Measuring the perceptions of sustainable development among young entrepreneurs aged 18 – 28

Measuring the perceptions of sustainabledevelopment among young entrepreneurs aged

18 – 28

__________________________________________________

Simona Getova

Instructor: Dr. Georgia Zafeiriou

Thessaloniki, May 2013

Acknowledgments

This research report has been completed as part of the Business

Research Methods 299 class, at The American College of Thessaloniki,

in the semester of Spring 2013.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude towards my

instructor, Dr. Georgia Zafeiriou for her patient guidance

throughout the process of completing this research and her

constructive comments. I would also like to thank all of my friends

from The American College of Thessaloniki, Greece, the University of

Northern Iowa, USA, and Young Friends of the Earth Europe, for

taking the time to participate in the survey as part of this

research. A tremendous gratitude to Dr. Spyros Kiartzis, Mrs. Jagoda

Munic, and Mr. Saket Mani for engaging in a meaningful discussion

with me and sharing their perceptions and ideals on the concept of

sustainable development.

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ContentsAcknowledgments....................................................2

List of Figures and Graphs.........................................4Abstract...........................................................5

Key words..........................................................51. Introduction....................................................5

1.2 Research Aim...................................................61.3 Research Questions.............................................6

1.4 Research Objectives............................................72. Literature review...............................................7

2.1 History of entrepreneurship..................................72.2 Sustainable development......................................7

2.3 Sustainable entrepreneurship.................................82.3.1 Ecopreneurs..............................................8

2.3.2 Characteristics of sustainable entrepreneurs..............92.4 Importance of a holistic framework for educating young entrepreneurs....................................................92.4.1 Reasons for implementing a holistic educational approach. .9

2.5 The role of higher education in shaping young entrepreneurs’ views on sustainable development................................10

3. Methodology....................................................11

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3.1 Research design and data collection methods and instruments. 11

3.2 Sample......................................................113.3 Data analysis...............................................12

3.4 Ethical issues, validity and reliability, and research limitations.....................................................12

4. Results........................................................134.1 Preliminary qualitative findings............................13

4.1.1 Discussion...............................................154.2 Survey findings............................................16

4.2.1 Discussion..............................................225. Conclusions....................................................22

References........................................................24Appendix..........................................................25

a) Questionnaire...............................................25b)Interview Schedule...........................................28

List of Figures and GraphsFigure 2.1 Magic square frame of aims (Brunold 2004:47)below

Figure 4.1 Sustainable Developmentbelow

Figure 4.3 Youth’s stakebelow

Figure 4.4 The Missing Bridgebelow

Figure 4.5 Creation and education of alternative economic models neededbelow

Figure 4.6 Global Frameworkbelow

Figure 4.7 Encourage Youth to move towards SDbelow

4.2.1 4.2.1 Survey question no.1: I have some knowledge on the topic of sustainable development.4.2.1 Survey question no.1: I have some knowledge on the topic of sustainable development.below

4.2.2 4.2.2 Survey question no.2: I have obtained my knowledge on sustainable development because it is/was incorporated in my studies at an institution of higher education.below

4.2.3 4.2.3 Survey question no.3: My college/university put a lot of emphasis on sustainable development.below

4

4.2.4 4.2.4 Survey question no.4: I have learnt about sustainable development through non-formal means of education (seminars, trainings, newspaper/magazine articles, Internet).below

4.2.5 4.2.5 Survey question no.5 Economic development is necessary for sustainable development (SD).below

4.2.6 4.2.6 Survey question no.6: SD requires businesses to behave responsibly to their employees, customers and suppliers.below

4.2.7 4.2.7 Survey question no.7: Improving people’s opportunities for longand healthy lives contributes to SD.below

4.2.8 4.2.8 Survey question no.8: A peaceful culture where people settle conflicts by discussion is necessary for SD.below

4.2.9 4.2.9 Survey question no.9: Protecting the environment is necessary for SD.below

4.2.10 4.2.10 Survey question no.10: Reduction of all kinds of waste is necessary for SD.below

4.2 11 4.3.11 Survey question no.11: I am good at noticing flaws and drawbacks in the society.below

4.2.12 4.2.12 Survey question no.12: I am good at coming up with creative ideas of improving flaws and drawbacks in the society.below

4.2.13 4.2.13 Survey question no.13: I have started/I plan on starting my own organization.below

4.2.14 4.2.14 Survey question no.14: My driving force for my work is economic gain, no matter what.below

4.2.15 4.2.15 Survey question no.15: My driving force for my work is economic gain, with social and environmental responsibility.below

4.2.16 4.2.16 Survey question no.16 – Gender:below

4.2.17 4.2.17 Survey question no.17 - Which age range do you belong to?below

4.2.18 4.3.18 Survey question no.18 - What is the highest level of education you have completed?below

4.2.19 4.2.19 Survey question no.19 - Do you have any work experience?below

Abstract

This research project focused on measuring the perceptions of

sustainable development among young entrepreneurs within the age

range of 18-28. It started off with interviews with three key

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individuals professionally involved in enhancing

sustainability/sustainable development; thus, the concept of SD and

the familiarity of it among young entrepreneurs was presented from a

business, an activist, and a youth policy making view. In the later

stage of data collection and analysis, the responses of a hundred

young entrepreneurs from thirty-six different countries concluded

that the notion of SD is wide spread and the youth is becoming even

more aware of it as time passes, however, this is due to alternative

educational sources not involving the formal education in a large

scale. Besides measuring the awareness about SD among the young

entrepreneurs surveyed, their prospective actions were questioned if

they would incorporate this concept. The results were positive.

