Sustainability in work practice and within the business world is an essential part of growth and harmony in a community. In a broad sense, according to Investopedia, it has the following explanation: [it] refers to the ability of something to maintain or “sustain” itself over time [1]. During a Norwegian web-based course during 2019, I was introduced to a course on this topic within NTNU.
Figure 1: Sustainable practices are important in all areas of work-life, not only because they add values and community building to the one doing the work, but also because it is likely to create a positive impact that can change communities and businesses for the better: both on an individual level and a broader business level. Photo by Francesco Gallarotti on Unsplash.
The research paper refers further to a research paper called: Key competencies in sustainability in higher ed. [2]. These competencies may also be called perspectives of sustainability and the five are listed below:
1. Systems thinking competence
2. Futures thinking (or anticipatory) competence
3. Values thinking (or normative) competence
4. Strategic thinking (or action-oriented) competence
5. Collaboration (or interpersonal) thinking competence
Great examples of these can be found around the world, in big and small areas.
Sources
1. Investopedia, 2022. Available [Online]: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sustainability.asp#:~:text=In%20the%20broadest%20possible%20sense,environmental%20degradation%2C%20and%20social%20resources.
2. Brundiers et al., 2020. Key competencies in sustainability in higher education—toward an agreed-upon reference framework. Sustainability Science. 4. 213. 10.1007/s11625-020-00838-2.
