Sustainability Practices in Greek Music Institutions: The Role of Digital Innovation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13052/srm2795-0514.016Keywords:
Cultural sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals, cultural organizations, Greece, Mediterranean, digital innovation, music institutions, organizational changeAbstract
This article examines the sustainability practices of four major Greek music cultural organizations: the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, the Athens Concert Hall, the State Orchestra of Thessaloniki, and the State Orchestra of Athens. Through a comparative analysis based on content analysis of official sources and semi-structured interviews with marketing directors, the study explores how these institutions engage with environmental, social, and economic sustainability, while treating digital innovation as a transversal enabling factor. Attention is given to their alignment with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030). The findings reveal a clear imbalance: social sustainability emerges as the most robust and innovative dimension across all four organizations, evident in extensive educational programs, inclusion initiatives targeting vulnerable groups, and community outreach activities. Environmental sustainability, however, remains considerably weaker and less institutionalized. Digital innovation proves to be a critical bridge, supporting both environmental goals and broader social accessibility, yet organizational challenges such as understaffing and the gap between policy and practice persist. The study concludes that Greek cultural organizations require an anthropocentric model of cultural sustainability, one that prioritizes genuine organizational cultural transformation over formal compliance with environmental, social, and governance indicators. By focusing on the Greek Mediterranean context, this research contributes timely empirical insights into sustainability transitions within culturally-rich yet resource-constrained environments.
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