Michael W. Toffel
Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management
Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management
- Under what circumstances do social audits of factories lead to sustained improvements in working conditions? How do social audit team characteristics affect operational improvements?
- Why are some suppliers more willing than others to disclose to their buyers their carbon footprint and vulnerability to climate change? (article)
- To what extent can private-sector governance mechanisms mitigate corruption, and thus excess pollution, in vehicle emissions testing? (article)
- To what extent does adopting the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Standard affect an organization’s environmental performance? (dissertation)
- To what extent are government policies that mandate green building practices in public construction projects stimulating the private sector green building market? (article)
- What factors lead particular quality problems documented within organizations to garner follow-up problem solving activities? (article)
- Why are some corporations much more transparent in disclosing their environmental performance than others? (article)
- Why are some suppliers more willing than others to disclose to their buyers their carbon footprint and vulnerability to climate change? (article)
Professor Toffel is the Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management. His research examines how companies are addressing climate change (especially decarbonization) and other environmental and working condition issues in their operations and supply chains. He co-founded and hosts the HBS Climate Rising podcast, which covers a range of business and climate change topics, and co-created the HBS Working Conditions in Supply Chains microsite to summarize evidence-based academic research on that topic.
He serves as the Faculty Chair of the HBS Business and Environment Initiative, is a co-Principle Investigator of the Climate and Sustainability Impact Lab of the Digitial, Data, and Design (D3) Institute at Harvard, co-chairs Harvard's Presidential Committee on Sustainability, leads the Climate Change Deep Dive for the Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) program, serves on the Harvard Committee on Climate Education. He teaches in the MBA and Executive Education programs, and co-leads the HBS Online Business and Climate Change course.
His work ranges from academic articles based on econometric analyses of large datasets to case studies of individual companies. His research on occupational health and safety has been profiled by the head of U.S. OSHA and featured in the national press including US News & World Report and Scientific American. His research has been published in many top scholarly journals including Science, Management Science, Strategic Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, and Organization Science, in practitioners journals including Sloan Management Review and California Management Review, and in mainstream outlets including The Atlantic Monthly and Newsweek/DailyBeast. Prof. Toffel is co-editing the Management Science Special Issue on Business and Climate Change, and recently co-edited the Manufacturing & Service Operations Management (MSOM) Special Issue on Responsible Research in Operations Managements.
He serves as an Associate Editor at MSOM, and is on the editorial boards of Strategic Management Journal and Organization Science. He is on the Working Board of the Responsible Research for Business and Management (RRBM) network and a co-founder and steering committee member of the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS), which organize leading annual academic conferences to foster high-quality research on practically relevant (RRBM) and corporate sustainability topics (ARCS).
His co-authors include Yanhua Zhou Bird, Aaron (Ronnie) Chatterji, Magali Delmas, Anil Doshi, Glen Dowell, Kira Fabrizio, Caroline Flammer, Andrea Hugill, Maria Ibanez, Chonnikarn (Fern) Jira, Matthew Johnson, Shirley Lu, Andrew King, David Levine, Julian Marshall, Chris Marquis, Melissa Ouellet, Ashley Palmarozzo, Lamar Pierce, Erin Reid, George Serafeim, Tim Simcoe, Sara Singer, Jodi Short, Kala Viswanathan, and David Vogel.
He recommends the HBS Business & Environment Initiative, Grist, Ethical Corporation, Reuters, and Bloomberg to keep up on corporate environmental news, and Popular Info to track corporate lobbying
Professor Toffel received a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business' Business and Public Policy department at the University of California at Berkeley, an MBA from the Yale School of Management, a Master’s in Environmental Management (Industrial Environmental Management) from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, and a BA in Government from Lehigh University. He has worked as the Director of Environment, Health and Safety at the Jebsen & Jessen (South East Asia) Group of Companies, based in Singapore. He has also worked as an environmental management consultant for Arthur Andersen, Arthur D. Little, and Xerox Corporation. He started his career as an operations management analyst at J.P. Morgan.
Professor Toffel is a Town Meeting Member for the Town of Brookline.
- Featured Work
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A podcast that features business and policy leaders and HBS faculty discussing what businesses are doing, can do, and should do to confront climate change
This podcast features experts sharing business opportunities and innovations to address climate change across a wide array of industries including agriculture, buildings, energy, financial services, and transportation. All episodes, transcripts, and show notes are here. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Google Play.
Government agencies can use machine learning to improve the effectiveness of regulatory inspections. Our study found that OSHA could prevent as much as twice as many injuries—translating to up to 16,000 fewer workers injured and nearly $800 million in social benefits over the decade we examined—if inspections were targeted based on approaches based on machine learning algorithms that we designed and evaluated.
Nearly half of CEOs view climate change as affecting their companies now or within the coming decade, but there is also a wide gap between what CEOs say is progress on tackling climate change and what many of their investors believe are effective actions. Companies need to adopt strategies to become more resilient to climate change and identify ways to reduce emissions. This piece draws on interviews with leaders of environmental non-government organization (ENGOs) on the HBS Climate Rising podcast in order to suggest five ways companies can engage with ENGOs to work on their climate change efforts, and how to avoid some pitfalls.This microsite is a new resource for managers of global supply chains, including brands who want to source products from suppliers that avoid problematic working conditions, auditors who assess factory working conditions, and NGOs focused on this area. The site highlights key insights of academic research in this area that provide answers to questions such as: What audit approaches are more effective at uncovering problems? How can audit programs be designed to foster improved working conditions? Which types of factories are more likely to improve working conditions?
A playbook for polarized political timesCEOs are increasingly taking a stand on divisive social issues that don't directly affect their companies' bottom lines—a dramatic departure from tradition. This Harvard Business Review article explains why CEOs are speaking up, the tactics they are using, and the risks and potential rewards of doing so. It also provides a playbook to guide CEOs on what to weigh in on, when to lead or follow, and when to act alone or in coordination with others. it also highlights some research that shows that CEO activism can affect brand loyalty and public policy. In a follow-up, our article Divided We Lead: CEO Activism has Entered the Mainstream launched the HBR Big Idea series on Leadership in a Hot Button World. (Winner of the 2019 HBR Warren Bennis Prize as best 2018 HBR article on leadership.)
I think that most business school research should examine and help solve real-world problems that managers are facing--or that they might face in the future. This means that these scholars need to choose relevant research questions, and propose and test hypotheses that connect independent variables within the control of practitioners to outcomes they care about using logic they view as feasible. This presentation and article describe how scholars can enhance research relevance, including: (1) engaging practitioners in on-campus encounters, at managerial conferences, and at crossover workshops; (2) conducting site visits and practitioner interviews; (3) working as a practitioner; and (4) developing a practitioner advisory team. Scholars seeking to influence the practice of management also need to convey their findings and insights to practitioners. How? By presenting at practitioner conferences; writing for practitioners in crossover journals, op-eds, and blogs; and attracting the interest of those who write columns, blogs, and articles about research for practitioners. The article also offers several ideas for academic institutions-- journals, professional societies, and doctoral programs--to encourage more relevant research. This follow-up article describes how several HBS faculty conduct relevant research and communicate results to managers who can put their ideas into action. I helped organize the "Research on Effective Government: Inspection and Compliance Workshop" that brought together scholars and regulators from EPA and state-level environmental agencies to find ways to encourage more relevant research and to better communicate findings to regulators. (Image source)
- Journal Articles
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- Viswanathan, Kala, Matthew S. Johnson, and Michael W. Toffel. "Do Safety Management System Standards Indicate Safer Operations? Evidence from the OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Standard." Art. 106383. Safety Science 171 (March 2024). View Details
- Johnson, Matthew S., David I. Levine, and Michael W. Toffel. "Improving Regulatory Effectiveness Through Better Targeting: Evidence from OSHA." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 15, no. 4 (October 2023): 30–67. (Profiled in the Regulatory Review.) View Details
- Chandy, Rajesh, Glen Dowell, Colin Mayer, Erica Plambeck, George Serafeim, Michael W. Toffel, L. Beril Toktay, and Elke Weber. "Introduction to the Special Section on Business and Climate Change." Management Science 69, no. 12 (December 2023): 7347–7351. View Details
- Lenox, Michael J., and Michael W. Toffel. "Diffusing Management Practices within the Firm: The Role of Information Provision." Art. 5911. Special Issue on Competitive Sustainability: The Intersection of Sustainability and Business Success. Sustainability 14, no. 10 (2022). View Details
- Flammer, Caroline, Michael W. Toffel, and Kala Viswanathan. "Shareholder Activism and Firms' Voluntary Disclosure of Climate Change Risks." Strategic Management Journal 42, no. 10 (October 2021): 1850–1879. (Featured in Harvard Business Review.) View Details
- Short, Jodi L., Michael W. Toffel, and Andrea R. Hugill. "Improving Working Conditions in Global Supply Chains: The Role of Institutional Environments and Monitoring Program Design." ILR Review 73, no. 4 (August 2020): 873–912. View Details
- Ibanez, Maria, and Michael W. Toffel. "How Scheduling Can Bias Quality Assessment: Evidence from Food Safety Inspections." Management Science 66, no. 6 (June 2020): 2396–2416. (Revised February 2019. Featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Food Safety Magazine, Food Safety News, and KelloggInsight. (2020 MSOM Responsible Research Finalist.)) View Details
- Bird, Yanhua, Jodi L. Short, and Michael W. Toffel. "Coupling Labor Codes of Conduct and Supplier Labor Practices: The Role of Internal Structural Conditions." Organization Science 30, no. 4 (July–August 2019): 847–867. (Best Paper Award at ComplianceNet Conference 2019, 2020 Responsible Research in Management Award Finalist.) View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "Assessing the Impact of CEO Activism." Organization & Environment 32, no. 2 (June 2019): 159–185. (Profiled in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Chief Executive magazine, CEO magazine, and by Edelman and Weber Shandwick.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Enhancing the Practical Relevance of Research." Production and Operations Management 25, no. 9 (September 2016): 1493–1505. (Sparked a Working Knowledge article about research relevance.) View Details
