Recent research supports that a person’s self-reported explicit attitude is not necessarily consistent with their implicit attitude. However, in sustainability research, implicit cognitive measures are still at their early stages, and consider primarily singular aspects of sustainability. Here, we pose that the degree of congruence of individuals’ implicit and explicit attitudes represents the foundation of any organization’s sustainability culture. Although many organizations assert that sustainable development represents an important dimension of their vision and strategy, in reality, sustainable development often translates simply into explicit self-presentation and reputation. Traditional methods such as surveys lack information on implicit measures and—since they collect data based solely on the explicit knowledge of the respondents, which may be biased by social desirability and impression management—can therefore not determine the degree of congruence between explicit and implicit attitudes. We implemented a browser-based application of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) regarding sustainability as a reaction time-based cognitive measure supported by an interactive and activating process that was completed by 114 executives. Additionally, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted among them to investigate their explicit attitudes. We calculated Pearson correlation coefficients and conducted repeated measures MANOVA and principle component analysis. Our data analysis demonstrated low congruence between explicit and implicit sustainability orientations (Pearson’s r ranging from − 0.10 to 0.31). Potential explanations for our findings relate to the effects of impression management and individuals’ lack of cognitive processing of their own sustainability orientation. In sum, exploring the potential incongruence between explicit and implicit sustainability orientations helps narrow an important knowledge gap and provides a basis for rethinking the impact of internal and external learning processes within and between organizational systems, society, and science.

中文翻译：

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生活的可持续性，还是仅仅是假装？从显式的自我报告措施到内隐的认知。

最近的研究支持一个人自我报告的外显态度不一定与他们的内隐态度一致。但是，在可持续性研究中，隐性认知措施仍处于早期阶段，主要考虑可持续性的单个方面。在这里，我们提出个人内隐和外显态度的一致程度代表了任何组织的可持续发展文化的基础。尽管许多组织断言可持续发展是其愿景和策略的重要方面，但实际上，可持续发展通常只是转化为明确的自我表述和声誉。诸如调查之类的传统方法缺乏有关隐性度量的信息，并且由于它们仅基于受访者的明确知识来收集数据，可能会因社会的期望和印象管理而产生偏差，因此无法确定外显和内隐态度之间的一致性程度。我们实施了一个基于浏览器的隐式关联测试（IAT）应用程序，该应用程序将可持续性作为一种基于反应时间的认知措施，并由114位高管完成了互动和激活过程。此外，他们之间进行了基于问卷的调查，以调查他们的明确态度。我们计算了皮尔逊相关系数，并进行了重复测量MANOVA和主成分分析。我们的数据分析表明，显性和隐性可持续发展方向之间的一致性较低（Pearson's 我们实施了一个基于浏览器的隐式关联测试（IAT）应用程序，该应用程序将可持续性作为一种基于反应时间的认知措施，并由114位高管完成了互动和激活过程。此外，他们之间进行了基于问卷的调查，以调查他们的明确态度。我们计算了皮尔逊相关系数，并进行了重复测量MANOVA和主成分分析。我们的数据分析表明，显性和隐性可持续发展方向之间的一致性较低（Pearson's 我们实施了一个基于浏览器的隐式关联测试（IAT）应用程序，该应用程序将可持续性作为一种基于反应时间的认知测度，并由114位高管完成了互动和激活过程。此外，他们之间进行了基于问卷的调查，以调查他们的明确态度。我们计算了皮尔逊相关系数，并进行了重复测量MANOVA和主成分分析。我们的数据分析表明，明确和隐含的可持续发展方向之间的一致性较低（Pearson's 我们计算了皮尔逊相关系数，并进行了重复测量MANOVA和主成分分析。我们的数据分析表明，显性和隐性可持续发展方向之间的一致性较低（Pearson's 我们计算了皮尔逊相关系数，并进行了重复测量MANOVA和主成分分析。我们的数据分析表明，显性和隐性可持续发展方向之间的一致性较低（Pearson'sr的范围是-0.10至0.31）。我们发现的潜在解释与印象管理的影响以及个人缺乏对自己的可持续发展方向的认知加工有关。总之，探索显性和隐性可持续发展方向之间的潜在不一致会有助于缩小重要的知识鸿沟，并为重新思考组织系统，社会和科学内部和外部学习过程的影响提供基础。