=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-2387/20190348
|storemode=property
|title=Information Technologies in Training of Green Business Managers
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2387/20190348.pdf
|volume=Vol-2387
|authors=Galina Kupalova,Nataliia Goncharenko
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/icteri/KupalovaG19
}}
==Information Technologies in Training of Green Business Managers==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2387/20190348.pdf
Information Technologies in Training of Green Business
Managers
Galina Kupalova, Nataliia Goncharenko
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyrska str., 60, Kyiv, Ukraine
prof.galina@gmail.com, nota7sha@ukr.net
Abstract. Implementation of the principles of sustainable development, ecolo-
gization of the economy, environmental modernization of production and re-
duction of anthropogenic impact on the environment largely depend on the pro-
vision of qualified, economically and environmentally competent, conscious
management personnel. To train these professionals, it is necessary to introduce
in the educational process innovative methods and information systems, primar-
ily, in teaching disciplines of interdisciplinary environmental and economics
profile (ecological management, environmental entrepreneurship, modern green
business technologies, strategy of green development enterprise, ecological
economy, ecological accounting etc.).
The article explores the problem of improving the educational process for the
training of qualified professionals - environmental managers - by introducing
into the curriculum information technologies based on national and internation-
al experiences. It substantiates the urgency of the formation of practical skills of
using informational technologies for students of the ecological-economic pro-
file so that they are able to quickly navigate in the information space and devel-
op solutions for relevant ecological and economic problems.
The article defines competences necessary for professional realization of future
environmental managers in the conditions of ever-increasing growth of infor-
mation technologies. The article also identifies the structural elements of the
most commonly used computer software programs (1C: Enterprise, SAP,
М.е.doc) needed for the formation of professional skills of green business man-
agers and suggests methods for their effective teaching
A business simulator “Strategy of “green” business” used for training green
managers is proposed. Business simulator have developed by Ukrainian-
German Department of Environmental Management and Entrepreneurship of
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv together with the German So-
ciety for International Cooperation (GIZ). The application of this business
simulator involves acquiring theoretical knowledge and practical skills in valua-
tion, accounting, analysis and audit of the environmental aspects of the enter-
prise, analysis of its environment, modeling the green operations and develop-
ing corporate strategy.
Keywords: Green Development, Higher Education, Information Technologies.
1 Introduction
The implementation of the principles of sustainable development in politics, econom-
ics, and entrepreneurship requires the preparation of a new category of professionals –
competent green business managers. They have to possess profound interdisciplinary
knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship, trade, ecology, environmental management,
environmental marketing, environmental economics, accounting and auditing, modern
green business technologies, etc.
The modern generation of students of higher education institutions is represented,
by the so-called, generation Z, the digital people, who from the early age actively use
various gadgets, effortlessly navigate the Internet, communicate and receive infor-
mation through social networks and messaging services. A large selection of infor-
mation sources contributes to the formation of skills in young people for rapid percep-
tion and processing of data. Comprehensive informatization of social life, its virtual-
ization, robotization, and the active development of the digital economy are the impe-
tus for the emergence of new requirements to the organization of educational pro-
grams, their level and quality, and the professional competences students expect to
obtain during their studies.
Considering current needs of the labor market, social production, global trends in
the development of science and education, psychological and personality traits of
students, and urgent requirements of the time, in particular, in the training of manag-
ers of green business, is the introduction of specialized information and computer
technology. This will optimize the learning process and increase its efficiency, foster
the interest of students towards the study, develop their theoretical knowledge and
practical skills in managing the company on the principles of sustainable development
and addressing the current ecological, economic and societal problems.
The organizational, educational, methodological and technical approaches focusing
the information technology training at universities has become subject of research by
leading scholars. Problems and perspectives of applying information technologies in
the training of specialists in various specialties were thoroughly investigated by
F. Bennet, A. Bishop, B. Dalgarno, J. Waycott, G. Kennedy, V. Kharchenko, Y. Kon-
dratenko, J. Kacprzyk, V. Lapinsky, A. Pylypchuk [1-4].
The results of scientific studies and practical activities of researchers, economists,
IT-technologists, engineers are being introduced in the educational process for the
purpose of its informatization. Thus, Y.V. Strelnikov and I.G.Britschenko thoroughly
investigated the organizational, technological and psychological aspects of applying
modern teaching technologies at universities in the context of the Bologna Process.
