As sustainability becomes integral to business strategies, fostering decision-making that balances economic, environmental, and social goals is essential. This study investigates whether a paradox mindset—defined as the ability to embrace and reconcile conflicting objectives—can be developed in business students through didactic interventions, and whether it enhances sustainable decision-making. Employing a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), we designed a two-session, 8-hour intervention integrating active learning methods to teach students to recognize and manage paradoxical tensions in sustainability. Treatment and control groups of business and economics students were surveyed before and after the intervention, measuring paradox mindset and sustainable decision-making using validated scales and decision-making scenarios. Preliminary findings suggest that students with a heightened paradox mindset are more likely to pursue strategies that integrate sustainability and profitability goals. Moreover, our results indicate that didactic interventions can significantly enhance this mindset, challenging the notion that it is a fixed trait. By demonstrating that paradoxical thinking can be taught, this study contributes to sustainability education by introducing the paradox mindset as a critical, teachable cognitive ability. Additionally, it expands the literature on corporate sustainability and the microfoundations of paradox, highlighting the transformative role of education in shaping future leaders capable of addressing complex sustainability challenges.
