IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/srbeha/v39y2022i4p750-764.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Using soft systems methodology to align community projects with sustainability development in higher education stakeholders' networks in a Brazilian university

Author

Listed:
  • Alberto Paucar‐Caceres
  • Melissa Franchini Cavalcanti‐Bandos
  • Silvia Cristina Quispe‐Prieto
  • Lucero Nicole Huerta‐Tantalean
  • Katarzyna Werner‐Masters

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to report on the use of the soft systems methodology (SSM) to enhance the role of the higher education institution (HEI) stakeholder's action networks in achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). We review the literature on sustainable development in HEIs, in particular the role of stakeholder networks for the implementation of SDGs in HEI. We outline some of the features of SSM as an approach to help make sense of this complexity. CATWOE analysis, a conceptual SSM tool, is applied to a stakeholder's network hosted by a Brazilian university with the purpose of achieving the SDGs as part of the community projects (HEI external engagement). Findings of the systemic application suggest that the use of some elements of SSM helps clarify and make sense of the role of the stakeholders and assists in formalising action networks to achieve SDGs.

Suggested Citation

  • Alberto Paucar‐Caceres & Melissa Franchini Cavalcanti‐Bandos & Silvia Cristina Quispe‐Prieto & Lucero Nicole Huerta‐Tantalean & Katarzyna Werner‐Masters, 2022. "Using soft systems methodology to align community projects with sustainability development in higher education stakeholders' networks in a Brazilian university," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(4), pages 750-764, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:srbeha:v:39:y:2022:i:4:p:750-764
    DOI: 10.1002/sres.2818
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2818
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sres.2818?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Syed Hammad Mian & Bashir Salah & Wadea Ameen & Khaja Moiduddin & Hisham Alkhalefah, 2020. "Adapting Universities for Sustainability Education in Industry 4.0: Channel of Challenges and Opportunities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-33, July.
    2. Isabel Ruiz-Mallén & María Heras, 2020. "What Sustainability? Higher Education Institutions’ Pathways to Reach the Agenda 2030 Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-18, February.
    3. J-R Córdoba & G Midgley, 2006. "Broadening the boundaries: an application of critical systems thinking to IS planning in Colombia," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 57(9), pages 1064-1080, September.
    4. Gregory, Amanda J. & Atkins, Jonathan P. & Midgley, Gerald & Hodgson, Anthony M., 2020. "Stakeholder identification and engagement in problem structuring interventions," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 283(1), pages 321-340.
    5. Elena Gori & Alberto Romolini & Silvia Fissi & Marco Contri, 2020. "Toward the Dissemination of Sustainability Issues through Social Media in the Higher Education Sector: Evidence from an Italian Case," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-14, June.
    6. Verena Radinger-Peer & Gesa Pflitsch, 2017. "The role of higher education institutions in regional transition paths towards sustainability," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 37(2), pages 161-187, October.
    7. Gregory Trencher & Masaru Yarime & Kes B. McCormick & Christopher N. H. Doll & Steven B. Kraines, 2014. "Beyond the third mission: Exploring the emerging university function of co-creation for sustainability," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 41(2), pages 151-179.
    8. Anirban Chakraborty & Sumit Kumar & L. S. Shashidhara & Anjali Taneja, 2021. "Building Sustainable Societies through Purpose-Driven Universities: A Case Study from Ashoka University (India)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-20, July.
    9. Mochamad Arief Budihardjo & Bimastyaji Surya Ramadan & Soraya Annisa Putri & Indah Fajarini Sri Wahyuningrum & Fadel Iqbal Muhammad, 2021. "Towards Sustainability in Higher-Education Institutions: Analysis of Contributing Factors and Appropriate Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-14, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gesa Pflitsch & Verena Radinger-Peer, 2018. "Developing Boundary-Spanning Capacity for Regional Sustainability Transitions—A Comparative Case Study of the Universities of Augsburg (Germany) and Linz (Austria)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-26, March.
    2. Sydelko, Pamela & Midgley, Gerald & Espinosa, Angela, 2021. "Designing interagency responses to wicked problems: Creating a common, cross-agency understanding," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 294(1), pages 250-263.
