Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-6-2017

Publication Title

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education

Volume

18

Issue

3

Pages

385-414

Publisher Name

Emerald Publishing Limited

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to identify the content in introductory business sustainability courses in the USA to determine the most frequently assigned reading material and its sustainability orientation. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 81 introductory sustainable business course syllabi reading lists were analyzed from 51 US colleges and universities. The study utilized frequency counts for authors and readings and R analysis of key words to classify readings along the sustainability spectrum. Findings – The study reveals the most frequently assigned authors and readings in US sustainable business courses (by program type) and places them along the sustainability spectrum from weak to strong. In total, 55 per cent of the top readings assigned in the sample advocate a weak sustainability paradigm, and 29 per cent of the top readings advocate a strong sustainability paradigm. Research limitations/implications – This study focused on reading lists of introductory courses in the USA; cases, videos and supplemental materials were excluded, and the study does not analyze non-US courses. Practical implications – The findings of this study can inform instructors of the most commonly assigned authors and readings and identify readings that align with weak sustainability and strong sustainability. Instructors are now able to select sustainable business readings consistent with peers and which advance a weak or strong sustainability orientation. Originality/value – This is the first research to identify the most commonly assigned authors and readings to aid in course planning. This is also the first research to guide instructors in identifying which readings represent weak versus strong sustainability.

Identifier

1467-6370

Comments

Author Posting. © Emerald Publishing Limited, 2017. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Emerald Publishing Limited for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijshe-07-2016-0135

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Download

Share

COinS