The role of ecological competence in manager's professional education

Abstract

In this work the moments of interaction between the human and environment are considered as well as the question of sustainable development and its entirety with training of amiable to nature specialists. We look approaches to the concept of education for sustainable development in the context of the formation of ecological culture of contemporary society. Its aim is a new ecological thinking and environmentally intelligent behavior. Relevance of research is that modern managers must be capacity to understand the main reasons of nature or societies risks in their professional activity. Only this specific ecological knowledge can help them not to trouble our planet. Ecological competence becomes immanent quality of any specialist: that is why the diagnostic testing program of professional competence level (‘competent’/ ‘incompetent’) includes the environmental aspect. The conditions of high social and cultural dynamics form the new vision of the education role of the University as a center for mastering high-level competencies. Information and communication technologies are one of the tools for the development of environmental competence of manager.

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vailable online at www.sciencedirect.com
1877–0428 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.04.096
Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 15 (2011) 2293–2298
WCES-2011
The role of ecological competence in manager’s professional
education
Olga Perfilova a*, Yulia Alizadeb
aChair of Ecology & Wildlife Management, Sholokhov Moscow State Humanitarian University, Moscow,109240, Russia
bDepartment of Management, College of Communication Technologies, Moscow,111123, Russia
Abstract
In this work the moments of interaction between the human and environment are considered as well as the question of sustainable
development and its entirety with training of amiable to nature specialists. We look approaches to the concept of education for
sustainable development in the context of the formation of ecological culture of contemporary society. Its aim is a new ecological
thinking and environmentally intelligent behavior. Relevance of research is that modern managers must be capacity to understand
the main reasons of nature or societies risks in their professional activity. Only this specific ecological knowledge can help them not
to trouble our planet. Ecological competence becomes immanent quality of any specialist: that is why the diagnostic testing program
of professional competence level (‘competent’/ ‘incompetent’) includes the environmental aspect. The conditions of high social and
cultural dynamics form the new vision of the education role of the University as a center for mastering high-level competencies.
Informa tion and communication technologies are one of the tools for the development of environmental competence of manager.
© 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Keywords: ecological competence; environmental education; management; professional development; safety of ecological and social
interaction; ecological aspects of global world
1. Introduction
This research of the process of formation of specialist’s ecological competence had been performed since 2003. At
the present time the system of standard indicators of the development level of the ecological competence is
developed (Glazachev, Perfilova, 2008). The essen ce, structure, conceptual framework of the ecological
competence; social compound of the “ecological competence” category; features of the model of the specialist’s
ecological competence in development process of professional activities have been taken into account. At the first
stage (2003-2007) the research was been performed on university’s basis, at the second stage (starting from 2008),
the research scale had been expanded at the expense colleges, included in the research platform.
2. Methods
2.1. Conceptual and terminological description
Following characteristics are applied in the modern theory and practice of education:
- competen cy as norm of educational training;
* Olga Perfilova. Tel.:+7 925 060 10 43
E-mail address: oper-filova@yandex.ru
Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

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- competence as complex of personal features and minimal experience referred to activities in the given area.
2.2. Ecological education purposes
“Higher competences” assume the high level initiative, ability to organize other people for the achievement of
laid down targets, readiness to assess and analyze social consequences of their actions (Raven, 1985). Some
researches also confirm the need for high level competences, as terms to achieve professional results (Schneider,
Klemp & Kastendiek, 1981; see also Varley & Johnstone (as cited in Raven, 1987), Serikov, 2003, Perfilova, 2006).
People’s professional competence depends not only of formal knowledge and work methods, but also of the ability
to form their own system of the perception of what’s going on, using such methods as “dialogue with problem”,
“experimental interaction with the environment” to check hypotheses or scenarios ( Schon, 1987). The scale of tasks,
which are to be solved because ecological demands for the professionalism in all areas, allows to determine the
ecological competence as the highest one.
The ecological competence is referred to the man’s readiness for adequate actions to the transformation of the
existing social and natural reality. The structure of the ecological competence comprises such basic elements as: 1)
axiological and conceptual; 2) general cultural; 3) referred to the personal self-improvement; 4) communicative
(Figure1).
Figure 1. The structure of ecological competence (Glazachev, Perfilova, 2008)
At the global level the ecological competence is formed as the perceptional one; at the general education level –
as the mandatory education component; and as the compound of any activities - at the professional level. So, the
ecological competence has got trans-subject, meta-subject features and becomes the criteria of the professional
competence of all specialists (Glazachev, 2010).
Ecolo
g
ical
Competence
highe
r
(basic)
q
ualitie
s
minimum
professional
ex
p
erience
axiological
and
conce
p
tual
communicative
personal
self-
im
p
rovement
general
cultural

