Towards a Framework of Acceptance for Sustainable Mobility: Managing Competing Interests in Organizations

This paper puts forward a nuanced theoretical framework that sheds light on how organizations handle internal conflicts when pursuing sustainable mobility initiatives. Focusing specifically on the organizational level, the framework brings together key ideas from stakeholder theory, research on organizational change, and the literature on sustainability transitions (Freeman, 1984; Geels, 2002; Kotter, 1996). Rather than viewing acceptance as a straightforward or passive result, the paper interprets it as a complex and ongoing negotiation shaped by internal hierarchies, competing interests, and deeply rooted value-based resistance. Importantly, the framework includes both temporal and normative aspects, acknowledging that how organizations respond to change evolves over time. By addressing a notable gap in current research on internal organizational dynamics, the study offers a more layered theoretical perspective on why sustainability efforts either take root or falter in complex institutional settings. The final section offers practical guidance for practitioners tasked with steering such initiatives through organizational tensions.