Research Impact

Penn State Smeal College of Business faculty members embody a wealth of expertise in their fields and maintain close connections with corporate partners, which gives them a unique perspective on how sustainability touches every aspect of global business. Smeal faculty research agendas include sustainability projects in economics, finance, management, marketing, supply chain, and other areas.  

Faculty Research Topics

With over 30 faculty across departments with research in the social, environmental, and financial aspects of business, what follows is just a sample of research topics:

Accounting:

How CPAs Can Outpace the Pace of Change in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Ed Jenkins, Professor of Practice in Accounting, Professor-In-Charge

Finance:

The Relationship Between Sea-Level Rise and the Real Estate Market
Matt Gustafson, Professor of Finance

International Business:

Managing Off-Grid Local Innovations for Sustainability and Rural Poverty Alleviation
Peter Mhando, Associate Teaching Professor of International Business and International Affairs

Management and Organization:

How Social Activism Directly and Indirectly Influences Companies and the Power of Spillover Effects
Forrest Briscoe, Management and Organization

Overcoming Unique Obstacles Faced by Women in Top Leadership Roles
Aparna Joshi, Management and Organization

Marketing:

Consumer Perceptions of Sustainable Products From Organic to Remanufactured
Meg Meloy, Professor of Marketing

Increasing Recycling by Focusing Consumers’ Attention on What Products Will Become, Shifting From “Where Does This Go?” to “What Can This Make?”
Karen Winterich, Professor of Marketing

Risk Management:

Intellectual Property Rights That Can Be Used to Encourage Private Investment in Sustainability-Related Innovation
Dan Cahoy, Professor and Department Head of Risk Management

The Connection Between Features of Green Buildings and Transaction Prices
Jiro Yoshida, Professor of Business and Risk Management

Supply Chain and Information Systems:

Analysis of Procurement Strategies and Supply Chain Configurations for Biomass Raw Materials in the Production of Biofuels and Bioenergy
Evelyn Thomchick, Associate Professor of Supply Chain and Information Systems

Closed-Loop Supply Chains and Remanufacturing, Serve as a Foundation in the Development of Environmentally Sustainable Industrial Systems
Dan Guide, Professor of Supply Chain and Information Systems

How Supply Chain Visibility Affects Operating Performance With Evidence From Conflict Minerals Disclosure
Suresh Muthulingam, Professor of Supply Chain and Information Systems