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3. Discussion
3.1. Prerequisites for the formation of ecological thinking
The purpose of the ecological education is to form the new ecological thinking and the environmentally
reasonable behavior. Unfavorable situations, causing environmental problems, impact the environment quality and
the health of population (Kofler, 2007). So, ever ybody should have th e potential of the nonrandom vision of factors,
threatening nature and society (Anisimov, 2009). The interactive discussion show “Bolshiye” of the Russian youth
TV-project showed (www.tvkultura.ru), that more than 70% of respondents see the way out from the existing social
and ecological crisis in the development of society ecological culture by means of ecological education (Figure 2).
In what do you see the way out
from the existing social and ecological crisis?
70%
17%
13%
In forming of ecological culture
Other
Difficult to answer
Figure 2. The results of on-line poll about modern pr oblems of global World.
3.2. Principles of ecological education of modern managers
It is on record that demands for the specialists’ training are formulated outside the education system. They arise
from general economic, political and social purposes. As it is necessary to solve such tasks as the establishment of
the safe social and natural interaction, modern managers should understand the danger of natural and social risks.
While developing the strategic matrix the manager should be well oriented in such issues as provision of the
efficient management in the “Man-Nature-Society” system. For example, such notions as “competence”, “ecological
situation”, “culture” are included among features, determined by the manager while carrying out the SWOT–
analysis (strengths, weakness, opportunities, threats). The analysis of the environment assumes the analysis of the
macro-environment (indirect influence) and of the micro-environment (direct influence). In the set of analyzed
spheres of the macro-environment the environmental sphere is considered as a long term development factor. The
same comprehensive approach is applied in the management when developing the algorithm of the ecological
assessment of the investment project efficiency, and assumes the determination of the possible economic damage,
caused by the environment pollution.

