Research Roundup: January 2025

Dive into our monthly Research Roundup, showcasing the latest insights from the business education community to keep you informed of new and noteworthy industry trends. Here are this month’s selections:

Empowering Stakeholders to Shape Tomorrow’s Success

• Researchers: V. Kumar, Brock University; Linda D. Hollebeek, Sunway Business School; Amalesh Sharma, Texas A&M University; Bharath Rajan, Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research; Rajendra K Srivastava, Indian School of Business
• Output: “Responsible Stakeholder Engagement Marketing,” Journal of Business Research, 2025
• Overview: Imagine a strategy where businesses engage their customers and inspire employees, suppliers, and communities to contribute responsibly to shared goals. This is the premise of Responsible Stakeholder Engagement Marketing (RSEM), a framework that extends traditional customer-focused marketing to all stakeholders. Defined as the deliberate effort to empower stakeholders to make responsible contributions to the firm, society, and the environment, RSEM combines the principles of corporate social responsibility with marketing strategy.
  
  For instance, companies like H&M leverage RSEM by incentivizing customers to recycle clothing, which not only cuts down on raw material costs but also promotes sustainability. The framework is built around three key facets: instrumental (financially driven), compliant (focused on regulatory adherence), and moral (guided by ethical leadership). Firms implementing RSEM aim to improve their financial, social, and environmental performance, commonly called the triple bottom line.
• Findings: RSEM has the power to transform stakeholder relationships and business outcomes. For example, Walmart’s moral RSEM initiatives, like adopting renewable energy and sustainable refrigerants, saved the company millions in operating costs while also reinforcing its environmental stewardship. Similarly, companies that engage employees through compliant RSEM—such as workplace safety programs—report reduced turnover and fewer legal issues, creating a more productive workforce.
  
  The study found that instrumental RSEM strategies focusing on financial incentives can directly boost profits; firms adopting these practices often see an average 10 percent reduction in operating costs through efficiencies like recycling and resource optimization. Moreover, 70 percent of stakeholders are more likely to trust businesses that demonstrate ethical and environmental responsibility, showing that moral RSEM enhances reputation and loyalty. These insights reveal a clear message for business leaders: a well-rounded RSEM approach is not just good ethics; it’s smart business.

Learn More

Strategic Minds and Intelligent Machines

• Researchers: Magno Queiroz, Florida Atlantic University; Abhijith Anand, University of Arkansas; Aaron Baird, Georgia State University
• Output: “Manager Appraisal of Artificial Intelligence Investments,” Journal of Management Information Systems, 2024
• Overview: Deciding whether to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) is not just a question of cost—it’s a question of control. Managers must evaluate the decision-making authority they are willing to delegate to AI systems and how these systems align with organizational priorities.
   
  A recent study explores this process, offering a framework to classify AI investments based on two dimensions: action autonomy (whether AI supports human decisions or fully automates tasks) and learning autonomy (whether AI relies on static training or continuously updates itself through learning). The study uncovers key insights into the factors driving AI adoption by examining how managers weigh these characteristics. The findings aim to guide organizations in making strategic, tailored decisions about incorporating AI into their operations.
• Findings: The study categorizes managers into three types based on decision-making styles. Iterative managers prioritize stability and favor pre-trained AI for predictable and consistent performance. Practical-evaluative managers respond to immediate demands, choosing pre-trained AI for routine tasks or self-learning AI for more dynamic needs. Projective managers focus on innovation, selecting self-learning AI for its adaptability and potential to drive future growth.
   
  For instance, self-learning AI systems have reduced production yield loss by over 50 percent in manufacturing, demonstrating their value for forward-thinking strategies. These findings emphasize that business leaders should align AI investments with their managerial goals and consider how these investments shift decision-making dynamics and organizational accountability. Leaders must ensure that their AI strategies are flexible enough to evolve with changing business environments while maintaining clear oversight of AI-driven decisions.

Learn More

Fix the Invisible, Build the Exceptional

• Researcher: Zara Whysall, Nottingham Trent University
• Output: “Shift Happens: Strategies for Organizational Culture Evolution,” Nottingham Trent University (white paper), 2024
• Overview: Culture is not optional; it is the invisible framework shaping how organizations operate and thrive. Research from Nottingham Trent University highlights organizational culture as a critical factor in achieving strategic goals. It encompasses the collective beliefs, values, and behaviors that guide daily operations, shaping decisions, employee involvement, and overall effectiveness.
   
