Taking the Lead into Sustainability: Decision Makers’ Competencies for a Greener Future

Abstract

Many research articles describe competencies that people need in order to think, develop, and enact a sustainable future. Based on findings from the political economy, this paper argues that it is the macroscopic decisions in the public sphere that have an impact on society and the environment. Therefore, decision makers in the economy, politics, and civil society are important actors to enable a societal transformation towards sustainability by making macroscopic decisions. Based on these assumptions, this empirical research article analyzes the competencies decision makers such as ministers, CEOs, or union leaders need to contribute to a sustainable future in their professional life. We conducted interviews with 14 high-level decision makers and analyzed their competencies based on Wiek et al.’s framework on sustainability competencies. The findings show how they enact and organize the competencies needed for steering the sustainable transition. Linking all competencies is particularly important, especially at the intersection of different systems, to develop a macroscale, system-oriented decision. The authors suggest to consider systems and interpersonal thinking as extremely interdisciplinary competencies and to put a focus on public-sphere actions when educating future leaders. Moreover, the results indicate that dealing with uncertainty, following one’s own values, and building up resilience play a major role for decision makers.

Bridging the Gap between Academia and Society: Research, Training and Strategic Alliances for Sustainable Development

“…However, now private sector companies, committed to improving society, are also joining the cause, and local communities are supporting them. This is a unique opportunity to reconcile growth and sustainability in the context of strategic and systemic alliances; is is in the intersection of different systems where we can develop a macroscale, system oriented decision in order to enact a sustainable future [53]. In this context, in addition to long-term focus and a commitment to effectively address the challenges that lie ahead, it is necessary to reflect on the role of Higher Education institutions as agents in this process.…”

“…However, our proposal offers a great deal more than commodified courses that increase the value and productivity of graduates. We are committed to a concept of employability that goes beyond the traditional view and binds macroscale measures that leads to a sustainable future [53]. We advocate a change of paradigm that rejects the return on investment (ROI) of a college degree.…”

Fostering Employee Sustainability: Competencies Formation for a Resilient Business Environment

“…The research identifies a significant research gap in the formation of a sustainable competencies structure within the business environment. Previous studies have primarily focused on specific competences of employees, without considering the broader context of the issue (Eberz et al 2023;Moreno et al 2021). The proposed sustainable competency model aims to address this gap by providing a comprehensive understanding of the role of sustainability across various proficiency standards.…”