Spring 2017-18 | Published May 2018

Center for Sustainable Enterprise & Regional Competitiveness (SERC) University of Massachusetts Boston

Academic Year 2017-18 Newsletter: May 2018

Welcome to the 2017-2018 SERC Newsletter! Below we have exciting updates on SERC’s activities and upcoming events. For more information, please check out the SERC website . Despite the difficult financial situation at UMass Boston, SERC continued to support education, research, events and projects focused on sustainability. Our main achievements during 2017-18 academic year include:  Dr. David Levy led the development and launch of the report Financing Climate Resilience: Mobilizing Resources and Incentives to Protect Boston from Climate Risks, released in March 2018. The study was funded by the Barr Foundation and the Green Ribbon Commission and coordinated by the Sustainable Solutions Lab. Dr. Veleva’s research on emerging circular business models, which included 12 local companies and was supported by UMass Boston Joseph P Healey grant was published in the Journal of Cleaner Production (see “Corporate-Entrepreneur Collaborations to Advance a Circular Economy”, 2018). Dr. Veleva and Dr. Cue’s benchmarking study of green chemistry adoption by the global pharmaceutical supply chain was published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering (see: “Benchmarking green chemistry adoption by the global pharmaceutical supply chain”, 2017). The authors were also invited to present the study results at the 2017 Medicines for All Summit, November 8-9, 2017 at Virginia Commonwealth University, and the ACS Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, March 18-22, 2018. On March 5, 2018 SERC hosted an event on “Sustainable Product Design for the Next Seven Generations” with Martin Wolf, Director of Sustainability & Authenticity at Seventh Generation. On April 9, 2018, SERC hosted an event “Raytheon Zero Waste Journey” with Frank Marino, former Senior Corporate Environmental, Health, Safety and Sustainability Manager at Raytheon. Jesse Mermell, President of the Alliance for Business Leadership, was the speaker at the Business Leaders Advancing Social Change event on April 18, 2018. On May 3, 2018, Prof. Nardia Haigh, held a workshop introducing participants to scenario planning for climate change. We appreciate all who have helped to foster sustainability and competitiveness in the northeast and in Boston! A special thanks to those who have attended our events and provided support, our Organizations and Social Change blog subscribers, and participants in our educational programs. SERC greatly appreciates and benefits from financial support. If you would like to contribute to the program, please contact Vesela Veleva at [email protected] . We look forward to your continued support and engagement next academic year, and wish you a wonderful summer!

Vesela Veleva Dept. of Management, SERC               Interim Director, Healthcare Management Program   College of Management, UMass Boston  [email protected]

David L. Levy  Professor, Dept. of Management Founder, SERC College of Management, UMass Boston            [email protected]

Contents

RESEARCH: Financing Climate Resilience RESEARCH: Circular Economy Business Models SERC at the ACS Annual Meeting EVENT: Designing Products for the Next Seven Generations EVENT: Raytheon Zero Waste Journey EVENT: Business Leaders Advancing Social Change WORKSHOP: Climate Change Scenario Planning AWARDS: Entrepreneurial Activities and Economic Resilience UPDATE: Sustainability Course Offerings in 2018-19 UPDATE: Green Internships and Jobs UPDATE: Organizations and Social Change PhD Program Clean Energy and Sustainability Certificate - Student Reflections Recent Publications by SERC Faculty (Selected)

Research: Financing Climate Resilience

UMass Boston’s Sustainable Solutions Lab (SSL) released a report on April 13, 2018, which analyzed the financial challenges to implementing climate resilience solutions in the Boston region, and made recommendations for overcoming these challenges. “It’s important to point out the high costs of inaction,” said David Levy, lead author of Financing Climate Resilience: Mobilizing Resources and Incentives to Protect Boston from Climate Risks. “We need to invest a lot of money, but it will have substantial benefits and offers the potential to transform the region into a model of sustainability, resiliency, and prosperity, and revitalize neighborhoods with improved housing and transportation.”  The report recommends that both private and public sources of funding need to be leveraged at the federal, state, municipal, and district levels. Recent history shows the need for financing climate adaptation in the City of Boston is great. Just this year, areas of Boston were flooded when two winter storms produced storm-surge of nearly 3-feet. Major storms can disrupt power, transportation, communications, and supply chains, leading to lengthy recovery times and long-term economic impacts for residents and businesses. The report notes that climate change will disproportionately impact low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, so any successful approach to climate adaptation needs to avoid exacerbating inequalities, for example, by accelerating gentrification or imposing high fees on these communities. The study was sponsored by the Boston Green Ribbon Commission with generous support from the Barr Foundation.