- Short, Jodi L., Michael W. Toffel, and Andrea R. Hugill. "Monitoring Global Supply Chains." Strategic Management Journal 37, no. 9 (September 2016): 1878–1897. (Video abstract (4 minutes). Working Knowledge article for practitioners.) View Details
- Marquis, Christopher, Michael W. Toffel, and Yanhua Zhou. "Scrutiny, Norms, and Selective Disclosure: A Global Study of Greenwashing." Organization Science 27, no. 2 (March–April 2016): 483–504. (Formerly titled "When Do Firms Greenwash? Corporate Visibility, Civil Society Scrutiny, and Environmental Disclosure.") View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Jodi L. Short, and Melissa Ouellet. "Codes in Context: How States, Markets, and Civil Society Shape Adherence to Global Labor Standards." Regulation & Governance 9, no. 3 (September 2015): 205–223. View Details
- Simcoe, Timothy, and Michael W. Toffel. "Government Green Procurement Spillovers: Evidence from Municipal Building Policies in California." Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 68, no. 3 (November 2014): 411–434. (Lead article.) View Details
- Jira, Chonnikarn Fern, and Michael W. Toffel. "Engaging Supply Chains in Climate Change." Special Issue on the Environment. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management 15, no. 4 (Fall 2013): 559–577. View Details
- Pierce, Lamar, and Michael W. Toffel. "The Role of Organizational Scope and Governance in Strengthening Private Monitoring." Organization Science 24, no. 5 (September–October 2013): 1558–1584. (Winner of the NBS Research Impact on Practice Award from the Academy of Management (AOM) and Network for Business Sustainability (NBS)) View Details
- Doshi, Anil R., Glen W.S. Dowell, and Michael W. Toffel. "How Firms Respond to Mandatory Information Disclosure." Strategic Management Journal 34, no. 10 (October 2013): 1209–1231. (Featured in The Regulatory Review.) View Details
- Bennett, Victor Manuel, Lamar Pierce, Jason A. Snyder, and Michael W. Toffel. "Customer-Driven Misconduct: How Competition Corrupts Business Practices." Management Science 59, no. 8 (August 2013): 1725–1742. (Online Appendix. Lead article. Nominated for "Best Conference Paper Award" and "SMS Best Conference Paper Prize for Practice Implications" at 2012 Strategic Management Society International Conference.) View Details
- Levine, David I., Michael W. Toffel, and Matthew S. Johnson. "Randomized Government Safety Inspections Reduce Worker Injuries with No Detectable Job Loss." Science 336, no. 6083 (May 18, 2012): 907–911. (Online supplement (appendix). Featured in an article by the head of US OSHA, and in U.S. News & World Report and many other news outlets. Basis of U.S. Congressional testimony on promoting safe workplaces.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Jodi L. Short. "Coming Clean and Cleaning Up: Does Voluntary Self-Reporting Indicate Effective Self-Policing." Journal of Law & Economics 54, no. 3 (August 2011): 609–649. View Details
- Levine, David I., and Michael W. Toffel. "Quality Management and Job Quality: How the ISO 9001 Standard for Quality Management Systems Affects Employees and Employers." Management Science 56, no. 6 (June 2010): 978–996. (Appendix. Profiled by industry practitioners in Quality Digest, Quality Progress, ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB).) View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "How Firms Respond to Being Rated." Strategic Management Journal 31, no. 9 (September 2010): 917–945. (Lead article.) View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Making Self-Regulation More Than Merely Symbolic: The Critical Role of the Legal Environment." Administrative Science Quarterly 55, no. 3 (September 2010): 361–396. (Lead article; Featured in the Stanford Social Innovation Review (Summer 2011) and in Behind the scenes of the Administrative Science Quarterly.) View Details
- Reid, Erin Marie, and Michael W. Toffel. "Responding to Public and Private Politics: Corporate Disclosure of Climate Change Strategies." Strategic Management Journal 30, no. 11 (November 2009): 1157–1178. (Featured by the Network for Business Sustainability.) View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., David I. Levine, and Michael W. Toffel. "How Well Do Social Ratings Actually Measure Corporate Social Responsibility?" Journal of Economics & Management Strategy 18, no. 1 (Spring 2009): 125–169. View Details
- Delmas, Magali, and Michael W. Toffel. "Organizational Responses to Environmental Demands: Opening the Black Box." Strategic Management Journal 29, no. 10 (October 2008): 1027–1055. View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Coerced Confessions: Self-Policing in the Shadow of the Regulator." Journal of Law, Economics & Organization 24, no. 1 (May 2008): 45–71. View Details
- Marshall, Julian D., and Michael W. Toffel. "Framing the Elusive Concept of Sustainability: A Sustainability Hierarchy." Environmental Science & Technology 39, no. 3 (2005): 673–682. (Profiled by the Network for Business Sustainability.) View Details
- Delmas, Magali, and Michael W. Toffel. "Stakeholders and Environmental Management Practices: An Institutional Framework." Business Strategy and the Environment 13, no. 4 (July/August 2004): 209–222. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Arpad Horvath. "Environmental Implications of Wireless Technologies: News Delivery and Business Meetings." Environmental Science & Technology 38, no. 11 (May 2004): 2961–2970. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Julian D. Marshall. "Improving Environmental Performance Assessment: Comparative Analysis of Weighting Methods used to Evaluate Chemical Release Inventories." Journal of Industrial Ecology 8, nos. 1-2 (January 2004): 143–172. View Details
- McElhaney, Kellie, Michael W. Toffel, and Natalie Hill. "Designing Sustainability at BMW Group: The Designworks/USA Experience." Greener Management International: The Journal of Corporate Environmental Strategy and Practice 46 (Summer 2004): 103–116. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Natalie Hill, and Kellie McElhaney. "Developing a Management Systems Approach to Sustainability at BMW Group." Corporate Environmental Strategy 10, no. 2 (2003). View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Natalie Hill, and Kellie McElhaney. "BMW Group's Sustainability Management System: Preliminary Results, Ongoing Challenges, and the UN Global Compact." Corporate Environmental Strategy 10, no. 3 (2003). View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Closing the Loop: Product Take-back Requirements and their Strategic Implications." Corporate Environmental Strategy 10, no. 9 (2003). View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Lawrence Birkner. "Estimating and Controlling Workplace Risk: An Approach for Occupational Hygiene and Safety Professionals." Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 17, no. 7 (July 2002): 477–485. View Details
- Working Papers
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- Ouellet, Melissa, and Michael W. Toffel. "Empirical Guidance: Data Processing and Analysis with Applications in Stata, R, and Python." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 25-010, August 2024. View Details
- Palmarozzo, Ashley, and Michael W. Toffel. "Managing Remote Work Quality: Evidence from Auditing Management Systems Standards." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 24-002, July 2023. (Revised August 2024.) View Details
- Ibanez, Maria R., Ashley Palmarozzo, Jodi L. Short, and Michael W. Toffel. "Second- versus Third-party Audit Quality: Evidence from Global Supply Chain Monitoring." Working Paper, August 2024. View Details
- Kayser, Susan A., John W. Maxwell, and Michael W. Toffel. "Signaling without Certification: The Critical Role of Civil Society Scrutiny." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 15-009, August 2014. (Revised July 2016.) View Details
- Adler-Milstein, Julia, Sara J. Singer, and Michael W. Toffel. "Managerial Practices That Promote Voice and Taking Charge among Frontline Workers." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 11-005, July 2010. (Revised Sept. 2011. Best Theory-to-Practice Paper Award by Academy of Management's Health Care Management Division. Selected for Best Paper Proceedings of the 2011 Academy of Management Meeting.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Resolving Information Asymmetries in Markets: The Role of Certified Management Programs." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 07-023, December 2008. (October 2006.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Antoinette Stein, and Katharine Lee. "Extending Producer Responsibility: An Evaluation Framework for Product Take-Back Policies." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 09-026, July 2008. (September 2008.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Contracting for Servicizing." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 08-063, February 2008. (February 2008.) View Details
- Managerial Articles
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- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "It’s Time to Unbundle ESG." Harvard Business Review (website) (September 20, 2024). View Details
- Johnson, Matthew S., David I. Levine, and Michael W. Toffel. "Making Workplaces Safer Through Machine Learning." Regulatory Review (February 26, 2024). View Details
- Ramesh Walsh, Varsha, and Michael W. Toffel. "What Every Leader Needs to Know About Carbon Credits." Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (December 15, 2023). View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "How ENGOs Can Support Corporate Climate Change Efforts." Harvard Business Review (website) (October 20, 2023). View Details
- Flammer, Caroline, Michael W. Toffel, and Kala Viswanathan. "Shareholders Are Pressing for Climate Risk Disclosures. That's Good for Everyone." Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (April 22, 2021). View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Manage the Suppliers That Could Harm Your Brand: Know When to Avoid, Engage, or Drop Them." Harvard Business Review 99, no. 2 (March–April 2021). View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "What CEOs Still Haven't Said about Race and Policing." Harvard Business Review (website) (June 18, 2020). View Details
- Ibanez, Maria, and Michael W. Toffel. "To Improve Food Inspections, Change the Way They're Scheduled." Harvard Business Review (website) (May 16, 2019). View Details
- Lyon, Thomas, Magali A. Delmas, John W. Maxwell, Pratima Bansal, Mireille Chiroleu-Assouline, Patricia Crifo, Rodolphe Durand, Jean-Pascal Gond, Andrew King, Michael Lenox, Michael W. Toffel, David Vogel, and Frank Wijen. "CSR Needs CPR: Corporate Sustainability and Politics." California Management Review 60, no. 4 (Summer 2018): 5–24. View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "Divided We Lead: CEO Activism Has Entered the Mainstream." Special Issue on HBR Big Idea: Leadership in a Hot-Button World. Harvard Business Review (website) (March–April 2018). View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "Sidestepping Some of the Partisan Debate: An Interview with Max Stier." Special Issue on HBR Big Idea: Leadership in a Hot-Button World. Harvard Business Review (website) (March–April 2018). View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "The New CEO Activists." Harvard Business Review 96, no. 1 (January–February 2018): 78–89. (Winner of the 2019 HBR Warren Bennis Prize as best 2018 HBR article on leadership. Featured in the HBR Ideacast podcast and an HBR Webinar.) View Details
- Reinhardt, Forest, and Michael W. Toffel. "Managing Climate Change: Lessons from the U.S. Navy." Harvard Business Review 95, no. 4 (July–August 2017): 102–111. View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "The Integrity of Private Third-party Compliance Monitoring." Administrative & Regulatory Law News 42, no. 1 (Fall 2016): 22–25. View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron, and Michael W. Toffel. "Starbucks' 'Race Together' Campaign and the Upside of CEO Activism." Harvard Business Review (website) (March 24, 2015). View Details
- Levine, David I., and Michael W. Toffel. "OSHA Inspections Should Be Welcome: Results from a Natural Field Experiment in California." The Compass (Newsletter of the American Society of Safety Engineers) 14, no. 1 (September 2014): 4. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "How Caesars Entertainment Is Betting on Sustainability: Response." MIT Sloan Management Review 54, no. 4 (Summer 2013): 72–73. View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "The Big Flaw in Corporate Sustainability Rankings." Harvard Business Review Blogs (October 24, 2012). http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/10/the_big_flaw_in_corporate_sustainability_rankings.html. View Details
