A Scale for Measuring the Importance Socio-Environmental Approach in Business Schools

Abstract

Companies represent an entity of great power over society in relation to sustainability. Decisions taken by organizations generate significant impacts on society. In this sense, it is important to know importance attached by professionals of education to topics such as environmental management and sustainability, particularly in business schools, since they are the primary vehicle for training future managers. This was the concern of Costa et al. (2008), when authors assessed importance attached by teachers to the area of environmental management. This study represents an extension of that research, as it seeks to address concepts suggested by the authors, but still covered. The overall objective of study is to propose a scale to measure the importance of the approach in the Socio-Environmental Business courses in the perception of teachers. Combination of itens and their way of operation is given by literature review and through the evaluation of PhD researchers in the area. In a second phase, there was a confirmatory factor analysis which present adequate results for a good scale fit. The application of the questionnaire with 100 teachers showed that they understand that a good management education requires engagement with social and environmental issues. They perceive business courses do not adequately address social and environmental issue, nor encourage this theme in the classroom. Furthermore, teachers don't believe in a real concern of companies with sustainable themes. Although most concepts have formed very close to the most common definition of sustainability, economic, social and cultural rights were not mentioned. Finally, few indicate how the concept is treated, in other words, there isn't references to relevant research projects and/or organizational intervention.