Sustainability and action research in universities Towards knowledge for organisational transformation Sandra Wooltorton Faculty of Regional Professional Studies, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia Anne Wilkinson Faculty of Computing, Health and Science, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia Pierre Horwitz School of Natural Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia Sue Bahn School of Business, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia Janice Redmond Faculty of Business and Law, School of Business, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia, and Julian Dooley School of Law and Justice, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia Abstract Purpose – Academic approaches to the challenge of enhancing sustainability in research in university contexts illustrate that universities are affected by the very same values and socio-ecological issues they set out to address, making transformation diffcult at every level. A theoretical and practical framework designed to facilitate cultural transformation is therefore necessary for conceptualising the problem and delineating possible strategies to enhance sustainability in research. Organisational change is also required, possibly on a university-by-university basis, where cross-institutional learning may be possible with personal behaviours that enhance collaboration across disciplinary and administrative divides. Design/methodology/approach – This paper contends that action research, in particular, community action research (CAR), offers the best approach to this task because it focusses on learning and change, and these are both essential to cultural transformation. A case study from a university in Western Australia is used to demonstrate this approach. Findings – The case study analysis shows some evidence for the presence of knowledge for organisational transformation, and that future monitoring cycles will be needed to detect the extent of the change. Originality/value – The paper introduces CAR as an approach to advance the change for sustainability in higher education and discusses some of the implications for universities who are looking to incorporate sustainability as a major part of their culture. Keywords Organisational change, Collaborative learning, Constructivism, Action research, Sustainability in higher education Paper type Research paper The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: www.emeraldinsight.com/1467-6370.htm IJSHE 16,4 424 International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education Vol. 16 No. 4, 2015 pp. 424-439 © Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1467-6370 DOI 10.1108/IJSHE-09-2013-0111