- Dowell, Glen W. S., and Michael W. Toffel. "Toxics Release Inventory: A Case Study in Information Disclosure Regulation." Regulatory Review (October 22, 2012). View Details
- James, Michael, and Michael W. Toffel. "ISO Standards Stamp Approval." European CEO (August 2012). View Details
- Levine, David I., and Michael W. Toffel. "Government Regulation That Actually Works." Harvard Business Review Blogs (May 30, 2012). http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/05/government_regulation_that_act.html. View Details
- Schendler, Auden, and Michael W. Toffel. "The Factor Environmental Ratings Miss." MIT Sloan Management Review 53, no. 1 (Fall 2011): 17–18. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Strategic Management of Product Recovery." California Management Review 46, no. 2 (Winter 2004): 120–141. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "The Growing Strategic Importance of End-of-Life Product Management." California Management Review 45, no. 3 (Spring 2003): 102–129. View Details
- Popular Press
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- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "The Right and Wrong Way to Do ‘CEO Activism’." Wall Street Journal (February 22, 2019). View Details
- Burbano, Vanessa, Magali Delmas, Marian Chertow, Glen W. S. Dowell, Rodolphe Durand, Andrew J. Hoffman, Guy Holburn, Andrew A. King, Michael Lenox, Lin Lerpold, Thomas Lyon, John W. Maxwell, Eric Orts, N. Craig Smith, John Sterman, Michael W. Toffel, L. Beril Toktay, David Vogel, Judith Walls, Frank Wijen, Jeff York, and Maurizio Zollo. "Trump Has a Great Opportunity to Save Our Environment." The Hill (January 23, 2017). View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "The Power of C.E.O. Activism: How Politically Outspoken Executives Sway Public (and Consumer) Opinion." Grey Matter. New York Times (April 3, 2016), SR10. View Details
- Marquis, Christopher, Michael W. Toffel, and Yanhua Zhou. "The Globalization of Corporate Environmental Disclosure: Accountability or Greenwashing?" Work In Progress (American Sociological Association blog) (March 22, 2016). (Reprinted as Environmental disclosure: corporate accountability or greenwashing?” LSE Business Review, June 9, 2016.) View Details
- Schendler, Auden, and Michael W. Toffel. "The Climate Needs Aggressive CEO Leadership." Harvard Business School Working Knowledge (September 24, 2014). View Details
- Short, Jodi L., Michael W. Toffel, and Andrea Hugill. "Monitoring the Monitors." Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance (July 22, 2014). View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Could More Women Auditors Help Prevent Another Rana Plaza?" The Guardian (April 9, 2014). (Previously titled "Women Make More Rigorous Supply Chain Auditors.") View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Auden Schendler. "Greening Is Not Enough: 4 Steps to Corporate Leadership on Climate Change." Network for Business Sustainability, Thought Leaders (blog) (July 8, 2013). (Reprinted in Greenbiz.com July 9, 2013.) View Details
- Schendler, Auden, and Michael W. Toffel. "Corporate Sustainability Is Not Sustainable." Grist (June 2, 2013). (Republished by Climate Progress and as "Corporate Leaders Need to Step Up on Climate Change" in HBS Working Knowledge.) View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Can Global Brands Create Just Supply Chains? Response: Promoting Political Mobilization." Boston Review 38, no. 3 (May–June 2013). View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "What Green Rankings Don't Tell You." Daily Beast (October 22, 2012). View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Robust Enforcement Should Complement Voluntary Regulation." Georgetown University Economic Policy Vignette, September 2012. View Details
- Schendler, Auden, and Michael W. Toffel. "The Problem with Green Rankings." ChinaDialogue (December 20, 2011). (Also in Chinese and in The Guardian (UK)) View Details
- Schendler, Auden, and Mike Toffel. "What's the Greenest Building? The Problem With Ranking Systems." The Atlantic (website) (October 19, 2011). (Republished in grist. Revised version in The Guardian (UK) and in ChinaDialogue including in Chinese.) View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "The Causes and Consequences of Industry Self-Policing." Yale Economic Review 4, no. 2 (Summer 2008). View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Transparency Needed in Berkeley Lab Nanotechnology." Berkeley Daily Planet (November 29, 2005). View Details
- Book Chapters
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- Delmas, Magali A., and Michael W. Toffel. "Institutional Pressures and Organizational Characteristics: Implications for Environmental Strategy." In The Oxford Handbook of Business and the Natural Environment, edited by Pratima Bansal and Andrew J. Hoffman. Oxford University Press, 2012. View Details
- Vogel, David, Michael W. Toffel, Diahanna Post, and Nazli Z. Uludere Aragon. "Environmental Federalism in the European Union and the United States." Chap. 11 in A Handbook of Globalisation and Environmental Policy. 2nd ed. Edited by Frank Wijen, Kees Zoeteman, Jan Pieters, and Paul van Seters, 321–361. Cheltenham, UK, 2012. View Details
- King, Andrew A., and Michael W. Toffel. "Self-regulatory Institutions for Solving Environmental Problems: Perspectives and Contributions from the Management Literature." Chap. 4 in Governance for the Environment: New Perspectives, edited by Magali Delmas and Oran Young, 98–115. Cambridge University Press, 2009. View Details
- Hiscox, Michael J., Claire Schwartz, and Michael W. Toffel. "Evaluating the Impact of SA8000 Certification." In Social Accountability 8000: The First Decade -- Implementation, Influence, and Impact, edited by Deborah Leipziger. Greenleaf Publishing, 2009. View Details
- McElhaney, Kellie, Michael W. Toffel, and Natalie Hill. "Designing Sustainability at BMW Group: The Designworks/USA Experience." In Strategic Sustainability: The State of the Art in Corporate Environmental Management Systems, edited by J. Sarkis and R. Sroufe. Sheffield, U.K.: Greenleaf Publishing, 2006. View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Coerced Confessions: How Regulatory Deterrence Drives Self-Policing." In Best Paper Proceedings of the Sixty-fifth Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, edited by K. Mark Weaver. Academy of Management, 2006. (Winner of Charles H. Levine Award for Best Conference Paper presented by Academy of Management. Previously titled "Turning Themselves In: Why Some Firms Self-disclose Regulatory Violations".) View Details
- Vogel, David, Michael W. Toffel, and Diahanna Post. "Environmental Federalism in the European Union and the United States." Chap. 9 in A Handbook of Globalisation and Environmental Policy: National Government Interventions in a Global Arena, edited by F. Wijen, K. Zoeteman, and J. Pieters, 247–276. Cheltenham, U.K.: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2005. View Details
- Delmas, Magali, and Michael W. Toffel. "Institutional Pressure and Environmental Management Practices." Chap. 10 in Stakeholders, the Environment and Society, edited by Sanjay Sharma and Mark Starik, 230–245. New Perspectives in Research on Corporate Sustainability. Cheltenham, U.K.: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2004. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "The Leverage of a Small Designer Group: Designworks." Contribution to Raising the Bar: Creating Value with the UN Global Compact, by Claude Fussler, Aron Cramer, and Sebastian van der Vegt, 47. Sheffield, U.K.: Greenleaf Publishing, 2004. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Natalie Hill, and Kellie McElhaney. "Designing Sustainability at BMW Group: The Designworks/USA Experience." In From Principles to Practice, 57–83. Case Studies Series. Global Compact Office, 2003. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Anticipating Greener Supply Chain Demands: One Singapore Company's Journey to ISO 14001." Chap. 16 in ISO 14001 Case Studies and Practical Experiences, edited by Ruth Hillary, 182–199. Sheffield, U.K.: Greenleaf Publishing, 2000. View Details
- Cases and Teaching Materials
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- Toffel, Michael W., Spencer Glendon, and Alison Smart. "Physical Climate Risk." Harvard Business School Background Note 624-059, March 2024. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Kelsey Carter, Amy Chambers, Avery Park, and Susan Pinckney. "Mitigating Climate Change with Machine Learning." Harvard Business School Background Note 625-014, August 2024. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Kenneth P. Pucker, and Eren Kuzucu. "Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion (A)." Harvard Business School Case 622-024, August 2021. (Revised October 2024.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Kenneth P. Pucker, and Stacy Straaberg. "Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 625-004, September 2024. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Kenneth P. Pucker, and Stacy Straaberg. "Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion (A) and (B) Video Supplement." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 625-702, November 2024. View Details
- Lu, Shirley, George Serafeim, and Michael W. Toffel. "Driving Decarbonization at BMW." Harvard Business School Case 123-008, October 2022. (Revised June 2024.) View Details
- Lu, Shirley, George Serafeim, and Michael W. Toffel. "Driving Decarbonization at BMW." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 123-049, November 2022. (Revised October 2023.) View Details
- Toffel, Mike, Shirley Lu, and George Serafeim. "Vehicle Lifecycle Emissions Calculator." Harvard Business School Simulation 124-721, June 2024. View Details
- Lu, Shirley, George Serafeim, and Michael W. Toffel. "Driving Decarbonization at BMW - Video Supplement." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 123-706, December 2022. View Details
- Lu, Shirley, George Serafeim, and Michael W. Toffel. "Driving Decarbonization at BMW – Instructor Spreadsheet Supplement." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 123-712, April 2023. (Revised October 2023.) View Details
- Lu, Shirley, George Serafeim, and Michael W. Toffel. "Driving Decarbonization at BMW – Student Spreadsheet Supplement." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 123-708, December 2022. (Revised October 2023.) View Details
- Shih, Willy C., Michael W. Toffel, and Kelsey Carter. "Corporate Climate Targets." Harvard Business School Background Note 624-041, November 2023. (Revised July 2024.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Stephanie van Sice, and Kelsey Carter. "Carbon Footprints: Methods and Calculations." Harvard Business School Background Note 611-075, June 2011. (Revised February 2024.) View Details
- Shih, Willy, and Michael W. Toffel. "District Heating: An Overview." Harvard Business School Background Note 625-008, July 2024. View Details
- Paulson, Elisabeth, and Michael W. Toffel. "Market by Met Council: Revolutionizing Food Pantries in the Digital Age." Harvard Business School Case 624-060, May 2024. (Revised May 2024.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Kenneth P. Pucker, and Michael Norris. "New Belgium Brewing and Climate Change." Harvard Business School Case 624-069, April 2024. (Revised October 2024.) View Details
- Shih, Willy, Michael W. Toffel, and Kelsey Carter. "Decarbonizing Shipping at A.P. Møller-Maersk (A)." Harvard Business School Case 624-049, November 2023. (Revised November 2024.) View Details
- Shih, Willy, Michael W. Toffel, and Kelsey Carter. "Decarbonizing Shipping at A.P. Møller-Maersk (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 624-051, December 2023. (Revised November 2024.) View Details
- Shih, Willy C., Michael W. Toffel, and Kelsey Carter. "Life Cycle Assessment: An Overview." Harvard Business School Background Note 624-052, November 2023. (Revised August 2024.) View Details
- Serafeim, George, Michael W. Toffel, Lena Duchene, and Daniela Beyersdorfer. "Vytal: Packaging-as-a-Service." Harvard Business School Case 124-007, July 2023. (Revised May 2024.) View Details
- Shih, Willy, Michael W. Toffel, and Kelsey Carter. "Power-to-X." Harvard Business School Technical Note 624-038, August 2023. (Revised July 2024.) View Details
- Shih, Willy, Michael W. Toffel, and Kelsey Carter. "Amager Bakke: Municipal Waste to Energy." Harvard Business School Background Note 624-040, September 2023. View Details
- Shih, Willy C., Michael W. Toffel, Kelsey Carter, Jennifer Godfrey, Rafaella Mazza, and Katrina Yeh. "Agricultural Innovation and Sustainability in the Netherlands." Harvard Business School Technical Note 624-021, July 2023. View Details
