Enhancing Sustainability Competence Through International Collaboration: A Case Study of the Responsible Business Workshop

This study evaluates a novel internationalized educational approach that integrates sustainability into business education through the "Responsible Business – from East to West" (RBW) workshop series. Designed to enhance sustainability competencies among students from diverse cultural backgrounds, RBW adopts a hybrid approach that combines six online, case-based, interactive sessions with an experiential study tour to Japan.While case-based and cross-cultural approaches are recognized as effective in sustainability education, empirical evidence remains limited regarding their impact on the development of sustainability competence within short-term, collaborative, and hybrid learning formats. Addressing this gap, this study examines how the RBW's hybrid model contributes to the development of sustainability competence among undergraduate business students.Using a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design, the study measured changes in students' sustainability competencies across the four interconnected areas of the GreenComp framework. The results revealed a significant enhancement in the experimental group's sustainability competences following RBW participation. Comparative analysis further demonstrated that RBW participants attained a significantly higher competence level than their non-participating counterparts, establishing the profound impact of this targeted intervention.These findings suggest that the RBW’s hybrid, case-based model is an effective pedagogical tool for cultivating comprehensive sustainability competencies. This study offers insights for designing effective sustainability interventions that prepare students for the complexities of global business landscapes and the imperative for social and environmental responsibility.