Universities as learning organizations for sustainability? The task of climate protection

Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

Authors

For two decades the Leuphana University of Lüneburg has addressed socio-ecological issues in research, education and administration. Realizing projects such as “Agenda 21 and University of Lüneburg” (1999), “Sustainable University” (2004) and its mission statement of “Carbon-Neutral University” (2007) entails non-trivial organizational changes. Creating an authentic “Carbon Neutral University” induces multi-level learning and decision problems within the organization. Concepts of organizational learning are considered as most promising approaches to analysing and understanding sustainability-oriented projects. Past, present, and future sustainability projects are explored in this chapter. An organizational learning perspective is applied in order to identify specific phases and mechanisms of organizational developments towards realizing the university’s mission statements. Empirical facts are discussed against the theoretical background of organizational learning. A conceptual perspective is developed for organizational learning in complex fields such as sustainable development.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationUniversities and climate change : introducing climate change to university programmes
EditorsWalter Leal Filho
Number of pages14
Place of PublicationBerlin; London
PublisherSpringer
Publication date01.01.2010
Pages179-192
ISBN (print)978-3-642-10750-4
ISBN (electronic)978-3-642-10751-1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.01.2010

Bibliographical note

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© 2010, Springer Berlin Heidelberg.