Crossing Boundaries

Abstract

Across the world, organizational personnel in various industries are integrating natural environment issues into existing organizational practices. In the intercollegiate sports world, environmental efforts are undertaken as part of a strategic effort involving collaborative processes across university units. The purpose of this study is to develop a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of collaborative processes and practices between personnel in athletics departments and sustainability offices at universities and colleges in the United States. In-depth interviews were conducted with athletics and sustainability department personnel at colleges and universities in the United States. A total of 13 schools were included in the study with 17 participants agreeing to be interviewed. All interviewees were from

The green waves of environmental sustainability in sport

“…Since each context to implement environmental sustainability initiatives is unique, and while principles might be developed for inter-context use, it is important to remember that there is no single way to address environmental issues. Environmental change is found throughout all levels of sport, as different levels of sport personnel work to understand and to address environmental issues facing their event or organization (McCullough and Cunningham 2011;McCullough 2013;Mallen and Chard 2011;Natural Resources Defense Council 2013;Pfahl 2013). Further, the manifestation of actions may differ, but its level of complexity and integration may reflect the stage at which an organization is in relation to environmental consciousness.…”

“…Organizational learning addresses the processes by which organization personnel use information to confirm or to reform their organizational behaviour as new ideas are diffused from it and brought into it by organizational members, organizational stakeholders and other related personnel (e.g. organizational members, suppliers and skill-based resources) (Hillman and Keim 2001;Pfahl 2010;Shrivastava and Scott 1992). Despite the implicit and tacit understandings of organizational activities acquired through diffusion processes (e.g.…”

“…The conversation about sport and the natural environment cuts to the core of sport operations and planning because, as Mallen and Chard (2011) noted, there are a variety of issues in play that can be examined from an equal number of analytical lenses. Babiak and Trendafilova (2011) examined the motives of sport organizations to implement environmental management initiatives (see also McCullough and Cunningham [2011] and McCullough [2013] in this subject). Their framework specifically is framed within the context of corporate social responsibility, but is intrinsically linked to strategic efforts across a variety of organizational levels (Hart 1995;Hart and Milstein 2003;Nuguyen, Trendaflova and Pfahl 2014;Russo and Fouts 1997;Wernerfelt 1984).…”

“…While sport personnel can take action to address adverse environmental issues, they cannot do everything (Porter and Reinhardt 2007). A strategic approach to environmental issues is required as it can approach environmental issues from a variety of angles including resources available (Aragón-Correa and Sharma 2003;McCullough and Cunningham 2011;Pfahl 2011;Hart 1995;Hart and Milstein 2003), planning and engagement, establishing relationships, partnerships (e.g. Natural Resources Defense Council) and many others.…”

“…As with the waves of social change, environmental issues are part of a rising wave that swept into the world of sport in recent years (Inoue and Kent 2012;Pfahl 2011;Pfahl et al 2015;Thibault 2009;Trendafilova, Babiak, and Heinze 2013). Environmental issues are not new to the twenty-first century nor are they confined to any political ideology, economic system, social structure or technological level; the environment is a global issue because it is a human issue (Foss 2009;Prizzia 2007;Suzuki 2007).…”