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Modern technologies are aggressive to the environment. Ecology and culture try to humanize mechanisms of
economic development within nature’s compass. This was reflected in the provision of the World Business
Committee for the sustainable development, concerning the need to preserve the balance between economic needs
and responsible activities as to the environmental condition and social problems (do Valle, 2009). The environmental
approach to the management in globalization environment is perceived traditionally: the ecology studies such
problems as co-evolution of nature and humanity, preservation of the natural diversity at our planet, live nature
protection. In the wide sense we can speak about the ecology of people activities and of the governing in fluence on
complicates systems, based on the “To think globally, to act locally” principle. In all cases the matter is about the
man and environment (Knyazeva, 2009).
3.3. Difficulties in forming ecological world outlook at college students
The ecological education is also improperly referred only to the category of natural sciences. But the formation
of the ecological culture is more and more realized as the field of application of humanitarian technologies. For
reference, it should be pointed out, that the Russian standard of students University education, majoring in
“Ecology&Environmental Management”, also comprises:
a) the special subjects of natural science units (geo-ecology, geography, geology,
biology, chemistry, general ecology, natural resources, etc.);
b) special humanities block (anthropo-ecology, social ecology, ecological psychology,
environmental law, economics, environmental management, etc.);
c) information and communication sciences (IT-technology, geo-information systems, foreign languages);
d) special workshops (expeditions, environmental monitoring, environmental assessment, PR-projects, etc.);
e) elective courses (on the ecological culture of peace, on global environmental issues, etc.)
Such discipline as “Elements of Ecology” is also included in the standard of education of students with non-core
majoring specialties (incl. Management, State&Municipal Administration, Jurisprudence etc.).
The mandatory education standard for college students, majoring in Management, comprises also “Ecological
Elements of the Environmental Management”, anyway, sometimes this discipline is translated by lecturers only from
the position of natural sciences (biology, chemistry etc.), without taking into account the humanitarian compound of
the en vironmental knowledge, hindering the formation of the ecol ogical world outlook at college students.
4. Findings
4.1 .Diagnostics of the ecological competence level
The new social, cultural, ecologic measurement of professionalism by “competent /not competent” scale can be a
material supplement to diagnostic programs of testing of the present professional competence level (Spenser &
Spenser, 1993, see also Braun, Klotz, Krauder, Kurinyal, Meyer (as cited in Raven, 1987), Perfilova, 2006). Results
of research of the competence phenomena stipulate the need for the development of principally new and
prognostically reliable diagnostics methods, allowing to fix the development level for superior competences.
Namely, in Great Britain options of following methodic approaches are widely used: statements, behavioral event
interview methods and value-expectancy-instrumentality theory.
In following levels: 0 – level of absence of knowledge; 1 – acknowledgment level (general principles of the
issue); 2 – technical their research experts pat special attention to social aspects of competence, as well as to the
motivation of professional activities. When studying problems of competence forming in the modern society the
method of Edinburg Questionnaires (Graham, Raven, 1987) used to be very popular, this method has been long
time-tested in USA, Canada, Japan, China and other countries. When evaluating the competence level, Bloom’s
taxonomy (Bloom, 1956, see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki) has got high validity for 6 categories: knowledge,
understanding, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation. The use of such method allows to range literacy level
(functional opportunities and areas of application); 3 – concepts’ understanding level (abstract and practical); 4-
extended level (detailed knowledge of methods and solutions, creation of applied technologies). In its turn, while

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addressing to the problem of professionalism achievement, Anisimov (2006) considers following levels: dilettantism;
routine professionalism; innovation professionalism. It is offered to determine the ecological competence level by
such positions as “low”, “medium”, “high” (Glazachev, Perfilova, 2008). The synchronization of these stratification
levels of competence development by different indices is given in the comprehensive Table 1.
Table 1. Stratification levels of ecological competence
Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956) Anisimov (2006) Glazachev & Perfilova (2008)
0 - lack of knowledge
1- introduction
2 - technological literacy
3 - understanding of the concepts
4 - advanced
< >
dilettantism
routine professional
< >
innovative professional
low
< >
medium
high
< >
4.2. Characteristics of high level of ecological competence
The diagnostic shows, that the high level of ecological competence is characterized by: reflexion of the
professional experience of environmental activities; integration of ecological activities in long term vital and
professional plans; comprehensive world view; adequate evaluation of the modern social and natural reality; nature
integration in the number of vital spheres; tolerance; high level of naturalistic erudition; interest for profession; aim
to the moral and intellectual self-development; environmental culture; ability to build the eco-social communication;
operation with social rules and communication convents; readiness for the participation in the dialogue of different
cultures (Glazachev, Perfilova, 2008).
5. Conclusion and Recommendations
So, universities ar e leading “centers of competences”. At the same time colleges can be pr ofessionally integrated
in the process of education ecologization in close cooperation with fundamental academic platforms. The
organization of such a tandem can promote the creation of the cultural an d educational cluster in the continuous
environmental education system.
Our opinion is that possibilities of the formation of manager’s ecological competence in the college are referred
to the application of new teaching methods, as well as new humanitarian technologies. To such can be referred
following specific methods of the environmental education and upbrin ging:
- research projects of students in real time, aimed at attracting investment in
environmental technologies (Alizade, 2010, in press);
- research (in collaboration University-College: department –faculty - students) as part of integrated programs to
study safety issues of human impact;
- humanitarian environmental mission, the project "Eco-Date" (Earth Day, World Water Day, Earth Hour,
World Day of smoking cessation, etc.);
- interactive interdisciplinary forums on global environmental issues.
In this juncture it is expected, that managers, who have received specific ecological education, will allow our
planet to get rid from consequence of incorrect decisions.
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