Sustaining Inner And Outer Worlds: A Whole-Systems Approach To Developing Sustainable Business Practices In Management

Abstract

Sustainability issues are not just “out there” in the external environment. In approaching the issue of sustainability, students benefit from questioning what is it that sustains their own lives, the lives of those they care about, and the organizations in which they work. If encouraged to do this, students become better systems thinkers as they link their external and internal worlds. This article presents some clarification of the concept and practices associated with sustainable development and describes numerous class exercises to help management students move sustainable development into their own sphere of attention and practice.