FDU Globalization: Nature, Causes and Consequences September 9, 2013

1. Interdisciplinary Studies as a Vital & Unappreciated Approach Towards Sustainability: Some Tips Along the Way • FDU • Globalization: Nature, Causes and Consequences • September 9, 2013

2. Your guest lecturer • Longest Serving Sustainability Change-Agent in NJ • Senior Fellow, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Institute for Sustainable Enterprise • NJ Department of Environmental Protection Alumnus • Business, Academia, Environmental Group, Government Experience • Perpetual Student • Columnist

3. Sustainability • Must look at Economy/ Environment/ Society Together—not Separately • Problems are urgent, but don’t necessarily need to see them that way to get started • No one has all the answers • Business is not necessarily the enemy • We must help poor countries develop their economies in more benign ways than we did it • Call for creativity in addressing the above

4. Personal Sign Posts Along the Way • Interdisciplinary studies—without the name • Environmental economics/Ecological economics/Behavioral economics • Sustainability/Sustainable Business • Philosophy of science/Critical thinking • Edge-walker/Positive Deviant/Social Entrepreneur • Interdisciplinary studies—with the name

5. Interdisciplinary Thinking • Where does the following so-old-it’s-new-again metaphor say?

7. Some tenets of Interdisciplinary studies (from Repko) • “…needed to answer complex questions, solve complex problems…that are increasingly beyond the ability of any single discipline…” • Descriptions of relations between disciplinary fields: Bridging, Blending, Integrating, Transcending, Reconciling conflicting disciplinary insights • Connecting dots…regardless of the disciplinary box in which they reside

8. Further tenets of Interdisciplinary studies (Repko) • …into a whole that is larger than the sum of its parts • Recognizing & confronting differences • Looks for common ground although may criticize individual fields • Defying of disciplinary limits • Breadth, comprehensiveness, realism • Is not a side-by-side placing of insights from different fields

9. Apply to a Real Life Case: Managing a Farmers Market • A very popular sustainability application • Problem: Have 3 farmers selling produce—Do we accept a fourth if the market “cannot currently support it?” • Maximize interest of the existing farmers (economic viability), or the Community (the social element of sustainability)? • Is there a creative solution to this?

10. Any relevance to today’s readings to point out? • Any recent or current sports management issues which could benefit from an interdisciplinary approach?

12. How to play this role? • What’s the first academic thing to go after graduation? • Ability to do all-nighters & still function the next day, eat greasy subs, courage, curiosity, open-mindedness, a sense of nuance, an I-can-change-the-world focus & energy • Don’t let this happen as you move into careers, life gets busy & crazy; adversity to risk and there’s-nothing-new-under-the-sun attitudes become tempting

13. Other Tips • Not everyone has to be a change-agent like this. Still need many to help make numerous small changes • Figure out your strengths & weaknesses—and work on a select number of the latter • No one knows everything/Usually no one side is completely right—or wrong • Are opportunities that no one may tell you • Be creative

14. Feel free to accept the challenge of pursuing sustainability • In your role as student • In whatever profession you join, create, or change to • As well as in your future roles as parent/ citizen/volunteer

15. Conclusions about Interdisciplinary Studies • Can be very useful—even if it’s not in your job title • A very nice thing to have in your background—gives you a professional edge even if the marketplace doesn’t always understand it • Can be a special and, occasionally, even a beautiful thing