Enacting Sustainability at the University - Staffs’ Hope and Motivation in Relation to their Actions

The aim of this study is to investigate university staff's sustainability-related hope and motivation, their participation in sustainability actions, and their perceptions of sustainability debates, exploring how these factors are interrelated. Data were collected in Spring 2023 through an online survey of 413 University of Helsinki staff members. The survey incorporated the Hope Concerning Climate Change Scale, and the Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale adapted for the sustainability context. Participants were also asked about their involvement in sustainability actions and their views on the adequacy of sustainability debates at the university. The results revealed positive correlations between hopefulness and intrinsic motivation, while denial was related to the dimensions of external motivation. Notably, denial was more prevalent among those with lower participation in sustainability actions. A significant portion of participants (63%) felt that sustainability issues are insufficiently discussed, and this perception was linked to their level of hopefulness. Those who answered that there is too much talk about sustainability had a higher score in denial than the others. Despite the university’s strategic emphasis on sustainability, there is considerable variation among staff in terms of their sustainability-related hope, motivation, and actions. The possible reasons together with consequences and implications of the results are discussed.