The authors emphasize that the pedagogical purpose of using information technology
education is, first of all, the development of the students’ personality, preparation for
independent productive activity in the conditions of the information society. It in-
volves intellectual and creative development, expansion of communicative abilities on
the basis of joint projects implementation; professional development [5]. O.M. To-
rubara analyzed the peculiarities of the use of new information technologies in the
study of students at universities [6].
Also, there is a group of researchers who investigate the features of information
technologies and computer training facilities. S. Kinash, D. Knight and M. McLean
study the effectiveness of using on-line lectures in the learning process [7]. O.O.
Stechkevich and T.D. Yakimovich analyze the peculiarities of the use of audiovisual
training means in the professional education [8].
A number of scholars study the peculiarities of the use of information technologies
in the training of specialists in specific fields. In particular, L. Tutun and O.M. Soya
reveal the main methodological approaches and analyze the practical experience of
forming the competences of future professional teachers of the physical and mathe-
matical specialties and the role of applied programs in the study of mathematical dis-
ciplines in higher education [9].
Yet, the problems of informatization of the educational process of training profes-
sionals in the field of green business, environmental business and management are
currently not sufficiently explored.
Taking into account the above, the purpose of the article is to develop proposals for
improving the educational process for the training of managers of green business
through the introduction of information technologies using national and international
experience.
2 Results of Investigation
The development of the digital economy stimulates the demand for professionals in
different specialties that have the specific knowledge and skills in the field of infor-
mation technologies (IT). Over the last decade, educational institutions have been the
main source for developing practical skills in using specialized software. According
to the results of one-time surveys of Eurostat (2007, 2011), the share of the population
who received practical skills in working with information technologies in educational
institutions, increased from 23% in 2007 to 30% in 2011, or by 7 percentage points.
The leaders in the growth of the share of specialists who have mastered practical
skills of using information technology in the professional sector are Britain and
France with 14 percentage points and the Netherlands with 11 percentage points. If
the current trends are maintained, one can predict similar indicators for 2020 (Table
1).
Table 1. Share of people who have acquired IT skills in educational institutions, specialized
courses, 2007, 2011, %
Individuals who have obtained Individuals who have ob-
IT skills through formalized tained IT skills through
educational institutes (schools, training courses and adult
colleges, university) educational centers
2007 2011 2007 2011
2020 2020
European Union, all 23 30 44 11 14 20
Great Britain 26 40 68 9 12 18
Estonia 32 38 50 10 15 25
France 23 37 65 9 4 -
Latvia 29 34 44 10 13 19
Austria 27 33 45 15 17 21
Poland 26 32 37 6 6 6
Netherlands 16 27 49 8 7 5
It is established that at universities for the training of specialists in green business
traditionally the information technologies are used in the following main directions:
1. Formation of skills of using technologies for the collection, storage and pro-
cessing of information and data, their visualization (computers, laptops, interactive
whiteboards, etc.).
2. Formation of skills of working with existing market specialized software solu-
tions.
3. Use of specialized training software to acquire students with specific profession-
al skills, taking into account the necessary competences (Figure 1).
automation of business processes, use of
Computer, laptop, tablet, interactive white-
board, wi-fi, the Internet, automated workplace,
In- etc.
for-
mati
technology
on Commonly-used software (1S:Enterprise,
Skills:
M.e.doc, SAP, STATISTA, Transport Manage-
tech
nol- ment System, etc.)
ogies
Specialized training programs for business
modeling, management (integration of account-
ing, monitoring, planning, control, etc.)
Fig. 1. Using the information technologies in higher education for training green business man-
agers
Taking into account the high level of students' use of modern gadgets and computer
equipment, specifically among the generation Z students, the use of standard pro-
grams and specialized training programs to master the managerial skills of future
professionals in green business is especially relevant.
The analysis of curriculum and education process planning at the leading higher
educational institutions in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, and Moldova
reveals that in the preparation of managers of green business the most frequently used
information software is designed to automate certain areas of business activity, e.g.
bookkeeping, production management, automation of procurement and supply chain
management, stock flow management, sales, and logistics. This software includes, in
particular, 1C: Enterprise, SAP, Me.doc, Transport Management System, etc. Hence,
the mastery of the structural units of these programs is necessary for the formation of
professional skills for environmental managers for the organization of production and
management of the enterprise as a whole (Table 2).