Key words

Sustainability, entrepreneurship, sustainable development, youngentrepreneurs, business operation, prospective businesses, economicsystem, social system, environment, environmentally friendly,education, higher education, college education, university leveleducation, awareness, perceptions.

1.Introduction

The notion of sustainable development has been discussed on a

large scale since the mid 90’s, and especially in the recent years

it has been a very important topic that is argued from quite

different perspectives and in a wide variety of fields and

disciplines. A lot of emphasis has been put on this concept, and its

popularity is largely due to the eased spread of information

throughout the Internet and with the help of new technologies. The

globalization and the effortless access to information raise

awareness about horrible working conditions in a company that has

outsourced somewhere far away from one’s own residence, the natural

disasters on the other side of the globe or the new dump created6

outside one’s backyard, the violation of human rights in an

indigenous community or the issues in a quasi-democratic country,

etc. Since it is more than significant to prevent such problems in

order to live better lives ourselves and leave healthy social,

economic, and eco-systems to the generations to come - which is the

main point of the concept of sustainable development, I attempted to

measure the genuine perceptions about sustainable development of

young entrepreneurs – the future systems’ creators and maintainers.

As a starting point, in my research I reviewed what some of the

existent literature has written about sustainable development as a

concept, and as a basis, I took my review and proceeded with

engaging three experts from three different areas of work towards

sustainable development in an interview. After the conducted

interviews, through developing and distributing a survey, I

attempted to examine the level of awareness about sustainable

development among young entrepreneurs, more specifically, aged 18 -

28. Moreover, through the analysis of the survey, I examined whether

the information collected from the literature and the discussion

with the interviewees was applicable to my sample – one hundred

ambitious individuals from thirty-six different countries, all aged

18-28. The formed hypothesis that was verified by the analysis of

the survey was that young entrepreneurs are only slightly aware of

the notion of sustainable development, and they lack specific

knowledge on this topic that should be provided by the formal

educational system. Concentrating on the sample of young

entrepreneurs within this age range allowed me to inspect how these

generations feel about sustainable development, having in mind that

these are the generations considered to have the chance to make a

shift in the way the world develops economically and socially while

preserving the environment. In addition, I examined whether in these

young individuals’ views and plans, and their ambitions for

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prospective projects and development take into consideration the

concept of sustainable development.

The research aim, followed by the research questions and

objectives is presented below. The literature review of works on

youth entrepreneurship and the notion of sustainable development is

next which leads to the methodology chapter, explaining in depth how

was this research conducted. Finally, the research limitations part

of this paper is preceding the presentation of results, discussions,

and conclusions. The points for further research, the references and

the appendix providing the employed questionnaire and interview

schedule, conclude this research project.

1.2 Research Aim To identify the general perceptions about sustainable

development among young entrepreneurs aged 18-28.

1.3 Research Questions1. How familiar are young entrepreneurs with the notion of

sustainable development?

2. To what extent has higher education influenced young

entrepreneurs’ views on sustainable development?

3. Would prospective business actions of young entrepreneurs be in

the spirit of sustainable development?

1.4 Research Objectives1. To examine to what degree are young entrepreneurs aware of the

notion of sustainable development as defined by existing

literature.

2. To identify young entrepreneurs’ views regarding the degree to

which higher educational institutions familiarize them with the

notion of sustainable development.

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3. To inspect whether young entrepreneurs’ business aspirations

are compliant with the notion of sustainable development.

2.Literature review

2.1 History of entrepreneurship

In order for me to begin this research I felt the need to

become more knowledgeable on how entrepreneurship is defined by

accessible sources and when does it appear in the existing

literature. The first and foremost usage of the word “entrepreneur”

is attached to the 18th century writer, Richard Cantillon, who has

been using it to describe individuals who purchase materials and

means of production at certain prices, and consequently, use the two

to produce something new (Tilley and Young 2009). In modern times,

the contribution of entrepreneurs in these societies is closely

related to the theory of neoclassical economics (Hebert and Link

1989). In addition, entrepreneurs are seen as business, societal,

and/or environmental flaw catchers, who pursue risks in order to

implement their ideas for resolving the existing defects in the

society (Schaper 2002). Along with these lines, entrepreneurship is

regarded as a “creative destruction,” a term coined by the founder

of modern entrepreneurial theory, Joseph Schumpeter (Schumpeter

1954). In that sense, entrepreneurs are revolutionaries who discover

new ways of doing what already has been done, enabling them to

pursue new opportunities that have different results from the ones

received so far, and by doing that, revolutionizing the society

(Tilley and Young 2009).

