The role of knowledge structures in transferring the culture of environmental protection towards sustainable development

Document Type : Original Research Manuscripts

Authors

1 PhD Student Department of Cultural Management and Planning, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

2 Professor, Department of Cultural Management and Planning, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Management, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

10.22034/kps.2026.543951.1247
Abstract
Sustainable development represents a new perspective on the relationship between humans, nature, and society, aiming to meet present needs without limiting the ability of future generations. This study seeks to design and explain a cultural model of environmental protection within the framework of sustainable development in the National Environmental Organization. The research is applied in purpose and exploratory in method, employing both qualitative and quantitative (mixed) approaches through grounded theory and exploratory factor analysis. Data collection relied on semi-structured interviews with 12 experts, including university professors, managers in environmental fields, and representatives of organizations, municipalities, and NGOs. Analysis followed grounded theory procedures—open, axial, and selective coding—resulting in 15 categories within a paradigm model. These included causal conditions (ecological, social, economic, ethical, and political necessities), the central phenomenon (cultural model of environmental protection), enabling conditions (sustainability culture, governance, and leadership), intervening conditions (cognitive, attitudinal, socio-cultural, political, economic, and infrastructural factors), strategies (cultural transformation, behavioral innovation, and sustainability strategies), and consequences (environmental and socio-political outcomes). In the quantitative phase, the statistical population extended to managers and staff of the National Environmental Organization. Data from exploratory factor analysis were processed using SPSS26, confirming validity and reliability of the questionnaire as factor loadings exceeded 0.3 and significance coefficients surpassed 1.96. Furthermore, structural equation modeling via AMOS confirmed the strength of relationships among model components, validating the proposed framework

