Organizing Within Dynamic Ecosystems: Conceptualizing Socio-Ecological Mechanisms

This article argues that direct ecological impact needs to be incorporated into research on organizations and the natural environment, as complementary to conceptualizations of ecological impact as a social construction. Building on work in analytical sociology, it proposes to study socio-ecological mechanisms and thus enhance the understanding of processes of organizing within dynamic ecosystems. Three categories of socio-ecological mechanisms are introduced and illustrated with examples. The article concludes with reflections on the expected increase of direct ecological impact on organizations.