2.2 Sustainable development

The notion of sustainable development integrates a few elements

that move the societies forward. The incorporation of the following

dimensions is the core of any action taken towards enhancing9

sustainable development: economic wealth, social justice, ecological

stability, and international co-operation (Brunold 2005). This

author suggests that even though some of the goals of the previously

mentioned elements might be conflicting, their integration is

crucial for sustainable development. Brunold (2004) also indicates

the education process as a very significant factor that drives the

incorporation of the core dimensions towards effective sustainable

development. The visual representation of this is Figure 2.1 below:

Magic square frame of aims (Brunold 2004). Since the entrepreneurial

youth is the creator of the future wealth and well-being, the

education they receive is invaluable and it is essential that it

includes the amalgamation of the fundamental elements of a society.

In other words, it is crucial that the generations to come are

taught to have the best interest of these basic society’s dimensions

in whatever is that they do, or will be doing in the future.

Figure 2.1 Magic square frame of aims (Brunold 2004:47)

2.3 Sustainable entrepreneurship

Sustainable entrepreneurs, in any case, are taking on the

approach of creative destruction. Nevertheless, what is significant

about them is their driving force of action. This is to say that

sustainable entrepreneurs are noticing new opportunities that can be

approached holistically, in a sustainable manner, with strong

emphasis on the impact of their operations on the economic,

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environmental, and the societal system (Gibbs 2009). Patzelt and

Shepherd (2011:632) draw upon a triple bottom line when referring to

sustainable entrepreneurship, namely, sustainable entrepreneurship

being “the discovery, creation, and exploitation of opportunities to

create future goods and services that sustain the natural and/or

communal environment and provide development gain for others.”

2.3.1 Ecopreneurs

The available sources on sustainable entrepreneurship introduce

the term “ecopreneur.” This word is used to describe individuals

that recognize economic prosperity through environmentally friendly

and socially responsible practices, unlike the rest of the

“traditional” entrepreneurs that consciously or unconsciously choose

to be unaware of these bottom lines and only seek economic gain

(Patzelt and Shepherd 2011). Schaper (2002) portrays these

sustainably conscious individuals as the driving force of a market-

based economic system who implement and impose to other businesses,

influence government regulations, and pressure stakeholders and

lobby groups to apply a proactive approach in their daily

operations.

2.3.2 Characteristics of sustainable entrepreneurs

The existing literature suggests that sustainable entrepreneurs

tend to notice business opportunities relative to their prior

individual knowledge and incentives. It is considered that these

individuals will differently perceive prospective entrepreneurial

engagement for they have various characteristics and different

levels of prior knowledge on the markets, technologies, and

businesses (Patzelt and Shepherd 2011). Besides the prior

familiarity, according to Patzelt and Sheperd (2011), the motivation

and individual study of the entrepreneur play a major role in what

kind of business opportunity he/she will recognize and pursue.11

However, since there is a relation observed between entrepreneur’s

prior knowledge on something and his/her perceptiveness on pursuing

a business based on that knowledge, formal education’s role in

familiarizing one with the concept of sustainable development

becomes vital.

2.4 Importance of a holistic framework for educating young entrepreneurs

It is of great importance that the educational system also

provides for and directs the new generations of sustainable

entrepreneurs. Kickul, Janssen-Selvadurai and Griffiths (2012) have

suggested a unified educational framework in order to ensure the

basis on which future entrepreneurs should preferably be educated.

They introduce a conceptual model that takes into consideration the

social and economic values on which foundations of potential

businesses should be set. The phrase “bricolage behavior” is being

used to describe the all-encompassing activities of entrepreneurs

that include the combination and recombination of accessible

resources that results with innovative solutions introduced to the

markets (Kickul et al. 2012). Even though these authors refer to the

prospective students as “social entrepreneurs” and attempt to

introduce an all-inclusive educational ground for entrepreneurs, an

enormous gap exists in this model. To be exact, the lack of raising

awareness about the scarceness of the resources intended to be used,

and consequently, the deficit of environmental education and

sustainability consciousness is a major flaw of the educational

system that threatens the future of sustainable entrepreneurship

(Weybrecht 2012).

2.4.1 Reasons for implementing a holistic educational approach

The encouragement of developing sustainable startups from

scratch is a major contribution in the business sector regarding

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spreading awareness of the notion of sustainable development. The

reasoning behind it is that businesses that have already operated in

a certain way for a while would find it more difficult to alter

their organizational culture to enhance sustainability, whereas

businesses started with a clear objective of operating sustainably

will have the sustainable development as a starting point on which

they will build a profitability plan (Schick, Marxen, and Freimann

2002). Moreover, the ventures that will be designed by

sustainability-driven entrepreneurs will have the all-encompassing

values of being environmentally and socially conscious as a

foundation. On these mutually maintaining qualities the sustainable

entrepreneurs will create businesses that have the social,

environmental, and economic prosperity as self-supportive mechanisms

(Parrish and Foxon 2009).

