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Assessing the role of college as a sustainability communication channel

Alisa P. Lertpratchya (Department of Advertising and Public Relations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA)
John C. Besley (Department of Advertising and Public Relations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA)
Adam Zwickle (Environmental Science and Policy Program and School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA)
Bruno Takahashi (School of Journalism and Department of Communication, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA)
Cameron Thomas Whitley (Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA)

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education

ISSN: 1467-6370

Article publication date: 6 November 2017

953

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of higher education institution as a sustainability communication channel. The theory of planned behavior was used to examine the degree to which a student’s tenure at a large university with active and visible sustainability initiatives is associated with changes in views about sustainability and changes in reported sustainability behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

This study involved a campus-wide online survey on undergraduate students at a large mid-western university. A direct measurement approach to the theory of planned behavior was used to measure changes in attitudes, normative beliefs, perceived behavioral controls and self-reported behaviors on five different environmental sustainability behaviors.

Findings

Overall findings support the notion that higher education institutions can be effective communication channels for sustainability issues, as students who have been in college for a longer period of time reported somewhat more positive attitudes, normative and efficacy beliefs and more sustainable behaviors.

Practical implications

By measuring specific components of the theory of planned behavior, this study provides insights on specific areas in which campaigns targeting college students in different college years could become more effective.

Originality/value

Few studies have assessed college as an effective sustainability communication channel despite the fact that it is potentially a powerful channel to reach a large population at their critical age. This study also measures specific components to sustainability behaviors by using the theory of planned behavior as a guiding framework.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Office of Sustainability at Michigan State University for providing funding for this research. The authors would also like to thank Ann Erhardt for her assistance and helpful comments on this research project.

Citation

Lertpratchya, A.P., Besley, J.C., Zwickle, A., Takahashi, B. and Whitley, C.T. (2017), "Assessing the role of college as a sustainability communication channel", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 18 No. 7, pp. 1060-1075. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-09-2016-0172

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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