  Author Zara Whysall introduces Edgar Schein’s “cultural iceberg” to explain the layered nature of culture, where deeper assumptions and values underpin visible practices and policies. The study emphasizes the need for leaders to evaluate these cultural layers and identify where alignment is lacking, as inconsistencies can weaken an organization’s ability to meet its objectives.
• Findings: The research shows that cultural alignment directly impacts organizational success. Companies with strong, aligned cultures often see better financial results, stronger reputations, and more engaged employees. A study of 28,000 employees across 22 U.K. banking firms revealed a major issue: many employees felt their organization’s behaviors did not match its stated values. While this example references prior research examining the cultural factors behind the 2008 financial crisis, it underscores the long-term risks of cultural misalignment.
   
  Organizations with aligned cultures are shown to reduce uncertainty and ambiguity for employees, improving operational efficiency and resilience. Practical implications for leaders include embedding desired traits through consistent behaviors, policies, and reinforcement mechanisms. Addressing cultural misalignment is essential to unlocking an organization’s potential, fostering trust, and creating a foundation for long-term success.

Learn More

Forestry Innovation for a Changing World

• Researchers: Andre Wise and Hamieda Parker, University of Cape Town
• Output: “Innovation in Global Forestry: Evolution Towards a Diversified Industry,” Journal of Business Research, 2024
• Overview: The global forestry industry is at a crossroads. It has evolved from a narrow focus on maximizing productivity to a need to also address broader environmental and societal challenges. While chemical and mechanical innovations historically drove growth, productivity has stagnated since the early 2000s.
   
  This study examines 50 years of patent data, from 1970 to 2022, to understand how innovation trends have shifted. Researchers aimed to uncover the drivers behind past successes and identify opportunities for revitalizing the industry. By leveraging advanced analytical tools like KeyGraph, the study highlights the transition from traditional production technologies to sustainable innovations that respond to climate change and environmental concerns.
• Findings: The analysis of over 17,500 forestry-related patents reveals a clear shift from traditional chemical and mechanical technologies to sustainability-focused innovations. Patents related to tree cultivation and specialized silviculture (managing forest growth and health) increased by over 30 percent between 2010 and 2022, reflecting a growing focus on enhancing forest ecosystems. Bioenergy and soil preparation advancements emphasize renewable energy production and efficient land use.
   
  Innovations in pest control and biodegradable materials further highlight the industry's commitment to addressing climate change and reducing environmental impact. These trends indicate that forestry is increasingly positioned as a key player in sustainable development, with opportunities for business leaders to invest in technologies that balance ecological responsibility with economic growth.

Learn More

The Business of Thoughtful Giving

• Researchers: Sajeeb Saha, Ravi Pappu, Saeed Akhlaghpour, University of Queensland; Kumar Rakesh Ranjan, EDHEC Business School
• Output: “Donation Type Effects in Corporate Giving: A Moderated Dual Mediation Model,” Journal of Business Research, 2025
• Overview: Corporate giving, an integral part of corporate social responsibility, takes numerous forms—cash donations, products, and time. Each choice carries unique implications for how consumers perceive the company’s motives. Drawing on attribution theory, this study examines how the type of donation influences consumer evaluations of companies through perceived altruism and trust.
   
  Two experiments evaluate these dynamics while accounting for moderating factors such as the company's perceived warmth (donor warmth) and brand reputation. By analyzing consumer reactions to different donation types, the researchers provide actionable insights for companies seeking to strategically enhance their public image through philanthropy.
• Findings: The research shows that time donations are perceived as significantly more altruistic than cash donations. For example, consumers rate time donations 25 percent higher in perceived altruism than cash donations for firms with low warmth. Product donations are also viewed as 12 percent more altruistic than cash donations when the product fits the cause (e.g., donating hardware supplies for disaster relief).
   
  For firms with a poor reputation, time donations improve consumer attitudes and word-of-mouth recommendations by over 20 percent compared to cash donations. In contrast, for companies with a strong reputation or high warmth, the differences between donation types are much smaller, with time and cash donations having similar impacts. These findings highlight that firms with image challenges should focus on time donations, while established brands have more flexibility in giving strategies.

Learn More

If you have new research from your school share with the business education community, please submit a summary and relevant links to AACSB Insights via our online submission form at aacsb.edu/insights/articles/submissions.