2.5 The role of higher education in shaping youngentrepreneurs’ views on sustainable development

As emphasized by Dawe, Jucker and Martin (2005), higher

education plays a major role in the future of sustainable

development. This is the case because the youth is influenced on a

large scale through the educational institutions, and the training

of skills in order for youngsters to be able to put sustainable

development into practice should be a top priority of these

institutions (Dawe el al. 2005). Similarly, a document by UNESCO

(1997), titled “Educating for a Sustainable Future: A

Transdisciplinary Vision for Concerted Action,” stresses the fact

that education is a key factor in spreading the awareness among the

youth about the significance of sustainable development. Education

incorporating sustainable development, as stated in the document, is

so vital that it should be part of every educational system, for

this is the system that shapes the visions of the leaders and wealth

creators of tomorrow (UNESCO 1997). Moreover, for universities13

being knowledge developers and the hub of education through

innovation and research, they have the perfect groundwork for

sparking the weightiness of sustainable development and initiating

every day practice of this concept (AEGEE-Europe 2010). To be more

specific, what has been suggested in this booklet by AEGEE-Europe

(2010) is providing organic food in university canteens, decreasing

water usage, efficient energy use and use of renewable energy,

reinforcing non-formal learning outside the classroom, supporting

environmentally friendly means of transportation, valuing cultural

diversity and gender balance, etc. To summarize, being exposed to

sustainable means of every day operations in such an environment as

the formal educational institutions, the students attending those

institutions would be naturally drawn on directing many of their

current and future activities towards sustainable development.

In the literature review above I have presented the main

concepts on which I am founding my research. The notion of

sustainable development has been defined, as well as how it relates

to young entrepreneurs and their formal education. Namely, previous

research has emphasized the vital need of education of these

individuals that incorporates sustainable development; nevertheless,

little has been done to actually measure to what extent the

perception of sustainable development has influenced young

entrepreneurs’ visions for their present and future actions.

Consequently, this research project is designed to fill in the

previously mentioned gap through engaging one hundred young

entre/eco-preneurs from around the globe and measuring their

perceptions on sustainable development.

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3.Methodology3.1 Research design and data collection methods and

instrumentsThe philosophical approach taken to in this research included

both interpretive and positivistic elements, respectively, for the

research was completed through triangulation. It started as an

exploratory study - an inductive approach was used to firstly

collect some qualitative data through interviews containing open

questions and form a hypothesis. This provided the basis for

continuation of the research with a deductive approach for which a

descriptive studies based on quantitative data was utilized –

questionnaires. The survey conducted was the main data collection

tool and it was used to test the formed hypothesis. The structure of

the questionnaires (see Appendix: Questionnaire) and some of the

questions included were inspired by the questionnaire from

“Measuring Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours Concerning

Sustainable Development among Tenth Grade Students in Manitoba” by

Michalos, Creech, Swayze, Kahlke, Buckler, and Rempel(2011). The

questionnaires were designed using the free online survey creator,

FluidSurveys.com.

I used sustainable means of data collection in the spirit of

the topic of the research. The questionnaires were distributed

online, and two out of the three interviews were conducted via

email, whereas one of them only was in person. I used Facebook – a

social network, in order to reach the participants in the survey.

3.2 Sample

The types of sampling that the research employed were quota and

purposive sampling. The quota sampling was intended to serve as a

starting point with the conducted interviews as a tool. Since there

is a great number of individuals in different sectors that work

towards promoting sustainability and/or sustainable development, I15

chose three key persons that represent different groups and are

experts knowledgeable and experienced in the field of

sustainability: from the business sector - Director of Alternative

Energy Sources in Hellenic Petroleum SA. - Dr. Spyros Kiartzis, from

environmental activism sector - Chair of the Executive Committee of

Friends of the Earth International and environmental activist - Mrs.

Jagoda Munic, and from youth policy making sector – a youthvist

(young activist), young policy analyst, and a student at the

University of Pune - Saket Mani. The collection of qualitative data

was followed by the process of engaging my purposive sampling

participants. The intended participants in the survey to whom the

questionnaires were distributed are individuals aged 18 – 28 who are

involved in either studying or implementing

business/startup/organization creation and/or have some

understanding or experience in sustainable development. Total of one

hundred participants from thirty-sixdifferent countries in the world

took the survey. The countries represented by participants in the

survey are: United States of America, Republic of Macedonia, Greece,

Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Romania, Serbia,

Montenegro, Kosovo, Croatia, Italy, France, The Netherlands, Norway,

Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland,

Germany, Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Morocco, Brazil, Nepal, Egypt,

Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia,

Japan, and Australia.

Taking the commonly familiar saying “the future of the world is

in the hands of the youth” as a starting point, I am basing the

findings of my research on the analysis of the answers of this

sample for these individuals are or will be the future leaders and

creators of economic, environmental and societal activity.

Therefore, their perceptions on pursuing sustainable approach in

whatever it is that they are or will be contributing to the

previously mentioned systems, is of extreme importance for this

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research. In addition, it is undoubtedly of a great significance for

the world we live in nowadays and the systems that future

generations will inherit.

3.3 Data analysis

In order to draw truthful conclusions, I had to successfully

analyze the collected data. Regarding my qualitatively collected

data, I used content analysis and the Atlas.ti to code and create

graphical representations of the information obtained from the

interviews. As for the quantitative part of the data, I employed

FluidSurveys.com in order to examine the data I have collected. The

correlations between questions answered and the graphs presented in

the results below were created in Excel.