Research: Circular Economy Business Models

Dr. Veleva continues to lead the SERC research on emerging business models and collaborations to advance the circular economy, a project started in 2016 with the support of UMass Boston Joseph P Healey grant. The research led to a peer-reviewed publication in the Journal of Cleaner Production titled: “ Corporate-Entrepreneur Collaborations to Advance a Circular Economy ”, which reflected key findings from the 12 companies participating in the project - Seeding Labs, Circular Blu, RISE Products, Save That Stuff, Preserve Products, The Furniture Trust, Biogen, Dell, Waste Management, PerkinElmer, First Solar, and Raytheon . In addition, Dr. Veleva and graduate student Shane Foley (Master’s student in the School for Environment who also pursued the certificate in Clean Energy and Sustainability), published a teaching case about one of the entrepreneurial companies in the study “ RISE Products: Transforming Organic Waste into Healthy Product ”. For more information about the project and how to get involved, please contact Dr. Vesela Veleva at [email protected] .

SERC at the ACS Annual Meeting

Dr. Veleva and Dr. Cue (SERC board member) were invited by the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute Pharmaceutical Roundtable (ACS GCIPR) to present their research on benchmarking green chemistry adoption by the pharmaceutical supply chain at the Annual ACS Meeting “The Nexus of Food, Energy & Water” in New Orleans, Louisiana, March 18-22, 2018. In the presentation, the researchers discussed that despite significant progress made by “big pharma”, generic drug companies and active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturers have not embraced green chemistry in a strategic way. Green chemistry adoption by these companies and manufacturers is critical for reducing the impact on the environment as over 90% of prescriptions today are for generics and many “big pharma” outsource manufacturing and research and development to India and China. The session concluded with discussion about the future opportunities for advancing wider adoption of green chemistry by the entire supply chain, such as requiring more effective and globally harmonized environmental regulations, using life cycle assessment metrics, expanding GC education, and establishing effective supplier management programs. Dr. Cue was also invited to discuss the research findings in a keynote speech at the 2017 Medicines for All Summit , November 8-9, 2017 at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Photo: Dr. Veleva presenting at the ACS Annual Meeting

Event: Designing Products for the Next Seven Generations

On March 5, 2018, SERC hosted a public event focused on green product design. The speaker, Martin Wolf, Director of Sustainability & Authenticity at Seventh Generation , discussed how companies can build trusted brands and design products to both meet customer needs and ensure resources for future generations. The event focused on the role that small companies can play in driving industry change and the role of Seventh Generation in transforming the cleaning product industry with its approach of Model-Demonstrate-Influence-Transform . Registered as Benefits Corporation, Seventh Generation has a strong record of influencing industry practices. Some of its recent achievements include The Cleaning Industry Right to Know Act (2017), the Cleaning Industry Voluntary Phosphate Ban (2010), Consumer Product Ingredient Safety Information, and the Asthma and Cleaning Products Task Force.

Event: Raytheon Zero Waste Journey

On April 9, 2018, SERC hosted a public event focused on the challenges and opportunities of becoming a zero waste facility. Guest speaker Frank Marino, formerly Senior Manager Environmental Health, Safety and Sustainability at Raytheon , discussed how and why companies establish sustainability goals and outlined the business opportunities in waste reduction. Raytheon has a goal to certify 20 facilities by 2020 as Zero Waste with the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council . In 2015 it had six certified sites in Massachusetts, and is on its way to achieve the 2020 goal by diverting at least 90% of its non-hazardous waste at these facilities from landfill or incineration. Setting zero waste goals is both pragmatic and aspirational. Marino emphasized that the success of such strategy depends on companies’ ability to establish strategic partnerships. Some examples include Raytheon’s partnerships with E.L. Harvey which helps it increase recycling and composting, and with ERI which handles its electronic waste via reuse, recycling, and proper disposal.

Photo: Frank Marino, former Senior Manager EHS&S

Event: Business Leaders Advancing Social Change

Jesse Mermell, President of the Alliance for Business Leadership , was the featured speaker at the Business Leaders Advancing Social Change event on April 18, 2018. Mermell spoke about how business leaders can leverage their resources and networks to advance progressive policy and business practice in Massachusetts. She provided several examples of how the Alliance for Business Leadership helps to connect business leaders with like-minded peers and influences policy around issues such as family leave and carbon taxes. She stressed the importance of making the business case for policies that advance socially responsible business practices. Mermell had previously served as Governor Deval Patrick's communications director, and more recently she was honored with a 40 under 40 award from the  Boston Business Journal . She has also held positions as a vice president for Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, Executive Director of FairTest, and Executive Director of the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus. She was an elected member of the Brookline Board of Selectmen from 2007 – 2013.