- Parzen, Michael, Michael W. Toffel, Susan Pinckney, and Amram Migdal. "Arla Foods: Data-Driven Decarbonization (A)." Harvard Business School Case 624-003, August 2023. (Revised March 2024.) View Details
- Parzen, Michael, Michael W. Toffel, Susan Pinckney, and Amram Migdal. "Arla Foods: Data-Driven Decarbonization (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 624-036, August 2023. (Revised January 2024.) View Details
- Parzen, Michael, Michael W. Toffel, Amram Migdal, and Susan Pinckney. "Arla Foods: Data-Driven Decarbonization (A)." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 624-031, August 2023. (Revised January 2024.) View Details
- Serafeim, George, Michael W. Toffel, Jenyfeer Martinez Buitrago, and Mariana Cal. "Arcos Dorados: Decarbonizing McDonald’s in Latin America." Harvard Business School Case 623-017, May 2023. (Revised November 2023.) View Details
- Serafeim, George, and Michael W. Toffel. "Arcos Dorados: Decarbonizing McDonald’s in Latin America – Sustainability-linked Bonds and Executive Compensation." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 624-706, September 2023. View Details
- Serafeim, George, and Michael W. Toffel. "Arcos Dorados: Decarbonizing McDonald’s in Latin America – Alternative Protein Products." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 624-705, September 2023. View Details
- Serafeim, George, and Michael W. Toffel. "Arcos Dorados: Decarbonizing McDonald’s in Latin America – Standard vs Geographically Customized Strategy." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 624-704, September 2023. View Details
- Serafeim, George, and Michael W. Toffel. "Arcos Dorados: Decarbonizing McDonald’s in Latin America – Decarbonization Activities." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 624-703, September 2023. View Details
- Shih, Willy C., Michael W. Toffel, and Pippa Tubman Armerding. "Sian Flowers: Fresher by Sea?" Harvard Business School Case 623-008, August 2022. (Revised October 2022.) View Details
- Shih, Willy C., and Michael W. Toffel. "Sian Flowers: Fresher by Sea?" Harvard Business School Teaching Note 624-017, July 2023. View Details
- Shih, Willy C., and Michael W. Toffel. "Sian Flowers: Fresher by Sea? – PowerPoint Supplement." Harvard Business School PowerPoint Supplement 624-016, July 2023. View Details
- Serafeim, George, Michael W. Toffel, and Tom Quinn. "David Crane’s Clean(er) Energy Strategy at NRG." Harvard Business School Case 623-005, July 2022. View Details
- Edmondson, Amy C., Herman B. Leonard, Michael W. Toffel, and Michael Norris. "Building a Mishap-Free U.S. Navy." Harvard Business School Case 622-116, July 2022. (Revised November 2022.) View Details
- Hsieh, Nien-hê, and Michael W. Toffel. "Global Sourcing at Nike." Harvard Business School PowerPoint Supplement 623-709, January 2023. View Details
- Hsieh, Nien-hê, Michael W. Toffel, and Olivia Hull. "Global Sourcing at Nike." Harvard Business School Case 619-008, March 2019. (Revised June 2019.) View Details
- Hsieh, Nien-he, Michael W. Toffel, and Olivia Hull. "Global Sourcing at Nike." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 619-061, June 2019. (Revised January 2023.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., John Masko, and Sarah Mehta. "JUUL and the Vaping Revolution." Harvard Business School Case 619-006, November 2018. (Revised January 2022.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Sarah Mehta. "JUUL and the Vaping Revolution: A 2022 Update." Harvard Business School Supplement 623-011, November 2022. (Revised March 2023.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Sarah Mehta. "JUUL and the Vaping Revolution: A 2022 Update." Harvard Business School PowerPoint Supplement 623-012, November 2022. (Revised March 2023.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Trevor Fetter, John Masko, and Sarah Mehta. "JUUL and the Vaping Revolution." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 619-068, May 2019. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., George Serafeim, Francesca Gino, Stephanie Van Sice, and Tom Quinn. "FIJI Water: Carbon Negative? (Abridged)." Harvard Business School Case 623-004, July 2022. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Youssef Abdel Aal. "Intenseye: Powering Workplace Health and Safety with AI (A)." Harvard Business School Case 622-037, August 2021. (Revised November 2024.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Youssef Abdel Aal. "Intenseye: Powering Workplace Health and Safety with AI." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 622-056, December 2021. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Youssef Abdel Aal. "Intenseye: Powering Workplace Health and Safety with AI – PowerPoint Supplement." Harvard Business School PowerPoint Supplement 622-706, December 2021. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Robin Mendelson, and Julia Kelley. "Student Success at Georgia State University (A)." Harvard Business School Case 621-006, September 2020. (Revised September 2021.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Robin Mendelson, and Julia Kelley. "Student Success at Georgia State University (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 621-039, September 2020. (Revised September 2021.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Robin Mendelson, and Julia Kelley. "Student Success at Georgia State University." Harvard Business School PowerPoint Supplement 621-063, March 2021. (Revised October 2021.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Robin Mendelson, and Julia Kelley. "Student Success at Georgia State University." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 621-046, March 2021. (Revised September 2021.) View Details
- Parzen, Michael, Natalie Epstein, Chiara Farronato, and Michael Toffel. T-tests: Theory and Practice. Harvard Business School Tutorial 621-707, February 2021. View Details
- Toffel, Michael, and Natalie Epstein. Assessing Prediction Accuracy of Machine Learning Models. Harvard Business School Tutorial 621-706, February 2021. (Click here to access this tutorial.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Natalie Epstein, Kris Ferreira, and Yael Grushka-Cockayne. "Assessing Prediction Accuracy of Machine Learning Models." Harvard Business School Technical Note 621-045, August 2020. (Revised September 2020.) View Details
- Bojinov, Iavor I., Chiara Farronato, Yael Grushka-Cockayne, Willy C. Shih, and Michael W. Toffel. "Comparing Two Groups: Sampling and t-Testing." Harvard Business School Technical Note 621-044, August 2020. View Details
- Farronato, Chiara, Michael W. Toffel, and Feng Zhu. "Digital Platforms: An Introduction." Harvard Business School Technical Note 621-016, July 2020. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Sarah Gulick. "Fossil Fuel Divestment." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 620-125, June 2020. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and James Barnett. "Indigo Agriculture: Harnessing Nature." Harvard Business School PowerPoint Supplement 620-110, February 2020. View Details
- Iansiti, Marco, Michael W. Toffel, and James Barnett. "Indigo Agriculture: Harnessing Nature." Harvard Business School Case 620-024, November 2019. (Revised June 2020.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and James Barnett. "Indigo Agriculture: Harnessing Nature." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 620-075, April 2020. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Sarah Gulick. "Fossil Fuel Divestment." Harvard Business School Case 620-093, January 2020. (Revised April 2020.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Aaron K. Chatterji, and Julia Kelley. "CEO Activism (A)." Harvard Business School Case 617-001, March 2017. (Revised June 2019.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Aaron K. Chatterji, and Julia Kelley. "CEO Activism (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 617-048, March 2017. (Revised October 2017.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Aaron K. Chatterji. "CEO Activism (A) and (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 617-061, April 2017. (Revised April 2017.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Dan Levy, Jose Ramon Morales Arilla, and Matthew S. Johnson. "Improving Worker Safety in the Era of Machine Learning (A)." Harvard Business School Case 618-019, October 2017. (Revised April 2018.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Dan Levy, Astrid Camille Pineda, Jose Ramon Morales Arilla, and Matthew S. Johnson. "Improving Worker Safety in the Era of Machine Learning (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 618-064, April 2018. (Revised February 2019.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Dan Levy. "Improving Worker Safety in the Era of Machine Learning: Practicum in Predictive Analytics." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 619-719, June 2019. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Dan Levy. "Improving Worker Safety in the Era of Machine Learning: Practicum in Predictive Analytics." Harvard Business School PowerPoint Supplement 619-718, June 2019. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Dan Levy. "Improving Worker Safety in the Era of Machine Learning: Practicum in Predictive Analytics." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 619-071, June 2019. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Dan Levy. "Improving Worker Safety in the Era of Machine Learning: Introduction to Predictive Analytics." Harvard Business School PowerPoint Supplement 619-717, June 2019. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Dan Levy. "Improving Worker Safety in the Era of Machine Learning: Introduction to Predictive Analytics." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 619-044, June 2019. View Details
- Iansiti, Marco, Michael W. Toffel, and Christine Snively. "Indigo Agriculture." Harvard Business School Case 617-020, October 2016. (Revised November 2018.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Indigo Agriculture PowerPoint Supplement." Harvard Business School PowerPoint Supplement 619-034, November 2018. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Indigo Agriculture video supplement." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 619-704, December 2018. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Eileen McNeely, and Matthew Preble. "New Balance: Managing Orders and Working Conditions." Harvard Business School Case 619-002, January 2019. (Revised July 2019.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Timothy S. Simcoe. "Environmental Platform LEEDership at USGBC." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 618-066, May 2018. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Timothy S. Simcoe, and Aldo Sesia. "Environmental Platform LEEDership at USGBC." Harvard Business School Case 618-027, May 2018. View Details
- Shih, Willy, and Michael W. Toffel. "Production Processes." Harvard Business School Background Note 618-023, September 2017. (Revised March 2023.) View Details
- Iansiti, Marco, Michael Toffel, Kerry Herman, and Julia Kelley. "Product Development Fundamentals." Harvard Business School Technical Note 617-024, October 2016. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Glen W. S. Dowell, and James Weber. "Nuclear Energy: An Answer to Climate Change?" Harvard Business School Case 616-052, February 2016. (Revised October 2017.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Glen W. S. Dowell. "Nuclear Energy: An Answer to Climate Change?" Harvard Business School Teaching Note 617-015, September 2016. View Details
- Rangan, V. Kasturi, Michael W. Toffel, Vincent Dessain, and Jerome Lenhardt. "Sustainability at IKEA Group." Harvard Business School Case 515-033, September 2014. (Revised November 2017.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Sustainability at IKEA Group." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 616-017, September 2015. View Details
- Rangan, V. Kasturi, and Michael W. Toffel. "Sustainability at IKEA Group: Video Supplement." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 616-703, August 2015. (Q&A with IKEA Group's Chief Sustainability Officer Steve Howard and Industrial Strategy Manager Per Berggren.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Kira R. Fabrizio, and Stephanie van Sice. "Groom Energy Solutions: Selling Efficiency." Harvard Business School Case 613-054, February 2013. (Revised December 2015.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Kira Fabrizio, and Stephanie van Sice. "Groom Energy Solutions: Selling Efficiency." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 616-023, January 2016. View Details
