Compliance or Transformation? Competing Logics in ESG Education for Business Executives

Abstract

As Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) concerns become central to corporate strategy, business schools are increasingly tasked with equipping executives to navigate this evolving terrain. This study examines the competing educational logics shaping ESG executive education: a compliance logic emphasising regulatory adherence and technical proficiency, and a transformative logic oriented toward ethical reflection, systems thinking and societal change. Using an institutional logics framework, we conduct a qualitative curriculum analysis of 16 ESG-focused executive programs offered by leading business schools across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Our findings reveal that most programs overwhelmingly prioritise compliance, with limited incorporation of critical content, interdisciplinary perspectives or transformative pedagogies. Pedagogical designs tend to favour traditional formats and close corporate alignment, reinforcing existing business paradigms rather than challenging them. We argue that this orientation may constrain the potential of ESG education to drive deeper organisational and societal change. To address this, we propose a co-existence model that integrates both compliance and transformative elements, offering a blueprint for reimagining executive ESG curricula. This paper contributes to scholarship on sustainability education and institutional theory, and offers actionable recommendations for curriculum developers seeking to foster competent and conscious sustainability leadership.