Insider Social Change Agents: Working the System for Social Change within and across Organizations [2028-2031]

The urgent need to tackle broad societal challenges – poverty, inequality, the climate crisis – increasingly calls organizational scholars to generate insights into how existing organizations can contribute creative solutions that “go a long way.” Inside established organizations, it is often the individuals below the C-suite who catalyze action on social, environmental, and sustainability issues (Briscoe & Gupta, 2016; Sonenshein, 2016), either as part of their occupational jurisdictions (Carollo & Guerci, 2018; Wickert & de Bakker, 2018), or beyond their “day jobs” (Halme et al., 2012; Hemingway, 2005). The SWG provides a dedicated space and a community platform for research on these individuals, who seek to advance social change while having to navigate competing demands, resistance, power dynamics, uncertainty and personal risk.

Taking innovative or renegade approaches, insider social change agents have been studied under a multitude of labels in organizational research: tempered radicals (Meyerson & Scully, 1995), environmental champions (Andersson & Bateman, 2000), institutional entrepreneurs (Battilana et al., 2009), reformers (Kellogg, 2009), insider activists (Briscoe & Gupta, 2016), social intrapreneurs (Alt & Craig, 2016), advocates (Soderstrom & Weber, 2020), and beyond. Although the literature on these individuals and their roles has grown steadily over the past decade (Heucher et al., 2024; Remmer & Gilbert, 2026), these studies also signal that many questions are still open.

In addition, the changing (geo-)political landscape is also impacting the role and position of sustainability. Political shifts at multiple levels are undermining previously established regulatory frameworks and enforcement mechanisms. The European Union has been diluting its key climate and human‑rights standards (Abnett, 2026). In the United States, the current administration has drastically cut back on federal enforcement action against polluting companies (Volvovici, 2026), signaling a broader rollback of environmental oversight that emboldens corporate actors to prioritize short-term economic interests over ecological responsibility. Meanwhile, in the Global South, the Brazilian government is struggling to balance the competing interests of economic development initiatives and environmental protection (Watts, 2025), illustrating how sustainability pressures play out differently depending on national developmental trajectories and political coalitions. 

In response, more companies are now engaging in greenhushing, the deliberate downplaying of sustainability communications (Khan et al., 2026). These changing conditions necessitate individuals aiming to foster sustainability within and beyond their organizations to further rethink their positions, strategies, and ambitions.

The SWG on Insider Social Change Agents (ISCA) centers on a category of individuals and groups embedded within and around organizations who seek to actively propel their firms toward positive social and environmental change (Heucher et al., 2024). These change agents have several characteristics that make them stand out. They are:

1. tempered radicals, individuals who are committed to the organization but also strongly dedicated to a social or environmental cause, allowing them to push for change without being immediately dismissed;
2. holding a high personal conviction, driven by internal values and often focusing on issues like climate change or social inequality;
3. network builders who build coalitions with allies inside and outside their organization;
4. strategic issue sellers, who possess the ability to frame social issues in ways that make sense to business leaders and different stakeholders, connecting social, environmental, or ethical issues to business value;
5. resilient and patient, often focusing on “small wins” to build momentum, navigating the slow nature of corporate change;
6. having an entrepreneurial attitude with high levels of flexibility, adaptability, and an eagerness to learn.

Although we know quite a bit about these insider social change agents, we also know they are facing considerable challenges relating to their role and position within and outside of their organizations, their knowledge base, identity and skills and the challenges they face with different demands from various stakeholders, shifting organizational priorities, and broader societal expectations. The multifaceted challenges mapped out before underscore the need for deeper scholarly inquiry into how insider social change agents mobilize, strategize, and persist in advancing sustainability and social responsibility within and beyond their organizations.