Journal of Cleaner Production 106 (2015) 45e54

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Journal of Cleaner Production

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Implementation of sustainability in universities as perceived by

faculty and staff e a model from a Swedish university
Kaisu Sammalisto a, *, Agneta Sundstro
m b, Tove Holm c
a vle, Ga
Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, University of Ga vle, Sweden
b vle, Sweden
Faculty of Education and Business, University of Ga
c
Novia University of Applied Sciences, Finland

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Education for sustainable development creates new challenges for universities where faculty and staff
Received 15 October 2013 are expected to prepare students to meet complexities in society and take responsibility for sustain-
Received in revised form ability, which scientists are urgently calling for today. Few studies exist on how faculty and staff perceive
2 October 2014
sustainability in their functions at the university based on long-term sustainability implementation and
Accepted 6 October 2014
Available online 15 October 2014
training within a 14001 certied environmental management system. This university case study with
data collected by open-ended survey questions explores how faculty and staff express their role in
sustainability work within a Swedish university.
Keywords:
Competence
The authors developed a model to illustrate development of sustainability competence and its insti-
Education for sustainable development tutionalization. Results show a large variation in perceptions of sustainability from waste separation to a
(ESD) complex understanding and integration of issues into education. Integration of sustainable development
Higher education as a university core competence is difcult for a whole university to reach. Interpretational exibility
Institutionalization provides opportunities for discussing the sustainability concept in diverse academic traditions in
Management engagement different disciplines. Top management inspiration on different university levels is essential for integra-
Sustainable development tion. Continuous training and routines contribute to movement towards institutionalization of sustain-
ability activities and to following up the process in universities.
2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction is not only offered piecemeal in single course activities. The

The need for sustainable development (SD) has become
increasingly evident during the last decades, implying that uni-
versities are expected to prepare students to develop the ability to
integrate social, environmental and economic considerations in
future decision making (Lozano et al., 2013; Sibbel, 2009). Among
the most relevant competencies for future decision makers are to
understand the complexities of sustainability and to convert the
knowledge of education for sustainable development (ESD) into
systemic, anticipatory and critical thinking and actions
(Rieckmann, 2012). This development is essential, as future pro-
fessionals will be working globally with companies that increas-
ingly have sustainability on their agenda (Kiron et al., 2012). This
development puts high demands on universities to integrate SD
into the functions of faculty and staff so that this intelligence per-
meates all activities as a university identity (Steiner et al., 2013) and
* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: kaisu.sammalisto@hig.se (K. Sammalisto).
transformation towards university ESD requires three elements to
function: SD orientation integrated in university activities, educa-
tion about sustainable development and education for sustainable
development in society (McKeown et al., 2002).
The role of universities in ESD has been encouraged in many
declarations and initiatives. Many programs for ESD have according
to Leicht (2013) been good, but they commonly depend on active
individuals, resulting in a lack of a more holistic approach that
connects SD to other discourses in education (ibid.). That short-
coming is addressed in the latest initiatives: the Higher Education
Sustainability Initiative and the Rio20 Treaty on Higher Education
ask universities, in addition to the previous declarations, to commit
themselves to actions for ESD (Copernicus Alliance, 2013; Dlouh a
et al., 2013; UNCSD, 2012).
Although faculty and staff in universities still perceive sustain-
ability as peripheral to their functions (Wals, 2014) and are in the
early stages of the learning process (Mulder et al., 2012), they are
the change agents who can and will engage in the ESD (Barth and
Rieckmann, 2012). Universities are now progressing from the
bolting-on stage of SD (Sterling, 2004), starting to face the

