Abstract

This exploratory paper seeks to investigate current practice of sustainability education within business schools and the particular challenges thereof, with an emphasis on first year undergraduate marketing students. There is a recognised need for sustainability to be more widely integrated into teaching practice; Shephard (2008 p. 88) summarises the need for graduates to have knowledge, skills and personal and emotional attributes connected to sustainability, as well as the “specific function” of higher education to “graduate influential citizens who value their environment and appreciate that they have a responsibility to help to sustain it.” The challenges of teaching this subject are acknowledged within the literature and given the possible apparent contradiction between marketing and sustainability, understanding how to motivate students in the debate could be one area for investigation. Another potential focus could be the measure and assessment of sustainability literacy amongst students. Part of providing ‘value’ to both students and their eventual employers, this is arguably an important question for European education institutions. This research provides opportunities for partnerships between academic institutions across Europe and also with practitioners who may be able to inform what measures of ‘success’ in developing sustainability literacy would be within the business context.