Integration of Business Sustainability Education into the Business Curriculum

Business sustainability in all dimensions of economic, governance, social, ethical, and environmental (EGSEE) performance is gaining acceptance as many global stock exchanges either encourage or require their listed companies to issue sustainability reports and investors worldwide demand sustainability performance information. More than 8, 000 companies worldwide are disclosing various EGSEE dimensions of sustainability performance. Despite the importance of business sustainability to corporations and investors, there is limited research on the status of business sustainability education (BSE) and its relevance to the curriculum of business schools. This paper examines the importance, relevance, and delivery of business sustainability education. Business schools play an important and everlasting role in preparing the next generation of business leaders and managers who must understand the importance of business sustainability in our society and new accountability and integrated sustainability reporting and assurance. A survey of a sample of graduate business students was conducted to gather information pertaining to the importance, benefit and delivery of business sustainability education (BSE). The majority of respondents believe that BSE is relevant and important to their college education and future career and should be integrated into the business curriculum. Given the dynamics of current changes in business programs, this paper presents relevant information for business schools that are or planning to provide BSE to their students.