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.10.015
0959-6526/ 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
46 K. Sammalisto et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 106 (2015) 45e54
challenge and building in more systematic changes for SD (Wals,
2014). The next stage requires universities to equip leaders, fac-
ulty and staff with a perception of sustainability in the academic
context they can apply to their functions at the university. For this
change to become a transformation (Sterling, 2004), SD needs to be
integrated in all university activities and be transformed into
practical actions, which calls for innovative educational cross-
disciplinary approaches (Warburton, 2003) and a thinking para-
digm (McKeown et al., 2002).
Despite the great number of case studies of universities' role in
SD (Karatzoglou, 2013), there is a shortage of research approaching
how faculty and staff perceive their role in relation to sustainability.
Most studies cover only certain departments or educational pro-
grams (e.g., Fredriksson and Persson, 2011; Segala s et al., 2012).
According to Tilbury (2013), little is known of the results of SD
implementation in universities; additional empirical research on
ESD, capacity building and training among teachers is needed. The
aim of the study is to explore SD implementation in a university,
based on how faculty and staff perceive their contribution to sus-
tainability in their functions. This study contributes to lling this
gap with a case study covering a whole university that has been
training faculty and staff in SD as competence development within
an environmental management system (EMS). Through the study
we show that there is not a single common holistic picture of SD in
a university and explain how SD competence must be disseminated
across faculty, staff and functions.
2. Literature review e integration and perceptions of
sustainability
The concept of sustainability has been discussed from a multi-
tude of perspectives and given a great number of denitions,
resulting in different visions of SD's issues and functions in society
(McKeown, 2002). Despite several initiatives moving SD forward, it
has been difcult for universities to incorporate ESD. While some
welcome the move as a way to legitimize SD work, others have
opposed the trend for the same reason or as already existing. Still
others reject implementing SD by arguing that it is a poorly
developed concept (Jickling and Wals, 2008).
Our denition of SD follows the one used as guidance in the
course classications of the case university based on two quotes. A
starting point for the university SD work is found in Swedish
Environmental Code 1x, 1ch (Government Ofces of Sweden.
(2000)); SD's aim is dened by Agenda 21 (World Commission on
Environment and Development, 1987, p. 16.) The denition is rather
wide to allow interpretative exibility, i.e. various views and in-
terpretations of sustainability to co-exist (Waas et al., 2011, p. 1646)
in the different disciplinary contexts of teaching and research. Ac-
cording to Waas et al. (2011), the denition is simultaneously
limited by the normativity principle (what kind of world we want
to live in), the equity principle (inter- and intra-generational,
geographical, procedural, interspecies), the integration principle
(holistic system perspective) and the dynamism principle (no nal
destination but continuous ow of change).
The question of how universities respond to the ESD challenge
has been discussed from various perspectives. For example, Lsse
et al. (2009) and Stephens et al. (2008) list the challenges to over-
come as insufcient teacher competence, existing disciplinary
boundaries and an overcrowded curriculum. They agree with Leal
Filho (2011) that ESD needs to be interpreted and communicated
more widely. Lozano (2006) presented several suggestions to
overcome the resistance to institutionalization of ESD. According to
Holm et al. (2012), management systems can be used to support SD
implementation. For institutionalization SD needs to be included in
university management and all activities, which implies that
management, faculty and staff need the perception of what sus-
tainability means for their function and a willingness to apply it. Orr
(1992, cited by Wright and Horst, 2013) states that a university is a
reection of the thoughts and work that the faculty disseminate in
their activities. Active student, staff and community participation in
sustainability initiatives is one of the key principles of institutional
change (Tilbury et al., 2005). In addition, SD issues are an important
part of the university identity (Steiner et al., 2013), representing
who we are as a university.
2.1. Need for sustainability competence
According to Warburton (2003), students' motivation to engage
in SD depends on the learning environment (teaching context),
course content (key concepts) and individual factors (knowledge
factors). It is crucial that university faculty and staff have the
necessary conditions and competences to provide key SD skills to
the students. They must ensure that students get the opportunity to
develop integrated SD competencies in study programs
(Lambrechts et al., 2010) and generate knowledge in a future-
oriented manner (Barth et al., 2007).
To manage integrating SD in different functions, faculty and staff
need SD knowledge. Previous studies conrm that faculty are quite
willing to introduce sustainability into curricula but experience to
be poorly trained (Aznar Minguet et al., 2011) and need capacity
building (Lozano-Garcia et al., 2009). Yuan et al. (2013) found that
faculty and staff in China have relatively low environmental
awareness and perceive their role as not so important. This con-
tradicts European studies showing that faculty and staff are
perceived to have a critical role (e.g., Barth and Rieckmann, 2012).
Studies in Malaysian universities show that university staff have
limited knowledge of SD but a strong positive attitude towards
sustainability, and they understand their major role in ESD
(Derahim et al., 2012). Saadatian et al. (2013) found that 96% of the
respondents believed they had a clear understanding of SD and 82%
had a clear understanding of sustainable higher education cam-
puses. A Swedish study showed that training and communication
within an EMS implementation increased both the awareness of
environmental issues and the understanding of faculty and staff's
personal role in environmental work (Sammalisto and Brorson,
2008). Fifty-four per cent of teachers, 29% of researchers and 62%
of staff could at least partly contribute to sustainable development
in their work, while 28% of teachers, 44% of researchers and 10% of
staff perceived SD irrelevant for their work (ibid.).
The critical role faculty has in SD transformation of university is
highlighted by their role as the change agents responsible for
implementing ESD (Barth and Rieckmann, 2012). Still, many of
them perceive sustainability as not central for their function (Wals,
2014) and have not advanced far in learning about it (Mulder et al.,
2012; Saadatian et al., 2009). Academic thinking traditionally fo-
cuses on single core subjects without connection to sustainability,
although it may be included due to political correctness (Reid and
Petocz, 2006). More recently universities have started to work
