Enhancing Business Schools’ Pedagogy on Sustainable Business Practices and Ethical Decision-Making

Kathleen Rodenburg and Kelly MacDonald
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Kathleen Rodenburg: Gordon S. Lang School of Business & Economics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON NIG 2W1, Canada
Kelly MacDonald: Gordon S. Lang School of Business & Economics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON NIG 2W1, Canada

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-26

Abstract: Business school curriculums are designed to improve business skills and a student’s eventual workplace performance. In addition to these business skill sets the emerging business environment demands softer skills associated with ethical decision-making and sustainable business practices. The objective of the study is to identify the key influencers of ethical orientation and attitudes towards the environment as a first critical step for curriculum planning designed to develop both ethical decision-making and environmental sensibilities of students in business schools. Using a bivariate regression analysis (OLS) that compared the established New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale and the newly introduced Ethical Orientation Scale (EOS), this study assesses environmental eco-consciousness and ethical orientation over time and across varying socio-demographic variables. The study shows first, that in addition to socio-cultural variables, situational factors influence ethical decision-making. Secondly, it illuminates that ethical orientations as measured by the EOS predicts beliefs about the environment as measured by the NEP scale. It further provides evidence of the ethical underpinnings of the New Ecological Paradigm as well as provides initial validation for the new EOS. These outcomes provide additional levers to assist business educators in the creation of high impact teaching strategies to measure and encourage ethical decision-making and sustainable business practices that protect the environment.

Keywords: New Ecological Paradigm; Ethical Orientation Scale; ethical decision making; values driven leadership; eco consciousness; deontological; teleological; anthropocentrism; ecocentrism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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