Keywords

Subjects

Adanma, U. M., & Ogunbiyi, E. O. (2024). A comparative review of global environmental policies for promoting sustainable development and economic growth. International Journal of Applied Research in Social Sciences6(5), 954-977.
Andersen, B., Skrede, J., & Grevstad-Nordbrock, T. (2025). The significance of culture for social sustainability–a discussion of cultural security and insecurity in neighbourhoods. Local Environment30(1), 1-15.
Appannan, J. S., Mohd Said, R., Ong, T. S., & Senik, R. (2023). Promoting sustainable development through strategies, environmental management accounting and environmental performance. Business Strategy and the Environment32(4), 1914-1930.
Armaghan, S. (2018). Strategies to increase public participation in improving the environmental indicators of rural areas (Case study: Mallard Central District villages). Journal of New Attitudes in Human Geography, 10(2), 131-150.
Arthington, A. H., Bhaduri, A., Bunn, S. E., Jackson, S. E., Tharme, R. E., Tickner, D., ... & Ward, S. (2018). The Brisbane declaration and global action agenda on environmental flows (2018). Frontiers in Environmental Science6, 45.
Botkin, D., & Edward, K. (2015). Environmental Knowledge, Living Planet Earth, translated by Abdul Hossein Vahabzadeh, Mashhad, University of Mashhad Academic Press, third edition.
Dabiri, F., Shakeri, M. R., & Bani Mahmoudi, H. (2019). Analysis of the concept of sustainable development in international environmental law. Comparative Law Researches, 23(2), 809-832.
Farhang, A., Kianpour, S., & Shamsollahi, R. (2023). The Impact of Globalization Dimensions on Economic Growth and Environmental Quality in Iran. Economics and Modeling, 15(2), 149-182. [In Persian]
Green, K. W., Inman, R. A., Sower, V. E., & Zelbst, P. J. (2019). Impact of JIT, TQM and green supply chain practices on environmental sustainability. Journal of manufacturing technology management30(1), 26-47.
Hao, Y., Yasin, M. A. I., & Boon Sim, N. (2023). A study on the influence of media use on college students' environmental protection behaviors. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal34(1), 177-191.
Heyd, T. (2016). Encountering nature: Toward an environmental culture. Routledge.
Holmberg, J., & Sandbrook, R. (2019). Sustainable development: what is to be done?. In Policies for a small planet (pp. 19-38). Routledge.
Imamgholi, L., Salehi, S., Rezaei, A., and Feizi, A. (2023). Sociological Analysis of Environmental Protection Behavior. Sociological Studies, 16(60), 143-163. [In Persian]
Kang, J., Aletta, F., Gjestland, T. T., Brown, L. A., Botteldooren, D., Schulte-Fortkamp, B., ... & Lavia, L. (2016). Ten questions on the soundscapes of the built environment. Building and environment108, 284-294.
Khorasani, M., & Niazi, M. (2023). Scenarios of Environmental Justice and Sustainable Development Goals (Case Study: Kashan County). Sociology of Culture and Art, forthcoming. [In Persian]
Koul, B., Yakoob, M., & Shah, M. P. (2022). Agricultural waste management strategies for environmental sustainability. Environmental Research206, 112285.
Kour, D., Kaur, T., Devi, R., Yadav, A., Singh, M., Joshi, D., ... & Saxena, A. K. (2021). Beneficial microbiomes for bioremediation of diverse contaminated environments for environmental sustainability: present status and future challenges. Environmental Science and Pollution Research28, 24917-24939.
Lange, F., & Dewitte, S. (2022). The Work for Environmental Protection Task: A consequential web-based procedure for studying pro-environmental behavior. Behavior Research Methods54(1), 133-145.
Liu, P., Teng, M., & Han, C. (2020). How does environmental knowledge translate into pro-environmental behaviors?: The mediating role of environmental attitudes and behavioral intentions. Science of the total environment728, 138126.
Mohammadipour, M., & Mashhadi, A. (2024). The Role of the Constitutional Supervisory Body in Environmental Protection within the Framework of Article Fifty of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Public Law Research, forthcoming. [In Persian]
Mohammed, M. K. (2024). Environmental crises and narrative consciousness in Maja Lunde's the History of Bees. Social Sciences & Humanities Open9, 100763.
Mousavi, M., Boroumand, A., & Tabatabaei Yazdi, F. (2015). Studying the impact of rural women empowerment on achieving sustainable development and environmental protection (a synthesis study). Geography and Environmental Hazards, ready for publication. [In Persian]
Nosrati, S., Kim, S. S., & Leung, J. (2023). Moderating effects of cultural values on the relationship between individual values and pro-environmental behavior. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management57, 158-169.
Obydenkova, A. (2022). Strategies and challenges of sustainable development in Eurasia. Post-Communist Economies34(7), 835-846.
Ozili, P. K., & Iorember, P. T. (2024). Financial stability and sustainable development. International Journal of Finance & Economics29(3), 2620-2646.
Ruggerio, C. A. (2021). Sustainability and sustainable development: A review of principles and definitions. Science of the Total Environment786, 147481.
Sekhar, S. J., Samuel, M. S., Glivin, G., Le, T. G., & Mathimani, T. (2024). Production and utilization of green ammonia for decarbonizing the energy sector with a discrete focus on Sustainable Development Goals and environmental impact and technical hurdles. Fuel360, 130626.
Silvestre, B. S., & Ţîrcă, D. M. (2019). Innovations for sustainable development: Moving toward a sustainable future. Journal of cleaner production208, 325-332.
Su, F., Song, N., Shang, H., Wang, J., & Xue, B. (2021). Effects of social capital, risk perception and awareness on environmental protection behavior. Ecosystem Health and Sustainability7(1), 1942996.
Tomislav, K. (2018). The concept of sustainable development: From its beginning to the contemporary issues. Zagreb International Review of Economics & Business21(1), 67-94.
Virah-Sawmy, D., & Sturmberg, B. (2025). Socio-economic and environmental impacts of renewable energy deployments: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews207, 114956.

  • Receive Date 29 August 2025
  • Revise Date 25 September 2025
  • Accept Date 26 November 2025