There is growing awareness among leading responsible management scholars and practitioners that understanding global wicked problems is insufficient in effecting lasting engagement and changed behaviors. Research indicates that to impact behavior, the mindset has to shift, which leaves the question: How do you shift a mindset?

This book guides educators and practitioners, their students and colleagues to take action on finding urgent solutions to the grand challenges stated in the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. A Sustainability Mindset is a way of thinking and being that results from a broad understanding of the ecosystem, from social sensitivity and an introspective focus on our personal values and higher self, which finds its expression in actions for the greater good. By promoting a mindset shift, educators in very diverse contexts are laying the foundation for a resilient future. The book presents a collection of over 150 student voices depicting a transformative experience and a shift in their mindset. Seventeen educator/student teams of contributing authors from across five continents describe the activity that prompted those students' reflections, and the conceptual frameworks that played a role in the selection of the learning goals and activities.

The book is written with academic and corporate educators, reflective practitioners, consultants, coaches, trainers and students in mind, and is invaluable in guiding the process of developing a sustainability mindset among participants in the training process.

About the Author

Ekaterina Ivanova is an Associate Professor in the Department of Strategic and International Management at the Graduate School of Business at the HSE University in Moscow. She has over 15 years' experience as an applied and academic researcher, non-profit executive, and educator focusing on ethics, aesthetics, responsible business and sustainability mindset. As a co-chair of the PRME Working Group on the Sustainability Mindset, AIM2Flourish professor (Flourish Prizes 2021 for the SDGs 4 & 17) and founder of the Sustainability Navigator Telegram Channel she is creating an impact for a better world through knowledge transfer, outreach and action.

Isabel Rimanoczy is author of Big Bang Being (2014), Stop Teaching (2016) and The Sustainability Mindset Principles (2021). She is the Convener of the PRME Working Group on the Sustainability Mindset, a cohort of over 170 academics from 165 universities on five continents promoting innovation and a sustainability mindset. Global Ambassador of AIM2Flourish and Fellow of Schumacher College, more recently, she participated in creating the Sustainability Mindset Indicator, a personal development tool for individuals and educators.

Reviews

"Sustainability goes above and beyond a set of actionable goals-it should constitute a conducting thread that permeates the mission, vision and values of our communities, organisations and each one of us. This very timely and uplifting collection of stories inspires educators and practitioners to instil and nurture a sustainability mindset in those who would lead future generations on the transformative journey." - Eric Cornuel, President, EFMD (Belgium)

"This book is a must read for anyone with an interest in understanding how to engage students, educators and leaders but also 'our own selves' on a personal journey to support future betterment of our common world. The engagement of students, educators and leaders as authors in an achievement in itself. Congratulations! " - Mette Morsing, Global Head, Principles for Responsible Management Education,United Nations Global Compact (USA)

"Life is a change. Living now means continuously adjusting to accelerating speed of change. The grand challenge for education is to develop open minds and creativity among students, and together with them paving the roads to a sustainable future. This book, however, is not about how professional educators see opportunities to help students discover these roads. It offers stories of more than 150 students, the generation to make the next steps, about how transformational experience shifted their mindsets. For educators, mentors and consultants, this is a wealth of information and tools to be able to deliver an excellent and relevant professional contribution in helping to build a sustainable future and a better world." - Prof. Danica Purg, President of IEDC-Bled School of Management, President of CEEMAN (Slovenia)

"The right mindset is instrumental to drive the sustainability transformation. This book provides insights about how to change the mindset and how to accomplish the transformation. A must read!" - Katrin Muff, Director, the Institute for Business Sustainability (Switzerland)

"Too often our focus as management educators is only on the content-the models, concepts, tools, and techniques-to solve challenging problems. What if we could go deeper? What if we could provide experiences that enable learners to fundamentally shift their beliefs about society, organizations, and people, especially themselves, and to convert these beliefs into meaningful action? The contributions in this volume have been carefully curated to help us do exactly that. It is for educators who want to go deeper, do better, and make a bigger difference in building a better world." - Dan LeClair, CEO, Global Business School Network (USA)

"Finally! A book that gives practical tools for people who want to change the hearts and minds of students in sustainability. This book offers insights from sustainability instructors from around the world and will enrich any curriculum. Learn about simulations, experiential learning, and case studies that will transform individuals and stimulate action." - Tima Bansal, Professor, Ivey Business School; Executive Director, Network for Business Sustainability; PRME Board Member (Canada)

"The book is a great source of inspiration and a great collection of insights into the potential of business education in preparing a truly new generation of managers for a sustainable future. It is a clear demonstration that we are witnessing a shift in values that is changing management education and management research and will ultimately change the role of business schools in improving society." - Sergey Myasoedov, Vice-rector RANEPA University, Director/Dean IBS Moscow of RANEPA, President of RABE (Russia)

