Business School Doctoral Student’s Research Recognized

Best Doctoral Student Paper, "Navigating Corporate Sustainable Development: Chief Sustainability Officer Appointment"

Photo of Beatrisa Pucalev holding an award.

Doctoral candidate Beatrisa Pucalev was recognized at the Southern Management Association's annual conference.

The University is pleased to announce that doctoral candidate Beatrisa Pucalev has been awarded the prestigious "Best Doctoral Student Paper" in strategic management at the Southern Management Association’s annual conference. Her winning paper, titled Navigating Corporate Sustainable Development: Chief Sustainability Officer Appointment, was recognized for its originality and impact. The track was chaired by Dr. Phil Anderson from Wake Forest University and Dr. Paul Drnevich from the University of Alabama.

Pucalev’s research investigates the trend of appointing Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) among major corporations, including Amazon, J.P. Morgan & Chase, Mattel, and Microsoft, as they address complex environmental, social, economic, and governance challenges. Her study examines the factors influencing a company’s decision to appoint a CSO, analyzing the strategic role of these positions across three stages of sustainability maturity: compliance, efficiency, and innovation. By applying a natural-resource-based view, she reveals how firms at different stages may choose either internal or external candidates for the CSO role, depending on their unique strategic goals and stakeholder expectations.

Commenting on her work, Pucalev stated, “I believe the amount of research on sustainability does not match the urgency and magnitude of the issues, and this project is a way to contribute to closing this gap. I am grateful to the Department of Management, especially Hyun-Soo Woo and Walter Davis, whose support and guidance were instrumental in this achievement."

This research not only enriches strategic management theory but also provides insights into the evolving executive roles within organizations.

Congratulations to Beatrisa Pucalev for this outstanding achievement and her valuable contributions to the field of strategic management!

By

Stella Connell

Campus

Office, Department or Center

Published

November 07, 2024