adults, is being explored from the perspective of bringing sustainability awareness to future business leaders. Furthermore, there is a need to integrate proven effective assignments and case studies into curricula, facilitating the development of a green mindset and behaviour. By bridging the gap between knowledge and action, business education becomes a catalyst for sustainable change in future leaders."
EBS conducts theoretical research and strives to implement findings, testing new assignments and approaches in courses at different levels. Thus, programmes such as Impactful Entrepreneurship for a bachelor's degree or a set of microdegree courses for Leveraging Green Economy Innovation master’s specialisation, also available for MBA students and as open university courses, are constantly updated with new, more effective assignments.
Findings will be presented in August at the Nordic Academy of Management (NFF) Conference 2024 in Reykjavik, Iceland, in Track 23: Business Education at a Crossroads.