more systematically with SD. Yet there are large variations in SD
integration between different departments in one university and
between individuals in one department (Lozano, 2006; Shephard
and Furnari, 2013).
The university management has a key role in leading, supporting
(Lozano-Garcia et al., 2009) and inspiring or engaging change agents
in SD activities, so their perceptions of SD are essential for the work.
Although university leaders are well-versed in the concept of SD but
unclear about what a sustainable university is, their role is vital for
universities to be seen as role models in society for incorporating SD
in education, research and daily operations (Wright, 2009; Wright
and Horst, 2013; Wright and Wilton, 2012). In an Australian
 K. Sammalisto et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 106 (2015) 45e54
Faculty of Business and Law only 35% of chairs reported that envi-
ronmental sustainability was included in education in their units,
while 65% considered it irrelevant to their unit (McElvaney and
McElvaney, 2013). The ndings of Hurtado-Torres et al. (2010) indi-
cate that the perceptions of department heads determine if and how
sustainability issues are implemented in courses.
2.2. Perceptions of sustainability
The perception of SD is formed as thinking, values and attitudes
are modied based on the acquired knowledge and result in actions
(Dobes, 2001). We do not claim that the university commitment to
sustainability is the sole way to create perception of SD among
faculty and staff, since for example media reporting and personal
contexts inuence a person's thinking and perceptions.
Reid and Petocz (2006) found that faculty perceptions of sus-
tainability in teaching can be divided into three categories e
concept, resources (material, biological or human) and justice
(intra- or intergenerational fairness) e and claim that sustain-
ability approached via a denition keeps the concept at a distance
to avoid engagement with it. In engineering education the envi-
ronmental dimension of sustainability is overemphasized (Watson
et al., 2013), and faculty experience limitations in including addi-
tional institutional and social aspects (Segala s et al., 2012). This
agrees with Sammalisto and Lindhqvist (2008), who found a pre-
dominance of the ecological aspect of sustainability in course
classications1 in disciplinary courses of a university, even though
social and economic dimensions of sustainability were also present.
In the study faculty had actually discussed sustainability among
colleagues due to the course SD classication requirement placed
on them within the university EMS, and some had changed their
teaching and were aware of the potential effects of sustainability
integration, even indirectly. Although these changes cannot be
attributed to the course classication process, this institutional
procedure could provide a framework to approach SD from com-
mon denitions and allow individual interpretations and ap-
proaches to SD integration in courses (ibid.). The authors conclude
that the environmental dimension can be a starting point for
exploring the other dimensions of SD, which agrees with Aznar
Minguet et al. (2011), and they claim that where sustainability is
most integrated the teacher can incorporate several key areas and
make them accessible to the students.
Previous research shows that faculty and staff increasingly
recognize the SD concept, but it is perceived relevance to their role
varies within and between universities. Creation and dissemination
of SD knowledge to students requires a context and SD competence
among all personnel to be converted into their specic functions.
Thus, SD knowledge is necessary to integrate in the process, which
can, if inspired by university management, be converted into SD
practice. If successfully integrated the application of the concept
can develop into SD intelligence where the ESD knowledge has
develop into systemic, anticipatory and critical thinking and actions
for students to follow (Rieckmann, 2012). Thereby ESD can become
external SD competence in society (Fig. 1).
3. Method e a case study
vle was chosen as a case study to explore and
University of Ga
gain a contemporary picture of a real-life process of integrating SD
1
The lecturers were asked, to provoke them into thinking about SD integration in
their course, to indicate if for their course A. A major part of the course has SD
content; B. The course has some SD content; C. The course does not yet have any
SD content, but has the potential for that; or D. SD is not relevant for the course.
47
Fig. 1. A model for SD competence development and institutionalization.
in a university context. Faculty, staff and management have
received training in SD since the university board decided to strive
for ISO 14001 certication. Access and deep holistic knowledge as
well as the possibility to gain rich empirical material in an academic
context were motives for the choice (Yin, 2009).
Integration of SD in all activities is the focused ambition at the
university. Education and research are seen as main areas enabling
positive impact on SD. Training for SD competence for all personnel
according to the policy for environment and sustainable develop-
ment adopted by the board in 2002 is a critical part of the sys-
tematic SD implementation. One of the objectives in the ISO 14001-
certied EMS is also to integrate sustainability in all relevant
courses. The SD process at the university is operationalized in the
ecological dimension in the environmental work, the social
dimension in the working environment for faculty, staff and stu-
dents, and the economic dimension in the quality activities of the
university.
Training to create and increase awareness of SD, the role of the
EMS as a structure to support the integration, and individual roles
in university activities was initially conducted in longer department
meetings and special training sessions. Later, 20-min mini lectures
were given in regular meetings as well as in introductions to new
faculty and staff. The training is now also available on the university
learning platform. Two forms were developed for faculty to use in
the voluntary classication of courses (see footnote 1) and research
on environmental and sustainability content. The aim of this was to
challenge faculty to reect on SD in relation to their courses and
research. The SD classication has been a compulsory part of new
course registrations in the university education database since
2013. The development of the SD work in the case university is
presented with the help of discussion of sustainability institution-
alization based on Dobes (2001) and Sterling (2004) in Table 1.
3.1. Designing the case study
A survey was developed to study the SD practices of faculty and
staff in their functions. The questions were pretested among the
members for the Council for Sustainable Development2 and edited
for clarication. The specic goal of the survey was to collect data
on faculty and staff perceptions of how SD was integrated in work
functions.
2
The Council for Sustainable Development has 12 members representing the
university management, faculty and staff from all departments, and students.
48 K. Sammalisto et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 106 (2015) 45e54

