Business Decisions and the Environment: Significance, Challenges, and Momentum of an Emerging Research Field

DECISION MAKING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE RESEARCH PRIORITIES, G. Brewer and P. Stern, eds., Washington DC: National Research Council, 2005

Ross School of Business Paper No. 904

34 Pages Posted: 15 May 2006 Last revised: 10 Jan 2009

See all articles by Andrew John Hoffman

Andrew John Hoffman

University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business

Date Written: October 1, 2004

Abstract

Over the past four decades, the concept of corporate environmentalism was born and redefined through multiple iterations. Concurrent with this evolution in corporate practice has been the emergence of academic research focused on business decision-making, firm behavior and the protection of the natural environment. Among the academic sciences this is a relatively new field, coming into being only in the early1980s with articles addressing the overlap between business strategy and the environment (i.e. Royston, 1979; 1980), and later, with the formation research consortia such as the Greening of Industry Network (Fischer and Schott, 1993) and the Management Institute for Environment and Business (now part of the World Resources Institute). What began as a modest offshoot of management research has grown into a maturing area of study within the management sciences. It is now possible to step back and view the state of this field in terms of where it has been and where it is going. This chapter will consider what is distinct about existing research in business decision-making and the environment and consider future directions in which the field is going.

Keywords: environmental strategy, social responsibility, ecology

JEL Classification: O13

Suggested Citation

Hoffman, Andrew John, Business Decisions and the Environment: Significance, Challenges, and Momentum of an Emerging Research Field (October 1, 2004). DECISION MAKING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE RESEARCH PRIORITIES, G. Brewer and P. Stern, eds., Washington DC: National Research Council, 2005, Ross School of Business Paper No. 904, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=902349

Andrew John Hoffman (Contact Author)

University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business ( email )

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Ann Arbor, MI MI 48109
United States
734.763.9455 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.andrewhoffman.net/

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