Discovering Green: The Role of Organizational and Network Embeddedness in the Shift Toward Sustainability Research

This study examines researchers’ diversification into sustainability research, distinguishing between initial entry and subsequent engagement intensity. While the existing literature emphasises individual-level drivers, we argue that such diversification is also shaped by organisational and relational contexts. Using bibliometric data from the University of Stavanger, Norway, we show that network distance to sustainability-active colleagues is a key predictor: researchers who are structurally closer to engaged peers are more likely to enter the field and deepen their involvement. By contrast, department- and faculty-level sustainability activities show weaker, more context-dependent associations, with department-level effects disappearing once network variables are included. The findings highlight the importance of intra-organisational knowledge networks for sustainability-oriented research transitions.