Table 1 Table 1 (continued )

The development of SD work and phases of institutionalization of SD at the Uni-
versity of G
avle based on levels described by Dobes (2001) and Sterling (2004). Level of Time for actions Level of
institutionalization institutionalization
Level of Time for actions Level of based on Dobes (2001) based on Sterling
institutionalization institutionalization (2004)
based on Dobes (2001) based on Sterling
- 2013 work with a
(2004)
New Campus plan
Intuition, particular Before 1991 starts, with wide
skills created or -Pioneers start to talk representation of
modied on an about environ mental/ faculty, staff, trade
individual basis sustainability issues, unions, students,
(Dobes, 2001) arrange seminars/pub- business, pubic
lic lectures and indi- agencies to show a
vidual courses whole university SD
Interpretation, After 1991 Bolting-on education prole more clearly
individual -1991 Environmenta1 about sustainability, in all facilities
internalization and colleague founded by SD content added to - 2013 Faculty and staff
integration of SD the Vice Chancellor existing system, which prefer to talk about
skills in modied -First environmental in itself largely remains sustainability and not
way of thinking review 1996 unchanged (Sterling, about environment
(Dobes, 2001) -General environ- 2004) during Internal EMS
mental courses, semi- audits
nars/public lectures University seen in a - To be continued Transformation, a
-2001 EMS certication wider societal paradigm change to
decision by the Univer- context (Dobes, build on learning as
sity Board with focus on 2001) change and education
SD in policy as sustainability. Re-
-Mainly environmental design of education
SD focus in education, based on SD with all
research and outreach education as SD, and
-Dean for environ- disciplines and subjects
mental management contributing to it
and education (Sterling, 2004)
appointed
Integration as more After 2001 Building-in,
individuals acquire - Developing EMS education for sustain The denition of SD (Section 2) was provided as guidance for the
necessary SD skills, - Voluntary classica- ability, SD incorporated survey, with the information that the University SD work follows
work together and tion of courses and in existing systems the Swedish Higher Education Act 5x (SFS, 1992) and the University
form organizational research by faculty facility management
Policy for Sustainable Development. Some examples of how SD
skills (Dobes, 2001) with alternatives (See and curriculum. A
Footnote 2) deeper SD integration related to different subjects were provided.
- Protest against clas- into regular discipline- Questions 1e5 in the survey addressed the background of the
sication for regis- specic courses, respondents regarding department, main function, age, length of
tering of opinions, connection between
employment at the university and gender. Training aimed at
too many forms, subject and SD in minds
sustain ability being of students. (Sterling,
providing faculty and staff an opportunity to learn about sustain-
just a political word 2004) ability and their role via the EMS in it. What SD can mean in a
- July 2004 ISO 14001 specic disciplinary context as ESD could further be discussed with
certication reached colleagues. Question 6 focused on participation in SD training:
- 2010 review, open
Have you participated in sustainability training at the university?
replies
Institutionalization, - 2010 Dean for sus- If not, why? It was designed to nd out reasons for not partici-
innovation part of tainable develop- pating in training and action to learn about sustainability.
culture of ment appointed Questions 7e10 aimed to nd out if faculty and staff perceive
organization, i.e. SD - 2010 University
they contribute to SD in their function in general (7), in education
institutionalized into management team
the university. (23 persons) discus-
(8), in research (9) and in collaboration (10). Each of these questions
Organisation's vision sing SD in a was accompanied by an open how question where the respondents
includes SD and it is workshop were invited to provide examples of different actions, and to
institutionalized in - 2011 new vision with explore how they perceive sustainability based on their rst
activities (Dobes, SD and research pro-
spontaneous impressions.
2001) les for the university
- 2011 systematic Finally question 11, What would you like to learn about SD?
work to integrate aimed at nding out need for further training efforts at the
environmental, man- university.
agement of working
environment and
quality start 3.2. Collecting and analyzing evidence
- 2012 new internet
based curriculum In 2010 a total of7833 surveys were sent to the faculty and staff
database with
by e-mail and data was collected using BIBASE software. MS Excel
compulsory course
classication for SD
- 2012 voluntary clas-
sication research 3
The surveys were sent to all university personnel e-mail addresses, including all
applications by forms of employment. The University of Ga vle had 703 monthly employed on 2010-
researchers 12-31 of which 40% worked mainly with research, 33% with education and 27% with
gskolan i Ga
administration (Ho vle, 2010).
 K. Sammalisto et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 106 (2015) 45e54
Table 2
Response rates in the survey and number employed in the different departments.
Department Number % Of Number
employed total of replies
2010-12-31 employed
Faculty of health 170 24 64
and occupational
studies
Faculty of engineering 206 29 91
and sustainable
development
Faculty of education and 195 28 62
business
Library and administration 132 19 95
Total 703 100 312
was used to compile the results. A total of 312 (response rate 40%)
anonymous replies were received. Six per cent of respondents were
younger than 30 years, 50% between 31 and 50 years and 44% older
than 50. Seventy-eight per cent of those who answered had worked
at the university more than 4 years; 55% of the answers came from
females and 45% from males. How the replies correspond to the
number employed in each department is shown in Table 2.
Table 2 shows that whereas the percentage of answers corre-
sponds to number employed in two departments, the Faculty of
Education and Business is underrepresented among replies and
Library and Administration overrepresented in the replies.
The question how faculty and staff contribute to sustainability in
general received 239 replies, in education (94 replies), research (58
replies) and collaboration (49 replies). It turned out that the rst
general open-ended question (question 7) already included a large
number of replies regarding education, research and collaboration,
so the answers to these questions (7e10) were combined to a total
of 440 free replies. These replies can be merged, as the aim was to
nd key themes in the answers rather than exact numbers. The
question: What would you like to learn about SD? received 112
answers (14% of the total).
Many of the free answers provided long reections combining
many themes, while others were very short. Four sets of criteria
determined the analysis: (1) the function at the university (edu-
cation, research or collaboration), (2) which sustainability compo-
nent the answer contained (ecological, social or economic), (3)
classication according to themes, and (4) characterization of SD
context/competence based on the model in Fig. 1.
The third criterion was based on 14 recurring themes focusing
on the respondents' perception of their role and contribution to SD.
Long free reections were coded under several separate themes.
We also analyzed whether the respondent mainly sees SD as a focus
on direct physical activity such as separating waste or saving en-
ergy or educating students about it, and/or if the respondent has a
more holistic picture considering several aspects of SD, and/or as-
pects that are both direct and indirect dealing with education and/
or research, as well as the extent sustainability appears to be in-
tegrated in teaching and research. Direct quotes from answers were
chosen to illustrate reections and perceptions of sustainability.
3.3. Validity and reliability
We recognize the potential mono-method bias due to relying on
results of one survey and acknowledge possible bias due to the
main author's long engagement in sustainability issues at the case
university. This, on the other hand, makes it possible to organize an
in-depth explorative case study of the SD integration process in a
real-life context (Yin, 2009), which increases its validity (Sterling
et al., 2013; xxi). The ongoing research into SD implementation in
49
universities and companies nationally and internationally by all the
authors reduces the case blindness of this study.
% Of Bias due to respondent interest in SD, indicated by their interest
total in learning more about SD and the high participation in training,
answers cannot be avoided. This applies also to the possible underrepre-
21 sentation of those critical of SD and its integration.
The high response rate of 40% increases the reliability of the
study in a university-wide context, considering answers from all
29
departments and functions with a small overrepresentation of
administrative staff. The underrepresentation from the Faculty of
20 Education and Business can be due to an ongoing organizational
change affecting the faculty. The required anonymity in replies and
30
100
limitations in the Bibase software meant that the individual free
answers were listed separately, making cross-linking with the rest
of the data impossible. We deemed this to be of lesser interest since
the main focus in the study was gaining an overall picture of the
university.
4. Results of the case study
Data from the case study for questions regarding participation
training, interest in learning more, function, sustainability aspects
and recurring themes are presented below and summarized in
Fig. 2.
4.1. Participation in sustainability training and interest in learning
more about SD
For SD to be integrated in all university functions the scope of
participation in training as competence development was of in-
terest for the study. Of the 236 persons (76% of respondents) who
had participated in sustainability training at the university, 40%
identied themselves as faculty, 51% as staff and 8% as manage-
ment, showing a clear overrepresentation of staff. Of the 77 persons
who had not participated in the training, 42% answered that they
did not know about it, lacked the opportunity to participate or were
newly employed. Twenty-six per cent did not know why they did
not participate, had short-term employment, lack of time, had
other priorities or were absent. One person claimed that the
training was not based on science, and another one was totally
uninterested.
The need and interest for further SD competence development
was explored by an open-ended question. Of the 112 answers, 29%
Fig. 2. Summarizing the respondents' sustainability themes as perceptions of sus-
tainability, where K stands for SD knowledge, I for SD inspiration, P for SD practice and
T for SD intelligence.
50 K. Sammalisto et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 106 (2015) 45e54

