Analyzing data from approximately 1.5 million employees across 1,108 established public and private US companies, we find that employee beliefs about their firm's purpose is weaker in public companies. This difference is most pronounced within the salaried middle and hourly ranks, rather than...

With the goal of examining sustainability through a new lens and uncovering how business organizations are reconciling their role in the world today and into the future -- and what it will take to realize that future -- Avastone Consulting conducted the Avastone Corporate Sustainability Study...

Can better firm ESG policies be attributed to a CEO’s style? We find that firms led by CEOs with not-for-profit sector work experience (socially engaged CEOs) possess better ESG ratings and superior real ESG outcomes. They receive higher satisfaction ratings from their employees, develop more...

We propose a strategic theory of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Shareholder maximizers commit to a mission statement that extends beyond firm value maximization. This commitment leads firms (either product market competitors or complementors along the value chain) to change their actions...

We explore the labor market effects of gender and race by examining board leadership appointments. Prior studies are often limited by observing only hired candidates, whereas the boardroom provides a controlled setting where both hired and unhired candidates are observable. Although diverse...