Metaphors of nature and development: reflection on critical course of sustainable business

This article examines the role of metaphors of nature, sustainable development, and neoliberalism in business education. The research underpinning this article focused on a shift in the language business students used in response to a critical course on the neoliberal economic model. Results of the examination of metaphors before and after this course suggest a change in these higher education students’ perceptions toward the recognition of culturally unique and ecologically sensitive ways of conceiving environment and human development. The study also shows that intervention courses can play a role in disrupting how university students view nature in relation to neoliberal economics, business practices, and social relations. It is argued that the alternative conceptions of nature and development help to inform and empower students about solutions to the sustainability challenges.