Cultivating Sustainable Economic Citizens: How Catholic Lecturers' Leadership and Big Five Personality Shape Students’ Pro-Green Economic Behavior

Abstract

The transition toward a sustainable economy requires higher education institutions to cultivate graduates who possess not only environmental awareness but also responsible economic behaviors that support sustainable development. Within Catholic higher education, lecturers play a unique role as educators, moral exemplars, and agents of social transformation whose leadership may shape students' personal characteristics and environmentally responsible economic behavior. Despite increasing scholarly attention to sustainability education, limited empirical evidence explains how Catholic lecturers' leadership contributes to students' pro-green economic behavior through personality development. This study investigates the direct effects of Catholic Lecturers' Leadership Styles (CLS) on students' Big Five Personality (B5P) and Pro-Green Economic Behavior (PGEB), as well as the direct effect of B5P on PGEB. Data was collected from private university students (n=100) and analyzed using path analysis. The findings demonstrate that Catholic lecturers' leadership has a significant effect on students' Big Five personality traits and pro-green economic behavior. Furthermore, students' Big Five personality traits significantly enhance their pro-green economic behavior. These findings suggest that value-based leadership practiced by Catholic lecturers extends beyond classroom instruction by fostering personality traits that encourage sustainable economic decision-making. The study contributes to sustainability education literature by proposing an integrated model connecting faith-based educational leadership, personality development, and pro-green economic behavior. The findings provide practical implications for curriculum development, leadership training, and sustainability policies within higher education institutions seeking to prepare environmentally responsible graduates capable of supporting green economic transformation.