Redefining Sustainability and Entrepreneurship Teaching

Abstract

The demand for sustainable development is rapidly increasing with the need to create cleaner and greener products for consumers and producers alike. In line with this need, sustainability has become integral to entrepreneurship research. Although sustainability-focused entrepreneurship programs are offered at higher education institutions, gaps remain in identifying novel approaches to combining sustainability and entrepreneurship in university programs. To overcome these gaps, this study provides an approach to redefining how sustainability-based entrepreneurship can be taught in a virtual environment using a cross-institution initiative involving instructors and students from multiple countries and disciplinary backgrounds to provide students with opportunities to solve complex sustainability-based problems affecting society. A post-assessment survey (including open-ended questions related to skill development, intercultural learning, virtual learning, and debrief) was administered to better understand student perceptions of learning and engagement. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic inductive analysis resulting in three key themes (learning outcomes, supportive learning environment, and intercultural challenges). The Discussion and Conclusion sections highlight implications for practitioners, contributions to the literature, and limitations/future research. Pedagogical strategies for educators and program designers are provided.