EXTENDED ABSTRACT

A RESEARCH ON THE GREEN AWARENESS OF POTENTIAL GREEN COLLARS

1. LITERATURE

1.1. RESEARCH SUBJECT

Sustainability can generally be defined as “the ability to meet the needs of future generations without compromising the ability to meet current needs” (Cohen et al., 3). When the concept of sustainability is considered in terms of the business world, it can be said that it does not only focus on financial profits but also considers environmental, social and economic impacts in decision processes (Ones & Dilchert, 2012:450). In this context, the concept of sustainability has brought new professions to working life. While blue-collar and white-collar occupations are predominant in the industrial society and afterwards, the occupations called green-collar gain importance in employment today (Sungur, 2011:154). Green jobs or green-collar jobs are defined as “jobs that protect and increase the quality of the environment by avoiding activities that may be harmful to the world ecosystem in the future” (UNEP et al., 2008:35). Green jobs are also “jobs that provide efficient working environments for the workforce, are sensitive to their rights, provide sufficient income opportunities through participation in decisions, and provide social protection” (ILO, 2013:23).

1.2. RESEARCH PURPOSE AND IMPORTANCE

In the background of the employees’ attitudes and behaviours to protect the environment, they must have sufficient awareness to protect the environment. Based on this requirement, the aim of the study was determined as the determination of the environmental sensitivity and awareness levels of the university students who are future green-collar employees and leaders.

1.3. CONTRIBUTION of the ARTICLE to the LITERATURE

The study will contribute to similar studies on green awareness (environmental awareness) in the literature with different samples.

2. DESIGN AND METHOD

2.1. RESEARCH TYPE

The study is the applied research conducted with the survey method.

2.2. RESEARCH PROBLEMS

Research questions are:

- What is the green awareness (environmental awareness) level of the students?

- Does green awareness (environmental awareness) differ according to the gender of the students?

- Does green awareness (environmental awareness) differ according to the class level of the students?

- Does green awareness (environmental awareness) differ depending on the size of the city students live?

- What are the three most important environmental events or pollution according to the students?

2.3. DATA COLLECTION METHOD

In practice, a survey was conducted on 407 university students (in Kocaeli and Sakarya Universities) determined by simple random sampling method, in November and December 2019, to measure the environmental awareness of the participants. Questionnaires were applied face to face.

2.4. QUANTITATIVE / QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS

The data obtained in the study were analyzed with the SPSS 21 program. The resulting results are explained with summary tables and graphics. Binomial test, t-test, ANOVA, Chi-square test, Levene Homogeneity Test, Tukey Test were used in the analyzes. The significance level in all tests is 5% (p = 0.05).

3. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

3.1. FINDINGS as a RESULT of ANALYSIS

At the end of the study, it was determined that there was no significant difference between men and women in terms of green awareness (environmental awareness), and also the size of the city they live in did not reveal a difference. However, the classes of university students participating in the study revealed a difference in terms of their environmental awareness. First-grade students were determined as the group with the lowest environmental awareness. The environmental awareness of the students in the 2nd, third and 4th grades is higher than those in the 1st grade. In the study, the average level of general environmental awareness of the students was obtained as 65.3% ± 11.7%. However, it was determined that they have very little awareness of “green campus (23.8%)”, “carbon footprint (19.9%)” and “grey waters (17.2%)”. When the potential green-collar employees were asked to list the three most important environmental events or pollution, the findings “global warming”, “air pollution” and “chemical wastes” were found, respectively.

3.2. DISCUSSING the FINDINGS with the LITERATURE

Şenyurt et al. (2011), Altıparmak (2012), Saygılı et al. (2016), Gültekin (2017), Aydın and Toygar (2018) found that female students have higher environmental sensitivity compared to men. However, in the study conducted by Acungil (2020), it was observed that male students have more positive environmental sensitivity and behaviour than female students. However, in the findings obtained from the studies of Kanbak (2015), Arslan and Kızıldağ (2018), it was determined that environmental attitude did not make a difference with gender.

Considering the effects of the education year on green awareness, Aydın and Toygar (2018) found that the environmental awareness of 1st-grade students was higher than the other grade students in the study. However, in the study conducted by Acungil (2020), the average of the positive attitudes of the primary and 1st-grade students towards the environment was lower than the other grades (3rd, fourth and fifth and above). However, Oğuz et al. (2011), Altıparmak (2012), Arslan and Kızıldağ (2018) showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the attitude, awareness and sensitivity of the students towards the classroom and environment they study.

4. CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATION AND LIMITATIONS

4.1. RESULTS of the ARTICLE

In conclusion, it can be said that educating students about the environment will be of great importance in raising awareness about the environment because a green economy requires continuous education, development and adaptation skills to meet the changing labour force demands. As in all education, the primary purpose of environmental education should be to create behavioural change in the individual.

4.2. SUGGESTIONS BASED on RESULTS

The necessity of determining and implementing interdisciplinary training modules with the cooperation of different institutions and units that are dynamic, continually changing and developing, offering multiple skills and knowledge related to green activity areas may be the suggestion of this study. Another suggestion of the study is to prioritize similar researches and the need to repeat similar studies with different samples on environmental awareness. The proliferation of such studies will be useful in increasing green awareness and determining essential strategies on the environment.

4.3. LIMITATIONS of the ARTICLE

The limitation of the study is that the sample consists of Kocaeli University students and Sakarya University students.