Assessing Organizational Commitment to Sustainable Development and Circular Economy Principles among Greek NGOs: An analysis Using Organizational Culture, Institutional Isomorphism, and Systems Frameworks

This study examines the organizational commitment of Greek environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to sustainable development (SD) and circular economy (CE) principles. The research assesses how internal cultures, external pressures, and adaptive strategies shape NGO sustainability engagement by drawing on three complementary theoretical frameworks of organizational sociology: Scott's framework of organizations as rational, natural, and open systems; DiMaggio and Powell's concept of institutional isomorphism; and Schein's model of organizational culture. The study evaluates 50 Greek NGOs on seven important factors related to sustainability and CE practice using a new composite commitment index created from publicly available data, including websites, reports, and mission statements. The findings indicate that, for many NGOs, engagement with SD and CE principles remains predominantly conceptual, with gradual efforts to translate these commitments into concrete practices. The study provides a foundation for strengthening the capacity of NGOs and promoting the institutionalization of sustainability norms in Greece's difficult socio-political environment. It provides a highlight through the lens of organizational sociology of how Greek NGOs adopt and follow the goals of SD and CE.