Shuili Du remembers when business profit and social impact were widely perceived as mutually exclusive. As a professor of marketing at UNH’s Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, Du has dedicated her career to changing this perception, demonstrating through her research how corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability can benefit both society and businesses.
“Academic research has played a huge role in changing business managers’ perceptions,” Du says. “We can show the data that business and social interests are not contradictory; they help each other in the long term.”
Du's groundbreaking work recently earned her the Jan-Benedict Steenkamp Award for Long-Term Impact from the European Marketing Association and the International Journal of Marketing Research. Her award-winning paper compared the CSR initiatives of New Hampshire-based Stonyfield Farm’s yogurt to two other brands. She found that Stonyfield's deep-rooted commitment to environmental responsibility resulted in increased consumer awareness, more positive brand perceptions, and higher levels of consumer loyalty and advocacy.
“Consumers are skeptical of companies paying lip service to CSR. Authenticity is key,” Du explains. “Sustainability needs to be embedded into the soul of your company to derive business benefits.”
Luciana Echazu, associate dean of undergraduate education at Paul College, emphasizes the importance of social responsibility and sustainability in building successful businesses. She notes that Paul College integrates these concepts into its research and curriculum, aligning with UNH’s status as a leading university for sustainability.
Ju-Chin Huang, a professor of economics at Paul College, specializes in non-market valuation, assessing the economic value of environmental goods. Her recent studies, including those on air quality and beach erosion, have contributed to shaping public policies that benefit health and the environment. Huang's work demonstrates how understanding the components that contribute to perceived environmental value can inform effective public policies.
As part of its commitment to sustainability, Paul College is collaborating with the Center for Business Analytics and the Sustainability Institute to create a data hub for sustainability research at UNH. This initiative aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and support faculty research that contributes to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Read the full Spark Magazine article here.
