Integrating Sustainability in the Business Administration and Management Curriculum: A Sustainability Competencies Map

Dolors Gil-Doménech, Nina Magomedova, Eugenio José Sánchez-Alcázar and Matilde Lafuente-Lechuga
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Dolors Gil-Doménech: Department of Economy and Business Organization, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, 08017 Barcelona, Spain
Nina Magomedova: Department of Economy and Business Organization, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, 08017 Barcelona, Spain
Eugenio José Sánchez-Alcázar: Department of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Matilde Lafuente-Lechuga: Department of Quantitative Methods for the Economy and Business, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-23

Abstract: This study presents a sustainability competencies map (SCM) for Business Administration and Management (BAM) disciplines as a tool to support education in sustainability at the university level. The study describes in detail the design and elaboration of the map based on the competencies defined by the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE) and complemented with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) adopted by the United Nations. In addition, to externally evaluate the proposed SCM, we conducted a series of interviews with top managers and founders of five organizations that vary in size and industry. As the main contribution, the SCM for BAM studies is presented, containing 58 learning objectives. The qualitative research framework performed to obtain evidence from the interviewees showed that the holistic dimension of the proposed SCM is highly valued by the interviewed practitioners. Additionally, the SCM’s division of competencies into three levels of achievement was considered practical and helpful to measure them. Finally, the interviewees expressed concerns regarding the implementation of the SCM in real classroom, calling for the necessity of special training for teachers and flexibility of higher education system. Reinforced by the interviewees’ opinions, we believe that the SCM for BAM education presented here will facilitate the design of different methodologies by the teaching staff to guide students towards compliance with the 17 SDGs in 2030.

Keywords: sustainable development goals; sustainability competencies map; business administration and management education; business administration and management curriculum (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 (7)

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