Conceptualization of sustainable higher education institutions, roles, barriers, and challenges for sustainability: an exploratory study in Portugal

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Aleixo, Ana Marta
Data de Publicação: 2018
Outros Autores: Leal, Susana, Azeiteiro, Ulisses Miranda
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.15/1959
Resumo: Higher Education Institutions play an important role in the promotion of sustainability and an increasing number of stakeholders expect them to be sustainable organizations. However, this can only be achieved when barriers are faced and challenges overcome. This exploratory study aims to investigate how the main stakeholders (leaders, faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders) of Portuguese Public Higher Education Institutions perceive: the concepts of sustainability and sustainable higher education institutions, the role of higher education for sustainable development, and the barriers, challenges and obstacles to implementing sustainable initiatives in Portuguese Public Higher Education Institutions. Through a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews and content analysis procedures, this article explore the perspectives of twenty stakeholders from four Portuguese Public Higher Education Institutions. The results suggest that, although aware of the concept of sustainability, the different stakeholders are not familiar with the concept of sustainable higher education institutions. The lack of financial resources due to the decline in funding for higher education and falling numbers of Portuguese university students is perceived as the main barrier to sustainable development in higher education (i.e. practices are still associated with spending financial resources). This research highlights the importance of a conceptual and organizational change in higher education institutions, notably through identifying new sources of financing, more flexible organizational forms, more comprehensive mission statements, more tailored educational offers, life-long learning and commitment to internationalization, and more strategic human resource management. The paper contributes to the literature by reflecting on how higher education institutions can promote sustainability, how higher education for sustainable development is understood and can be improved in Portuguese Higher Education Institutions.
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spelling Conceptualization of sustainable higher education institutions, roles, barriers, and challenges for sustainability: an exploratory study in Portugalhigher education for sustainability developmenthigher educationsustainabilitybarrierschallengesPortugalHigher Education Institutions play an important role in the promotion of sustainability and an increasing number of stakeholders expect them to be sustainable organizations. However, this can only be achieved when barriers are faced and challenges overcome. This exploratory study aims to investigate how the main stakeholders (leaders, faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders) of Portuguese Public Higher Education Institutions perceive: the concepts of sustainability and sustainable higher education institutions, the role of higher education for sustainable development, and the barriers, challenges and obstacles to implementing sustainable initiatives in Portuguese Public Higher Education Institutions. Through a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews and content analysis procedures, this article explore the perspectives of twenty stakeholders from four Portuguese Public Higher Education Institutions. The results suggest that, although aware of the concept of sustainability, the different stakeholders are not familiar with the concept of sustainable higher education institutions. The lack of financial resources due to the decline in funding for higher education and falling numbers of Portuguese university students is perceived as the main barrier to sustainable development in higher education (i.e. practices are still associated with spending financial resources). This research highlights the importance of a conceptual and organizational change in higher education institutions, notably through identifying new sources of financing, more flexible organizational forms, more comprehensive mission statements, more tailored educational offers, life-long learning and commitment to internationalization, and more strategic human resource management. The paper contributes to the literature by reflecting on how higher education institutions can promote sustainability, how higher education for sustainable development is understood and can be improved in Portuguese Higher Education Institutions.Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico de SantarémAleixo, Ana MartaLeal, SusanaAzeiteiro, Ulisses Miranda2018-01-07T00:01:17Z20182018-01-03T13:22:31Z2018-01-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.15/1959engAleixo, Ana Marta; Leal, Susana; Azeiteiro, Ulisses Miranda. Conceptualization of sustainable higher education institutions, roles, barriers, and challenges for sustainability: An exploratory study in Portugal, Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, -, 1664-1673, 2018.0959-6526https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.11.010info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2024-01-21T07:32:20Zoai:repositorio.ipsantarem.pt:10400.15/1959Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-20T01:54:08.940630Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Conceptualization of sustainable higher education institutions, roles, barriers, and challenges for sustainability: an exploratory study in Portugal
title Conceptualization of sustainable higher education institutions, roles, barriers, and challenges for sustainability: an exploratory study in Portugal
spellingShingle Conceptualization of sustainable higher education institutions, roles, barriers, and challenges for sustainability: an exploratory study in Portugal
Aleixo, Ana Marta
higher education for sustainability development
higher education
sustainability
barriers
challenges
Portugal
title_short Conceptualization of sustainable higher education institutions, roles, barriers, and challenges for sustainability: an exploratory study in Portugal
title_full Conceptualization of sustainable higher education institutions, roles, barriers, and challenges for sustainability: an exploratory study in Portugal
title_fullStr Conceptualization of sustainable higher education institutions, roles, barriers, and challenges for sustainability: an exploratory study in Portugal
title_full_unstemmed Conceptualization of sustainable higher education institutions, roles, barriers, and challenges for sustainability: an exploratory study in Portugal
title_sort Conceptualization of sustainable higher education institutions, roles, barriers, and challenges for sustainability: an exploratory study in Portugal
author Aleixo, Ana Marta
author_facet Aleixo, Ana Marta
Leal, Susana
Azeiteiro, Ulisses Miranda
author_role author
author2 Leal, Susana
Azeiteiro, Ulisses Miranda
author2_role author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico de Santarém
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Aleixo, Ana Marta
Leal, Susana
Azeiteiro, Ulisses Miranda
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv higher education for sustainability development
higher education
sustainability
barriers
challenges
Portugal
topic higher education for sustainability development
higher education
sustainability
barriers
challenges
Portugal
description Higher Education Institutions play an important role in the promotion of sustainability and an increasing number of stakeholders expect them to be sustainable organizations. However, this can only be achieved when barriers are faced and challenges overcome. This exploratory study aims to investigate how the main stakeholders (leaders, faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders) of Portuguese Public Higher Education Institutions perceive: the concepts of sustainability and sustainable higher education institutions, the role of higher education for sustainable development, and the barriers, challenges and obstacles to implementing sustainable initiatives in Portuguese Public Higher Education Institutions. Through a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews and content analysis procedures, this article explore the perspectives of twenty stakeholders from four Portuguese Public Higher Education Institutions. The results suggest that, although aware of the concept of sustainability, the different stakeholders are not familiar with the concept of sustainable higher education institutions. The lack of financial resources due to the decline in funding for higher education and falling numbers of Portuguese university students is perceived as the main barrier to sustainable development in higher education (i.e. practices are still associated with spending financial resources). This research highlights the importance of a conceptual and organizational change in higher education institutions, notably through identifying new sources of financing, more flexible organizational forms, more comprehensive mission statements, more tailored educational offers, life-long learning and commitment to internationalization, and more strategic human resource management. The paper contributes to the literature by reflecting on how higher education institutions can promote sustainability, how higher education for sustainable development is understood and can be improved in Portuguese Higher Education Institutions.
publishDate 2018
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2018-01-07T00:01:17Z
2018
2018-01-03T13:22:31Z
2018-01-01T00:00:00Z
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dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10400.15/1959
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dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Aleixo, Ana Marta; Leal, Susana; Azeiteiro, Ulisses Miranda. Conceptualization of sustainable higher education institutions, roles, barriers, and challenges for sustainability: An exploratory study in Portugal, Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, -, 1664-1673, 2018.
0959-6526
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.11.010
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