Learning to be Green: A Study of the Olympic Games

Abstract

This research paper explores the topic of environmental sustainability and its intersection with the Olympic Movement. It examines how various factors, including host city capacity and external pressures, influence the environmental sustainability of the Olympics. Through an examination of the roles of key stakeholders, including organizing committees, sponsors, and non-governmental organizations, this paper analyzes the environmental outcomes of Olympic Games which occurred between 2000 and 2016. This paper argues that coercive isomorphism has resulted in increasingly similar Olympic bids, which do not translate to similar environmental outcomes owing to differences in planning and implementation of sustainability strategies. Keywords: Olympics, environmental sustainability, event management, isomorphism