In the survey (see Appendix: Questionnaire), questions 1-4 measure

participants’ level of familiarity with sustainable development and

the source of their knowledge – Research Objective 2. Questions 5-10

measure participants’ actual familiarity with the topic of

sustainable development and where does this familiarity come from

(formal or non-formal education) – Research Objective 1; and

finally, questions 11-15 measure whether participants’

entrepreneurial aspirations take the concept of sustainable

development into consideration – Research Objective 3. The rest of

the questions in the survey16-20 are demographics questions.

3.4 Ethical issues, validity and reliability, and research limitations

The ethical considerations that I had to be aware of during the

process of collecting data were mostly regarding the voluntary

participations on both survey respondents’ and interviewees’ part.

In addition, the survey was completely anonymous and there was no

compensation for it, as there was no compensation for the

interviewees either. 17

With regards to the research limitations, I encountered some at

the very beginning of the project. This was due to the lack of

research conducted on measuring the degree of awareness about

sustainable development among young entrepreneurs, and this topic

was attempted to be covered by this research. Another research

dimension that was limiting was the gender, age and education

inequality among the participants. In order for the findings to be

generalized and replicable to the whole sample it would have been

very helpful if the number of respondents from each age group, each

educational background, with each working experience and from each

gender, were equally represented when taking the survey.

Also, it might be that there was a slight selection bias with

regards to the survey respondents. There was no self-selection

survey participation; on the contrary – as a researcher, I tried to

reach individuals who I am aware of the fact that they have or have

had at least minor interest in SD. Thus, it is likely that the

respondents were a bit biased in favor of SD and were more likely

than an average person to know about it.

4.Results

4.1 Preliminary qualitative findings

As a first step in achieving the objectives of the research,

the three interviewees were asked to reflect on few important

parameters including sustainability and sustainable development, the

spread of this concept among the youth, and the impact of formal

education on young entrepreneurs’ perception on the topic of

sustainable development. The interview schedule that was employed is

included in the Appendix (see Interview Schedule).

The answer on the first and the second question of the

interviews is graphically summarized in Figure 3.1 below:

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Figure 4.1 Sustainable DevelopmentTo put it in words, the three of my interviewees defined sustainable

development as a concept that encompasses high quality of life in

globally interconnected societies that thrive over time as a result

of balanced social equality, economic growth, and environmental

protection.

While Mrs. Munic emphasized the need to increase the awareness

among the youth on the importance of sustainable development and

suggested that education plays one of the crucial roles in this

(shown in Figure 3.2 below), Mr. Mani focused on the stake that

young people have in the creation of sustainable world (shown in

Figure 3.3 below). In order for the youth to be able to claim the

elements from Figure 3.3, Mr. Mani stated:

“Global all-inclusive educational framework is needed.”

Mrs. Munic, however, as it may be seen in Figure 3.2, added

that the incontrovertible existence and extensive usage of

alternative media and the Internet, contributes a lot to one’s

learning and understanding of the concept of sustainable

development; thus, it should be widely employed.

Figure 4.2 Enhancing Youth’s awareness

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Figure 4.3 Youth’s stakeDr. Kiartzis also tackled the fact that there is an enormous amount

of easily accessible information that today’s youth is exposed to.

However, he argues that in order for young individuals to be highly

aware of its usage towards sustainable development, they have to be

familiarized with the significance of this topic through the formal

educational institutions (Figure 3.4).

Figure 4.4 The Missing Bridge

As an answer of whether the concept of sustainable development is

emphasized enough in institutions of higher education, Mrs. Munic

specified:

“It is tragic that business schools are teaching only one economic paradigm,”

suggesting that it would be the best if the creation of

alternative economic models was part of the curriculum of business

schools (Figure 3.5). Along these lines, for today’s business

students are creators of tomorrow’s economic activity, Mr. Mani

recommends a needed shift from the current economic system to a way

more sustainable ‘Green Economy’:

“We desperately need to change the pattern of our economy and our consumption.

Changing our economy to one that is green is an important part of the SDGs. A Green

Economy can help us to eradicate poverty and ensure Sustainable Development.”

20

Figure 4.5 Creation and education of alternative economic models neededIn addition, in order to achieve the needed shift to a sustainable

development in economic, social and environmental terms, Mr. Mani

suggests a global framework that includes mutual engagement of

governments, global policy makers and most importantly, educational

institutions. Moreover, he points out the need of all-encompassing

formal and non-formal education on sustainable development and SD

leadership (Figure 3.6).

Figure 4.6 Global FrameworkDr. Kiartzis also emphasizes the need for comprehensive formal

education in order for young entrepreneurs to be encouraged to take

upon sustainable practices in their current and future careers

(Figure 3.7).

Figure 4.7 Encourage Youth to move towards SD

4.1.1 Discussion

As it may be seen in the above section of results, the three

interviewees seem to make points that are analogous to what the

existent literature on sustainable development and its spread among

youth talks about. The crucial level of young entrepreneurs’

awareness about sustainable development is an ongoing process that

21

would have been more effective if initiated by the educational

institutions, as what has had the literature presented in the

literature review suggested as well. Moreover, it is a must that

these institutions pay more attention on sustainable development

education while having a comprehensive curriculum including the

social, environmental and economic elements of whatever it is that

they are teaching. This significance comes from the fact that formal

education influences youth’s future activity in a great scale. The

insufficient accent on sustainable development presents an issue for

our and future generations’ quality of life.

