Abstract:

Given that planetary resources are being stretched to their limits, there is a call for organizations to engage in environmental sustainability to mitigate the consequences of climate change. Hence, universities have a duty to educate future leaders to reach society’s sustainable development goals. Teaching traditional business skills is no longer sufficient. Accordingly, business schools must adapt their curriculum and provide students with a social entrepreneurship education that prioritizes sustainability knowledge so they can identify social and environmental opportunities. As such, we argue that education for environmental sustainability should go beyond the traditional classroom. In this paper, we discuss guidelines for an improved curriculum, one that is grounded in a multidisciplinary approach to foster improved understanding of sustainable development problems. Indeed, by generating in-class discussions about sustainability from multiple perspectives, students are likely to discover innovative solutions. Moreover, teaching sustainability for social entrepreneurship should be carried out within a concentric model via a four-pronged approach combining innovation, social knowledge, experiential learning and the required leadership knowledge. More specifically, this would mean focusing on business archetypes that support a circular economy, maximizing interactions with key stakeholders in the context of field-trips, thus providing students with opportunities to apply knowledge gained in the classroom and collaborate with industry leaders. The ultimate goal is to ensure that future leaders have the tools to integrate environmental sustainability in business, therefore strengthening the competitive advantage and resiliency of their organizations while making sure they are better equipped to face personal challenges along the way. Such a framework would contribute to creating ventures aiming to reach sustainable development goals, thus resulting in the creation, delivery and capture of social value on our way to environmental and social justice.

Keywords:

Environmental Sustainability, Social Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Business Curriculum Innovation.