From Talk to Action: How Small Steps Can Make a Big Impact in Marketing Education for Climate Action

Abstract

This study analyzes the effectiveness of two low-cost and easy-to-implement activities (a brief talk and a case discussion) in engendering interest and awareness toward climate action in a typical Principles of Marketing course. Our findings indicate that, consistent with existing research, women are more likely to be concerned about climate change and more willing to contribute to its mitigation. We found that the talk alone had limited effects, only increasing the likelihood of students reporting the importance of climate change education in their business degree and marketing classes. However, the combined approach of talk and case discussion had a more far-reaching impact, as students reported, for example, a higher willingness to donate, volunteer, and change behavior. These results suggest that even a limited and easily applied intervention can have positive effects on the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13.