The hypothesis that young entrepreneurs lack the adequate

education on sustainable development, and that this is reflected in

their level of awareness about SD and the direction of their

economic, social and environmental activities, was tested

quantitatively and is analyzed in the following section of results.

4.2 Survey findingsIn the section below, the graphs represent the distribution of

percentages according to what the participants in the survey have

answered. Since there were a hundred participants, the percentage

also reflects the concrete number of people that have answered

accordingly.

4.2.1 Survey question no.1: I have some knowledge on the topic of sustainable development.

17%

59%

20%1%1%2% Strongly agree

AgreeNeutralDisagreeStrongly disagreeNo opinion

Almost 80 respondents have indicated that they are familiar to some

extent with the notion of sustainable development. Only 20 of the

whole sample are neutral, and the number of the ones who are

22

unfamiliar, have no opinion on the topic, or do not understand the

question is insignificant.

4.2.2 Survey question no.2: I have obtained my knowledge on sustainable development because it is/was incorporated in my studies at an institution of higher education.

6%

29%

24%25%

13%3%

Strongly agreeAgreeNeutralDisagreeStrongly disagree

The ones that obtained their knowledge on SD because the topic

was/is incorporated in their studies in a formal educational

institution were very few compared to the whole population –

‘strongly agree’ only 6, ‘agree’: 29. The number of the ones who are

neutral about having learned about SD in their colleges and disagree

that this was the case is almost the same – 24 and 25, and it is

very close to the number of respondents that ‘agreed’ that this is

where they gained their knowledge on SD. There were 13 respondents

that ‘strongly disagreed’ with the statement which is quite a

significant number.

4.2.3 Survey question no.3: My college/university put a lot of emphasis on sustainable development.

7%17%

36%

23%

12%5% Strongly agree

AgreeNeutralDisagreeStrongly disagreeNo opinion

Only 7 from the hundred respondents attended colleges that

emphasized SD considerably. 17 had slightly weaker feeling about

their universities’ emphasis on the topic, while 36 of the whole

sample were ‘neutral’ about it. Even 23 out of 100 respondents

‘disagreed’ with the statement, and 12 had strong feelings about

their colleges not putting a lot of emphasis on the concept of SD.

23

4.2.4 Survey question no.4: I have learnt about sustainable development through non-formal means of education (seminars, trainings, newspaper/magazine articles, Internet).

29%

48%

12%8% 1% 2% Strongly

agreeAgreeNeutralDisagreeStrongly disagree

There was an amazingly large number of respondents who indicated

that have obtained their knowledge on SD through non-formal means of

education – almost 80 percent of the survey participants. Even 29 of

the almost 80 ‘strongly agreed’ on the statement which left only 12

of all respondents to be ‘neutral,’ and the rest – 11 survey

participants, ‘disagreed,’ ‘strongly disagreed,’ or had ‘no opinion’

on the statement.

4.2.5 Survey question no.5 Economic development is necessary for sustainable development (SD).

30%

47%


agreeAgreeNeutralDisagreeStrongly disagreeNo opinion

Similar statistics on the answer of this question is observed with

the percentages of the previous question. Almost 80 respondents

believe that economic development is necessary for SD, while 13 are

being ‘neutral’ about the statement, and very few survey

participants disagree or have no opinion on it.

4.2.6 Survey question no.6: SD requires businesses to behave responsibly to their employees, customers and suppliers.

42%

44%

8%1%2% 3% Strongly


24

There seems to be almost a consensus regarding the answer on this

statement: almost 90 respondents believe that SD requires businesses

to behave responsibly towards their stakeholders. This answering

pattern is followed in question no. 7 and 8 as well.

4.2.7 Survey question no.7: Improving people’s opportunities for long and healthy lives contributes to SD.

36%

43%



4.2.8 Survey question no.8: A peaceful culture where people settle conflicts by discussion is necessary for SD.

36%

39%



4.2.9 Survey question no.9: Protecting the environment is necessary for SD.

58%36%

3%1% 2% Strongly


The majority of survey participants have indicated that

environmental protection is crucial for SD, and almost the same

amount of them agree that the reduction of all kinds of waste is

essential for SD – as indicated in question no.10.

25

4.2.10 Survey question no.10: Reduction of all kinds of waste is necessary for SD.

53%32%

9%2%1% 3% Strongly


4.3.11 Survey question no.11: I am good at noticing flaws and drawbacks in the society.

18%

58%

20% 1%2%1% Strongly agreeAgreeNeutralDisagreeStrongly disagreeNo opinion

Most of the respondents have voiced their ability of ‘catching the

flaws’ of their surroundings and societies – total of 76, and 65 of

them indicated that they are also able to individually come up with

creative solutions for the society’s drawbacks that they have come

across to (question no.12).

4.2.12 Survey question no.12: I am good at coming up with creative ideas of improving flaws and drawbacks in the society.

