Paradigm tensions in institutional fields: FSC's quest for a holistic view of forests
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This study investigates changes in forest paradigms from the perspective of FSC. The paper uses a basis of institutional theory to examine these paradigms, and FSC is defined as the referent organization for the institutional field of sustainable forest management. Data was collected through qualitative semi-structured interviews, with 25 interviews in 2016-2017 and 26 interviews in 2020. Interviewees include sustainability experts for corporations, NGOs, environmental campaigners, and FSC staff, members, and board members.
Our analysis shows that while FSC is calling for a change in forest paradigms, the holistic paradigm for FSC and the sustainable forest management remains constant. Instead, what they are calling for is change in the wider societal paradigm. FSC’s forest paradigm has been holistic from its inception, and field members either hold these views before joining, or adjust their values to align to the field over time. Conversely, society is shifting from a timber-focused forest paradigm to a carbon-focused forest paradigm. We view both the homogenization and the shift of views to be processes of appreciation, where views are built up, reinforced, and changed through reality judgements of experiences and trends, and value judgements of the assessed information. The shift of societal paradigms causes tensions for FSC, which it is currently attempting to resolve with its new Global Strategy.
We conclude that FSC’s call for a new paradigm is actually a call for society’s appreciation of forest to converge with its holistic view, but that this will be difficult to achieve as its position as the referent organization for sustainable management has limitations. We also conclude that multistakeholder organizations need to continually update their systems to remain relevant for
changing environmental, social and sustainability demands, but that this does not require a change of paradigm.
Keywords: Institutional theory, paradigms, FSC, holistic value, fields
ID: 3485587