Organizational Change Management for Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Quantitative Literature Review

Nicola Andreij Rieg, Birgitta Gatersleben and Ian Christie
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Nicola Andreij Rieg: Centre for Environment and Sustainability, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
Birgitta Gatersleben: School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
Ian Christie: Centre for Environment and Sustainability, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 13, 1-18

Abstract: Higher education institutions (HEIs) have been urged to integrate sustainability across all their structural and organizational dimensions. A promising area of research and practice that can help to deliver this is organizational change management for sustainability. While this field has received increasing attention over the past decade, a comprehensive assessment is still lacking. Therefore, a systematic quantitative review was carried out to summarize and synthesize the academic literature on organizational change management approaches that aim to holistically embed sustainability in HEIs. Furthermore, this review aims to illustrate what change factors have been observed and how they have been analyzed, and from this highlight implications for practice and pathways for future research. The literature reviewed puts strong emphasis on change processes and human factors, as well as elements of the institutional framework, such as vision and strategy. The findings highlight the value of strategic and reflective actions, the importance of understanding and actively shaping change processes, and that change towards sustainability requires broad stakeholder input and commitment. This review serves as an important reference point for future research and practice.

Keywords: university; higher education institution; sustainability; sustainable development; organizational change management; systematic review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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