- Gino, Francesca, Michael W. Toffel, and Stephanie van Sice. "FIJI Water: Carbon Negative?" Harvard Business School Case 611-049, June 2011. (Revised December 2013.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Francesca Gino. "FIJI Water: Carbon Negative?" Harvard Business School Teaching Note 612-051, November 2011. (Revised January 2014.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Stephanie van Sice. "Aspen Skiing Company (A)." Harvard Business School Case 611-002, September 2010. (Revised April 2017.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Stephanie van Sice. "Aspen Skiing Company (D)." Harvard Business School Supplement 611-019, September 2010. (Revised January 2014.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Stephanie van Sice. "Aspen Skiing Company (A), (B), (C), and (D)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 611-020, January 2011. (Revised December 2014.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Stephanie van Sice. "Aspen Skiing Company – PowerPoint Supplement." Harvard Business School PowerPoint Supplement 615-042, December 2014. (Revised February 2016.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Aspen Skiing Company Video Supplement." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 615-704, December 2014. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Aldo Sesia. "Genzyme Center (A)." Harvard Business School Case 610-008, September 2009. (Revised September 2010.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Genzyme Center (A), (B) & (C)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 610-011, October 2009. (Revised January 2014.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Katharine Lee. "Sustainability at Millipore." Harvard Business School Case 610-012, July 2009. (Revised January 2014.) (defining sustainability in a corporate context, managing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions including inventories, targets, disclosure, reduction strategies.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Sustainability at Millipore (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 610-013, October 2009. (Revised January 2014.) View Details
- Lee, Deishin, Michael W. Toffel, and Rachel Gordon. "Cook Composites and Polymers Co." Harvard Business School Case 608-055, June 2008. (Revised May 2017.) View Details
- Lee, Deishin, and Michael W. Toffel. "Cook Composites and Polymers Co." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 608-079, June 2008. (Revised January 2014.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Stephanie van Sice. "Trucost: Valuing Corporate Environmental Impacts." Harvard Business School Case 612-025, September 2011. (Revised February 2013.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Trucost: Valuing Corporate Environmental Impacts ." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 612-015, November 2011. (Revised March 2014.) View Details
- Gino, Francesca, Michael W. Toffel, and Stephanie van Sice. "Fiji versus FIJI: Negotiating Over Water." Harvard Business School Case 912-030, March 2012. (Revised August 2014.) View Details
- Gino, Francesca, Michael W. Toffel, and Stephanie van Sice. "Fiji versus FIJI: Negotiating Over Water (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 912-031, March 2012. (Revised October 2012.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Robert G. Eccles, and Casey Taylor. "InterfaceRAISE: Sustainability Consulting." Harvard Business School Case 611-069, May 2011. (Revised March 2012.) View Details
- Eccles, Robert G., and Michael W. Toffel. "InterfaceRAISE: Sustainability Consulting (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 612-049, November 2011. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Stephanie van Sice. "The Cage-Free Egg Movement." Harvard Business School Background Note 611-021, September 2010. (Revised February 2013.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Nazli Z. Uludere Aragon. "The Precautionary Principle." Harvard Business School Background Note 610-043, June 2010. (Revised February 2013.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and L. Beril Toktay. "The Sustainable Core: Operations Management." Harvard Business School Course Overview Note 616-022, January 2016. (Revised February 2016.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Implementing Environmentally Sustainable Operations." Harvard Business School Module Note 613-090, March 2014. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "McDonald's Corporation: Managing a Sustainable Supply Chain—From Amazon Soya to Cage Free Eggs." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 616-021, November 2015. (Revised January 2016.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "McDonald's Corporation: Managing a Sustainable Supply Chain—From Amazon Soya to Cage Free Eggs: Powerpoint Supplement." Harvard Business School PowerPoint Supplement 616-037, November 2015. (This Powerpoint supplement for instructors supports teaching note 616-021.) View Details
- Buell, Ryan W., Willy C. Shih, and Michael W. Toffel. "United Airlines: More Out-and-Back Flying? Case Supplement #1." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 617-701, September 2016. (Revised August 2018.) View Details
- Buell, Ryan W., Willy Shih, and Mike Toffel. "United Airlines: More Out-and-Back Flying?" Harvard Business School Case 617-010, September 2016. (Revised July 2018.) View Details
- Buell, Ryan W., Willy C. Shih, and Michael W. Toffel. "Irregular Operations." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 617-705, November 2016. View Details
- Buell, Ryan W., Willy C. Shih, and Michael W. Toffel. "United Airlines Operations." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 617-704, November 2016. View Details
- Iansiti, Marco, Michael W. Toffel, and Amram Migdal. "uberPOOL." Harvard Business School Case 617-009, October 2016. (Revised March 2017.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Kira Fabrizio, and Stephanie van Sice. "EnerNOC: DemandSMART." Harvard Business School Case 613-036, August 2012. (Revised September 2013.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Nazli Z. Uludere Aragon. "The Hybrid Vehicle Market." Harvard Business School Background Note 612-084, March 2012. (Revised February 2013.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Stephanie van Sice. "'Shad' Process Flow Design Exercise (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 608-086, May 2008. (Revised September 2009.) View Details
- Reinhardt, Forest L., Michael W. Toffel, Noel Maurer, and Frederik Nellemann. "Colbun - Powering Chile (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 712-021, December 2011. View Details
- Other Publications and Materials
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- Toffel, Michael W. "Voluntary Environmental Management Initiatives: Smoke Signals or Smoke Screens?" Diss., University of California, Berkeley, December 2005. (Winner of Academy of Management. Social Issues in Management Division. Best Dissertation Award presented by Academy of Management. Nominated for Academy of Management. Organizations and Natural Environment Division. Best Dissertation Award presented by Academy of Management. 2005.) View Details
- Delmas, Magali, and Michael W. Toffel. "Survey Questionnaire on Environmental Management Practices: Summary of Results by Industry and Practices." Report, 2008. (2008. University of California, Institute for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research.) View Details
- Managing Climate Change
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- Toffel, Michael W., Kenneth P. Pucker, and Michael Norris. "New Belgium Brewing and Climate Change." Harvard Business School Case 624-069, April 2024. (Revised October 2024.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Kelsey Carter, Amy Chambers, Avery Park, and Susan Pinckney. "Mitigating Climate Change with Machine Learning." Harvard Business School Background Note 625-014, August 2024. View Details
- Shih, Willy, and Michael W. Toffel. "District Heating: An Overview." Harvard Business School Background Note 625-008, July 2024. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Spencer Glendon, and Alison Smart. "Physical Climate Risk." Harvard Business School Background Note 624-059, March 2024. View Details
- Ramesh Walsh, Varsha, and Michael W. Toffel. "What Every Leader Needs to Know About Carbon Credits." Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (December 15, 2023). View Details
- Shih, Willy, Michael W. Toffel, and Kelsey Carter. "Decarbonizing Shipping at A.P. Møller-Maersk (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 624-051, December 2023. (Revised November 2024.) View Details
- Shih, Willy, Michael W. Toffel, and Kelsey Carter. "Decarbonizing Shipping at A.P. Møller-Maersk (A)." Harvard Business School Case 624-049, November 2023. (Revised November 2024.) View Details
- Flammer, Caroline, Michael W. Toffel, and Kala Viswanathan. "Shareholders Are Pressing for Climate Risk Disclosures. That's Good for Everyone." Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (April 22, 2021). View Details
- Flammer, Caroline, Michael W. Toffel, and Kala Viswanathan. "Shareholder Activism and Firms' Voluntary Disclosure of Climate Change Risks." Strategic Management Journal 42, no. 10 (October 2021): 1850–1879. (Featured in Harvard Business Review.) View Details
- Reinhardt, Forest, and Michael W. Toffel. "Managing Climate Change: Lessons from the U.S. Navy." Harvard Business Review 95, no. 4 (July–August 2017): 102–111. View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "Assessing the Impact of CEO Activism." Organization & Environment 32, no. 2 (June 2019): 159–185. (Profiled in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Chief Executive magazine, CEO magazine, and by Edelman and Weber Shandwick.) View Details
- Lyon, Thomas, Magali A. Delmas, John W. Maxwell, Pratima Bansal, Mireille Chiroleu-Assouline, Patricia Crifo, Rodolphe Durand, Jean-Pascal Gond, Andrew King, Michael Lenox, Michael W. Toffel, David Vogel, and Frank Wijen. "CSR Needs CPR: Corporate Sustainability and Politics." California Management Review 60, no. 4 (Summer 2018): 5–24. View Details
- Jira, Chonnikarn Fern, and Michael W. Toffel. "Engaging Supply Chains in Climate Change." Special Issue on the Environment. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management 15, no. 4 (Fall 2013): 559–577. View Details
- Reid, Erin Marie, and Michael W. Toffel. "Responding to Public and Private Politics: Corporate Disclosure of Climate Change Strategies." Strategic Management Journal 30, no. 11 (November 2009): 1157–1178. (Featured by the Network for Business Sustainability.) View Details
- Schendler, Auden, and Michael W. Toffel. "The Climate Needs Aggressive CEO Leadership." Harvard Business School Working Knowledge (September 24, 2014). View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Auden Schendler. "Greening Is Not Enough: 4 Steps to Corporate Leadership on Climate Change." Network for Business Sustainability, Thought Leaders (blog) (July 8, 2013). (Reprinted in Greenbiz.com July 9, 2013.) View Details
- Schendler, Auden, and Michael W. Toffel. "Corporate Sustainability Is Not Sustainable." Grist (June 2, 2013). (Republished by Climate Progress and as "Corporate Leaders Need to Step Up on Climate Change" in HBS Working Knowledge.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Glen W. S. Dowell. "Nuclear Energy: An Answer to Climate Change?" Harvard Business School Teaching Note 617-015, September 2016. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Glen W. S. Dowell, and James Weber. "Nuclear Energy: An Answer to Climate Change?" Harvard Business School Case 616-052, February 2016. (Revised October 2017.) View Details
- Iansiti, Marco, Michael W. Toffel, and Christine Snively. "Indigo Agriculture." Harvard Business School Case 617-020, October 2016. (Revised November 2018.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Indigo Agriculture PowerPoint Supplement." Harvard Business School PowerPoint Supplement 619-034, November 2018. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Stephanie van Sice. "Aspen Skiing Company (A)." Harvard Business School Case 611-002, September 2010. (Revised April 2017.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Stephanie van Sice. "Aspen Skiing Company (A), (B), (C), and (D)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 611-020, January 2011. (Revised December 2014.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Stephanie van Sice. "Aspen Skiing Company – PowerPoint Supplement." Harvard Business School PowerPoint Supplement 615-042, December 2014. (Revised February 2016.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Aspen Skiing Company Video Supplement." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 615-704, December 2014. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Kira R. Fabrizio, and Stephanie van Sice. "Groom Energy Solutions: Selling Efficiency." Harvard Business School Case 613-054, February 2013. (Revised December 2015.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Kira Fabrizio, and Stephanie van Sice. "Groom Energy Solutions: Selling Efficiency." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 616-023, January 2016. View Details
