Browsing by Subject "Culture"

This master’s thesis provides context to social change related to Sustainable Development and the factors influencing it from the perspective of Finnish National Art Institutions. The aim of this research is to examine how the principles – or the idea – of Sustainable Development have historically been adopted as part of Finnish society, and to compare how and in what time frame these principles have begun to be reflected in the strategies and operations of the Finnish National Art Institutions over the past 30 years. The research looks at the period from 1992 – determined by the adoption of the United Nations Agenda 21 on Sustainable Development – through to 2020. Institutional theory is used as the main theoretical framework of this study. Stakeholder Typology is used to examine the impact of the stakeholders in the process of adopting the principles and forming the expectations of Sustainable Development. There are four types of data used for this research: newspaper archives (Päivälehti Archives, Helsingin Sanomat), minutes from the plenary sessions of the Finnish Parliament, annual reports of the organisations under the investigation, and background interviews made with the key personnel in the Finnish National Art Institutions. A qualitative research method was selected to support the research and to answer the research questions. The analysis of the collected data is descriptive, highlighting meaningful themes, and following an inductive approach. The idea of Sustainable Development in the Finnish National Art Institutions is visible relatively late compared to the adoption of the principles of Sustainable Development by the Finnish government. Hence, the idea of Sustainable Development is recognised first in the political and public debate, and later in the National Art Institutions. The adoption of Sustainable Development at the operational level started in the Finnish National Art Institutions around 2010, with adoption at the strategic level first occurring around 2020. The pressure to adopt the principles of Sustainable Development in the National Art Institutions has emerged both from internal and external stakeholders. The change has been slow and has taken place primarily from the bottom up. The highest impact for adopting the principles of Sustainable Development comes from the staff and the artists of the organisation, but also from loyal customers, political decision makers, competitors, and sponsors. Based on the academic literature, a change taken place informally is the main driver for a long-term, constant institutional change. Therefore, based on the institutional theory, the long-standing, informal change among the Finnish National Art Institutions identified in this research – and formed through stakeholder expectations – indicates a substantial and permanent change at the operative and strategic level in adopting the idea of Sustainable Development.