A Matter of Being: Developing Sustainability-minded Leaders

In a world that is in need of more individuals acting with the social and environmental impact of their decisions in mind, what would it take to develop sustainability-minded leaders? This article shares the findings of a qualitative descriptive exploratory study where 16 leaders championing sustainability initiatives were interviewed in order to learn from them, understand what information played a role in their actions, how they thought, and what motivated or inspired them to act in a “business-as-unusual” way. In this article, the results of the original study are briefly summarized, and new findings related to the particular role spirituality played for these business leaders are presented. Following the innovative approach of this journal in addressing the question “now what?”, this author then provides suggestions for adult educators, corporate trainers, and coaches on how they could develop the sustainability mindset by incorporating activities that engage the higher self of the audience

A Matter of Being: Developing Sustainability-minded Leaders

In a world that is in need of more individuals acting with the social and environmental impact of their decisions in mind, what would it take to develop sustainability-minded leaders? This article shares the findings of a qualitative descriptive exploratory study where 16 leaders championing sustainability initiatives were interviewed in order to learn from them, understand what information played a role in their actions, how they thought, and what motivated or inspired them to act in a “business-as-unusual” way. In this article, the results of the original study are briefly summarized, and new findings related to the particular role spirituality played for these business leaders are presented. Following the innovative approach of this journal in addressing the question “now what?”, this author then provides suggestions for adult educators, corporate trainers, and coaches on how they could develop the sustainability mindset by incorporating activities that engage the higher self of the audience

The Sustainability Mindset Indicator: A Personal Development Tool

This paper addresses the problem of assessing, measuring, and further developing a Sustainability Mindset. This mindset is a way of thinking and being that predisposes individuals to act for the good of planet and people. It is a complex construct, developed via the path of an ecological worldview, a systems perspective, and aspects pertaining to emotional and spiritual intelligence. It is aimed at guiding individuals toward living and promoting a more sustainable life, which is crucial for humanity in the 21st century. As educators have been intentionally developing the Sustainability Mindset, it became important to find ways to assess and measure it.The Sustainability Mindset Indicator (SMI) was designed to address this problem. This paper describes the method followed to develop the SMI: a) anchored in theories of psychology and pedagogy, objectives of the instrument and constructs of measurement were defined; b) a questionnaire was designed; and c) 320 personalized feedback reports were created. The questionnaire uses Johnson’s (1992) framework of polarities and stages of human development (Kegan, 1994), whereas the reports follow the directions of Positive Psychology (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2014) and Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider, Whitney, & Stavros, 2008). Three validation phases were employed to confirm phrasing, improve comprehension and accurateness, and prepare for pilot studies. The SMI represents an important addition to other scales available in the literature. It focuses on personal development and transformative learning to facilitate mindset change in individuals as well as in educational or coaching settings, and can be used to tailor interventions and assess the impacts thereof

The Sustainability Mindset Indicator: A Personal Development Tool

This paper addresses the problem of assessing, measuring, and further developing a Sustainability Mindset. This mindset is a way of thinking and being that predisposes individuals to act for the good of planet and people. It is a complex construct, developed via the path of an ecological worldview, a systems perspective, and aspects pertaining to emotional and spiritual intelligence. It is aimed at guiding individuals toward living and promoting a more sustainable life, which is crucial for humanity in the 21st century. As educators have been intentionally developing the Sustainability Mindset, it became important to find ways to assess and measure it. The Sustainability Mindset Indicator (SMI) was designed to address this problem. This paper describes the method followed to develop the SMI: a) anchored in theories of psychology and pedagogy, objectives of the instrument and constructs of measurement were defined; b) a questionnaire was designed; and c) 320 personalized feedback reports were created. The questionnaire uses Johnson’s (1992) framework of polarities and stages of human development (Kegan, 1994), whereas the reports follow the directions of Positive Psychology (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2014) and Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider, Whitney, & Stavros, 2008). Three validation phases were employed to confirm phrasing, improve comprehension and accurateness, and prepare for pilot studies. The SMI represents an important addition to other scales available in the literature. It focuses on personal development and transformative learning to facilitate mindset change in individuals as well as in educational or coaching settings, and can be used to tailor interventions and assess the impacts thereof

An exploration of student learning for sustainability through the WikiRate student engagement project

The launch of the UN Global Compact\u27s Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME1) in 2007 can be seen as a widespread acknowledgement that students of business and management need a form of education that enables them to make a positive contribution to both business and society. PRME\u27s aim of realising the United Nations\u27 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through responsible management education is built on six guiding Principles, designed to encourage business schools and universities to recognise their role as change agents and champions of sustainable development. Consequently over 700 signatories to PRME have committed to adapt their institutional strategies, curricula, research agendas, and external engagement activities to develop the capabilities of students to be future generators of sustainable value for business and society at large and to work for an inclusive and sustainable global economy (PRME, Principle 12)

Behavioral effects of perinatal opioid exposure

Opioids are among the world's oldest known drugs used mostly for pain relief, but recreational use is also widespread. A particularly important problem is opioid exposure in females, as their offspring can also be affected. Adverse intrauterine and postnatal environments can affect offspring development and may lead to various disabilities later in life. It is clear that repetitive painful experiences, such as randomly occurring invasive procedures during neonatal intensive care, can permanently alter neuronal and synaptic organization and therefore later behavior. At the same time, analgesic drugs can also be harmful, inducing neuronal apoptosis or withdrawal symptoms in the neonate and behavioral alterations in adulthood. Hence, risk–benefit ratios should be taken into consideration when pain relief is required during pregnancy or in neonates. Recreational use of opioids can also alter many aspects of life. Intrauterine opioid exposure has many toxic effects, inducing poor pregnancy outcomes due to underdevelopment, but it is believed that later negative consequences are more related to environmental factors such as a chaotic lifestyle and inadequate prenatal care. One of the crucial components is maternal care, which changes profoundly in addicted mothers. In substance-dependent mothers, pre- and postnatal care has special importance, and controlled treatment with a synthetic opioid (e.g., methadone) could be beneficial. We aimed to summarize and compare human and rodent data, as it is important to close the gap between scientific knowledge and societal policies. Special emphasis is given to gender differences in the sensitivity of offspring to perinatal opioid exposure

Stop Teaching: Principles and Practices For Responsible Management Education

What do we need to change in order to develop a new generation of business leaders who connect profits with purpose, who see in social entrepreneurship and innovation the key opportunity for addressing our planetary challenges? The answer lies in the contents we select to teach, in the values we invite to explore and develop, and in the methods we use. In the era of 24/7 global access to information from our mobile gadgets, many institutions of higher education are still sitting students in rows or amphitheaters, measuring success via tests and evaluations, with instructors lecturing what students should learn. And instructors feel the challenge of competing with sleepy audiences that divide their attention between their cell phones and the speaker. Stop teaching, the author says, inviting instructors in management schools and higher education to adopt some proven learning principles that can reengage students, unleash their potentials, and foster them to shape the world they want to live in. And have fun doing it. Through adult learning research, guides, activities, and stories from pioneering learning facilitators in education and corporate training, Rimanoczy brings a long-needed revamp to educational institutions that want to be part of responsible management education