Interdisciplinary Exploration between Organizational Culture and Sustainable Development Management Applied to the Romanian Higher Education Environment

Abstract

The present scientific approach is based on the premise that an interdisciplinary approach in research allows us to solve more complex problems and to create a bridge between fields of knowledge in order to reach relevant solutions. In this context, as a general line of achievement, the proposed study aims to identify a management solution for implementing organizational change. The conceptual paradigm related to the link between sustainable development management and organizational culture is also incorporated, with a focus on the dimensions of sustainable development. The authors’ collective understanding of organizational culture, part of the organizational management system, and sustainable development management, as a cross-cutting approach, is the object of a study applied to the Romanian higher education environment, considered a catalyst for change with an impact on society as a whole. The specific objective of the study is to analyse the relationships between organizational culture and sustainable development management, aiding some stakeholders to identify solutions for increasing performance in the implementation of sustainable development management in Romanian universities. It is intended to contribute to internalizing the idea of a higher value of organizational culture as an internal barometer of an organization, an imprint of values, beliefs, rules and norms, which is why the study also takes into account the investigation of the role of culture in the diagnosis of organizational sustainability, and finally, the contribution of the culture vector to the implementation of changes is highlighted. Achieving goals in the field of sustainable development involves changing mindsets that shape human behaviour. The analysis of the university environment aimed precisely at investigating its relationship with ecological and sustainability issues and identifying ways to improve these practices. In order to achieve these research goals, a methodological framework centred on two pillars was used: a brief bibliometric research accompanied by a critical analysis of the literature and questionnaire-based research. The first pillar resolves the conceptual issues that underpin the study and the second provides an insight into the main characteristics of the organizational culture that can influence sustainable development in Romanian universities.