Table 2. Structural units of common software for the preparation of green business managers
for enterprise management and organization of business processes
Software Main structural units
1S:Enterprise Primary documentation and paper flow management
Analytical accounting
Operational reporting, financial reporting
SAP Management of production, supplies, stocks and sales
Personnel management
Project management
Ме.doc, SOTA Information requests to regulatory authorities
Statistical reporting
Tax reporting
Transport Man- Incoming requests management
agement Sys- Route optimization
tem, Logist.ua Reporting
However, the findings of previous studies conducted by the authors of this article with
regard to enterprises that have incorporated the principles of corporate social respon-
sibility demonstrate that mastery of this common software for the managers of green
business is not sufficient. This is due to the following factors:
1. At an enterprise, green business managers, in addition to their generic manageri-
al responsibilities, also perform a range of specific functions, e.g. organization of the
environmental management system, substantiation of the green development strategy,
environmental assessment of projects, etc. In the conditions of the changeability of
the environment, pressing environmental problems and the rapid development of in-
formation technology, the implementation of such functions requires from green busi-
ness professionals deep interdisciplinary knowledge and skills in the formation of
specific analytical data and methods for their systematization and processing.
2. Commonly-used software is designed to automate the specific information man-
agement needs. Thus, 1С:Enterprise is intended for the formation of data on business
processes and their documentation support. Transport Management System is used to
optimize logistics. However, the weakness of these and other typical software is their
limited functionality for the automation of environmental activities, which hinders the
economic and environmental analysis of economic activity and the formation of sta-
tistical information of enterprises.
3. Common software has different interfaces. It takes extra time to build students’
skills for the effective use of different software.
As Y.V. Strelnikov and I.G.Britschenko suggest “An important role in the process
of creating and using information technology belongs to the system of higher educa-
tion as the main source of highly qualified personnel and a powerful base for funda-
mental and applied research. The specificity of higher education lies in the fact that it
is, on the one hand, a consumer, and on the other hand - an active producer of infor-
mation technologies” [5].
Taking into account the above mentioned challenges, we believe that the curricu-
lar-organizational model of using information technologies in the training of green
business professionals in higher education should be based on the following compo-
nents: defining generic and professional competences that managers need for ensuring
effective green management, development and approbation of curriculum for special-
ized training programs, and the development of software for the assessment of ac-
quired skills and knowledge (Figure 2).
Define generic and Design curriculum of Develop software solu-
professional compe- the program and train- tions for the assessment of
tences ing materials acquired skills
Specialized modules for common software
Specialized computer software (including business
simulations)
Case studies
Training materials
Fig. 2. Curricular-organizational model of using information technologies in training green
business professionals.
Defining generic and professional competences
Taking into account the complexity and the multilateral nature of the professional
tasks facing environmental managers, we have identified their main competences,
skills and abilities in applying specialized information technology:
1. Formation of statistical and analytical database for substantiation of decisions
aimed at ecologization of production, reduction of anthropogenic impact, making
capital investment in the field of environmental protection.
2. Organization of monitoring of environmental impact of the enterprise, analysis
and processing of received data.
3. Informational and analytical support of ecological management system, internal
ecological and energy audit.
4. Ensuring the interaction of the enterprise with the supervisory bodies on the mat-
ters of environmental protection.
5. Organization of control over the use of energy resources and ensuring overall
energy efficiency of the enterprise.
6. Development of strategic goals of green enterprise development, determination
of ways of achieving these goals, preparation of operational plans and supervision
over their implementation.
Development of curriculum and training materials
These days, higher education institutions all over the world are actively developing
their own information software for training managers and other professional’s in the
field of economics. For instance, University of Regensburg (Germany) uses in the
educational process and for writing thesis the software for processing economic data
and models for making managerial decisions and assessing the impact of their imple-
mentation on operational activities based on large industrial enterprises. It also uses
software that allows to work in teams remotely (in different regions, countries).
Dresden Technical University (Germany) uses a training software and a model for
assessing the performance of airports. This contributes to the formation of skills for
students in the planning of activities, internal document circulation, and control of
operational expenses of an airport.
In a number of universities of the Czech Republic who train specialists in sustaina-
ble development, they use computer models that allow to compute the impact of envi-
ronmental and economic indicators on the development of the region.
Karaganda Economic University Kazpotrebsoyuza (Kazakhstan) has implemented
a software program called Virtual Trading Enterprise, which allows to predict the
economic efficiency of trade, taking into account various combinations of input and
output conditions (type of product, sales, marketing costs, profit, profitability, etc.).
In Ukraine, higher education institutions also engage in the development of spe-
cialized training programs that allow raising students’ awareness of the systematic
data in the field of environmental business management and fostering acquisition of
skills for data processing and analysis in order to make informed strategic decisions.