    3. Foote, J. & Midgley, G. & Ahuriri-Driscoll, A. & Hepi, M. & Earl-Goulet, J., 2021. "Systemic evaluation of community environmental management programmes," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 288(1), pages 207-224.
    4. Andrea Cuesta‐Claros & Shirin Malekpour & Rob Raven & Tahl Kestin, 2022. "Understanding the roles of universities for sustainable development transformations: A framing analysis of university models," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(4), pages 525-538, August.
    5. Verena Radinger-Peer & Gesa Pflitsch & Helga Kanning & Daniel Schiller, 2021. "Establishing the Regional Sustainable Developmental Role of Universities—From the Multilevel-Perspective (MLP) and Beyond," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-21, June.
    6. Gerald Midgley & Erik Lindhult, 2021. "A systems perspective on systemic innovation," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(5), pages 635-670, October.
    7. Helfgott, Ariella & Midgley, Gerald & Chaudhury, Abrar & Vervoort, Joost & Sova, Chase & Ryan, Alex, 2023. "Multi-level participation in integrative, systemic planning: The case of climate adaptation in Ghana," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 309(3), pages 1201-1217.
    8. Diana Velasco & Alejandra Boni & Carlos Delgado & Geisler Dayani Rojas-Forero, 2021. "Exploring the Role of a Colombian University to Promote Just Transitions. An Analysis from the Human Development and the Regional Transition Pathways to Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-24, May.
    9. Pablo Aragonés‐Beltrán & Mª. Carmen González‐Cruz & Astrid León‐Camargo & Rosario Viñoles‐Cebolla, 2023. "Assessment of regional development needs according to criteria based on the Sustainable Development Goals in the Meta Region (Colombia)," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(2), pages 1101-1121, April.
    10. Shaikha R. Al-Nuaimi & Sami G. Al-Ghamdi, 2022. "Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Sustainability Aspects among Higher Education Students in Qatar," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-17, October.
    11. Ghannouchi, Imen, 2023. "Examining the dynamic nexus between industry 4.0 technologies and sustainable economy: New insights from empirical evidence using GMM estimator across 20 OECD nations," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    12. Daniel Ebakoleaneh Ufua, 2020. "Exploring the Effectiveness of Boundary Critique in an Intervention: a Case in the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 33(5), pages 485-499, October.
    13. Christoph Friedrich & Daniel Feser, 2024. "Combining knowledge bases for small wins in peripheral regions. An analysis of the role of innovation intermediaries in sustainability transitions," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 44(2), pages 211-236, June.
    14. Rajneesh Chowdhury, 2023. "Methodological Flexibility in Systems Thinking: Musings from the Standpoint of a Systems Consultant," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 36(1), pages 59-86, February.
    15. Mochamad Arief Budihardjo & Natasya Ghinna Humaira & Soraya Annisa Putri & Bimastyaji Surya Ramadan & Syafrudin Syafrudin & Eflita Yohana, 2021. "Sustainable Solid Waste Management Strategies for Higher Education Institutions: Diponegoro University, Indonesia Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-15, November.
    16. J-R Córdoba, 2008. "The Javeriana Case: Systems Thinking, Power and Ethics in IS (and OR?) Strategy," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 59(5), pages 721-724, May.
    17. Emmanuel Dornyoh & Abdul-Muhaeminu Tamakloe Ocloo & Tamakloe Ocloo, 2024. "The Environmental Sustainability Practices of Students at the Cape Coast Technical University Hostels," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(3s), pages 3435-3453, August.
    18. Valeria Andreoni & Valeria Ruiz Vargas, 2020. "Tracking the Interlinkages across SDGs: The Case of Hill Centered Education Network in Bogota, Colombia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-13, September.
    19. Taheri, Mozhdeh & van Geenhuizen, Marina, 2016. "Teams' boundary-spanning capacity at university: Performance of technology projects in commercialization," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 31-43.
    20. Tomasi Sabrina & Cavicchi Alessio & Aleffi Chiara & Paviotti Gigliola & Ferrara Concetta & Baldoni Federica & Passarini Paolo, 2021. "Civic universities and bottom-up approaches to boost local development of rural areas: the case of the University of Macerata," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 9(1), pages 1-23, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:srbeha:v:39:y:2022:i:4:p:750-764. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/1092-7026 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.