An Individual Reflective Essay On Sustainability - Edited

Introduction
To be sustainable, a society must fulfill the current generation's requirements without

jeopardizing the capacity of future generations to meet their own. Sustainable development
encompasses the economic, environmental, and social aspects of a project. Two key ideas in
sustainability are the notion of needs and the priority given to the vital needs of the world's
impoverished. Second is the belief that the environment's potential to satisfy existing and future
requirements is limited by the level of technology and social structure (Garren et al., 2018). In
this regard, Maslow's hierarchy of needs may also be employed to ensure the planet's survival.
Maslow's hierarchy of requirements divides needs into a series of subcategories. Self-realization
(realizing one's skills as creative activities), individual psychological-esteem needs (prestige and
the sense of success, belonging, and love), and basic nourishment requirements are all part of this
process of development (Fallatah et al., 2018).
I have learned a great deal about the concept of sustainability, its importance, and how it
may be used to achieve specific objectives. For example, I learned about some simple
modifications to our habits that can help us be more sustainable. Despite the modest shifts we
have made, the following elements hold enormous promise for helping us achieve long-term
sustainability. Use of recycling containers, Dispose of perishables in garbage cans, Place a white
coat on structures, Create a progressive campus atmosphere by planting trees and shrubs. In
addition to these measures, I had a few chances to see large-scale sustainable initiatives, which
made me aware of common and essential issues in this sector. As a result, these elements have
had a good influence on my thought and conduct, pointing me in the direction of long-term
sustainability.
Sustainability reflection and change in ways of reasoning
To be sustainable means meeting the demands of the present without jeopardizing the
interests of future generations. Economic, environmental, and social stability are the three
fundamental pillars of sustainability. Participation from social groups, teams, and other groups is
necessary to ensure that the process remains successful while attaining long-term sustainability.
As a result of this active involvement, future generations will be better off in the long run. The
Royal Government of Bhutan went above and above the call of duty in response to the
sustainability program to demonstrate its commitment to environmental preservation. As a result
This study source was downloaded by 100000866420538 from CourseHero.com on 05-04-2023 08:34:19 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/176551759/An-individual-reflective-essay-on-Sustainabilityediteddocx/
of these efforts, Bhutan is the only carbon-negative nation globally, with more than 60% forest
cover. (Yangka & Newman, 2018). To further improve sustainability, I propose widespread tea
plantations in arid regions. Individuals may help promote sustainable development through
participating in the election process, participating in public debate, participating in civil society
movements and organizations, agitating and advocating for the cause of sustainability. As a result
of such involvement, achieving the shared aim of sustainable development becomes more
apparent. Government agencies, industry associations, and stakeholder groups, including
environmental regulatory agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and civil society
organizations, are actively involved. There are several ways to increase team communication,
networking, and communication between interest groups to reach an agreement among all
stakeholders, including improved engagement.
Climate change and sustainability are some of the most significant legacies we can pass
on to future generations. However, if we misunderstand or misinterpret the message, we might
inadvertently inflict more harm than good, with potentially terrible ramifications for the future of
humanity and all animals. The current academic debate on including sustainability in the
business school curriculum seems ineffective and polarized. This might be because multiple
ontological viewpoints have been taken. Many business school professors take an
anthropocentric stance, seeing sustainability and climate change as social sciences and social
constructions. People are seen as the source of problems and the focus of possible solutions.
People who adhere to a scientific and ecocentric ontological worldview perceive the necessity to
live in peace with all other species and the natural environment to benefit all life on Earth.
In contrast, others see this as a pressing issue that must be addressed urgently. Ecocentric
also thinks that these other species and the physical environment are independent of human
presence. They would do better without people in the current industrial and post-industrial
settings because of the exploitative character of modern human civilization (Lovelock, 2010).
According to Edwards, Alcaraz, and Cornell (2021), a comprehensive examination of