were short answers with a general interest to learn more and 19%
stated they would not like or need to learn more. Twenty-three per Of the total 440 coded replies, 3% stated they did not deal with
cent asked for examples of SD work in various elds such as what sustainability in their work, 3% referred to answers to the previous
happens to the waste that is recycled, what does my little individual questions, 2% stated they did not know if they worked for sus-
effort contribute to, how do you make the concept meaningful, how tainability and 1% answered simply yes, without any explanation.
does climate change work, how is SD discussed internationally and The somewhat critical quote below stresses the importance to
what kind of regulations are there, examples of economic and social communicate and discuss if and what SD issues should be inte-
sustainability and for different courses. Four per cent wanted to grated in the context of education.
receive updates on the SD training offered, and ve per cent wanted
I believe that the concept [SD] is very fuzzy, just as quality in a uni-
to learn how to inspire others to work for SD, as the statement
versity is for a social scientist or humanist. SD is a lifestyle/an approach,
below illustrates.
which you cannot teach. I mean that it is a political statement and then
How can I inuence my workplace to become more willing to take it needs to be discussed WHAT you can do in education.
more social responsibility for environmental impact e to think a
step beyond waste management e how we consume before
creating waste e and by whom, where and how are the products
4.3. Recurring sustainability themes
produced.
The third analysis was made based on replies indicating that the
respondents included sustainability in education, research and/or
4.2. Function and sustainability aspects
collaboration. The different recurring sustainability themes
embedded in the replies add more detailed illustrations of the SD
SD integration in a university is facilitated by people working in
perceptions of faculty and staff in the overall environmental, social
different functions. Therefore the study investigated how sustain-
and economic aspects of sustainability. Fourteen common themes
ability aspects were represented in the university overall. Forty-
surfaced in coding the answers (Fig. 2).
eight per cent of the total replied they were faculty, 46% staff and
The dominating environmental dimension, as exemplied by
6% management. At the same time they indicated that 56% of them
the statement below, shows up in the theme Saving resources,
work with education, 27% with research and 17% with collabora-
such as waste separation and saving energy (43%). It can also be
tion. Those in part-time management functions and the staff in the
connected to the second theme Using more IT/Technology (9%). In
Library and IT services are to some degree active in education. All
this area are included sending mail, distance education and video
functions can include collaboration, as the quote below exemplies.
conferences for meetings as well as using the university learning
Even though the staff in the library do not teach a classical science, platform in communication with students.
we train in searching information and contribute to SD by
Environmental issues, values, approaches to and understanding
spreading information about online meetings, using iPads, and by
nature. Consequences of use of technology: for example, choice of
cooperating with teachers in developing online courses about
materials and technical solutions, how technical systems affect the
environmental issues.
environment, historical choices of technology.

