The Promotion of Sustainable Practices among Academic Personnel: A Comparative Analysis between Utrecht University and Wageningen University.

Abstract

Universities are considered important agents in promoting sustainable principles among current and future generations (Lukman & Glaviç, 2007; Sedlacek, 2013; Leal Filho et al., 2017; Velazquez, 2006; Wright, 2009), but insufficient research has been conducted on the role of academic personnel in changing the culture and behavior of an institution. This study focuses on the perceptions and attitudes of the academic personnel of the Utrecht University (UU) and the Wageningen University (WUR). Based on a comparative analysis consisting of 6 semi-structured interviews and a survey with 52 respondents, this study finds that the institutional culture of the WUR is more supportive than the UU in terms of sustainable development. Nevertheless, the perceptions and attitudes on the promotion of sustainable practices by the university are similar among the sample of the academic personnel of the UU and the WUR. A possible explanation for the similarity is the higher standard of sustainability at the WUR, making the academic personnel more critical. The perceptions and attitudes of academic personnel give insight into their values and beliefs about the university and sustainable development. Based on these insights, recommendations are presented to help overcome the intercultural differences across the institution and effectively communicate efforts towards sustainable development within the UU and the WUR. These concern the implementation of a feedback structure, a redesign of the current pedagogies, the facilitation of additional practical solutions and increased efforts to raise awareness. By contributing to the body of this topic, this research has enables (the studied) universities to make better informed choices in their pursuit to create a holistically sustainable culture.