Research on Training Needs Identification: Leadeship in Sustainability

The aim of this paper is to present the results of a marketing survey on training needs identification in the case of leadership in sustainability (in order to provide a well structured training program for sustainable manager and management). In order to develop the research, a questionnaire was developed and it was distributed on-line (http://leadsus.bicero.com/market-analysis) but a number of subjects (employees in the field of sustainable development, managers of different levels in companies and academic staff) were target, mainly from Romania, Slovenia, France and Austria. The aim of this research was to discover and measure the need of different topics related to sustainability and to provide a preliminary structure of a training program in the field that could help managers to become leaders in sustainability. The items selected for the analysis (included in the questionnaire) were: (1) Foundation - Understanding Sustainability Management; (2) Technical concepts - Resource Management; (3) Social Sustainability; (4) Product/Service Sustainability; (5) Management for Sustainability. According to the statistical data processing results, globally, there is a strong – very strong training need for all the analyzed topics (21 questioning items) related to a potential structure of a leadership in sustainability (sustainable manager) training program. In addition, the most adequate training method that was suggested by most of the respondents is (Theoretical knowledge + best practices examples + exercises + individual projects). The expected research results consist of the Leadership in Sustainability (LeadSUS) certification and qualification program preliminary structure (units and element of teaching and learning).