A framework to enable sustainability-oriented transition activities in HEIs: Learnings from two case studies in Germany and Switzerland

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

Standard

A framework to enable sustainability-oriented transition activities in HEIs: Learnings from two case studies in Germany and Switzerland. / Kirst, Ev; Schroth, Thilo.
In: Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 379, 134605, 15.12.2022.

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

Harvard

APA

Vancouver

Bibtex

@article{5ebb8db716eb40b4b298255efb3859b3,
title = "A framework to enable sustainability-oriented transition activities in HEIs: Learnings from two case studies in Germany and Switzerland",
abstract = "Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can significantly contribute to sustainability transitions, as they facilitate research, education and knowledge transfer. The integration of sustainability in research touches many scientific disciplines and beyond this affects developments in the entire institution. Enabling a transition towards sustainability requires intense examinations and decisive activities. Even while the literature deals with potential activities and examples of best practice, the initiation phase of such activities has been poorly explored. This article attempts to address this gap by contributing to an enhanced understanding of the initiation of activities towards sustainability-related research by i) presenting a procedure which gives practical guidance in identifying opportunities of action for sustainability-related research in a the unique situation of a university and to launch implementation of them and ii) by proposing a framework to describe critical factors of the initiation phase of activities which bridges three perspectives: a) the consideration of stakeholder attributes of potentially involved persons; b) several types of boundary objects; and c) organizational features of involved institutions. With the two case studies of Leuphana University L{\"u}neburg and University of Applied Science and Arts Northwestern Switzerland we indicate interested and motivated stakeholders as drivers for action. Further, the demand for exchange and networking within HEIs gave ground for activities of sustainability-related research in both cases. The boundary object served as useful concept to link stakeholder and organizational perspective in the action-oriented setting. In a critical discussion we explore the need for refinement of the conceptual components of the framework. Finally, we draw conclusions regarding the potential of transition towards sustainability in HEIs by further applying the procedure and refining the framework.",
keywords = "Higher education institution, Sustainability transition, Enabling approach, Sustainability-oriented research, Boundary object, Stakeholder attributes, Transdisciplinary studies",
author = "Ev Kirst and Thilo Schroth",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022",
year = "2022",
month = dec,
day = "15",
doi = "10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134605",
language = "English",
volume = "379",
journal = "Journal of Cleaner Production",
issn = "0959-6526",
publisher = "Elsevier Ltd",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - A framework to enable sustainability-oriented transition activities in HEIs

T2 - Learnings from two case studies in Germany and Switzerland

AU - Kirst, Ev

AU - Schroth, Thilo

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022

PY - 2022/12/15

Y1 - 2022/12/15

N2 - Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can significantly contribute to sustainability transitions, as they facilitate research, education and knowledge transfer. The integration of sustainability in research touches many scientific disciplines and beyond this affects developments in the entire institution. Enabling a transition towards sustainability requires intense examinations and decisive activities. Even while the literature deals with potential activities and examples of best practice, the initiation phase of such activities has been poorly explored. This article attempts to address this gap by contributing to an enhanced understanding of the initiation of activities towards sustainability-related research by i) presenting a procedure which gives practical guidance in identifying opportunities of action for sustainability-related research in a the unique situation of a university and to launch implementation of them and ii) by proposing a framework to describe critical factors of the initiation phase of activities which bridges three perspectives: a) the consideration of stakeholder attributes of potentially involved persons; b) several types of boundary objects; and c) organizational features of involved institutions. With the two case studies of Leuphana University Lüneburg and University of Applied Science and Arts Northwestern Switzerland we indicate interested and motivated stakeholders as drivers for action. Further, the demand for exchange and networking within HEIs gave ground for activities of sustainability-related research in both cases. The boundary object served as useful concept to link stakeholder and organizational perspective in the action-oriented setting. In a critical discussion we explore the need for refinement of the conceptual components of the framework. Finally, we draw conclusions regarding the potential of transition towards sustainability in HEIs by further applying the procedure and refining the framework.

AB - Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can significantly contribute to sustainability transitions, as they facilitate research, education and knowledge transfer. The integration of sustainability in research touches many scientific disciplines and beyond this affects developments in the entire institution. Enabling a transition towards sustainability requires intense examinations and decisive activities. Even while the literature deals with potential activities and examples of best practice, the initiation phase of such activities has been poorly explored. This article attempts to address this gap by contributing to an enhanced understanding of the initiation of activities towards sustainability-related research by i) presenting a procedure which gives practical guidance in identifying opportunities of action for sustainability-related research in a the unique situation of a university and to launch implementation of them and ii) by proposing a framework to describe critical factors of the initiation phase of activities which bridges three perspectives: a) the consideration of stakeholder attributes of potentially involved persons; b) several types of boundary objects; and c) organizational features of involved institutions. With the two case studies of Leuphana University Lüneburg and University of Applied Science and Arts Northwestern Switzerland we indicate interested and motivated stakeholders as drivers for action. Further, the demand for exchange and networking within HEIs gave ground for activities of sustainability-related research in both cases. The boundary object served as useful concept to link stakeholder and organizational perspective in the action-oriented setting. In a critical discussion we explore the need for refinement of the conceptual components of the framework. Finally, we draw conclusions regarding the potential of transition towards sustainability in HEIs by further applying the procedure and refining the framework.

KW - Higher education institution

KW - Sustainability transition

KW - Enabling approach

KW - Sustainability-oriented research

KW - Boundary object

KW - Stakeholder attributes

KW - Transdisciplinary studies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85140611786&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/6c9dca89-4f04-31f3-ab68-238310d8bfe6/

U2 - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134605

DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134605

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 379

JO - Journal of Cleaner Production

JF - Journal of Cleaner Production

SN - 0959-6526

M1 - 134605

ER -

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. A control strategy for electromagnetic near and far field calculation
  2. Requests for reasoning in geometrical textbook tasks for primary-level students
  3. Integration of material flow management tools in workplace environments
  4. Designing Small Touch-Screen Devices
  5. Endogenous environmental policy for small open economies with transboundary pollution
  6. Sol-gel technology for greener and more sustainable antimicrobial textiles that use silica matrices with C, and Ag and ZnO as biocides
  7. The multipole resonance probe
  8. Simultaneous Determination of 11 Sulfonamides by HPLC–UV and Application for Fast Screening of Their Aerobic Elimination and Biodegradation in a Simple Test
  9. Social identity and place-based dynamics in community resilience building for natural disasters
  10. Parameters, concepts and the terminology of outer space law: a review of the essential facilities served by outer space activities and the rules of interpretation for treaty law and soft law guidelines.
  11. How to serve sustainability performance in businesses?
  12. Can radicals get a seat on the negotiation table? A Dynamic Perspective on Legitimation Processes.
  13. DeFacto - Temporal and multilingual deep fact validation
  14. Registered Replication Report on Srull and Wyer (1979)
  15. A Global Synthesis of Jatropha Cultivation
  16. Managing increasing environmental risks through agro-biodiversity and agri-environmental policies
  17. The effects of an active development of the mental model in the training process
  18. Recycling-oriented fabrication of soft robots
  19. Can Pulsed Electric Fields Treated Algal Cells Be Used as Stationary Phase in Chromatography?
  20. Unpacking the Personal Initiative-Performance Relationship
  21. The ten principles of green sample preparation
  22. Christian Steinbacher
  23. Calibration of the Chemcatcher ® passive sampler for monitoring selected polar and semi-polar pesticides in surface water
  24. Uncovering Divergence