Who is Part of the Environmental Movement? Assessing Network Linkages between NGOs and Corporations

Abstract

In 2005, the number of organizations that described themselves as environmental NGOs reached 6,493. But, are all of these organizations part of same the environmental movement? This paper uses the tools of social network analysis to illustrate that the movement is actually an intertwined constellation of networks, each with multiple and differentiated constituencies, some of which intersect with business organizations. By creating network clusters of NGOs based on (a) issue keywords, and (b) board interlocks with corporations and foundations, this paper challenges the simple classifications of "non-governmental organization" or "corporation" as accurate descriptors of who is in and who is out of the movement. In the end, such classifications may serve as misnomers, lumping many organizations or clusters of organizations with varied interests into one category. This result has implications for both the roles that individual NGOs can play when engaging with business and how they interact with the network as a whole.