Rethinking Organizational Change for Sustainability and Justice

Tackling tough issues like environmental and energy justice demands more than isolated, internal changes—it calls for a coordinated, ecosystem-wide approach. Traditional management theories overlook how deeply organizations depend on, and interact with, others in their landscape, missing the real drivers and barriers to meaningful transformation.

The Organizational Ecosystem Change Model in Action

This research introduces the Organizational Ecosystem Change Model (OECM), which recognizes that impactful change requires collaboration across networks, alignment of new norms, and navigating hierarchy throughout the entire organizational ecosystem. By applying this lens, the study reveals that success hinges on multi-level coordination and shared processes—not just top-down mandates or individual efforts.

How Leaders Can Drive Systemic Change

For leaders seeking progress on big sustainability goals, the message is clear: create change through collaboration and ecosystem thinking. This approach equips organizations to embed justice and sustainability values into policy and operations, making positive change both practical and lasting in today’s interconnected world.