Barriers and Enablers to Sustainability in Higher Education: A Systematic Review of Governance, Leadership, and Organisational Change

Joedel Peñaranda; Analiza B. Calles; Marianne Agnes Mendoza; Cristie Ann Jaca; Analiza B. Calles; Marianne B. Dagaylo-an

doi:10.55845/jos-2026-21149

Authors

Joedel Peñaranda Biliran Province State University
Analiza B. Calles Biliran Province State University
Marianne Agnes Mendoza Biliran Province State University
Cristie Ann Jaca Cebu Technological University
Analiza B. Calles Cebu Technological University
Marianne B. Dagaylo-an Biliran Province State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55845/jos-2026-21149

Keywords:

Higher Education , Sustainability, Governance, Leadership, Organisational Change , Systematic Review

Abstract

Higher education institutions are increasingly expected to advance sustainability through teaching, research, campus operations, and public engagement, yet implementation remains uneven. This systematic review synthesises the literature on barriers and enablers to sustainability in higher education through the lenses of governance, leadership, and organisational change. Following PRISMA 2020 reporting principles, peer-reviewed studies published between 2005 and 2025 were searched in Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and ERIC, yielding a final corpus of 87 articles. The review finds that fragmented governance, weak accountability, reliance on individual champions, disciplinary silos, and project-based implementation continue to be recurrent barriers. By contrast, whole-institution strategies, distributed leadership, participatory change processes, and integration into planning and reporting systems consistently enable progress. An integrative framework is proposed to explain how these mechanisms interact in the process of sustainability institutionalisation. The review concludes with practical implications for university leaders and policymakers seeking more durable sustainability transitions.

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References

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