- Gino, Francesca, Michael W. Toffel, and Stephanie van Sice. "FIJI Water: Carbon Negative?" Harvard Business School Case 611-049, June 2011. (Revised December 2013.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Francesca Gino. "FIJI Water: Carbon Negative?" Harvard Business School Teaching Note 612-051, November 2011. (Revised January 2014.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Stephanie van Sice, and Kelsey Carter. "Carbon Footprints: Methods and Calculations." Harvard Business School Background Note 611-075, June 2011. (Revised February 2024.) View Details
- Managing Working Conditions
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- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Manage the Suppliers That Could Harm Your Brand: Know When to Avoid, Engage, or Drop Them." Harvard Business Review 99, no. 2 (March–April 2021). View Details
- Short, Jodi L., Michael W. Toffel, and Andrea R. Hugill. "Improving Working Conditions in Global Supply Chains: The Role of Institutional Environments and Monitoring Program Design." ILR Review 73, no. 4 (August 2020): 873–912. View Details
- Bird, Yanhua, Jodi L. Short, and Michael W. Toffel. "Coupling Labor Codes of Conduct and Supplier Labor Practices: The Role of Internal Structural Conditions." Organization Science 30, no. 4 (July–August 2019): 847–867. (Best Paper Award at ComplianceNet Conference 2019, 2020 Responsible Research in Management Award Finalist.) View Details
- Short, Jodi L., Michael W. Toffel, and Andrea R. Hugill. "Monitoring Global Supply Chains." Strategic Management Journal 37, no. 9 (September 2016): 1878–1897. (Video abstract (4 minutes). Working Knowledge article for practitioners.) View Details
- Short, Jodi L., Michael W. Toffel, and Andrea Hugill. "Monitoring the Monitors." Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance (July 22, 2014). View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Could More Women Auditors Help Prevent Another Rana Plaza?" The Guardian (April 9, 2014). (Previously titled "Women Make More Rigorous Supply Chain Auditors.") View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Jodi L. Short, and Melissa Ouellet. "Codes in Context: How States, Markets, and Civil Society Shape Adherence to Global Labor Standards." Regulation & Governance 9, no. 3 (September 2015): 205–223. View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Can Global Brands Create Just Supply Chains? Response: Promoting Political Mobilization." Boston Review 38, no. 3 (May–June 2013). View Details
- Hsieh, Nien-hê, Michael W. Toffel, and Olivia Hull. "Global Sourcing at Nike." Harvard Business School Case 619-008, March 2019. (Revised June 2019.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Eileen McNeely, and Matthew Preble. "New Balance: Managing Orders and Working Conditions." Harvard Business School Case 619-002, January 2019. (Revised July 2019.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Dan Levy, Jose Ramon Morales Arilla, and Matthew S. Johnson. "Improving Worker Safety in the Era of Machine Learning (A)." Harvard Business School Case 618-019, October 2017. (Revised April 2018.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Dan Levy, Astrid Camille Pineda, Jose Ramon Morales Arilla, and Matthew S. Johnson. "Improving Worker Safety in the Era of Machine Learning (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 618-064, April 2018. (Revised February 2019.) View Details
- Monitoring & Inspecting Operations
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- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Manage the Suppliers That Could Harm Your Brand: Know When to Avoid, Engage, or Drop Them." Harvard Business Review 99, no. 2 (March–April 2021). View Details
- Ibanez, Maria, and Michael W. Toffel. "How Scheduling Can Bias Quality Assessment: Evidence from Food Safety Inspections." Management Science 66, no. 6 (June 2020): 2396–2416. (Revised February 2019. Featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Food Safety Magazine, Food Safety News, and KelloggInsight. (2020 MSOM Responsible Research Finalist.)) View Details
- Ibanez, Maria, and Michael W. Toffel. "To Improve Food Inspections, Change the Way They're Scheduled." Harvard Business Review (website) (May 16, 2019). View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "The Integrity of Private Third-party Compliance Monitoring." Administrative & Regulatory Law News 42, no. 1 (Fall 2016): 22–25. View Details
- Short, Jodi L., Michael W. Toffel, and Andrea R. Hugill. "Monitoring Global Supply Chains." Strategic Management Journal 37, no. 9 (September 2016): 1878–1897. (Video abstract (4 minutes). Working Knowledge article for practitioners.) View Details
- Short, Jodi L., Michael W. Toffel, and Andrea Hugill. "Monitoring the Monitors." Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance (July 22, 2014). View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Could More Women Auditors Help Prevent Another Rana Plaza?" The Guardian (April 9, 2014). (Previously titled "Women Make More Rigorous Supply Chain Auditors.") View Details
- Pierce, Lamar, and Michael W. Toffel. "The Role of Organizational Scope and Governance in Strengthening Private Monitoring." Organization Science 24, no. 5 (September–October 2013): 1558–1584. (Winner of the NBS Research Impact on Practice Award from the Academy of Management (AOM) and Network for Business Sustainability (NBS)) View Details
- Bennett, Victor Manuel, Lamar Pierce, Jason A. Snyder, and Michael W. Toffel. "Customer-Driven Misconduct: How Competition Corrupts Business Practices." Management Science 59, no. 8 (August 2013): 1725–1742. (Online Appendix. Lead article. Nominated for "Best Conference Paper Award" and "SMS Best Conference Paper Prize for Practice Implications" at 2012 Strategic Management Society International Conference.) View Details
- Levine, David I., Michael W. Toffel, and Matthew S. Johnson. "Randomized Government Safety Inspections Reduce Worker Injuries with No Detectable Job Loss." Science 336, no. 6083 (May 18, 2012): 907–911. (Online supplement (appendix). Featured in an article by the head of US OSHA, and in U.S. News & World Report and many other news outlets. Basis of U.S. Congressional testimony on promoting safe workplaces.) View Details
- Levine, David I., and Michael W. Toffel. "OSHA Inspections Should Be Welcome: Results from a Natural Field Experiment in California." The Compass (Newsletter of the American Society of Safety Engineers) 14, no. 1 (September 2014): 4. View Details
- Levine, David I., and Michael W. Toffel. "Government Regulation That Actually Works." Harvard Business Review Blogs (May 30, 2012). http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/05/government_regulation_that_act.html. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Jodi L. Short. "Coming Clean and Cleaning Up: Does Voluntary Self-Reporting Indicate Effective Self-Policing." Journal of Law & Economics 54, no. 3 (August 2011): 609–649. View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Making Self-Regulation More Than Merely Symbolic: The Critical Role of the Legal Environment." Administrative Science Quarterly 55, no. 3 (September 2010): 361–396. (Lead article; Featured in the Stanford Social Innovation Review (Summer 2011) and in Behind the scenes of the Administrative Science Quarterly.) View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Robust Enforcement Should Complement Voluntary Regulation." Georgetown University Economic Policy Vignette, September 2012. View Details
- Levine, David I., and Michael W. Toffel. "Quality Management and Job Quality: How the ISO 9001 Standard for Quality Management Systems Affects Employees and Employers." Management Science 56, no. 6 (June 2010): 978–996. (Appendix. Profiled by industry practitioners in Quality Digest, Quality Progress, ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB).) View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "The Causes and Consequences of Industry Self-Policing." Yale Economic Review 4, no. 2 (Summer 2008). View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Coerced Confessions: Self-Policing in the Shadow of the Regulator." Journal of Law, Economics & Organization 24, no. 1 (May 2008): 45–71. View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Coerced Confessions: How Regulatory Deterrence Drives Self-Policing." In Best Paper Proceedings of the Sixty-fifth Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, edited by K. Mark Weaver. Academy of Management, 2006. (Winner of Charles H. Levine Award for Best Conference Paper presented by Academy of Management. Previously titled "Turning Themselves In: Why Some Firms Self-disclose Regulatory Violations".) View Details
- CEO Activism
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- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "What CEOs Still Haven't Said about Race and Policing." Harvard Business Review (website) (June 18, 2020). View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "Assessing the Impact of CEO Activism." Organization & Environment 32, no. 2 (June 2019): 159–185. (Profiled in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Chief Executive magazine, CEO magazine, and by Edelman and Weber Shandwick.) View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "The Right and Wrong Way to Do ‘CEO Activism’." Wall Street Journal (February 22, 2019). View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "Divided We Lead: CEO Activism Has Entered the Mainstream." Special Issue on HBR Big Idea: Leadership in a Hot-Button World. Harvard Business Review (website) (March–April 2018). View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "Sidestepping Some of the Partisan Debate: An Interview with Max Stier." Special Issue on HBR Big Idea: Leadership in a Hot-Button World. Harvard Business Review (website) (March–April 2018). View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "The New CEO Activists." Harvard Business Review 96, no. 1 (January–February 2018): 78–89. (Winner of the 2019 HBR Warren Bennis Prize as best 2018 HBR article on leadership. Featured in the HBR Ideacast podcast and an HBR Webinar.) View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "The Power of C.E.O. Activism: How Politically Outspoken Executives Sway Public (and Consumer) Opinion." Grey Matter. New York Times (April 3, 2016), SR10. View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron, and Michael W. Toffel. "Starbucks' 'Race Together' Campaign and the Upside of CEO Activism." Harvard Business Review (website) (March 24, 2015). View Details
- Schendler, Auden, and Michael W. Toffel. "The Climate Needs Aggressive CEO Leadership." Harvard Business School Working Knowledge (September 24, 2014). View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Auden Schendler. "Greening Is Not Enough: 4 Steps to Corporate Leadership on Climate Change." Network for Business Sustainability, Thought Leaders (blog) (July 8, 2013). (Reprinted in Greenbiz.com July 9, 2013.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Aaron K. Chatterji, and Julia Kelley. "CEO Activism (A)." Harvard Business School Case 617-001, March 2017. (Revised June 2019.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Aaron K. Chatterji. "CEO Activism (A) and (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 617-061, April 2017. (Revised April 2017.) View Details
- Environmental Transparency, Ratings, & Rankings
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- Flammer, Caroline, Michael W. Toffel, and Kala Viswanathan. "Shareholders Are Pressing for Climate Risk Disclosures. That's Good for Everyone." Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (April 22, 2021). View Details
- Flammer, Caroline, Michael W. Toffel, and Kala Viswanathan. "Shareholder Activism and Firms' Voluntary Disclosure of Climate Change Risks." Strategic Management Journal 42, no. 10 (October 2021): 1850–1879. (Featured in Harvard Business Review.) View Details
- Lyon, Thomas, Magali A. Delmas, John W. Maxwell, Pratima Bansal, Mireille Chiroleu-Assouline, Patricia Crifo, Rodolphe Durand, Jean-Pascal Gond, Andrew King, Michael Lenox, Michael W. Toffel, David Vogel, and Frank Wijen. "CSR Needs CPR: Corporate Sustainability and Politics." California Management Review 60, no. 4 (Summer 2018): 5–24. View Details