21%

44%

26%

6% 3% Strongly agreeAgreeNeutralDisagreeStrongly disagreeNo opinion

4.2.13 Survey question no.13: I have started/I plan on starting my own organization.

18%

32%23%

20% 2% 5% Strongly agreeAgreeNeutralDisagreeStrongly disagree

26

Signifying the entrepreneurial side of my sample, question no.13

asked about respondents’ plans on creating an organization, in the

present or in the future. Half of the survey participants seemed to

be determined to do so, while one fourth of the hundred are

‘neutral,’ or maybe thinking about it. The 20 percent left had no

determination on doing so currently, and very few had ‘no opinion’

on the statement.

4.2.14 Survey question no.14: My driving force for my work is economic gain, no matter what.

0%20%40%

7% 11%22%

33% 25%2% 0%

The majority of the respondents did not agree with the statement of

‘having only economic gain as a driving force’ – question no.14, but

almost 70 of the hundred are motivated by economic gain while being

socially and environmentally responsible – question no.15.

4.2.15 Survey question no.15: My driving force for my work is economic gain, with social and environmental responsibility.

0%20%40% 27%

39%22%

7% 2% 3% 0%

Respondents’ Demographics

With regards to the demographic characteristics of the sample,

there was a slight gender, age and educational level inequality.

Almost two thirds of the respondents were females, with only a bit

more than one third representation of the opposite sex-males. The

most respondents were aged 20-23, with the age range of 24-25 being

27

the next one to follow. The college attendees and college graduates

were represented in large numbers, with mostly volunteering service

completed. Many of the ones who have volunteered, about 40 of them

to be more particular, have taken up internships and/or are employed

as well.

4.2.16 Survey question no.16 – Gender:

Response Chart Frequency Count

Female 63% 63

Male 37% 37

Total responses: 100

4.2.17 Survey question no.17 - Which age range do you belong to?


18-19 9% 9

20-21 35% 35

22-23 32% 32

24-25 16% 16

26-28 8% 8


4.3.18 Survey question no.18 - What is the highest level of education you have completed?


High School Graduate 10% 10

Some college credits, no degree yet 49% 49

College Graduate 26% 26

Postgraduate Degree 14% 14

Professional Degree 1% 1

Doctoral Degree 0% 0


28

4.2.19 Survey question no.19 - Do you have any work experience?


None 4% 4

Volunteering service 67% 67

Internship/s 39% 39

Employed 42% 42

Total responses: 100Survey question no.20 - Country of origin: (text box provided, open-end question)Responses:

United States of America, Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Albania,

Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro,

Kosovo, Croatia, Italy, France, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain,

Portugal, United Kingdom, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany,

Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Morocco, Brazil, Nepal, Egypt, Saudi

Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Japan,

and Australia.

4.2.1 Discussion

First and foremost, 76 of the hundred participants have indicated

that they have some knowledge about sustainable development which

was a percentage that I was hoping for, since answering the rest of

the survey would not make much sense to the ones that know nothing

about SD. Very significant for the research objectives and the

research project in general were the answers on the second, third,

and fourth questions that contributed to achieving RO 2.There were

only 6 participants who stated that they have certainly gained their

knowledge on SD through their studies in a formal higher educational

institution. Even though the number of 29 participants who also

‘agreed’ that they have been familiarized about SD through the same

educational means is significant, it is very close to the number of

29

participants replying that they are ‘neutral’-24, and ‘disagree’-25

with the statement given. The answer on the next (3rd) question

showed that even from the 35 positive responses (6-strongly agree

(SA) and 29-agree (A)) on the previous question, only 24 (7 SA + 17

A) believe that their college has put a lot of emphasis on the

concept of SD.At the same time, 35 disagree with the statement and

36 of the hundred are ‘neutral’ regarding statement’s truthfulness.

The last question for achieving RO 2 was no.4 that resulted with the

majority of the respondents stating that they have acquired their

knowledge on SD through non-formal means of education. These results

require comparing with the information collected from the literature

review and the analyzed interviews and their summary, in other

words, the hypothesis.

Not much comparison of these findings with an existent literature

may be done for the lack of research conducted in the field of young

entrepreneurs’ perception of SD. However, the conclusions that might

be drawn from this research are presented below.

5.Conclusions

From the quantitative findings analyzed above, it can be concluded

that there is awareness among young entrepreneurs about the concept

of sustainable development. This can also be inferred from the

answers on questions 5-10 that have high positive results – RO 1,

showing ambitious’ youth accurate perception on sustainable

development. Reaching RO3 was through the analysis of the answers on

questions 11-15, from which could be concluded that the sampled

respondents are sustainably driven, and care about being socially

and environmentally responsible while profiting.

As college attending females from around the globe, aged 20-23,

with volunteering service experience constituted the majority of the30

respondents; the above results may be generalized and attached

mostly to this category of young entrepreneurs. The rest of the

sample, even though still represented in considerable number, was

smaller than the one indicated above; thus, the probability of

truthfulness and validity by connecting these results with other

sample’s characteristics might be lower. The research results could

be improved by self-selection survey participation and by equal

gender, age, education and job experience participation.

To overview the hypothesis formed after the literature review and

the preliminary qualitative findings, the part of it that there is

not enough thought given to sustainable development by young

entrepreneurs can be overrun. Nevertheless, the assumption that

these young entrepreneurs have not acquired their knowledge on SD

through formal educational institutions lingers.

