Perception and Organizational Outcomes in

Higher Education Sustainability Inquiry

Abstract

The concept of sustainability has become a topic of prime consideration for government and business alike in the 21st century, both in terms of its conceptual definition and practical application.  This paper observes the events surrounding a multi-stakeholder college group as it lobbied for an increased institutional focus regarding sustainability.  It then relates organization development (OD) effects of this inquiry, including organizational learning, organizational culture, and process-related inquiry, to the sustainability perceptions encountered within the college.  These perceptions are presented in the form of a perceptual map to better display and illuminate relevant OD elements.  The results are then compared to national sustainability trends in U.S. institutes of higher education (IHE).  The study finds that process-oriented clinical inquiry, IHE cultural subgroup identification, and the resulting intraorganization perception negotiation increases organizational performance and sustainability initiative acceptance.  It additionally finds perceptual mapping to be a beneficial tool in assessing, catalyzing, and measuring IHE sustainability initiatives.  The study raises further questions regarding current themes in IHE sustainability efforts, the cultural identity of sustainability, and the relationship between OD and organizational sustainability.

Key Words:  sustainability, organization development, higher education, organizational learning, culture, process, clinical inquiry, perception negotiation, organizational performance, perceptual mapping.