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The Little Club on the Hill: The Interplay Between Organizational Identity and Sustainability Work for Institutional Entrepreneurs

Engström, Nils LU and Blomberg, Gustav LU (2025) BUSN09 20251
Department of Business Administration
Abstract
This thesis examines the development Forest Green Rovers has undergone since their current
owner and Chairman joined the club. With a clear vision and agenda, the aim was to over
time transform the club into something greater than just sporting achievements. For nearly
fifteen years, the club's management has been dedicated to embedding sustainability in all
aspects of the club's operations. Through initiative and commitment, the club has become an
outlier to the current norm of what football clubs do.
With solid work linked to sustainability, the organization has positioned itself as a pioneer in
environmental responsibility within professional sports. In order to explore how the
organization challenges and navigates institutional... (More)
This thesis examines the development Forest Green Rovers has undergone since their current
owner and Chairman joined the club. With a clear vision and agenda, the aim was to over
time transform the club into something greater than just sporting achievements. For nearly
fifteen years, the club's management has been dedicated to embedding sustainability in all
aspects of the club's operations. Through initiative and commitment, the club has become an
outlier to the current norm of what football clubs do.
With solid work linked to sustainability, the organization has positioned itself as a pioneer in
environmental responsibility within professional sports. In order to explore how the
organization challenges and navigates institutional pressures as well as how these
norm-breaking initiatives impact the organizational identity, we conducted a qualitative single
case study using semi-structured interviews with personnel from the club and its supporters.
This was complemented by interviews conducted 2023. By focusing on a single,
purpose-driven organization operating within the field of professional football, the study
offers a nuanced understanding of how norm-challenging practices impact identity
construction.
It can be observed that Forest Green Rovers identity is continuously shaped and reinforced by
internal leadership, stakeholders expectations, and external recognition. Additionally, our
findings suggest that sustainability is not merely an add-on but a core component of Forest
Green Rovers' identity. As a result of that, it is found that the organization opposes industry
norms, disrupts the institutional landscape, thus initiating change.
Ultimately, this thesis offers insights into how institutional entrepreneurs like FGR can
advance a green transformation in traditional industries by aligning actions with its values,
and how a strong organizational identity can be a powerful tool for both differentiation and to
gain legitimacy. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Engström, Nils LU and Blomberg, Gustav LU
supervisor
organization
course
BUSN09 20251
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Forest Green Rovers (FGR), Football, Institutional Theory, Organizational Identity, Legitimacy, FIFA, UEFA, Institutional Entrepreneur, Initiating change, Commercial interests, Sustainability
language
English
id
9204067
date added to LUP
2025-06-23 10:02:03
date last changed
2025-06-23 10:02:03
@misc{9204067,
  abstract     = {{This thesis examines the development Forest Green Rovers has undergone since their current
owner and Chairman joined the club. With a clear vision and agenda, the aim was to over
time transform the club into something greater than just sporting achievements. For nearly
fifteen years, the club's management has been dedicated to embedding sustainability in all
aspects of the club's operations. Through initiative and commitment, the club has become an
outlier to the current norm of what football clubs do.
With solid work linked to sustainability, the organization has positioned itself as a pioneer in
environmental responsibility within professional sports. In order to explore how the
organization challenges and navigates institutional pressures as well as how these
norm-breaking initiatives impact the organizational identity, we conducted a qualitative single
case study using semi-structured interviews with personnel from the club and its supporters.
This was complemented by interviews conducted 2023. By focusing on a single,
purpose-driven organization operating within the field of professional football, the study
offers a nuanced understanding of how norm-challenging practices impact identity
construction.
It can be observed that Forest Green Rovers identity is continuously shaped and reinforced by
internal leadership, stakeholders expectations, and external recognition. Additionally, our
findings suggest that sustainability is not merely an add-on but a core component of Forest
Green Rovers' identity. As a result of that, it is found that the organization opposes industry
norms, disrupts the institutional landscape, thus initiating change.
Ultimately, this thesis offers insights into how institutional entrepreneurs like FGR can
advance a green transformation in traditional industries by aligning actions with its values,
and how a strong organizational identity can be a powerful tool for both differentiation and to
gain legitimacy.}},
  author       = {{Engström, Nils and Blomberg, Gustav}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Little Club on the Hill: The Interplay Between Organizational Identity and Sustainability Work for Institutional Entrepreneurs}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}