Finally, this research has shown that young entrepreneurs have

become familiarized with the notion of SD through non-formal means

of education. A further research can be conducted in order to check

what are the most common and the most effective ways of spreading

the knowledge on sustainable development through the non-formal

educational systems. Another point for further research may be how

to successfully incorporate the concept of sustainable development

into the primary education. Lastly, a challenging research on how to

develop and implement a global educational framework including

policy making, fair government regulations, and the concept of

sustainable development incorporated in all studies across all

educational institutions-the one suggested in the preliminary

qualitative findings-may be done.

31

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Brunold, A. (2005). Global Learning and Education for Sustainable

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Rempel, K. (2011). Measuring Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours

Concerning Sustainable Development among Tenth Grade Students in 32

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Schumpeter, J. (1954) Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy (London: Allen

&Unwin, 4thedn).

Tilley, F., & Young, W. (2009).Sustainability Entrepreneurs. Greener

Management International, (55), 79-92.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

(1997). Educating for a Sustainable Future: A Transdisciplinary Vision for Concerted

Action.Retrieved May 18, 2013, from

http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mod

Weybrecht, G. (2012) How to Make Anything More Sustainable[Video]. Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoA9vnNff1I

Appendix

a) Questionnaire

33

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoA9vnNff1I

Date: 17.05.2013 The following questionnaire is designed by Simona Getova: a student atThe American College of Thessaloniki, in order to analyze and support the objectives of the research “Measuring the perceptions of sustainable development among young entrepreneurs aged 18 – 28.” Completing the survey will require approximately three minutes. Participation is completely voluntary and there is no compensation for it. The survey is anonymous, and confidentiality of information is ensured.

Your participation is invaluable for the research purposes. Thank you fortaking the time to complete this questionnaire!

Sincerely,Simona Getova

Please consider the environment before printing this questionnaire.

Instructions: for each sentence below in the space provided, pleaseindicate as appropriate whether you strongly agree, agree, are neutral,disagree, strongly disagree with it, you do not have an opinion on thestatement, or you do not understand it.

Strongly agree Agree Neutra

lDisagre

e

Strongly

disagree

Noopinio

n

Idon'tunderstand

1.I have some knowledge on the topic of sustainabledevelopment.

2.I have obtained myknowledge on sustainable development because it is/was incorporated in my studies at an institution of

34


lDisagre

e

Strongly

disagree

Noopinio

n

Idon'tunderstand

higher education.

3.My college/university put a lot of emphasis on sustainable development.

4.I have learnt about sustainable development through non-formal means of education (seminars,trainings, newspaper/magazine articles, Internet).

5.Economic development is necessary for sustainable development (SD).

6.SD requires businesses to behaveresponsibly to theiremployees, customersand suppliers.

7.Improving people’sopportunities for long and healthy lives contributes toSD.

35


lDisagre

e

Strongly

disagree

Noopinio

n

Idon'tunderstand

8.A peaceful culturewhere people settle conflicts by discussion is necessary for SD.

9.Protecting the environment is necessary for SD.

10.Reduction of all kinds of waste is necessary for SD.

11.I am good at noticing flaws and drawbacks in the society.

12.I am good at coming up with creative ideas of improving flaws and drawbacks in the society.

13.I have started/I plan on starting my own organization.

14.My driving force for my work is economic gain, no matter what.

36


lDisagre

e

Strongly

disagree

Noopinio

n

Idon'tunderstand

15.My driving force for my work is economic gain, with social and environmental responsibility.

16.Gender:Please indicate as appropriate.

Female

Male

17.Which age range do you belong to?Please indicate as appropriate.

18-19

20-21

22-23

24-25

26-28

18.What is the highest level of education you have completed?Please indicate as appropriate.

High School Graduate

Some college credits, no degree yet

College Graduate

Postgraduate Degree

Professional Degree

Doctoral Degree

19.Do you have any work experience?Please indicate as appropriate. You may select more than one answer.

37

None

Volunteering service

Internship/s

Employed

20.Country of origin:

b)Interview Schedule

1. What does 'sustainability' mean to you?2. What does 'sustainable development' mean to you and how does thisconcept fit in the previous term? Some argue that 'development'equals 'growth,' and this contradicts the notion of sustainability.What are your thoughts on this? 3. Would you please tell me about the first encounter of yours withthe concept of sustainable development? When was it and was itthrough the formal educational system or through non-formaleducational means (articles, seminars, trainings)?4. When and why did you start being actively involved in the issueof sustainable development?5. Do you think the youth nowadays is aware enough about thesignificance of sustainable development? If no, what can be done andwhat are some of the ways this may change?6. Do educational institutions (especially higher educationinstitutions) put emphasis on the concept of sustainabledevelopment? Would the perceptions of the youth about sustainabledevelopment be influenced if these institutions worked on the basisof this concept, and had the promotion of this concept as a corevalue?7. Is it probable that the needed shift from irresponsible resourceconsumption to sustainable consumption would be sped up if youngentrepreneurs, prospective job creators, were educated to fulfilltheir entrepreneurial aspirations lead by the concept of sustainabledevelopment?

38

Submit

8. Any additional comments?

39

Measuring the perceptions of sustainable development among young entrepreneurs aged 18 – 28

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