Integrating sustainability and ESG criteria into international business curricula: impact on student learning outcomes

Purpose This study aims to examine how integration depth – the extent to which sustainability content challenges fundamental business paradigms – affects student competency development in international business education across diverse cultural contexts. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods study across 12 business schools in four countries involving 427 students. The research used pre-post competency assessments, curriculum analysis, multi-level modelling and qualitative investigation through focus groups and faculty interviews. Findings Integration depth significantly enhances cross-contextual sustainability competence development. However, cultural tightness-looseness moderates this relationship: paradigm-challenging approaches prove more effective in culturally loose contexts but encounter resistance in culturally tight contexts that prioritise conformity. Originality/value This is a large-scale, cross-cultural study of sustainability integration effectiveness in international business education, demonstrating cultural contingencies in transformative learning and providing evidence-based guidance for culturally responsive curriculum design.