Date of Conferral
10-22-2026
Date of Award
October 2026
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Management
Advisor
Bruce Requa
Abstract
Ineffective sustainability-oriented strategies can hinder organizational performance in higher education institutions (HEI). Canadian HEI leaders must address this challenge to strengthen institutional resilience, environmental accountability, student success, and stakeholder trust. Grounded in the triple bottom line framework, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore effective economic, social, and environmental strategies employed by leaders of Canadian HEIs to enhance organizational performance. The participants were nine Canadian HEI leaders in British Columbia. The data sources were semistructured interviews and publicly available institutional documents. Through thematic analysis, three themes were identified: (a) institutionalizing sustainability through governance, strategy, and accountability; (b) improving organizational resilience and performance through economic and environmental strategies; and (c) advancing social, community, and cultural responsibility through inclusive and reconciliatory practices. A key recommendation is for Canadian HEI leaders to embed sustainability into governance, budgeting, academic planning, reporting, student-success systems, and reconciliation accountability. By implementing the identified strategies, Canadian HEI leaders may be able to improve student access, belonging, and career readiness; advance environmental responsibility and Indigenous reconciliation; and strengthen institutional accountability, thus promoting positive social change.
Recommended Citation
Sanandaji, Houman, "Sustainability-Oriented Strategies Canadian Higher Education Leaders Use to Improve Organizational Performance" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 20950.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/20950
