Promoting Business Sustainability through Experiential Learning: Connecting Multiple Dimensions

Abstract

This chapter presents the results of an experiential-learning field trip conducted with freshmen management students who will be joining the ranks of business organizations within a few years. We combined quantitative and qualitative analyses to interpret the answers in a survey that synthesizes a course of Fundamentals of Management, with a field trip to Medellin’s Botanical Garden. The epistemic orientation of the research fosters a critical methodology, complemented by responsible orientation, and mindful development of the exercise. The research problem consists of exploring how these prospective young professionals integrate the multiple variables that influence the management profession (e.g., digital dimensions) and interpret the power of business to generate and achieve sustainable value. From their perceptions, priorities, arguments, reflections, and appropriation of concepts, we explore to what extent diverse variables are appropriated as means and goals for their future careers in the contemporary world. For the quantitative approach, we performed a sentiment analysis with the help of an unsupervised machine-learning method denominated “clustering”; specifically, we use K-means clustering and hierarchical clustering to extract the clusters of words that best represent the themes evoked by the students in their responses.