I am an assistant professor in the Department of Management at Temple University’s Fox School of Business.
My research investigates the organizational and strategic dimensions of sustainability. Organizations are key drivers of environmental and social impacts: organizational decisions to exit from polluting resources and practices, such as coal-fired generators and greenwashing, and to develop more sustainable alternatives, such as solar energy and certified B Corps, yield large effects on business and the planet. These decisions are in turn shaped by stakeholder pressures – to maintain the status quo or to transition – as well as organizational change processes, such as issue selling, activism, and collaboration. In my research, I seek to shed light on both the mechanisms that drive change towards sustainability and those that impede it. Methodologically, I combine innovative data sources and methods to capture new insights into important problems. The larger purpose is to contribute to the ability of business and society to effectively respond to sustainability challenges.
I have published in Administrative Science Quarterly, American Journal of Sociology, Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, and Organization & Environment, received best paper awards from the American Sociology Association, Academy of Management, and the Group for Research on Organizations and the Natural Environment (GRONEN), and been featured in media outlets, including National Geographic, Boston Globe, Harvard Business Review, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and Vox.
You can reach me at todd.schifeling@temple.edu.