Sustainability Learning in Brazilian Organizations: A Six-Dimensional Framework

Abstract

Over the past few years there has been a growing interface between the fields of sustainability studies and organizational learning, resulting in a new field of inquiry underpinned by the assumption that the learning experiences of organizations in relation to sustainability have cumulatively generated new knowledge and skills to enhance social and environmental responsibility. This paper contributes to the emerging field of sustainability learning by reporting the findings of an exploratory study carried out in Brazil in 2012. Highlighting the critical role of organizational culture in sustainability learning, this study found that the participating organizations did not have formal strategies to promote learning about sustainability. Another contribution is a six-dimensional framework, used in the research, which can foster a better understanding of organizational learning on environmental and social issues.