Tilburg University Attitudes of green organizations' personnel toward genuine sustainable development Allevato, Camillo Publication date: 2017 Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in Tilburg University Research Portal Citation for published version (APA): Allevato, C. (2017). Attitudes of green organizations' personnel toward genuine sustainable development. [s.n.]. 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Download date: 27. sep. 2021 ATTITUDES OF GREEN ORGANIZATIONS’ PERSONNEL TOWARD GENUINE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan Tilburg University op gezag van de rector magnificus, prof.dr. E.H.L. Aarts, in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van een door het college voor promoties aangewezen commissie in de aula van de Universiteit op vrijdag 21 april 2017 om 10.00 uur door Camillo Eugenio Allevato, geboren op 22 juni 1957 te Rio de Janeiro, Brazilië 2 Promotores: Prof. Dr. J.B. Rijsman Prof. Dr. J. Marques Prof. Dr. S. Dhiman Overige leden: Prof Dr. G.W.Evans Prof Dr. J.G.Bloem Dr. L. Van Beirendonck Dr. H. Wittockx 3 From Earth we come, from Earth we nourish and to Earth we will return. How do humans dare to defy the laws of nature? 4 Table of Contents ATTITUDES OF GREEN ORGANIZATIONS’ PERSONNEL TOWARD GENUINE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................... 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................... 12 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. 14 Chapter 1 - Introduction ................................................................................................ 17 1.1 Background: Early Life and Career Transition to Education ............................. 17 1.2 My Relationship with the Topic and Why I am Concerned ............................... 20 1.3 Interpreting Sustainable Development ................................................................ 22 1.4 Genuine Sustainability and Unsustainable Activities. ........................................ 25 1.4.1 Greenwashing Misleading the Public .......................................................... 26 1.4.2 Greenwashing, an Issue of Science Communication and Politics. .............. 26 1.4.3 Exemptionalism Leading to Green Washing ............................................... 28 1.4.4 The Impact of Exemptionalism on Other Species ....................................... 30 1.4.5 A List of Successful Sustainable Activities ................................................. 30 1.5 Sustainable Development and Worldview Transformation ................................ 32 1.5.1 Why There Is a Need to Change the Worldview for Genuine Sustainable Development? ................................................................................................................... 32 1.5.2 The Issue of Measuring Sustainable Development’s Progress. ................ 34 1.5.3 The Missing Dimension in the Triple Bottom Line .................................. 35 1.6 Rationale and Research Goals ............................................................................ 37 1.7 Research Questions ............................................................................................. 37 Chapter 2 – Literature Review ...................................................................................... 39 2.1 Key Factors on the Definition of the Term Sustainability .................................. 39 2.2 Changing Attitudes in the Context of Sustainability. ......................................... 44 5 2.3 Self-preservation and Genuine Sustainable Behavior. ........................................ 48 2.4 Sustainability from a Western and Indigenous Knowledge Perspective. ........... 53 2.5 Education and Critical Thinking for Genuine Sustainability. ............................. 56 2.6 Unsustainable Decision Making Based on Self-interest. .................................... 62 2.7 The Triple Bottom Line and Sustainability Indicators. ...................................... 66 2.8 The Paradoxes of Technology and Sustainable Development. ........................... 75 2.9 Sustainability and Spirituality. ............................................................................ 84 Chapter 3 - Approach to the General Question of Sustainability: Do we practice what we preach? ................................................................................................................................ 91 3.1 What are Businesses Doing about Sustainability? .............................................. 91 3.2 A Current View on Sustainability from Student and Business Perspectives ...... 96 3.3 Business School Curricular Reorienting for a Sustainable Future...................... 99 3.3.1 Comparative Analysis of Curricular Design between Liberal Arts and Business Majors at Woodbury University. ..................................................................... 103 3.3.2 Strategies to Enhance Values and Appreciation of the Natural World: Eco- pedagogy, Dialectical Thinking, Critical Thinking, Systems Thinking, Exposure to Nature, Indigenous Knowledge. ..................................................................................... 107 Chapter 4 - Methodology ............................................................................................ 116 4.1 Exploratory Research: Defining the Viewpoint of the Study ........................... 116 4.2 New Ecological Paradigm................................................................................. 120 4.3 The Theory of Planned Behavior. ..................................................................... 123 4.4 Data Collection Method. ................................................................................... 124 4.5 Reliability and Validity ..................................................................................... 126 4.6 Triangulation ..................................................................................................... 128 Chapter 5 - Data Analysis and Findings ..................................................................... 130 5.1 Overview of Results .......................................................................................... 130 6 5.2 Woodbury Students’ Attitudes towards Sustainability .................................. 131 5.2.1 Preliminary Results .................................................................................... 131 5.2.2 Analysis of Internal Consistency ............................................................... 136 5.2.3 Analysis of Ecological Behavior ............................................................... 141 5.2.4 Measuring Intention towards Ecological Behavior: Theory of Planned Behavior .......................................................................................................................... 145 5.3 Green Organizations Personnel Attitudes towards Sustainability ................. 150 5.3.1 New Ecological Paradigm Scale ................................................................ 150 5.3.2 Internal Consistency Analysis.................................................................... 154 5.3.3 Analysis of Independent Variables Influencing Behavior ......................... 157 5.3.4 Theory of Planned Behavior ...................................................................... 159 5.3.5 Structural Equation Modeling. (SEM) ....................................................... 163 5.3.6 Open Ended Questions Categorization ...................................................... 169 5.3.7 Association between Independent and Categorical Variables with Pro- ecological Concern (NEP) and Behavior Intention (TPB) ............................................. 174 5.4 Ordered PROBIT Model Analysis .................................................................... 178 5.5 Triangulation: Round-table Debate................................................................... 182 Chapter 6 - Reflections and Recommendations .......................................................... 186 6.1 General Discussion ........................................................................................... 186 6.2 Lessons Learned and what I can do as a Professor at my University ............... 190 6.2.1 Why do Different Majors Seem to Lead to Different Attitudes?............... 191 6.2.2 Comparing Business Students with Green Organization Personnel .......... 194 6.2.3 Worldview and the Transformative Process .............................................. 196 6.2.4 Consistencies and Curricular Differences between Business and Liberal Arts Students ..........................................................................................................................