sustainability curricula at 642 business schools accredited by the AACSB and EQUIS found that
only 8% of the courses specifically mention ecology or climate change. This indicated that
sustainability is still equated with narrow notions of eco-efficiency rather than the global picture
presented by natural sciences. In recent years, Earth System Science and Planetary Boundaries
ideas have made a significant contribution to environmental sciences, and business and
management education curricula need to be redesigned to include this multidisciplinary big-
picture thinking. According to Edwards et al. (2021), these transitions do not have to be binary
between radical change and gradual progress. For them, both are crucial, and significant change
may take decades.
It is crucial to explain that inner aspects and personal changes are also part of the
sustainability journey. They are necessary for reflective, reflexive, and critically enhanced
education for sustainability, says Wamsler (2020). Many people are interested in incorporating
these concepts into their education for sustainability. However, they have not yet been included
in the curriculum in this way. When it comes to the inner or personal sphere of transformation,
Wamsler (2020) makes significant advances in our understanding of the role that people's
mindsets play in affecting their well-being. These mindset changes are linked to changes in
people's cognitions and emotions, including their sense of self-awareness, empathy, and
compassion. Many of the world's sustainability problems can be solved by making these kinds of
personal changes that lead to effective personal sustainability leadership (Haney, Pope, and
Arden, 2020). These changes can act as essential levers for change and are thus essential to
finding solutions to the world's most pressing problems.
Here, I illustrate what the future of business education for sustainability may look like,
and I explain how integrating business/law school curriculum within sustainability, rather than
the other way around, is becoming essential and ultimately obligatory. Learning and teaching
about sustainability's core and science should be done in-depth and transforming way. As the
only species that cannot feed itself, humans are without any natural predators. Due to our apex
status, we have no other means of controlling our population beyond natural selection. As shown
by current climate change and global health pandemics, our present human unsustainability is the
greatest threat to our species' long-term viability. Some brutal realities are at the root of our
failure to maintain ourselves. Overpopulation, energy consumption, habitat destruction,
biodiversity loss, and the lack of national and global institutions capable of unified, effective, and
long-lasting action for change in dealing with environmental problems (and being more
interested in maintaining the status quo) are all factors that contribute to our unsustainable state.
Our individual inability to confront the necessary change from a lack of self-awareness is also a
contributing factor (Borland 2009, 2013).
We can now look at some of the symptoms of our "business-as-usual" behavior, including
global climate change, sea-level rise, and increasing carbon, methane, and other warming gas
emissions; extreme weather and increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters, as well as
rising levels of energy poverty; toxic pollution; financial crises; a rapidly changing global econ;
as well as rising levels of energy poverty. Sustainability and climate change so become
intertwined concepts that need a diverse approach. Our ultimate aim is ecological sustainability,
and we have yet to figure out how to get there in the current era. Embedded logic, I think, may
bridge the gap between scientific and social science viewpoints, notwithstanding their differing
ontological positions. For the most part, I see "sustainable development" and "sustainability" as
belonging to the anthropocentric and ecocentric perspectives, respectively. Borland, Ambrosini,
Lindgreen, and Vanhamme (2016) advocate for an anthropocentric–ecocentric continuum to help
people and organizations build new sustainability objectives and ambitions. Even if it is hard to
integrate a scientific viewpoint into a social science perspective, this does not mean that it is not
essential to include a social science perspective into the scientific perspective for future research
and teaching reasons.
Even while business and management research and education fall within the umbrella of
the social sciences, they are nonetheless vulnerable to the subjective nature of their subject
matter. The goal of science is to understand the physical world, its phenomena, and uses, and the
laws, theories, and principles that exist objectively and independently of human civilization.
Human ideas and frameworks may explain science and the natural world, but these theories only
exist in human observation, knowledge, and interpretation. Hoffman and Jennings (2021: 65)
investigate institutional theory to see why it has not embraced environmental sustainability as
part of its social scientific foundations. An Anthropocene Society, a civilization, our society,
radically alters the world's ecological operating systems on a global scale, analyzes
organizational domains, institutions and logics, and methods for institutional change.
Even while it is a significant step, the rationale above does not consider the fact that each
priority is unique. As explained above and in our introductory chapter, environmental priority
and sustainability reflect the scientific viewpoint and are exocentric. In contrast, the other two
anthropocentric approaches focus primarily on the human situation and agenda. This leaves us