Those who work with education stated that sustainability is

Providing information to increase awareness and informing
included in the curriculum, teaching materials, course evaluations,
about sustainability (8%) appears more passive than Promote/
in encouraging discussions in the classroom and in cases.
inspire driving SD (6%), although they are closely related.
In research sustainability is included apart from the topic of
Following policy (6%) also includes goals and guidelines, which
research in practices, for example in using resources, considering
appear rather passive. Discussing values/approaches (6%) in-
the origin of supplies used, minimizing travel and assessing envi-
cludes understanding nature developing the ability to evaluate and
ronmental impact of the research project. In collaboration the
discuss worldviews and approaches.
sustainability aspect was mainly perceived in the content, for
The social aspect of sustainability (6%) in comments of Pro-
example discussing questions in media, but also in saving resources
moting health for various groups and a good working environment
and informing about the university's sustainability work. Thirty-
for oneself and colleagues is illustrated by the following statement.
seven per cent do not include sustainability in education as
teachers, 40% as researchers and 50% in collaboration. In the presence of pain, individuals are less likely to focus on other
The ecological component dominated in the survey with 74%, areas of their lives, including sustainable practices of work and life.
but the social sustainability aspect is almost a quarter, 22%. The Thus, by performing research regarding occupational health and
economic aspect of sustainability was very low, 4%. The quotations safety and working to increase the quality of life of a working
below illustrate how respondents perceive the ecological, social population, indirectly this has a chance to impact the subsequent
and economic aspects of SD are integrated in education. actions the workers will take towards sustainable development.
I study different microorganisms that are affected by climate
change, resistance to antibiotics, medicine and environment. The next two quotes illustrate the categories Long-term
thinking (4%) and Holistic thinking (4%), which both characterize
In my course students get insight into causes behind social
thinking a bit further, one of the main goals of ESD.
conicts in close neighbourhoods, and within and between resi-
dents in different residential areas. We study also how different The effect of evaluation on the single child results in consequences
actors can reduce conicts which can threaten social about how the child sees him/herself and his/her surroundings. So
sustainability. the future generations making decisions, their actions are inu-
enced by evaluations and decisions taken in the schools today.
I usually show the product life cycle from an economic/marketing
perspective and relate it to the subject and translate the phases in To reect in my teaching over gender, social background, ethnicity,
the course content. life style and physical and psychosocial environment related to
 K. Sammalisto et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 106 (2015) 45e54 51

health, including justice from a global, national and local Table 3

perspective. Phases (in %) of SD competence based on recurring respondent themes in Fig. 2.

Knowledge Inspire/support Practice SD intelligence

Discussing concepts (2%) and Critiquing SD concept (2%) Provide Promote health/ Save resources Discuss values/
information working environment Use more IT/ approaches
include discussing concepts and knowledge as well as questioning
Methods/ Promote/inspire technology Holistic thinking
and criticizing the whole sustainability concept, probably both in models Support SD work Follow policy Long-term thinking
education and in answering the survey itself. The rst statement Purchase/ Discuss concepts
illustrates a constructive ESD integration, whereas the second one procurement Critique SD concept
asserts ESD has nothing to do with the support of academic 9% 14% 59% 18%

freedom expressed in the university Magna Charta.

I also use a few texts which take up environmental issues, from a
scientic standpoint, using data sets which both support and refute
the simplied media view.
No, not in a specic and conscious way. Sustainable develop-
ment is a political and ideological concept, which in spite of being
written in the Higher Education Act x5 is against the university
Magna Charta [Magna Charta Universitatum, 1988, referenced by
author], which has the basic principles:
1. The university is an autonomous institution at the heart of so-
cieties differently organized because of geography and historical
heritage; it produces, examines, appraises and hands down
culture by research and teaching. To meet the needs of the world
around it, its research and teaching must be morally and intel-
lectually independent of all political authority and economic
power.
2. Teaching and research in universities must be inseparable if
their tuition is not to lag behind changing needs, the demands of
society, and advances in scientic knowledge
3. Freedom in research and training is the fundamental principle of
university life, and governments and universities, each as far as
in them lies, must ensure respect for this fundamental
requirement. Rejecting intolerance and always open
As management support is extremely important in ESD,
statements indicating Support SD work (2%) appear to be an-
swers from those making it possible for others to work for SD.
Sustainability in Purchasing and procurement (1%) is explained
by the fact that there is only one person at the university working
with this. The nal theme, Methods/models (1%), includes dis-
cussing and creating methods and models for various SD-related
issues, such as a system for environmental classication of
buildings.
The recurring themes generated by the responses to the open-
ended questions are summarized in Fig. 2.
act for SD. The study shows considerable participation (76%) in SD
training provided by the university. Although not the only way of
learning about sustainability, its purpose according to university
management is to provide all employees with basic knowledge of
SD and how different functions at the university can contribute to
SD. This follows Rieckmann's (2012) discussion that the goal of ESD
is disseminating and increasing SD knowledge among faculty and
staff for the benet of the students' SD competence.
The general interest in SD learning (29%) among faculty and staff
conrms previous studies by Aznar Minguet et al. (2011) and Reid
and Petocz (2006) and shows a desire for SD development at the
university. Examples provided in Section 4.1 point to a need for
basic SD knowledge and methods/models for working with SD in
different functions. According to Dobes (2001) and Sterling (2004),
the initial knowledge phase is a precondition for strategic initiation
of the SD work for institutionalization. Thus, training that creates
interest for additional learning, as is evident in the case study, is a
crucial phase for continuous SD development.
5.2. Inspiration functions
From Fig. 2, about 14% perceive that their management func-
tions include supporting, promoting or inspiring SD work in various
ways, while 62% do not. From the statements there are many who
include SD in education and occasionally in areas beyond primary
functions. The support/inspire phase of SD is essential for ESD
competence development, in line with Hurtado-Torres et al. (2010),
Lozano-Garcia et al. (2009) and Wright and Wilton (2012), who
focus on the importance of management engagement. The replies,
which represented different contexts at the university, indicate that
inspiration is taking place but faculty and staff generally do not
perceive themselves as inspiring SD. This indicates that those

