To Örebro University

For the transition to a sustainable society, it has been argued that higher education should provide students with competencies other than strictly subject-specific, such as key competencies for sustainability. This chapter discusses how key competencies were implemented in an entrepreneurship course in a business school in Sweden. In the course, design thinking was used as a method. During the process, the students solved real-world social challenges related to sustainability and Agenda 2030 SDGs. Students analyzed complex societal challenges from an interdisciplinary and needs-based perspective while learning sustainable key competencies: systems thinking, future thinking, values thinking, strategic thinking, and collaboration. Results show that key competencies for sustainability can be taught through entrepreneurship and that some key competencies were more advanced than others. This knowledge can be used to further develop the curriculum to implement key competencies for sustainability.

The food sector has been targeted as a potential site for the implementation of circular economy strategies. Food packaging, in particular, has caused concern due to its high production volume, short usage time, and problems related to waste management and littering. Circular economy strategies could potentially address these concerns if there is consumer acceptance and participation in circular systems. The present review seeks to inform future studies of the need for further research in this area by reviewing current knowledge of consumer behavior in relation to circular food packaging. When doing so, the study finds that studies have primarily focused on recycling, foremost in the European and American setting. However, less is known about consumers and circular packaging in developing countries. While reuse strategies were more prevalent in studies from the 1970–1980s, the review finds that such initiatives are yet again researched, which is promising given their generally favorable environmental footprint.

This study contributes to the understanding of how values promote and hinder circular consumer behaviour by examining and learning from the Swedish deposit-refund system for beverage cans and PET bottles. We have used the consumption value theory in our analysis, building on the concepts of circular economy, sustainable consumption and recycling. Data was collected from focus group interviews with young adults in order to identify and explore the ways that values promote and hinder participation. Functional values were found to be at the core of sustainable consumption as a result of financial incentives and the fact that consumers value convenience. The study also highlights the importance that young adults place on emotional values, in particular embarrassment, which hinders them from recycling. When it comes to sustainable consumption, young adults are driven by selfish behaviour, prioritising personal comfort. Social settings were also found to promote and hinder participation in the deposit-refund system. The study finds that an understanding of the reasons why different social groups and age groups approve or disapprove of participation in circular solutions may help design solutions to increase participation in circular solutions and circular economies. The results show that it is important to study the combinations of value dimensions to understand consumer behaviour in a circular system fully.

In the face of multifaceted global challenges, social enterprises (SEs) have emerged as significant players in promoting sustainability, social inclusion, and economic resilience. The Swedish government recognizes SEs as instrumental in achieving the global sustainability goals set forth in Agenda 2030. Estimates suggest the existence of approximately 3000 SEs, with a regional survey indicating around 2000 SEs across various legal forms. SEs operate in over thirty industries, with the most prevalent sectors being health and healthcare, education, and industry-related organizations. Common contributions to sustainable development include work integration, local collaboration, and area-specific development. This study analyzes a 2023 Swedish survey results, aiming to map the extent of SEs, gather information, and understand the challenges faced by social enterprises. The survey identifies significant barriers, including sustainable financing, public procurement issues, inadequate public funding, weak lobbying for social entrepreneurship, and low cooperation with the social sector. Overcoming these challenges is crucial for fostering a sustainable society, growth, and job opportunities. The literature highlights that SEs face unique challenges, including legal and governance issues, impact evaluation, weak support networks, funding difficulties, and management tensions. The concept of "liability of newness" underscores the challenges young SEs face in gaining legitimacy, which is vital for attracting resources and achieving sustainability. Legitimacy and sustainability are crucial for SEs to fulfill their mission, though SEs may face legitimacy issues due to their unique actions. This study reveals key barriers and highlighting the need for enhanced policy support, better financing solutions, and improved public awareness to strengthen the social economy.

This study explores the pressures leading students to academic dishonesty, presenting cheating as a survival strategy rather than an easy way out. Interviews were conducted with nine students convicted of academic misconduct. Through semi-structured interviews, the study identified three main pressure categories: Health & Self-esteem, Study Environment & Social Life, and Family & Culture.

Significant health issues, including chronic illnesses and mental health struggles, compounded by academic demands, created overwhelming stress for students. Family expectations, particularly in certain cultural contexts, added further pressure, with students feeling obligated to meet high academic standards set by their parents.