Workshop: Climate Change Scenario Planning

On May 3, 2018, Prof. Nardia Haigh taught a free masterclass on Introduction to Scenario Planning for Climate Change . Traditional strategic planning processes produce plans with a rolling 5-year time horizon. These are necessary for giving decision-makers a view of what may emerge during their tenure; however, they are not adequate to understand large-scale issues, such as climate change. Participants in the class were introduced to scenario planning as a method for long-term strategic management and were given a certificate of completion. Scenario planning is a powerful strategic planning method that develops multiple potential futures 10, 15, 25 or more years from now, based on identifying and analyzing the driving forces that will shape the future. Prof. Haigh, with over a decade of experience, is a leader in teaching professionals and students how to use scenario planning to address the long-term implications of climate change. She has a forthcoming book on scenario planning for climate change, to be published with Routledge. She is also teaching a full online course on scenario planning at UMass Boston in Fall 2018 . You can enroll as a non-degree or a degree-seeking participant, by enrolling in  MBAMGT 689-01C Strategic Management (class 9953). Contact UMass Boston's  College of Advancing and Professional Studies  for more information.

Awards: Entrepreneurial Activities & Economic Resilience

Dr. Alessia Contu, Chair of the Department of Management, presented with her co-authors Dr. Barbieri and Dr. Zurru, the initial findings of the research projects on low-power actors’ entrepreneurial activities and economic resilience  at the International Labour Process Conference 2018 and the LAEMOS Conference 2018 both held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in March. The team also presented a paper titled "Exploring resilience in hybrid organizations: the case of workers’ buyout in Italy." Dr. Contu has also been awarded the Atkins'71 Strategy and Entrepreneurship Summer Research Fellowship 2018 to continue the research on how workers who had to face company closure develop entrepreneurial activities by buying and re-developing the company in question, a phenomenon known as recovered or recuperated firms that is an important element for the economic development of low-power actors in crisis-ridden communities.

In the photo: Dr. Alessia Contu, Dr. Maureen Scully, and PhD student Sunyu Chai

Update: Sustainability Course Offerings in 2018-19

We will be offering four sustainability-related courses next academic year that support the Clean Energy and Sustainability Programs (CES). The following courses are open to students from a variety of majors across campus as well as from outside UMass Boston:  MGT 481 Introduction to Environmental Management and Clean Energy (Undergraduate): Fall 2018, Thursdays, 4:00-6:45 pm, taught by Prof. Veleva MBAMGT 671 Introduction to Environmental Management (Graduate): Spring 2019, taught by Prof. Veleva MBAMGT 688L Global Warming & International Business (Graduate): Spring 2019; taught by Prof. Haigh MBA AF 631 Environmental Accounting and Finance (Graduate): Spring 2019; taught by Prof. Gao For more information please check our website or contact [email protected] .

Update: Green Internships and Jobs

Our Green Internship Program , launched in 2012 offers employers and students employment opportunities. Available internships are updated on weekly basis during the academic year and are posted at www.umb.edu/serc/internships ; some of the current opportunities include: Research Fellow at Climate XChange & Climate Action Business Association Citizens Climate Education Internships and Fellowships Sustainability Manager-Harvard University Climate Policy Analyst-Commonwealth of Massachusetts Environmental communication and outreach specialist-NOAA Planning Intern-Enel Green Power Wildlife Over Waste Intern-Environment Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Specialist/Planner II-MAPC Waste and recycling fellow-Tufts University Office of Sustainability Wind Data Intern - REsurety Renewable Energy Market Analyst-Sustainable Energy Advantage LLC SERC invites companies and other organizations to participate in the program. If you would like to post a green internship or job, email Dr. Veleva at [email protected] .