5. Discussion

From the ndings of the study we have identied 14 recurring

themes representing four phases for faculty and staff perceptions of
SD in their functions. The themes are summarized in Table 3 and
range from perceptions of having initial basic knowledge to having
developed SD intelligence with movement towards institutionali-
zation. Identied theme phases and themes are used as the basis for
the follow-up discussion. Some barriers for SD implementation are
discussed before the ndings are summarized in Fig. 3.

5.1. Initiating SD knowledge e training and learning more

If universities aim for an SD identity (Steiner et al., 2013),

management support needs to be demonstrated in actions, for Fig. 3. Summary of the SD perceptions of faculty and staff based on quotations applied
example by providing faculty and staff opportunities to learn and in the model of SD institutionalization as SD competence develops in a university.
52 K. Sammalisto et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 106 (2015) 45e54

perceiving themselves as providing inspiration play a critical role 5.5. Barriers for SD intelligence
within the university as role models.
Providing SD training in special SD courses is not enough, since
faculty members have crowded schedules a barrier to SD imple-
5.3. SD practice functions
mentation and integration. Another barrier is the differences in
perceptions of sustainability and the lack of a single general de-
SD practice (59%) is still largely perceived to be directed towards
nition of SD, as a statement in Section 4.2 highlights. The ndings
ecological aspects (43%, see Fig. 2), saving resources both in practice
with different sustainability themes indicate that a denition based
and education, agreeing with the ndings of Segala s et al. (2012),
on interpretive exibility (Waas et al., 2011) is useful in univer-
Watson et al. (2013) and Wright (2009). A quotation in Section
sities with their different academic traditions and contexts. The
4.2 illustrates that humanities and social sciences faculty do not
answers demonstrate that faculty and staff are reecting on the SD
perceive integration of SD in universities to be justied, supporting
issue and their contribution to it, thus paving the way for further
the ndings of McElvaney and McElvaney (2013) and Sammalisto
development.
and Lindhqvist (2008). There are several interesting examples of
One critique that was presented in the survey was a quotation of
wider SD perspectives being integrated in ESD; ecological sus-
the Magna Charta Universitatum (1988). This illustrates probably
tainability appears to have served as a starting platform to develop
the greatest barrier for ESD but also a potential key to overcome it.
other sustainability aspects as Aznar Minguet et al. (2011) noticed
While it is possible to read the document as against ESD, support
as well.
for ESD can be found: To meet the needs of the world around it
The indirect practices in SD integration in courses, research,
not to lag behind changing needs, the demands of society, and
procurement, management routines etc. are the most important
advances in scientic knowledge . Rejecting intolerance and al-
part of university SD competence development, as expressed in the
ways open to dialogue, a university is an ideal meeting ground for
replies. Both direct and indirect SD practices in the recurring
teachers capable of imparting their knowledge and well equipped
themes contribute to institutionalization of SD in university
to develop it by research and innovation and for students, entitled,
context, where faculty and staff must also walk the talk for the
able and willing to enrich their minds with that knowledge, all of
students to gain the overall learning experience and develop SD
which could serve as a basis for discussion of the need for SD in the
competence at the university, following Barth and Rieckmann's
world and for ESD in universities.
(2012) discussion.
From the faculty and staff perceptions it became obvious that
5.6. Summarizing the discussion
many saw introducing SD practices such as waste management and
SD content in courses as adding irritating requirements due to
The case study indicates that SD integration is happening, but
political correctness, agreeing with the ndings of Reid and Petocz
the phase the different departments and individuals in them are in
(2006). Interestingly, the difference between those participating in
varies, which agrees with Lozano (2006) and Shephard and Furnari
training and those who practice SD is 17%, which indicates that
(2013). The ndings show that those who have demonstrated ho-
training can inuence practice. However, 2% of the replies showed
listic, long-term thinking and a broader SD intelligence are a mi-
irritation, which indicates that those who question SD could be
nority. Thus, SD implementation, transformation and
underrepresented in the study. In spite of a possible over-
institutionalization are taking a long time, agreeing with Sterling
representation in this study of those interested and engaged in SD
(2004) and Dobes (2001).
issues, who describe sustainability as part of their functions, it
The ideal is that all university faculty and staff would have the
could be argued that the faculty have taken SD further as practiced
broad SD intelligence to include all the phases on SD competence
in teaching and discuss and problematize it in education with the
development. Study shows that the individuals are in different
students. Although perceptions of SD vary, faculty and staff have
phases of the development. Knowledge is the basis for SD compe-
clear ideas about what SD means in their practical functions, which
tence but it is institutionalized and no longer the main focus in
indicates a movement towards SD integration in the university.
perceptions as SD competence develops further. Inspiring and
supporting others and promoting the work for SD is required to
5.4. SD competence and thinking keep the work going and is the task for management and change
agents. The sustainability practice in the case study shows largely in
A precondition for institutionalization of SD intelligence is that saving resources and as following policy or supporting SD work.