with a theoretical void that's neither instrumental nor integrative. An earlier argument
(O'Riordan, 1976) over human role in the global ecology has been reignited by Edwards et al.
(2021). As a result, they utilize Earth System Science (ESS) to highlight substantial concerns
about the interaction between industry and the environment. They propose an entirely new way
of framing the issue. Management education will benefit greatly from this new perspective.
Using the ESS lenses of social-ecological interdependence, multi-scalar relations, environmental
governance, and environmental values, they show how a comprehensive transformation of
management education can be coordinated through the functional areas of institutional purpose,
social context, and engagement, pedagogic practice, and curriculum design.
Research on the interaction between business, society, and the natural environment is
well-known, and Edwards et al. (2021) have adopted and built on this theoretical framework (B-
S-N). An alternative name for this framework is "hierarchical" (as in "holistically hierarchical").
It may be seen as nested concentric rings with the environmental circle as the outer circle,
followed by the social and economic circles. This framework can be seen as a cohesive
framework. Economic activities are seen as intertwined with social and environmental contexts
in this perspective. When applied to future innovations in management education, this embedded
logic gives a new way of looking at things. Because of the 'hyper-risk' that global economic,
environmental, financial, and health systems are increasingly sensitive to on a planetary scale,
these future transformative approaches are deemed to be required. Business schools should
handle environmental challenges in a manner that matches the demands and reality of the world
in which their graduates will work since the management of organizations may be seen as central
to this complex web of vulnerabilities. Management education depends on fragmented
techniques that seldom address the global perspective on environmental science, even though
many beneficial projects are taking place. Over time, global sustainability must become the
theoretical basis for all management education, not the other way around.
However, academic staff will require assistance in understanding how first to apply
sustainability and climate change theory to their specific subject area, regardless of whether this
is business-related, legal-related, artistic-related, scientific-related, or any other subject, and
second, how to flip their curriculum design so that sustainability becomes the underpinning,
primary discipline. Their specialty becomes these. For example, a plan including environmental
concerns becomes a sustainability strategy anchored by ecocentric, embedded, transdisciplinary,
and transformational learning. It is possible to use a wide range of teaching methods in this
regard: traditional lectures and seminars; or case studies; simulations and games; workshops,
short courses or intensive hands-on courses; lifelong learning approaches that specialize in
periodic training and learning; living labs in the community; practice labs followed by weekly
counseling sessions; Additionally, reflective and reflexive techniques may be used to build
educational pedagogies.
The role of protecting students' mental health and well-being is one that I take very
seriously throughout the module. As such, I make it clear that I am available for one-on-one
consultations with any students who need them. It is critical to guide them through identifying
different avenues for change and then give them credible options following the first shock. How
can firms embrace an ecocentric, closed-loop, strategic strategy while not compromising on new
product creation, sales, consumption, and disposal? This is the topic of sessions 3–4. Stead and
Stead (2004 and 2014), as well as McDonough and Braungart (2004 and 2014), served as
sources of inspiration for this section of the curriculum (2002 and 2013).
As a consequence of this approach, business strategies that work inside a limited natural
system are exposed to the business system. Traditional, transitional, and transformational
strategies are all part of the 3 Ts strategic framework I devised, and they are all characterized by
5Rs (Borland et al., 2016). There, I built a strategic audit tool that can be utilized in business
contexts. Since they experiment with different methods of becoming business graduates, the
participants find these two sessions inspiring. Finally, I will be putting some of the theories into
practice in this session. A case study on Ricoh Plc's efforts in establishing transformative
business strategies for its Eco-line of photocopiers was released by the Case Centre at Cranfield
University (Borland and Whyle, 2017). As part of our double bill, I am joined by Andy While, a
sustainability expert from Ricoh's UK headquarters. Students and teachers alike have a great time
and learn a lot. After this session, the module shifts focus to business-related topics such as the
possibilities for environmentally-conscious strategic marketing communications (Borland and
Lindgreen, 2013). When confronted with the immensity of the sustainability and climate change
message, we all utilize our own perceived personal limits and barriers to protect ourselves. This
session would not have come to fruition without Du Nann Winter and Koger (2009). Afterward,
a more open, co-created session on pertinent global policy changes, legislation, and regulations
produce much free-flowing discussion. For me, the last session is the most crucial. For the sake
of sustainable leadership in the future, I urge my students to think about what they believe is
