Organizing for Sustainable Futures: Micro and Macro-institutional Conditions of Transformation: A People-centric Organizational Perspective

This study advances structuration theory by examining the recursive relationship between micro-level agency and macro-institutional conditions in sustainability transformations. Through a mixed-methods research design combining quantitative survey data (n=234) with qualitative interviews (n=42) and comparative case studies (n=6) across multiple sectors, the researchers develop and test a people-centric framework that specifies the mechanisms through which individual agency both shapes and is constrained by institutional structures. Statistical analysis demonstrates significant relationships between integration practices and transformation outcomes (β=0.42, p<0.01), with power dynamics moderating this relationship. Qualitative findings reveal distinct transformation pathways across organizational contexts, challenging universal prescriptions for sustainability. The research contributes to theory by articulating how paradox navigation capabilities, power mobilization strategies, and multi-level learning systems mediate between structural conditions and transformation outcomes. For practitioners, these findings demonstrate that successful sustainability transformations require simultaneous attention to institutional environments, power structures, and human capabilities—recognizing that transformation emerges from their ongoing interaction rather than from either dimension alone.