"This is a wonderful book. United in their quest to make a better world, faculty on five continents gather here to share their best teaching ideas. Even better, we hear from their students. It is great to discover just how much they care. The world will be a better place if we follow their lead." - James P. Walsh, Carey Professor of Business Administration, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; Former President, Academy of Management; PRME Board Member (USA)

"A celebration of perspectives! 'Revolutionizing sustainability education' offers mind- and heart-opening insights into the journeys and practices of students and educators around the globe. A true inspiration for what is possible in the now - and what we can envision for our collective future." - Sophie Charrois, President, oikos International (Switzerland)

"A refreshing take on the management curriculum. For too long, we have educated our future 'leaders' on how they can best manipulate circumstances in order to achieve some external goal. In doing so, we have taken their attention off of the only thing that matters, which is the Self. Try to control everything, and you will end up controlling nothing. Focus on understanding the Self, on the other hand, and you stand a chance at mastering your entire existence. This book is an encouraging step in that direction." -Duff McDonald, author of Tickled: A Commonsense Guide to the Present Moment (Harper, October 2021) and The Golden Passport: Harvard Business School, the Limits of Capitalism, and the Moral Failure of the MBA Elite (Harper Business, 2017) (USA)

"This book provides a wealth of insights into the craft (or art?) of sustainability education. It demonstrates that traditional approaches to teaching sustainability, which aim at imparting knowledge in students, have clear limitations; to facilitate deep-level learning and provide truly transformational experiences, a more holistic approach to teaching sustainability is needed that promotes learning at the intellectual, behavioral and affective levels." - Gunter Stahl, Professor of International Management, Director of the Centre for Sustainability Transformation and Responsibility (StaR), the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna) (Austria)

"If you want learners--at whatever level--to engage more deeply with sustainability issues, this book provides the tools and approaches to do just that. Using classroom-tested approaches that really transform thinking about sustainability. Rimanoczy and Ivanova capture how innovative instructors facilitate mindset shift through active learning." - Sandra Waddock, Professor of Management, Boston College; Author of Transforming towards Life-Centered Economics (Business Expert Press, 2021) (USA)

"Dr. Ekaterina Ivanova and her colleagues have written an intriguing and interesting book that emphasizes the crucial link between economic efficient activity and its aesthetic and eco-ethical ramifications. Definitely not mainstream management practice but likely a necessary component to give back some elements of purpose to business. A book that should be read for anyone who believes that business needs to "re-source" itself, to embrace and embed itself in a broader and more holistic and eco-aesthetic world." - Peter Verhezen, Visiting Professor, University of Antwerp (Belgium)

"What a wealth of unique learning methods one can find in this book! I would recommend it as an inspiration to anyone who wants to change their and/or others' mindsets to be(come) a role model for the type of human being our species needs to survive on this planet. Beyond inspiration the book provides hands-on guidance and the experiential accounts of the ones who 'have done it': It can be done, because it has been done. " - Oliver Laasch, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester; Author of Principles of Management: Practicing Ethics, Responsibility, Sustainability (Sage, 2021) (UK)

"This inspiring book offers insights, ideas, and examples of how education can contribute to profound shifts in the way we think about and relate to global sustainability. It highlights the power of shifting from teaching to facilitating, and shows us that transformations are possible -- and occurring." - Karen O'Brien, Professor, Department of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo (Norway)

"There is a prevailing - and incorrect - view within higher education that we must merely provide students with facts and knowledge and they will be equipped to solve the great challenges of the day. That is not working. What is missing is a call to be inspired with a sense of hope, challenged to discern their personal purpose and assisted in striving for the higher aims of a career worth living, one that contributes to something much bigger than themselves, the common good. This book is an invitation to rethink how we educate, provoking a reexamination of our roles as professors and students. We must stop simply teaching and start guiding, facilitating, mentoring, inspiring and at times co-learning with our students to transform our mindsets to tackle problems for which the old mindsets are now obsolete. If you care about teaching and about the fate of our world, read this book." - Andrew J. Hoffman, Professor of Sustainable Enterprise, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Author of The Engaged Scholar: Expanding the Impact of Academic Research in Today's World (Stanford University Press, 2021) and Management as a Calling: Learning Business, Serving Society (Stanford University Press, 2021). (USA)

"My journey with the sustainability mindset started by joining the PRME Working Group on SM, and joining the SM Fast track (online) workshop with Isabel Rimanoczy. It was an eye opener to see an approach that treats sustainability from a combined holistic and humanistic view. I had the privilege to interact with Isabel again and with Ekaterina in the Atelier about SMP; a virtual meeting place with a limited group of participants to discuss the SMP and to bring those principles to students. This book is a capstone to many of the ideas discussed in the Atelier and more activities of the two authors and many more. I can appreciate how the concepts in the book were developed through interaction and validation with a large community immersed into the topic of sustainability through teaching and research. I encourage you to read this book and to start implementing the concepts in your classroom. We need to start a movement to instill the sustainability mindset in all students of sustainability, and to encourage them to be the change they wish to see in the world (paraphrasing Gandhi's quote)." - Ali Awni, Professor of Practice, Director of the John D. Gerhart Center for Philanthropy, Civic Engagement and Responsible Business, The American University in Cairo (Egypt)