essential on a personal and organizational level. This session challenges them out of their
comfort zone.
I believed I understood what the term "sustainable" meant when I began the course.
During the first lesson, I realized that I did not know what I was talking about. My past
understanding was challenged in the first lesson, and it became clear that defining sustainability
would be a difficult task. When I worked at the United Nations, "sustainable development" was
the buzzword. This, in my opinion, is a great objective. When it came to the workplace,
empowering individuals to no longer be dependent on government assistance. Now that I think
about it, this is a somewhat limited view. It restricts the scope of the term only to include social
and economic issues. In hindsight, I probably should have seen this as an issue. Even though the
environmental department was perhaps the most productive in the workplace, it was a low
priority. If the United Nations is not taking environmental sustainability seriously, something
must be done.
I consider the knowledge and skills I have received from this course essential. I do not
think any words or values can adequately describe what this experience has done for me. It has
changed my life for the better, and I mean that. What I have learned here will remain with me for
the rest of my life, and it will have an impact on everything I do. This course has given me a
better awareness of myself and the world around me and sustainability and corporate
sustainability. As a result of this experience, I have a deeper understanding of my values and
interests. That realization has prompted me to look for a career that will positively impact the
world, rather than one that will pay the bills, even if it means sacrificing my well-being to earn a
profit. It has had a much more significant influence on me than any other course that I have taken
this semester. My decision to take this program was a complete no-brainer, and I strongly
recommend it to anybody considering it.
Conclusions
This chapter has looked at some of the most critical aspects of future sustainability and
climate change teaching in business and law schools. According to this article, there is a danger
that future teaching endeavors may become unorganized and perhaps frivolous, which is the
exact opposite of what they ought to be. In the same way, teaching sustainability will not
accomplish the desired results. Ecological and climatic sciences will benefit from incorporating
management sciences into their teaching and research. This instruction must be transdisciplinary,
including both inter-and intra-disciplinary components into the learning process. Then,
experiential and transformational learning may be included more simply. Ecological and climate
science-based curriculum reform is a huge undertaking, but it is also the most effective way to
begin the process of transformation. As long as the instructors and researchers involved are
adequately educated and experienced, this may be done. However, this should not be done by
unskilled, inexperienced, but eager persons. The time is now for us to do this properly. The future
of all species, including our own, is at stake; therefore, let us not let this opportunity pass us by.
References
Borland, H., Whyle, A. (2017). Ricoh UK - Combining a business growth strategy and environmental
sustainability. The Case Centre: Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, UK.
Edwards, M., Alcaraz, J., Cornell, S. (2021). Management education and Earth System Science:
Transformation as if planetary boundaries mattered. Business and Society, 60(1): 26-56.
Fallah, Rodwan Hashim Mohammed, and Jawad Syed 2018. "A Critical Review of Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs." In Employee Motivation in Saudi Arabia, pp. 19-59. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Garren, Sandra J., and Robert Brinkmann 2018. "Sustainability definitions, historical context, and
frameworks." In The Palgrave Handbook of Sustainability, pp. 1-18. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Haney, A. B., Pope, J., and Arden, Z. (2020). Making it personal: Developing sustainability leaders in
business. Organization and Environment, 33(2): 155-174.
Ivory, S. B., and Brooks, S. B. (2018). Managing corporate sustainability with a paradoxical lens: Lessons
from strategic agility. Journal of Business Ethics, 148: 347- 361.
Joseph, J., Orlitzky, M., Gurd, B., Borland, H., Lindgreen, A. (2019). Can business-orientated managers be
influential leaders for corporate sustainability? A study of integrative and instrumental logics.
Business Strategy and the Environment, 28(2): 339-352.
Joseph, J., Borland, H., Orlitzky, M., Lindgreen, A. (2020). Seeing versus doing: How businesses manage
tensions in pursuit of sustainability. Journal of Business Ethics, 164: 349-370.
Wamsler, C. (2020). Education for sustainability: Fostering a more conscious society and transformation
towards sustainability. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 21(1): 112-130.
https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-04-2019-0152.
Bangka, D., and P. Newman 2018. "Bhutan: Can the 1.5 C Agenda Be Integrated with Growth in Wealth
and Happiness? Urban Planning, 3, 94-112."
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

An Individual Reflective Essay On Sustainability - Edited

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

An Individual Reflective Essay On Sustainability - Edited

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Introduction

To be sustainable, a society must fulfill the current generation's requirements without

Sustainability reflection and change in ways of reasoning

According to Edwards, Alcaraz, and Cornell (2021), a comprehensive examination of

You might also like