The findings suggest that cheating provides temporary relief from these pressures but often leads to additional stress and guilt. Some students reported feeling better after discussing their experiences during the interviews, indicating a lack of prior opportunities to process their actions.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these pressures by isolating students and disrupting their support systems, possibly explaining the increase in academic dishonesty during this period. The study calls for further research on students who habitually cheat but avoid detection, as they may have different support needs.

Overall, the study highlights the need for educational institutions to address the multifaceted pressures students face and develop strategies to reduce academic dishonesty.

Objectives: This study seeks to synthesize academic knowledge about training in SMEs. 

Prior Work: Within the area of training and SMEs research has taken an interest in the effects of training, employee and or management training and implications for policy to foster growth. Literature reviews have taken different focus. A systematic literature review of this comprehensive area is still missing.  

Approach: This study uses a systematic literature review model to synthesize this area of research. 

Results: The study finds that the debate about training outcomes has interested research over the years and continues to interest scholars and policy. The field has been dominated by research from Europe and the UK. During the last few years, the research field has grown as researchers have taken an interest in empirics from countries in Asia. There are few studies using empirical data from the US or Canada. Studying training, researchers have taken an interest in government policy measures and initiatives. The study finds that EU funds have had a great influence on the research field of training and SMEs.  

Implications and value: With this study we will contribute to research by making visible what has been studied, to paint the big picture of training in SMEs, so to speak. The study outlines how the field has developed over the years and finds research gaps in literature which are valuable for future research, practitioners and policy. 

The food sector is a potential site for the implementation of circular economy strategies. Food packaging cause concern due to high production volume, short usage, problems of waste management and littering. Circular economy strategies could address these concerns if there is consumer acceptance and participation in systems with food packaging. We seek to review current knowledge of consumer behavior in relation to circular food packaging. The study finds that circular economy in terms of the recycling strategy, are found foremost in European and American setting. While reuse strategies were more prevalent in studies from 1970-80s, such initiatives have been renewed.  

Much have been published about students cheating in higher education. Studies presented cover different theoretical areas, from psychology and criminology to philosophy and pedagogy. Some of these studies suggest that cheating students tend to develop into workforce with various kinds of unethical behaviour. For a sustainable working life, it is important that managers and workforce have a compass that leads them to behave ethically. This study, therefore, takes a deeper look into the area of ethics to find different aspects of ethics related to students cheating, working life and organisations. The contribution aims at creating academic knowledge about (un)ethical management in working life. We do this by conducting a systematic literature review about what cheating in higher education entails for working life and management. We use literature that has been initiated covering academic research published in peer-reviewed journals.

First the material was collected. This was done by conducting a search in Scopus which resulted in a total of 673 articles. For this search we used the search string; ethic* AND (work* OR student*) AND (dishonest* OR cheat*). In a first sorting out, these articles were narrowed down to 352 articles about ethics and cheating from the perspective of the student or workforce. A second reading of the articles resulted in a reduced sample of articles studying cheating in higher education and working life, management, workforce, and co-worker including. Including words were student, professional, organization, company, authority, and leader. To sort the articles from the search we used Zotero as a tool. 

In the study we present descriptive data about the selected literature and categorize different perspectives used in the review literature. The article concludes with suggestions on policy recommendations and suggestions for future research. 

Under projektets gång har det funnits ett behov av att studera hur samverkan i forskning fungerar och hur forskare vid Örebro universitet ser på samverkan i forskningen. I uppdraget har därför jag intresserat mig för forskningssamverkan eftersom detta var särskilt prioriterat i projektet. Forskare på Örebro universitet har intervjuats liksom samverkanspartner till projektet för att förstå deras syn på samverkan i relation till universitet. Projektet har haft som mål att identifiera en ”Örebromodell” och avsikten var därför att bistå projektet och initiera en diskussion kring utvecklingen av sådan modell. 

Några av resultaten är att det finns ett behov av att skapa en gemensam förståelse för varandra och förväntningar som parterna kan ha på varandra. Samverkan kräver tid och engagemang och för att lyckas behövs resurser. Liknande projekt som detta är betydelsefullt för forskare, lärare och annan personal på Örebro universitet liksom för aktörer i regionen.