Segmenting and engaging business students for sustainable development: Insights into expectation management from a cross-country study

Effectively engaging business students in sustainability transformations requires understanding their sustainability expectations. This study aims to identify business student segments from various cultural contexts based on their sustainability engagement intentions, map their sustainability expectations, and develop engagement strategies based on expectation management. Data were collected from 239 business students in the USA and Germany using a standardized Kano questionnaire. Expectations were categorized through Kano analysis. Cluster analysis was used to identify student segments. Four segments emerged, nick-named as Convinced Doers, Latent Doers, Unintentionally Passives, and Skeptical Passives. These segments differ in their sustainability expectations and interest, collectivist values, and demographics (gender). Student interests and needs were found crucial in guiding engagement efforts.