Update: Organizations & Social Change PhD Program

Department of Management Organizations and Social Change (OSC) PhD program accepted four new PhD students for next academic year. The program responds to the growing interest in issues at the intersection of business and society. The interdisciplinary OSC track is distinctive among PhD programs in business schools, in our explicit commitment to diverse perspectives, theories, and methodologies. Many of the students conduct research in areas such as sustainability, social entrepreneurship and social justice. For instance, Nichole Wissman-Weber , a PhD candidate in the program, along with her advisor, Prof. David Levy, recently had a paper accepted in the journal Organization on the topic of climate adaptation in the Boston region. The paper examines the initial phase of organizing for climate adaptation in Boston, Massachusetts, exploring how multiple actors, including business, government, and community organizations, are interacting as they attempt to comprehend, assess, and act on climate change risks. The paper develops the concept of ‘risk regime’ as a contingently stabilized system along governance, economic, and discursive dimensions. The regime is an arena of contestation, collaboration, and accommodation among actors with differential interests, knowledge, and influence on the process. The reference of the article is: Wissman-Weber, N.K. and D. L. Levy (2018, forthcoming). Climate Adaptation in the Anthropocene: Constructing and Contesting Urban Risk Regimes. Organization. Nichole also received the College of Management PhD Award for Overall Academic Distinction. The Organizations and Social Change (OSC) blog from the OSC research group has continued to attract a lot of attention from scholars, students and the general public. Since its launch in Spring 2013, 73 articles and over 700 comments have been posted. Users all around the world have viewed these postings about 84,000 times as of May 2018. The blog focuses on topics at the intersection of business and society, such as sustainability, workforce diversity, economic development, and globalization. The most successful blog post - "Will U.S. Tech Jobs Turn All-Indian? The H1B Visa Dilemma" (by Stephan Manning) - has attracted almost 25,000 views and 250 comments. The OSC blog also introduces the members of the OSC research group, including the PhD students of the UMass Boston College of Management OSC PhD track. Please check out the blog and consider making comments or submitting your own post (750 to 1,000 words) to Stephan Manning ( [email protected] ).

Clean Energy and Sustainability (CES) Certificate

Jennifer Rondeau is MBA candidate in the College of Management who specializes in Environmental Management and Healthcare Management. She is also pursuing the CES certificate and is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Academic Honors Society.  While working towards a Professional Master’s of Science degree in environmental science at UMass Boston, Shane Foley was able to simultaneously receive a Clean Energy and Sustainability Certificate in the Fall of 2017. “During my time as a graduate student pursing my PSM degree I began to gain more of an interest in a career in corporate sustainability. Enrolling in the CES offered a unique opportunity to supplement my graduate studies and take classes that would provide the diverse knowledge base needed to gain a job in this field. The strongest example of this is the independent study I took under Professor Veleva’s guidance. I was able to conduct my own research into a compelling new environmental start-up in New York City – RISE Products, which takes waste beer product and converts it into a healthy flour. This research involved incorporating environmental science, relevant policy, and business strategy in order to assess the future viability of this company. The result was a case study that became my first published piece of work - a strong tangible example I can present to hiring managers in order to demonstrate my knowledge in this field.”

“I was interested in the MBA Flex program because of the focused management curriculum and ability to customize business electives to focus on coursework topics directly related to my professional career in the Environmental Health & Safety Department at Massachusetts General Hospital. The ability to work full time while working towards my MBA was an important factor in choosing UMass Boston. I also appreciated being able to customize my coursework to specialize in Environmental Management and Healthcare Management. As part of my work towards the specializations and the CES certificate, I conducted an independent study focused on hazardous waste management in healthcare. I was able to leverage my resources at MGH, as well as my newly obtained knowledge from the MBA Flex program. After delving into MGH hazardous waste management processes I was able to provide recommendations for continued best practices. This was an excellent opportunity to advance my knowledge and add value to my department.”

Recent Publications by SERC Faculty (Selected)

