Faculty Research Spotlight: Paul Shrivasta
By Benita Oseleononmen
Paul Shrivastava is a Professor of Management and Organizations and another one of Smeal’s faculty with research expertise on sustainability and understanding industrial and environmental crises. His recent research examines how consumers respond when companies face sustainability crises and what those reactions can mean for corporate sustainability practices.
In an article published in the Journal of Cleaner Production this month, Shrivastava and his co-authors explored how different characteristics of a sustainability crisis including potential harm caused, the amount of blame consumers place on the company, and how closely the crisis relates to the companies social or environmental responsibilities, shape consumer reactions. They find consumer reactions range from boycotting a company and spreading negative information to potentially continuing to support the company. The researchers also examined whether having a strong company reputation before a crisis could shield a company from negative reactions or, perhaps make those reactions even stronger.
Shrivastava emphasizes that consumers are important stakeholders and play a role in shaping corporate sustainability practices through their purchasing decisions. He says, “they can reward companies for doing what they believe is right or pressure them to change when they fall short.” These collective decisions can influence corporate behavior and broader sustainability outcomes.
A key finding of this research was that the role of blame attributed by consumers on the company is usually stronger for companies with a strong-pre-crisis reputation. He says a strong reputation raises the bar for how the company is expected to respond during a crisis.
For future companies navigating a sustainability crisis, his advice is to carefully assess the media and public blame narratives, acknowledge responsibility when appropriate, and tailor communication accordingly.
For more information, reach out to Paul Shrivastava at pxs993@psu.edu or connect with him on LinkedIn through this link
Read more on Paul’s Research here
Relevant UN Sustainable Development Goal:
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