Crafting Green Culture Around the Components and Challenges in the Higher Education Institutes in Pakistan

Abstract

Sustainability is the new hallmark for the dynamically changing business environment, including the education sector. The demand for sustainable management in the higher education industry is even more since the sector not only produces graduates with the environmentally conscious attitude but also contributes in the economic development of the country. It is therefore pertinent to explore the efforts of the higher education industry towards sustainable management in a challenged society of Pakistan, amidst the global demand for achieving SDGs. Hence, this research aims at exploring the components and challenges of green culture as an indicator of sustainable management in the Higher Education Institutes through phenomenological research design. 11 in-depth interviews were conducted from the policy makers at the governing body of the Higher Education Commission and the institutional leaders in the institutes across Pakistan. Thematic analysis revealed that environmental concern among leaders, curriculum design and decent work are key components of green culture among the higher education institutes in Pakistan. Furthermore, the cultural and regulatory factors have been identified as significant challenges while developing the green culture. This research offers insightful findings for policy makers in the higher education industry for a sustainable work environment in socio-economically challenged societies like Pakistan. In addition, the novel findings of this research also contribute to the existing literature by offering meaningful future research directions for empirical investigation. Potentially, this research addresses the contribution of the Higher Education Commission towards SDG 8 related to decent work and economic growth in Pakistan.