SD is implemented and integrated as part of all university functions Also education and research focus mainly on questions concerning
(Dobes, 2001; Sterling, 2004). From the case ndings a total of 18% resource use. SD intelligence shows in discussing values and con-
of the replies perceive that some degree of SD intelligence is cepts as well as critical, long-term and holistic thinking. External SD
developed at the university and a movement towards SD intelli- competence directed to the surrounding society develops parallel
gence and institutionalization is going on. with the internal one, which is a precondition for external SD ac-
The case is an example of systematic efforts to implement SD in tions. It is possible to have SD intelligence without practicing SD.
a university with an environmental management system that in- This implies that faculty need to incorporate SD competence from
cludes competence development (Holm et al., 2012). The ndings basic knowledge to more advanced and broader SD intelligence in
point to a high participation in SD training, which, seen as capacity education. The model in Fig. 3 summarizes the ndings from the
building, agrees with Aznar Minguet et al. (2011), Lozano-Garcia case study.
et al. (2009) and Tilbury (2013) in most but not all departments.
The case shows an interest in SD integration, which agrees with 6. Conclusions
Derahim et al. (2012) and Aznar Minguet et al. (2011). This signals
that SD institutionalization is taking place when the university has As few studies have addressed the results of implementing SD
developed SD intelligence integrated in core activities, also dis- in universities and more empirical research on education for
cussed by Dobes (2001). However, the university still has a long sustainable development and capacity building has been called
way to go before the university has a holistic SD integration in all for (Tilbury, 2013), this case study's aim was to explore SD
functions. implementation performance in a university with an EMS, based
 K. Sammalisto et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 106 (2015) 45e54
on how SD-trained faculty and staff perceive their contribution
to sustainability in their functions. The study contributes to
showing how SD is integrated in a university. We draw four
conclusions.
First, the case study shows a wide variety of faculty and staff
perceptions of contributions to SD in functions. The recurring
themes in the replies provide insight into the embedded SD per-
ceptions of the ecological, social and economic sustainability as-
pects. The voices critical to SD in the university context are few
but important. Although sustainability as an ecological resource
question still dominates, there are interesting statements where
sustainability is seen in a wider context and in a long-term
perspective. However, the examples of a holistic viewpoint are
few. Furthermore, the SD picture varies in different parts of the
university and between different individuals. In spite of contin-
uous efforts by university SD policy, management support and
training, SD institutionalization in universities takes a long time to
develop.
Second, statements in this case study conrm that management
perceives support/inspiration as part of their function. Without top
management buy-in, systematic and continuous SD implementa-
tion cannot commence, continue and be reinforced on the crowded
university agenda. Still, it is evident that management support has
not been able to contribute to SD integration in the whole
university.
Third, those who perceive inspiration to be part of their func-
tion are few, but crucial as role models for faculty, staff and
students.
Fourth, the model illustrates how SD competence development
is institutionalized in a continuous process where knowledge,
inspiration, practice and SD intelligence develop into SD compe-
tence within the university as institutionalized intelligence and
transformed to external sustainability activities. The great variation
in perceptions shows that unied core intelligence with complete
understanding of the complexity of SD and institutionalization is
difcult to reach.
The study (a) illustrates a way of exploring an overall picture of
how a university contributes to SD based on spontaneous re-
ections about SD by faculty and staff, (b) provides information
about the content and importance of each phase of work for SD
institutionalization and (c) views SD development as a process with
areas for improvement. Together, points aec could be used to
identify an overall university SD picture showing the present state,
what needs to be done and how to continue.
The case study illustrates that an existing openness for inter-
pretive exibility (Waas et al., 2011) and variations in practice are
the key to SD integration in a university context. It is interesting
to see that change is taking place although the development is
slow.
This study is limited to a single case, and due to the rigorous
anonymity requirement, cross-linking of different data was not
possible. Although it had a high response rate (40%) it is difcult
to generalize, and the biases discussed in Section 3 are unavoid-
able. The example of systematic SD implementation and the
proposal to seek management support in incorporating short
scientic SD lectures and discussions into regular faculty and staff
meetings is worth pursuing. It can serve as competence devel-
opment both for basic ESD knowledge and for introduction of SD
in the specic disciplinary and subject contexts even for those
who do not attend SD training, and in the end it can promote
students' learning.
Further studies could explore students' perceptions in relation
to teachers' perceptions of SD implementation. Future interview
studies could provide deeper insight into how faculty in different
disciplines perceive their contribution to SD.
53
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the faculty, staff and the management of
the University of Gavle for many challenging discussions about SD
and ESD and for sharing their perceptions of SD in the survey. When
you look forward many things seem to go endlessly slowly. When
you look back it is amazing to see how much has changed.
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