"This timely and innovative book not only acknowledges the importance of having a whole person approach towards management education, but also reflects the power of 'slow learning' and experimentation. Such perspectives are urgently needed to engage students in the challenges of tackling the world's most pressing sustainability challenges and enable them to realize their potential. Through this book, Rimanoczy and Ivanova provide an intriguing testimony of how management students and educators alike can give voice to their feelings, values, and ideas in a time of great transition. I think it is a highly commendable read." - Lars Moratis, Deputy Professor in Corporate Social Responsibility, Antwerp Management School (Belgium)

"Sustainability goes above and beyond a set of actionable goals-it should constitute a conducting thread that permeates the mission, vision and values of our communities, organisations and each one of us. This very timely and uplifting collection of stories inspires educators and practitioners to instil and nurture a sustainability mindset in those who would lead future generations on the transformative journey." - Eric Cornuel, President, EFMD (Belgium)

"This book is a must read for anyone with an interest in understanding how to engage students, educators and leaders but also 'our own selves' on a personal journey to support future betterment of our common world. The engagement of students, educators and leaders as authors is an achievement in itself. Congratulations! " - Mette Morsing, Global Head, Principles for Responsible Management Education,United Nations Global Compact (USA)

"Life is a change. Living now means continuously adjusting to accelerating speed of change. The grand challenge for education is to develop open minds and creativity among students, and together with them paving the roads to a sustainable future. This book, however, is not about how professional educators see opportunities to help students discover these roads. It offers stories of more than 150 students, the generation to make the next steps, about how transformational experience shifted their mindsets. For educators, mentors and consultants, this is a wealth of information and tools to be able to deliver an excellent and relevant professional contribution in helping to build a sustainable future and a better world." - Prof. Danica Purg, President of IEDC-Bled School of Management, President of CEEMAN (Slovenia)

"The right mindset is instrumental to drive the sustainability transformation. This book provides insights about how to change the mindset and how to accomplish the transformation. A must read!" - Katrin Muff, Director, the Institute for Business Sustainability (Switzerland)

"Too often our focus as management educators is only on the content-the models, concepts, tools, and techniques-to solve challenging problems. What if we could go deeper? What if we could provide experiences that enable learners to fundamentally shift their beliefs about society, organizations, and people, especially themselves, and to convert these beliefs into meaningful action? The contributions in this volume have been carefully curated to help us do exactly that. It is for educators who want to go deeper, do better, and make a bigger difference in building a better world." - Dan LeClair, CEO, Global Business School Network (USA)

"Finally! A book that gives practical tools for people who want to change the hearts and minds of students in sustainability. This book offers insights from sustainability instructors from around the world and will enrich any curriculum. Learn about simulations, experiential learning, and case studies that will transform individuals and stimulate action." - Tima Bansal, Professor, Ivey Business School; Executive Director, Network for Business Sustainability; PRME Board Member (Canada)

"The book is a great source of inspiration and a great collection of insights into the potential of business education in preparing a truly new generation of managers for a sustainable future. It is a clear demonstration that we are witnessing a shift in values that is changing management education and management research and will ultimately change the role of business schools in improving society." - Sergey Myasoedov, Vice-rector RANEPA University, Director/Dean IBS Moscow of RANEPA, President of RABE (Russia)

"This is a wonderful book. United in their quest to make a better world, faculty on five continents gather here to share their best teaching ideas. Even better, we hear from their students. It is great to discover just how much they care. The world will be a better place if we follow their lead." - James P. Walsh, Carey Professor of Business Administration, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; Former President, Academy of Management; PRME Board Member (USA)

"A celebration of perspectives! 'Revolutionizing sustainability education' offers mind- and heart-opening insights into the journeys and practices of students and educators around the globe. A true inspiration for what is possible in the now - and what we can envision for our collective future." - Sophie Charrois, President, oikos International (Switzerland)

"A refreshing take on the management curriculum. For too long, we have educated our future 'leaders' on how they can best manipulate circumstances in order to achieve some external goal. In doing so, we have taken their attention off of the only thing that matters, which is the Self. Try to control everything, and you will end up controlling nothing. Focus on understanding the Self, on the other hand, and you stand a chance at mastering your entire existence. This book is an encouraging step in that direction." -Duff McDonald, author of Tickled: A Commonsense Guide to the Present Moment (Harper, October 2021) and The Golden Passport: Harvard Business School, the Limits of Capitalism, and the Moral Failure of the MBA Elite (Harper Business, 2017) (USA)

