Gen Z Shares Environmental Expectations with Employers at Gianneschi Event | College of Business and Economics at CSUF (gen-z-shares-environmental-expectations-with-employers-at-gianneschi-event)

_{Student panelists from left to right: Hang Nguyen, Vincent Musante, Frida Lozano, Bhagvat Solanki and Trinity Tran.}

The Gianneschi Center for Social Impact in Business at Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics brought together a panel of CSUF students to share with potential employers what they as young professionals are seeking from the companies they will work for. The discussion occurred at the July 10 Next Gen Voices: Defining Social Responsibility in the Workplace event.

With a theme of Transparency vs. Greenwashing in Corporate Environmental Responsibility, the event, a collaborative with the Center for Family Business, Business Honors Program and OneOC, was the first annual reboot of the Gianneschi summer lecture and discussion series that brings together nonprofit and social enterprise professionals and students and faculty.

“We have lived through many environmental crises and these shared lived experiences have impacted how we evaluate employers and make decisions,” said Trinity Tran ’27 (accounting and finance). “The key question is what does environmental stewardship mean to our generation and how does it impact our choices?”

When asked about companies that exemplify the ideal environmentally conscious company, students mentioned outdoor clothing manufacturers Patagonia and Cotopaxi, which are focused on sustainable and recyclable clothing, and minimalist and efficiency-focused home furnishings dealer IKEA.

The student panelists generally agreed that a minimal mandatory standard should exist for environmental responsibility for companies, but the remainder should be voluntary, allowing companies to demonstrate their genuine care.

“If they actually care and want to do it, it will show through their entire process, rather than merely meeting an expectation,” said Vincent Musante ’26 (business administration).

“To me, greenwashing is when a company talks a lot about ecosystem without backing it up with proof,” said Hang Nguyen ’25 (human resources). “It’s when they care more about looking good than doing good.”

Recognizing a generational challenge of how to advocate for personal values while still building a lucrative career, the panelists maintained the “silver tsunami” of retiring Baby Boomers is creating opportunities to raise concerns and push environmental consciousness into companies. “We hold a lot of power in creating this change, because we have the ability to rapidly share a lot of information since we grew up with the internet,” said Frida Lozano ’27 (MBA-accounting). “For instance, a grassroots effort in Australia to stop the destruction of coral reefs through the #stopthedying social media campaign.”

Gaining respect as a good employee creates opportunities to raise concerns with higher level management, the panelists agreed, thus creating a pathway to work within existing structures to effect innovative change.

Integrating environmental sustainability into broader efforts, such as Bhagvat Solanki’s suggestion to push for local manufacturing to ensure environmental compliance, offers an approach that would satisfy desires across multiple worldviews, thus turning environmental sustainability into a consensus point of unity.

Recognizing that environmental stewardship requires practical action, the panelists noted the following as examples of what environmental leadership might look like in a decade or two when Gen Z holds executive-level leadership in the workplace.

Sourcing products as locally as possible so change is more within reach as opposed to overseas outsourcing

Educating the workforce on the environmental issues and impacts of a company’s field of industry

Avoiding single use plastics and cutting down on printing

Reducing carbon emissions

Encourage constant innovation and integrating sustainability as a part of the culture

Prioritizing working with local nonprofits focused on environmental challenges

Empowering the youth to continue sustainability efforts

Under the directorship of Management Professor Chethan Srikant, the Gianneschi Center for Social Impact in Business is focused on being a multi-stakeholder collaborative platform for enhancing positive social impact through business functions such as accounting, finance, marketing, operations, and human resources, and by engaging nonprofit organizations, businesses, business college students, faculty, academic institutions (both within and outside CSUF), and the larger community.