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Universities That Learn to Tackle the Challenges of Sustainability: Case Study of the University of Córdoba (Spain)

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  • Antonio Gomera

    (Environmental Protection Service (SEPA), Campus Rabanales, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
    Sustainability Office, Campus Rabanales, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
    Research Group ‘SEJ-049: Educational Evaluation and Innovation’, Faculty of Education, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain)

  • Miguel Antúnez

    (Sustainability Office, Campus Rabanales, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain)

  • Francisco Villamandos

    (Sustainability Office, Campus Rabanales, University of Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
    Research Group ‘SEJ-049: Educational Evaluation and Innovation’, Faculty of Education, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain)

Abstract

On their path to sustainability, universities must consider both individual and organizational components. Universities are organizations that also have the capacity to learn and evolve. By means of an analysis conducted over the past 20 years at the University of Córdoba (Spain), this article identifies the variables present in the University’s environmental sustainability process, characterizing its evolution through different stages and proposing an organizational model that orders these variables into a system within the framework of complexity. This model highlights the importance of a scientific-technical structure as catalyst, facilitator, and attractor of transformative flows within the organization, which could be a key component of its evolution towards sustainability. It also underscores the possibility of using environmental awareness and the perceived norm as indicators of the system. This characterization reveals the potential of these variables as indicators of progress and anchoring points for the permanent monitoring of the system, and it will also help to design potentially more effective and forceful actions and could prove valuable as a comparison indicator between universities.

Suggested Citation

  • Antonio Gomera & Miguel Antúnez & Francisco Villamandos, 2020. "Universities That Learn to Tackle the Challenges of Sustainability: Case Study of the University of Córdoba (Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-20, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:16:p:6614-:d:399465
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    2. Romme, Georges & Dillen, Ron, 1997. "Mapping the landscape of organizational learning," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 68-78, February.
    3. Prigogine, Ilya, 1987. "Exploring complexity," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 97-103, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lourdes Molera & Eugenio José Sánchez-Alcázar & Úrsula Faura-Martínez & Matilde Lafuente-Lechuga & Juan Vicente Llinares-Ciscar & Joaquín Longinos Marín-Rives & Pedro Juan Martín-Castejón & María Carm, 2021. "Embedding Sustainability in the Economics Degree of the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Murcia: A Methodological Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-19, August.
    2. Antonio Gomera & Ana de Toro & José Emilio Aguilar & Clara Guijarro & Miguel Antúnez & Manuel Vaquero-Abellán, 2021. "Combining Management, Education and Participation for the Transformation of Universities towards Sustainability: The Trébol Programme," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, May.

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