"This book provides a wealth of insights into the craft (or art?) of sustainability education. It demonstrates that traditional approaches to teaching sustainability, which aim at imparting knowledge in students, have clear limitations; to facilitate deep-level learning and provide truly transformational experiences, a more holistic approach to teaching sustainability is needed that promotes learning at the intellectual, behavioral and affective levels." - Gunter Stahl, Professor of International Management, Director of the Centre for Sustainability Transformation and Responsibility (StaR), the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna) (Austria)

"If you want learners--at whatever level--to engage more deeply with sustainability issues, this book provides the tools and approaches to do just that. Using classroom-tested approaches that really transform thinking about sustainability. Rimanoczy and Ivanova capture how innovative instructors facilitate mindset shift through active learning." - Sandra Waddock, Professor of Management, Boston College; Author of Transforming towards Life-Centered Economics (Business Expert Press, 2021) (USA)

"Dr. Ekaterina Ivanova and her colleagues have written an intriguing and interesting book that emphasizes the crucial link between economic efficient activity and its aesthetic and eco-ethical ramifications. Definitely not mainstream management practice but likely a necessary component to give back some elements of purpose to business. A book that should be read for anyone who believes that business needs to "re-source" itself, to embrace and embed itself in a broader and more holistic and eco-aesthetic world." - Peter Verhezen, Visiting Professor, University of Antwerp (Belgium)

"What a wealth of unique learning methods one can find in this book! I would recommend it as an inspiration to anyone who wants to change their and/or others' mindsets to be(come) a role model for the type of human being our species needs to survive on this planet. Beyond inspiration the book provides hands-on guidance and the experiential accounts of the ones who 'have done it': It can be done, because it has been done. " - Oliver Laasch, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester; Author of Principles of Management: Practicing Ethics, Responsibility, Sustainability (Sage, 2021) (UK)

"This inspiring book offers insights, ideas, and examples of how education can contribute to profound shifts in the way we think about and relate to global sustainability. It highlights the power of shifting from teaching to facilitating, and shows us that transformations are possible -- and occurring." - Karen O'Brien, Professor, Department of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo (Norway)

"There is a prevailing - and incorrect - view within higher education that we must merely provide students with facts and knowledge and they will be equipped to solve the great challenges of the day. That is not working. What is missing is a call to be inspired with a sense of hope, challenged to discern their personal purpose and assisted in striving for the higher aims of a career worth living, one that contributes to something much bigger than themselves, the common good. This book is an invitation to rethink how we educate, provoking a reexamination of our roles as professors and students. We must stop simply teaching and start guiding, facilitating, mentoring, inspiring and at times co-learning with our students to transform our mindsets to tackle problems for which the old mindsets are now obsolete. If you care about teaching and about the fate of our world, read this book." - Andrew J. Hoffman, Professor of Sustainable Enterprise, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Author of The Engaged Scholar: Expanding the Impact of Academic Research in Today's World (Stanford University Press, 2021) and Management as a Calling: Learning Business, Serving Society (Stanford University Press, 2021). (USA)

"My journey with the sustainability mindset started by joining the PRME Working Group on SM, and joining the SM Fast track (online) workshop with Isabel Rimanoczy. It was an eye opener to see an approach that treats sustainability from a combined holistic and humanistic view. I had the privilege to interact with Isabel again and with Ekaterina in the Atelier about SMP; a virtual meeting place with a limited group of participants to discuss the SMP and to bring those principles to students. This book is a capstone to many of the ideas discussed in the Atelier and more activities of the two authors and many more. I can appreciate how the concepts in the book were developed through interaction and validation with a large community immersed into the topic of sustainability through teaching and research. I encourage you to read this book and to start implementing the concepts in your classroom. We need to start a movement to instill the sustainability mindset in all students of sustainability, and to encourage them to be the change they wish to see in the world (paraphrasing Gandhi's quote)." - Ali Awni, Professor of Practice, Director of the John D. Gerhart Center for Philanthropy, Civic Engagement and Responsible Business, The American University in Cairo (Egypt)

"This timely and innovative book not only acknowledges the importance of having a whole person approach towards management education, but also reflects the power of 'slow learning' and experimentation. Such perspectives are urgently needed to engage students in the challenges of tackling the world's most pressing sustainability challenges and enable them to realize their potential. Through this book, Rimanoczy and Ivanova provide an intriguing testimony of how management students and educators alike can give voice to their feelings, values, and ideas in a time of great transition. I think it is a highly commendable read." - Lars Moratis, Deputy Professor in Corporate Social Responsibility, Antwerp Management School (Belgium)

Book Information
ISBN 9781032135380
Author Ekaterina Ivanova
Format Paperback
Page Count 234
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g