Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability

Of interest:

First Annual Conference: Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability, May 8-9, 2009

Sustainability is quickly becoming a core issue for business strategy and management. A body of rigorous academic research is emerging that provides an objective base of intellectual capital on corporate sustainability that informs both scholars and corporate executives. To help accelerate the development of this body of knowledge, a group of leading institutions at prominent universities that share a strong commitment to research on business and sustainability (Dartmouth, Duke, Harvard, Michigan, Virginia and Western Ontario) has formed the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability.

As part of the Alliance’s mission to foster first-rate research, we will hold an annual conference designed to bring together scholars interested in corporate sustainability strategy and management. The inaugural conference will be held May 8-9, 2009, and hosted by the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan. www.erb.umich.edu We envision the conference rotating among Alliance schools in future years.

We are receptive to a wide range of research perspectives and methodologies including formal theoretical modeling, quantitative research drawing upon historical or archival data, surveys, or publicly available data, and qualitative research. We are particularly interested in papers that have implications for management and policy. Papers drawn from economics, political science, strategic management, and other fields are within the realm of the conference.

Suitable topics for the conference include non-market strategy, climate change management, sustainability reporting and disclosure, green supply chains, green marketing, sustainable finance, renewable energy investments, business/NGO partnerships, sustainable mobility, social dimensions of sustainability, cleantech innovation, green entrepreneurship, sustainable forestry, and “bottom of the pyramid” development strategies

Submission Information
Please submit papers by December 20, 2008. Submissions should be original research papers that have not yet been accepted for publication. Submissions should be sent to:

arcs-submissions@umich.edu (Those interested in participating as a non-presenting attendee should also register their interest at the same email address.)

The program will be announced by February 1, 2009. Questions may be addressed to: Dominique Abed or Karen Houghtaling.

Organizer: Thomas P. Lyon, tplyon@umich.edu

Expenses
Conference registration fees, accommodation, and meals will be covered for paper presenters and discussants on the program.

On behalf of the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainabilty,

Tom Lyon, Mike Lenox, Andy King, Mike Toffel, John Maxwell, Andy Hoffman, Lori Bennear