The adoption and evolution of environmental practices in the Olympic Games

This paper explores the evolution of environmental practices in the Olympic
Movement and how they have become institutionalized within the field by
using qualitative methodology consisting of content analysis of International
Olympic Committee and Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games
documents as well as other archival sources. The environmental phases of
the Olympic Movement may be broken into the following non-exclusive
themes: environment, sustainability, and zero impact. Environmental
management in the Olympic Games bows to normative, coercive, and
mimetic pressures from multiple groups and has caused isomorphism to
occur which institutionalized environmental plans for bids in the Olympic
Games. These environmental themes contribute to the event and sport event
management literatures by helping future event organizers understand
phases of environmental management and where there is room for growth
in addressing environmental concerns at the Games.