Learning Sustainability Entrepreneurship by Doing: Providing a Lecturer-Oriented Service Learning Framework

Jantje Halberstadt,Mark Euler,Rainer Harms,Christoph Schank

doi:10.3390/su11051217

Abstract

Due to its growing practical relevance, sustainability entrepreneurship receives a high degree of academic attention. However, literature on how to educate sustainability entrepreneurs remains scarce. A promising didactical approach in this context is service learning. We ask if service learning is an effective way to educate sustainability entrepreneurs, and which framework conditions impact those educators. First, we draw on an established sustainable entrepreneurship capability framework and provide direct evidence from entrepreneurship educators about the effectiveness of service learning. Second, based on grounded theory, qualitative interviews with those educators reveal a framework composed of personal and institutional factors that they have to navigate when provide service learning. Our findings contribute to the interface of service learning and sustainability entrepreneurship by highlighting its effectiveness and the framework conditions for educators.

Highlights

At the intersection of the sustainability and entrepreneurship discourse, the topic of sustainability entrepreneurship is a relevant area of practice and inquiry [1,2]
Our research question is: Which institutional and personal factors are crucial for a successful implementation of service learning for sustainability entrepreneurship education?
In comparison to the requirements expressed concerning the design of the teaching format, the statements regarding the didactical format were less related to the specifics of service learning for sustainability entrepreneurship

Summary

Introduction

At the intersection of the sustainability and entrepreneurship discourse, the topic of sustainability entrepreneurship is a relevant area of practice and inquiry [1,2]. Most actual terms take all areas of sustainability into account, while some only count entrepreneurial action as sustainable when both green and social aspects are addressed at the same time [4] and others arrange either social or ecopreneurial work under the roof of sustainability entrepreneurship [5] We follow the latter and broadly define sustainability entrepreneurship as any entrepreneurial activity that contributes to generating societal impact or solving societies’ problems, which covers a variety of activities and approaches. Sustainability entrepreneurs recognize, explore, and exploit entrepreneurial opportunities that address social and/or ecological issues, and provide social value They act as change agents by addressing societal problems [7,8,9]

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