- Marquis, Christopher, Michael W. Toffel, and Yanhua Zhou. "Scrutiny, Norms, and Selective Disclosure: A Global Study of Greenwashing." Organization Science 27, no. 2 (March–April 2016): 483–504. (Formerly titled "When Do Firms Greenwash? Corporate Visibility, Civil Society Scrutiny, and Environmental Disclosure.") View Details
- Marquis, Christopher, Michael W. Toffel, and Yanhua Zhou. "The Globalization of Corporate Environmental Disclosure: Accountability or Greenwashing?" Work In Progress (American Sociological Association blog) (March 22, 2016). (Reprinted as Environmental disclosure: corporate accountability or greenwashing?” LSE Business Review, June 9, 2016.) View Details
- Jira, Chonnikarn Fern, and Michael W. Toffel. "Engaging Supply Chains in Climate Change." Special Issue on the Environment. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management 15, no. 4 (Fall 2013): 559–577. View Details
- Doshi, Anil R., Glen W.S. Dowell, and Michael W. Toffel. "How Firms Respond to Mandatory Information Disclosure." Strategic Management Journal 34, no. 10 (October 2013): 1209–1231. (Featured in The Regulatory Review.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Auden Schendler. "Greening Is Not Enough: 4 Steps to Corporate Leadership on Climate Change." Network for Business Sustainability, Thought Leaders (blog) (July 8, 2013). (Reprinted in Greenbiz.com July 9, 2013.) View Details
- Schendler, Auden, and Michael W. Toffel. "Corporate Sustainability Is Not Sustainable." Grist (June 2, 2013). (Republished by Climate Progress and as "Corporate Leaders Need to Step Up on Climate Change" in HBS Working Knowledge.) View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "The Big Flaw in Corporate Sustainability Rankings." Harvard Business Review Blogs (October 24, 2012). http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/10/the_big_flaw_in_corporate_sustainability_rankings.html. View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "What Green Rankings Don't Tell You." Daily Beast (October 22, 2012). View Details
- Dowell, Glen W. S., and Michael W. Toffel. "Toxics Release Inventory: A Case Study in Information Disclosure Regulation." Regulatory Review (October 22, 2012). View Details
- Schendler, Auden, and Michael W. Toffel. "The Problem with Green Rankings." ChinaDialogue (December 20, 2011). (Also in Chinese and in The Guardian (UK)) View Details
- Schendler, Auden, and Mike Toffel. "What's the Greenest Building? The Problem With Ranking Systems." The Atlantic (website) (October 19, 2011). (Republished in grist. Revised version in The Guardian (UK) and in ChinaDialogue including in Chinese.) View Details
- Schendler, Auden, and Michael W. Toffel. "The Factor Environmental Ratings Miss." MIT Sloan Management Review 53, no. 1 (Fall 2011): 17–18. View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "How Firms Respond to Being Rated." Strategic Management Journal 31, no. 9 (September 2010): 917–945. (Lead article.) View Details
- Reid, Erin Marie, and Michael W. Toffel. "Responding to Public and Private Politics: Corporate Disclosure of Climate Change Strategies." Strategic Management Journal 30, no. 11 (November 2009): 1157–1178. (Featured by the Network for Business Sustainability.) View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., David I. Levine, and Michael W. Toffel. "How Well Do Social Ratings Actually Measure Corporate Social Responsibility?" Journal of Economics & Management Strategy 18, no. 1 (Spring 2009): 125–169. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Julian D. Marshall. "Improving Environmental Performance Assessment: Comparative Analysis of Weighting Methods used to Evaluate Chemical Release Inventories." Journal of Industrial Ecology 8, nos. 1-2 (January 2004): 143–172. View Details
- Management Standards
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- Simcoe, Timothy, and Michael W. Toffel. "Government Green Procurement Spillovers: Evidence from Municipal Building Policies in California." Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 68, no. 3 (November 2014): 411–434. (Lead article.) View Details
- Levine, David I., and Michael W. Toffel. "Quality Management and Job Quality: How the ISO 9001 Standard for Quality Management Systems Affects Employees and Employers." Management Science 56, no. 6 (June 2010): 978–996. (Appendix. Profiled by industry practitioners in Quality Digest, Quality Progress, ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB).) View Details
- James, Michael, and Michael W. Toffel. "ISO Standards Stamp Approval." European CEO (August 2012). View Details
- King, Andrew A., and Michael W. Toffel. "Self-regulatory Institutions for Solving Environmental Problems: Perspectives and Contributions from the Management Literature." Chap. 4 in Governance for the Environment: New Perspectives, edited by Magali Delmas and Oran Young, 98–115. Cambridge University Press, 2009. View Details
- Hiscox, Michael J., Claire Schwartz, and Michael W. Toffel. "Evaluating the Impact of SA8000 Certification." In Social Accountability 8000: The First Decade -- Implementation, Influence, and Impact, edited by Deborah Leipziger. Greenleaf Publishing, 2009. View Details
- Delmas, Magali, and Michael W. Toffel. "Organizational Responses to Environmental Demands: Opening the Black Box." Strategic Management Journal 29, no. 10 (October 2008): 1027–1055. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Resolving Information Asymmetries in Markets: The Role of Certified Management Programs." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 07-023, December 2008. (October 2006.) View Details
- McElhaney, Kellie, Michael W. Toffel, and Natalie Hill. "Designing Sustainability at BMW Group: The Designworks/USA Experience." In Strategic Sustainability: The State of the Art in Corporate Environmental Management Systems, edited by J. Sarkis and R. Sroufe. Sheffield, U.K.: Greenleaf Publishing, 2006. View Details
- Delmas, Magali, and Michael W. Toffel. "Stakeholders and Environmental Management Practices: An Institutional Framework." Business Strategy and the Environment 13, no. 4 (July/August 2004): 209–222. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Anticipating Greener Supply Chain Demands: One Singapore Company's Journey to ISO 14001." Chap. 16 in ISO 14001 Case Studies and Practical Experiences, edited by Ruth Hillary, 182–199. Sheffield, U.K.: Greenleaf Publishing, 2000. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., Timothy S. Simcoe, and Aldo Sesia. "Environmental Platform LEEDership at USGBC." Harvard Business School Case 618-027, May 2018. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Timothy S. Simcoe. "Environmental Platform LEEDership at USGBC." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 618-066, May 2018. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Aldo Sesia. "Genzyme Center (A)." Harvard Business School Case 610-008, September 2009. (Revised September 2010.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Genzyme Center (A), (B) & (C)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 610-011, October 2009. (Revised January 2014.) View Details
- Podcast Appearances
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- Toffel, Michael W. "How Footwear Startup Allbirds Is Decarbonizing Fashion." Cold Call (podcast), Harvard Business Review Group, January 25, 2022. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "How Georgia State University Increased Graduation Rates." Cold Call (podcast), Harvard Business Review Group, May 18, 2021. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Greg Dalton. "Talk Green, Play Dirty: Corporate America's Mixed Record." Climate One (podcast), January 8, 2021. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "JUUL: Leading the Vaping Revolution." Cold Call (podcast), Harvard Business Review Group, July 16, 2019. View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "Why CEOs Are Taking a Stand." HBR IdeaCast (March 27, 2018). (Podcast.) View Details
- Reinhardt, Forest, and Michael W. Toffel. "How the U.S. Navy Is Responding to Climate Change." HBR IdeaCast (August 18, 2017). (Podcast.) View Details
- Seminar Presentations
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- Toffel, Michael W. "Improving Working Conditions in Global Supply Chains." Operations Management Seminar, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, May 10, 2019. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Improving Working Conditions in Global Supply Chains." Duke Fuqua School of Business Strategy Seminar, April 2, 2019. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Improving Working Conditions in Global Supply Chains: The Role of Social Auditors." Paper presented at the Operations Management Seminar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, March 28, 2016. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Improving Working Conditions in Global Supply Chains: The Role of Social Auditors." Paper presented at the Operations Management Seminar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, March 4, 2016. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Improving Working Conditions in Global Supply Chains: The Role of Social Auditors." Ross School of Business Strategy Seminar, University of Michigan, February 5, 2016. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Managing Working Conditions in Global Supply Chains." Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business, March 19, 2015. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Managing Working Conditions in Global Supply Chains." Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), March 6, 2015. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Assessing and Improving Working Conditions in Global Supply Chains: The Role of Social Auditors." Wharton Operations and Information Management Department Seminar, October 7, 2014. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Monitoring the Monitors: How Social Factors Influence Supply Chain Auditors." Management & Organizations Department Seminar, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, March 28, 2014. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Assessing Working Conditions in Global Supply Chains: Evidence from Social Auditors." Technology & Operations Seminar, University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, January 24, 2014. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "What Shapes the Gatekeepers? Evidence from Global Supply Chain Auditors." Supply Chain and Operations Department Seminar, University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, Minneapolis, MN, United States, October 2013. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Which Suppliers Adhere to Global Labor Standards? Evidence from Codes of Conduct Audits." Operations Seminar Series (Kellogg School of Management), April 10, 2013. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "OSHA Inspections: Saving Workers or Killing Jobs? Evidence from Randomized Inspections in California." Harvard-NIOSH Education and Research Center Seminar, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, February 25, 2013. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Reinforcing Regulatory Regimes: How States, Civil Society, and Codes of Conduct Promote Adherence to Global Labor Standards." New Directions in Regulation Seminar Series, Harvard Kennedy School Regulatory Policy Program, Cambridge, MA, United States, February 14, 2013. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "The Role of Organizational Scope and Governance in Strengthening Private Monitoring." Paper presented at the Business, Policy and Sustainability Seminar, George Washington University School of Business, April 2012. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "The Globalization of Corporate Environmental Disclosure: Accountability or Greenwashing?" Paper presented at the Duquesne University Donahue School of Business, Sustainable MBA Seminar, April 2011. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "The Role of Organizational Scope and Governance in Strengthening Private Monitoring." Paper presented at the Emory University Goizueta Business School, Organization & Management Department Seminar, February 18, 2011. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "How Stringent Is Private Regulatory Monitoring? The Role of Organizational Scope and Governance." Paper presented at the Wharton Operations and Information Management Department Seminar, October 2010. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "How Stringent Is Private Regulatory Monitoring? The Role of Organizational Scope and Governance." Paper presented at the Georgia Institute of Technology Distinguished Operations Management Lecture, October 2010. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "The Globalization of Corporate Environmental Transparency." Paper presented at the UCLA Anderson School of Management Strategy and Policy Seminar, April 2010. