Understanding Sustainability Perceptions Among Marketing Students

Evidence from a Portuguese Higher Education Institution

Abstract

This study analyses sustainability perceptions among undergraduate Marketing students, considering cognitive, behavioural and affective dimensions. Data were collected from 51 students enrolled in a Marketing and New Product Design course at a Portuguese higher education institution using a questionnaire adapted from Biasutti and Frate (2017). Descriptive statistics, a reliability analysis, Pearson correlations and independent samples t-tests were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics. The results revealed positive attitudes towards sustainability and relatively high levels of perceived knowledge. Students also demonstrated moderate willingness to engage in sustainability-related actions. However, lower scores were observed in the behavioural dimensions, suggesting the existence of an attitude–behaviour gap. Correlation analysis showed that knowledge was positively associated with attitudes, while self-efficacy and willingness to act were strongly associated with sustainable behaviour. Conversely, knowledge was not significantly related to behaviour, which reinforces the idea that awareness alone does not necessarily translate into action. No significant gender differences were identified. The affective analysis revealed a coexistence of concern regarding sustainability challenges and positive emotions such as hope, confidence and satisfaction when students perceived that they could contribute to solutions. The findings highlight the importance of attitudes, self-efficacy and willingness to act in transforming sustainability awareness into sustainable behaviour and reinforce the relevance of sustainability education in Marketing programmes.