Barnard, H., Cuervo-Cazurra, A., & Manning, S. 2017. “Africa business research as a laboratory for theory-building: Extreme conditions, new phenomena and alternative paradigms”. Management and Organization Review. 13(3), 467-495. Carberry, E.J., P. Bharati, D.L. Levy, & A. Chaudhury. 2017. “Social Movements as Catalysts for Corporate Social Innovation: Environmental Activism and the Adoption of Green Information Systems.” Business & Society. Cegan, J., A. Filion, J. Keisler, I. Linkov. 2017. Trends and applications of multi-criteria decision analysis in environmental sciences: Literature review. Environment, Systems and Decisions 37.2:123-133. Ganin, A., M. Kitsak, D. Marchese, J. Keisler, T. Seager & I. Linkov. 2017. Resilience and efficiency in transportation networks. Science Advances. Vol. 3, no. 12, e1701079:1-8. Haigh, N.L., Weber, A. & Msall, J. 2017. Coming to Fruition: Fresh Truck Aims to Increase Food Access in Boston. Teaching case and teaching note chosen as a finalist in the 2017 Oikos Case Writing Competition, https://oikos-international.org/publications/fresh-truck/. Kannothra, C.G., Manning, S. & Haigh, N.L. 2018. How Hybrids Manage Growth and Social-Business Tensions in Global Supply Chains: The Case of Impact Sourcing. Journal of Business Ethics. 148(2): 271-290. Kennedy, E.D., Beaton, E., & Haigh, N.L. Forthcoming. Governance Practices for Increasing Social Impact among Social Enterprises and Traditional Firms. In D. Billis & C. Rochester (Eds.). Handbook on Hybrid Organizations. Edward Elgar. Kurth, M., J. Keisler, M. Bates, J. Summers, & I. Linkov. 2017. A portfolio decision analysis approach to support energy research and development resource allocation. Energy Policy 105: 128-135. Levy, D.L. & Palpacuer, F. 2017. Global Production Networks and the Changing Corporation. In: The Corporation: A Critical, Interdisciplinary Handbook. Edited by Andre Spicer and Grietje Baars. Cambridge University Press. Lichtenstein, B. & Stroh, P. 2017. Engines of Entrepreneurial Growth: Resources, Complexity, Capacity and Emergence. In G. Markman, A. Guerber & WT Su. Sustainability, Society, Business Ethics and Entrepreneurship. World Scientific Press, Volume 3. Linkov, I., B. Wender, B. Trump, T. Seager, J. Steevens, & J. Keisler. 2017. Integrate life cycle assessment and risk analysis results and not methods. Nature Nanotechnology. 12(8):740-743. Manning, S., Kannothra, C.G., & Wissman-Weber, N.K. 2017. ”The strategic potential of community-based hybrid models: The case of global business services in Africa”. Global Strategy Journal, 7, 125-149. Manning, S., & Bejarano, T.A. 2017. “Convincing the Crowd: Entrepreneurial Storytelling in Crowdfunding Campaigns”. Strategic Organization. 15 (2), 194-219 Sharma, G., Beveridge, A. & Haigh, N.L. 2018. “A Configural Framework of Practice Change for B Corporations”. Journal of Business Venturing. 33(2): 207-224. Veleva V., Bodkin G., & Todorova, S. 2017, “The need for better measurement and employee engagement to advance a circular economy: Lessons from Biogen Zero Waste Journey”. Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 154, pp. 517-529. Veleva, V. & Cue, B. Jr. 2017. “Benchmarking green chemistry adoption by ‘big pharma’ and generics manufacturers”. Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 24, Issue 6. Veleva V. & Cue, B. Jr. 2018. “Chapter 22: Benchmarking green chemistry adoption by ‘big pharma’ and generics manufacturers”, In: Green Techniques for Organic Synthesis and Medicinal Chemistry, 2nd Edition, by W. Zhang and B. Cue Jr. Veleva, V. & Bodkin, G. 2018, “Corporate-entrepreneur collaborations to advance a circular economy”, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 188, pp. 20-37. Veleva V., Cue B., & Todorova, S. 2017, “Benchmarking green chemistry adoption by the global pharmaceutical supply chain”, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 6 (1): 2-14. Veleva V. & Foley, S. 2018, “RISE Products: Transforming Organic Waste into Healthy Product”, SAGE Publishing, http://sk.sagepub.com/cases/rise-products-inc-transforming-organic-waste-into-healthy-food Weerawardena, J., Sullivan Mort, G., Salunke, S. & Haigh, N. 2019 Forthcoming. “Business Model Innovation in Social Purpose Organizations.” Journal of Business Research.  Wissman-Weber, N. and D. L. Levy. 2018, Forthcoming. “Climate Adaptation in the Anthropocene: Constructing and Contesting Urban Risk Regimes.” Organization. Zhang, X., & Zhang, W. 2018. “PASE Synthesis of Heterocycles Through [3+2] Cyclo. Addition Initiated Reactions.” Green Sustainable Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsc.2018.04.005 Zhang, X., Liu, M., Qiu, W., Evans, J., Kaur, M., Jasinski, J. P., & Zhang, W. 2018. “One-pot Synthesis of Polycyclic Spirooxindoles ia Montmorillonite K10-Catalyzed C-H Functionalization of Cyclic Amines” ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 6, 5574-5579. Zhang, W., Cue, B., W. Eds., Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 2018, Green Techniques for Organic Synthesis and Medicinal Chemistry, 2nd Edition. Zhang, W. 2018. “Light Fluorous Synthesis”, book chapter in Green Techniques for Organic Synthesis and Medicinal Chemistry, 2nd Ed, Zhang, W.; Cue, B. W. Eds., Wiley, Chichester pp509–538. Zhong, M., & Gao, L.S. 2017. “Does Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure Improve Firm Investment Efficiency?” Evidence from China. Review of Accounting and Finance, 16(3).

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