Purpose

This study aims to the perceptions of the administration of Greek universities on sustainable development and the role of the administration in the implementation of corresponding practices. Specifically, it examines management’s perception and contribution to sustainable development and assesses the sustainability initiatives taking place in universities and the factors that influence their implementation. The obstacles and motivations in the implementation of these actions are also investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

For the empirical analysis, a survey was conducted during the period March–June 2022, addressing questionnaires to 12 rectors or vice rectors dealing with the sustainability of the respective 12 Greek universities. Secondary data about their sustainability practices were also collected from the institutions’ official Web pages.

Findings

The results show that management’s perception of sustainable development mainly concerns the conservation of resources for future generations and the balancing of the economy. Moreover, the findings indicate that universities play a significant role in achieving sustainability by contributing to the educational process, conducting research and serving as a model of sustainability for both the educational community and society as a whole. Financial and institutional barriers are characterized as the most important obstacles for adopting sustainability practices. The most popular motives to promote sustainability issues are financial support of universities, in addition to the governmental support of the leadership and, in particular, of the rectorate authorities.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first conducted among the Greek universities that focuses on administration’s viewpoint and contributes to the international dialogue on the implementation of sustainability by higher education institutions. The results provide preliminary evidence of top management responses to endorse sustainability activities at the higher education institutes in the broader area of Eastern Europe.

中文翻译：

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希腊大学管理部门对采用可持续发展实践的看法

目的

本研究旨在了解希腊大学管理部门对可持续发展的看法以及管理部门在实施相应实践中的作用。具体来说，它考察了管理层对可持续发展的看法和贡献，并评估了大学中正在进行的可持续发展举措以及影响其实施的因素。还调查了实施这些行动的障碍和动机。

设计/方法论/途径

为了进行实证分析，我们在 2022 年 3 月至 6 月期间进行了一项调查，向 12 名校长或副校长进行了问卷调查，涉及 12 所希腊大学的可持续发展问题。有关其可持续发展实践的二手数据也从这些机构的官方网页上收集。

发现

结果表明，管理层对可持续发展的看法主要关注为子孙后代保护资源和经济平衡。此外，调查结果表明，大学通过促进教育进程、开展研究以及充当教育界和整个社会可持续发展的典范，在实现可持续发展方面发挥着重要作用。财务和体制障碍被认为是采用可持续发展实践的最重要障碍。促进可持续发展问题的最受欢迎的动机是大学的财政支持，以及政府领导层，特别是校长当局的支持。

原创性/价值

据作者所知，这项研究是希腊大学中首次进行的，重点关注行政部门的观点，并有助于高等教育机构实施可持续发展的国际对话。研究结果提供了高层管理人员对东欧广大地区高等教育机构可持续发展活动的认可反应的初步证据。