In order to improve the incorporation of information technologies in the learning pro-
cess, the authors have investigated the needs and expectations of the future profes-
sional in green business management of Taras Shevchenko National University of
Kyiv, Ukraine. In the period from 2016 to 2019, we surveyed the students of Envi-
ronmental Entrepreneurship program specializing in Entrepreneurship, Trade and
Stock Exchange (full-time education). There were 88 respondents or 93% of the total
number of students. The survey found that students want to deepen practical skills in
accumulating, processing and analyzing data (95% of responses). At the same time,
they want to use in the process of learning a case study method with data of real oper-
ating enterprises and organizations that adhere to the principles of corporate social
responsibility (68% of answers). Three quarters of respondents noted the importance
of using an integrated, interdisciplinary approach, namely, the inclusion in the calcu-
lations, analysis of not only economic but also environmental, social indicators of
economic entities. Almost all respondents (96%) preferred interactive teaching meth-
ods, in particular, the use of business simulators to develop and select a green enter-
prise development strategy.
To meet the students’ needs, the Ukrainian-German Department of Environmental
Management and Entrepreneurship of the Taras Shevchenko National University of
Kyiv with the assistance of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ)
and the Swiss Foundation for Technical Cooperation for the first time in Ukraine
designed a business simulator entitled Strategy of Green Enterprise Development
based the 1S:Enterprise 8.3 software for Ukraine. Teachers, experts and practitioners
in the field of ecology, business and IT technologies from Ukraine, Germany, and
Switzerland were involved in the development of this software.
This business simulator operates on the basis of an acting enterprise - Berezanska
Ptakhofabryka, PJSC - and enables students:
1. To collect primary data of the environmental activity of this business (air
emissions, costs on environmental protection, costs of producing goods with enhance
ecological characteristics, earnings and expenses stemming from environmental activ-
ities, capital investment in the environmentally-friendly equipment, etc.), to systema-
tize this data and aggregate it for further use in reports related to environmental man-
agement (Figure 3).
Fig. 3. Report on earnings (expenses) from environmental activity of Berazanska Ptahofabryka,
PJSC in 2018, compiled using Strategy of Green Enterprise Development business simulator.
2. To compute environmental and economic indicators of enterprise using pri-
mary data (share of organic products in total output of the enterprise, level of energy
efficiency, average annual expenses on tangible assets for environmental purposes,
amount of environmental fees per 1 UAH of tangible assets for environmental pur-
pose, ratio of recycled waste, etc.).
3. To plan and forecast environmental and economic performance indicators
based on alternative scenarios of the company’s strategic sustainable development.
Thus, the Planning and Forecasting module of business simulator is aimed at develop-
ing the following skills:
1. To optimize the production structure of the poultry enterprise (eggs,
poultry) by decreasing the expenses on purchasing the supplies of water and electric-
ity;
2. To assess and forecast the reductions in expenses associated with anthropo-
genic impact and environmental protection in order to maximize the company’s op-
erating profit.
The environmental characteristics under study include water use, water drainage,
waste management, air emissions (СО2, СН4) and energy use (Figure 4).
Fig. 4. Interface for Planning and Forecasting module within Strategy for Green Business
Development business simulator
Development of software for the assessment of acquired skills
To test the acquired knowledge and skills, business simulator has a Testing module
used to generate on-line random online test questions and check responses to them.
3 Conclusions
In the conditions of implementation of the principles of sustainable development, the
transition to the digital economy, the informatization of social life and business calls
for the preparation of managers in green business with advanced knowledge of infor-
mation technologies.
Computer facilities, standard management programs and business modeling soft-
ware should be more widely used in higher education to improve the training of green
business professionals. Students seek to acquire practical skills in collecting primary
data, its processing and analysis, and expect to use case studies with data of actually
operating enterprises and organizations that adhere to the principles of corporate so-
cial responsibility. They wish to learn to analyze not only economic, but also envi-
ronmental and social indicators of enterprise activity for making managerial deci-
sions.
Computer-based business simulator is an innovative method of training green busi-
ness managers. Its use in the educational process promotes the formation of students'
practical skills in standardization, accounting, analysis and audit of environmental
aspects of the enterprise, analysis of its external environment, modeling the strategy
of green development. Using data from real operating companies can strengthen the
practical training of students, clearly demonstrate business processes, and reduce the
time of professional adaptation among young specialists. An interdisciplinary ap-
proach used in the development of the suggested business simulator makes it relevant
for the training of students in the fields of Entrepreneurship, Trade and Stock Ex-
change, Economics, Ecology, Accounting and Taxation, Management, and others.
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