Values-Centered Research
We Get to the Heart of the Matter
The Graziadio Business School is committed to developing values-centered leaders and advancing responsible business practice. Pepperdine University is proud to uphold its mission to practice thought leadership and social responsibility through the applied learning and research of its faculty and student body.
Corporate social performance, leadership ethics, and sustainability are just a few of the areas to which our faculty dedicate their time, experience, and scholarship. Fully aligned with the Graziadio Business School mission and the hallmark values, this research and thought leadership produce actionable results that serve to enrich the educational experience of our community and promote better business practices.
The Economics and Politics of Corporate Social Performance
Maretno Agus "Augus" Harjoto, PhD
Associate Professor of Finance
Focus: The bureaucracy of and relationship between corporate governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Key Findings: CSR engagement positively influences operating performance and firm value, and corporate social responsibility and corporate governance are certainly interrelated.
Business Impact: When managers use CSR to resolve conflicts with consumers, employees, and the community, firm operating performance and value improve. In addition, social performance and attention to social pressure enhance firm financial performance.
An Empirical Study of Leader Ethical Values, Transformational and Transactional Leadership, and Follower Attitudes Toward Corporate Social Responsibility
Kevin S. Groves, PhD
Assistant Professor of Organizational Theory and Management
Focus: Seeks to understand leadership as moral, values-based influence process in which leaders and followers develop a collective identity and vision comprised of shared stakeholder values that extend beyond self-interests.
Key Findings: Followers of transformational leaders are more likely to engage in voluntary behaviors and put forth discretionary effort because they believe that their values are in alignment with their leader.
The transformational leadership process positively impacts followers' beliefs in the stakeholder view of CSR, which impacts followers’ willingness to exert extra effort in their organizations and communities.
Business Impact: Systems for selecting, placing, developing and retaining leadership talent should be informed by values-centered transformational leadership models.
Student Learning Impact: Students actively participate in leadership assessment process by completing a multi-source evaluation that measures ethics, personal values, transformational and transactional leader competencies. Feedback provides implications for developing values-centered leadership competencies.
CO2 Emissions and Reduction and Mitigation Potential in China's Chemical and Ammonia Industries
Charla Griffy-Brown, PhD
Associate Professor and Discipline Lead of Information Systems
Focus: Offers analysis of China’s chemical industry and provides insight to help that government’s policy makers weigh options to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency in production.
Key Findings: Uncovers the high hurdles that China must get over in order to address the emission and energy use of the chemical industry, especially in the ammonia production segment. Two approaches are presented to reduce energy use and CO2 emissions for the entire ammonia industry. One approach is to partly replace coal use with natural gas. The other approach is to improve the energy efficiency of coal-fueled technologies. For either solution to work, the studies indicate that governmental support of localization and assimilation of energy-efficient technologies will be imperative.
Social Impact: This research is highly relevant given the recent debate on energy issues that has arisen because of the catastrophic events in Japan. Articles from this research highlight the reality that focus and sometimes technological simplicity in addressing critical issues can yield results with impact.
Exploring Happiness and Performance at Work
Focus: Investigate five managerial roles (director, focuser, linker, influencer, happiness enhancer) and five key practices for each role to determine link between happiness and performance.
Key Findings: The director role in an organization has the most relevance to developing values-centered leaders and advancing responsible business practice. The director needs to effectively orient others to values and define the vision and mission of the organization. A threshold level of happiness is needed to sustain high performance.
Business Impact: Helps executives understand how to be effective leaders and to improve employee well-being, happiness, and performance which in turn produces customer results (satisfaction & loyalty) and ultimately improves business results (revenues & profitability).
Student Learning Impact: A number of these concepts are being included in Ko and Kerns' classes and discussions are taking place about adding an elective course around these issues.