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Organizational Scope and Governance in Private Regulatory Enforcement." Paper presented at the Cornell University Johnson School Operations Management Workshop, April 2010. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "The Globalization of Corporate Environmental Transparency." Paper presented at the Harvard Business School Accounting & Management Unit Seminar, April 2010. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Coming Clean...and Cleaning Up? Examining the Effects of Self-Policing." Paper presented at the Duke Fuqua School of Business Strategy Seminar, Durham, NC, December 2009. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Coming Clean...and Cleaning Up? Examining the Effects of Self-Policing." Paper presented at the Stanford Operations, Information & Technology Seminars, May 2009. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Responding to Public and Private Politics: Corporate Disclosure of Climate Change Strategies." Paper presented at the Institute for Work and Employment Research Seminar, MIT Sloan School of Management, April 2009. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Coming Clean...and Cleaning Up? Examining the Effects of Self-Policing." University of Western Ontario, Richard Ivey School of Business, February 2009. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Shamed and Able: How Firms Respond to Information Disclosure." Paper presented at the Erb Institute Colloquium, March 2008. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Coming Clean...and Cleaning Up? Examining the Effects of Self-Policing." Paper presented at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government Business & Government Seminar Series, John F. Kennedy School of Government, March 2007. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Coming Clean...and Cleaning Up? Examining the Effects of Self-Policing." Paper presented at the Harvard Kennedy School Seminar on Environmental Economics and Policy, February 2007. View Details
- Conference Presentations
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- Toffel, Michael W. "Tips for Developing a Strong Research Pipeline and Clear Research Identity." In SIM-ONE-PNP Junior Faculty Consortium. Paper presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, August 11, 2019. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Sustainability Research at the Strategy‐Supply Chain Interface." Paper presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, August 11, 2019. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Monitoring Global Supply Chains." Paper presented at the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability Annual Research Conference, May 14, 2015. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Enhancing Relevance of Research." Paper presented at the Production and Operations Management Society Annual Conference, Washington, DC, May 9, 2015. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "What Shapes the Gatekeepers? Evidence from Global Supply Chain Auditors." Paper presented at the Workshop for Empirical Research in Operations Management, Wharton School, October 2013. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Sustainability and Strategy: Institutional Drivers and Performance Outcomes." Paper presented at the Strategic Management Society Annual International Conference, Atlanta, September 30, 2013. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Which Suppliers Better Adhere to International Labor Standards? Evidence from Codes of Conduct Audits." Paper presented at the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability Annual Research Conference, Berkeley, CA, May 2013. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "When Do Firms Greenwash?" Paper presented at the 24th Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics Annual Meeting, June 28, 2012. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Engaging Supply Chains in Climate Change." Paper presented at the GRONEN Research Conference, Group on Organizations and the Natural Environment (GRONEN), Saint Maximin la Sainte Baume, France, June 27, 2012. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Private Enforcement of Labor and Environmental Standards in Global Supply Chains." Paper presented at the GRONEN Research Conference, Group on Organizations and the Natural Environment (GRONEN), Saint Maximin la Sainte Baume, France, June 27, 2012. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "The Role of Organizational Scope and Governance in Strengthening Private Monitoring." Paper presented at the New Insight into Quality and Environmental Practices, Université Paris-Dauphine, Paris, France, June 2012. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "When do Firms Greenwash?" Paper presented at the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability Annual Research Conference, New Haven, Connecticut, May 2012. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Engaging Suppliers to Mitigate Climate Change." Paper presented at the Innovation in Operations Conference, June 11, 2011. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "How Stringent Is Private Regulatory Monitoring? The Role of Organizational Scope and Governance." Paper presented at the INFORMS Annual Meeting, Austin, TX, November 7, 2010. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Speaking Up Constructively: Managerial Practices That Elicit Solutions from Front-line Employees." Paper presented at the INFORMS Annual Meeting, Austin, TX, November 7, 2010. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Coming Clean and Cleaning Up: Does Voluntary Self-Reporting Indicate Effective Self-Policing?" Paper presented at the Workshop for Empirical Research in Operations Management, October 14, 2010. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "How Stringent is Private Regulatory Enforcement? The Role of Organizational Scope and Governance." Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Production and Operations Management Society (POMS), Vancouver, May 1, 2010. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Responding to Public and Private Politics: Corporate Disclosure of Climate Change Strategies." Paper presented at the Strategy and the Business Environment Conference, March 06–07, 2009. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Shamed and Able: How Firms Respond to Information Disclosure." Paper presented at the Institutional Foundations for Industry Self-Regulation Conference, February 29, 2008. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Are Management Standards Effective?" Paper presented at the Just Supply Chains Conference, January 11, 2008. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Quality Management & Job Quality: How ISO 9001 Affects Employees & Employers." Paper presented at the Workshop on Empirical Research in Operations Management, November 06, 2008. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Shamed and Able: How Firms Respond to Information Disclosure." Paper presented at the Workshop on Empirical Research in Operations Management, September 27, 2007. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "How Well Do Social Ratings Actually Measure Corporate Social Responsibility?" Paper presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, August 03–08, 2007. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Coming Clean...and Cleaning Up? Examining the Effects of Self-Policing." Paper presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, August 05, 2007. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Inspection Holidays and Compliance Outcomes: Examining the Outcomes of Self-Policing." Paper presented at the Strategy and the Business Environment Conference, March 30, 2007. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Coming Clean...and Cleaning Up? Examining the Effects of Self-Policing." Paper presented at the Conference on Institutional Foundations for Industry Self-Regulation, February 16, 2007. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Turning Themselves in: Why Some Firms Self-disclose Regulatory Violations." Paper presented at the Strategy and the Business Environment Conference, March 24, 2006. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Turning Themselves In: Why Some Firms Self-disclose Regulatory Violations." Paper presented at the Conference on Institutional Mechanisms for Industry Self-Regulation, February 24, 2006. View Details
- Presentations to Managers
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- Toffel, Michael W. "Lloyd's Register Supply Chain Webinar: What Trends Are Influencing the Future of Supply Chain Assurance?" Lloyd's Register Group, May 18, 2021. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "CEO Activism." Future 500 Corporate Affiliates Network webinar, Future 500, November 6, 2018. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "CEO Activism." Business Network for Civic Freedoms and Human Rights Defenders, Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, June 18, 2018. View Details
- Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "The New CEO Activism: What Leaders Must Know." Harvard Business Review Webinar, April 5, 2018. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W., and Yanhua Zhou. "Assessing and Improving Working Conditions at Global Supply Chain Factories." Paper presented at the Ethical Sourcing Forum, New York, NY, April 7, 2016. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Monitoring Global Supply Chains." Paper presented at the Bangladesh Development Conference, Harvard University, South Asia Institute, June 5, 2015. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Empirical Research Opportunities on Inspection and Compliance." Paper presented at the Research on Effective Government: Inspection and Compliance Workshop, University of Maryland. Maryland Center for Economics and Policy and Harvard Business School, Washington, DC, June 1, 2015. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Managing Working Conditions in Global Supply Chains." SAI Advisory Board Meeting, Social Accountability International, May 20, 2015. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Managing Working Conditions in Global Supply Chains." Paper presented at the Ethical Sourcing Forum, March 27, 2015. View Details
- Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Monitoring the Monitors: How Social Factors Influence Supply Chain Auditors." Elevate Limited Webinar, July 17, 2014. (Webinar coordinated by Elevate Limited.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Greening Supply Chains." Paper presented at the Green Growth Knowledge Platform Annual Conference, Global Green Growth Institute, Paris, France, April 4, 2013. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "The Regulator's Role in Encouraging Self-policing: Evidence from the EPA's Audit Policy." Paper presented at the Next Generation Environmental Compliance Workshop, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Enforcement and Compliance, Washington, DC, December 2012. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Environmental Disclosures: Lessons Learned from Empirical Research." Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program: Opportunities for Research and Policy Analysis , Resources for the Future, Washington, DC, October 12, 2012. (Cosponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.) View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Evaluating OSHA Inspections for Intended and Unintended Outcomes." Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety Seminar, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA, United States, August 2012. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "How Firms Respond to Mandatory Information Disclosure." Paper presented at the National Training Conference on the Toxics Release Inventory and Environmental Conditions in Communities, Washington, DC, April 12, 2012. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Servicizing: Are There Win-Wins? In Search of Economic and Environmental Benefits." Paper presented at the Wharton Service Supply Chain Thought Leaders Forum, San Francisco, March 01, 2011. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "How the ISO 9001 Standard for Quality Management Systems Improves Employee Morale and Increases Profitability and Competitiveness." Paper presented at the IBS User Forum, Boston, October 21, 2010. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Research Perspectives on Operational Auditing and Certification." Independent Association of Accredited Registrars, Milwaukee, July 7, 2010. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Corporate Environmental Disclosure: A Research Overview." Paper presented at the Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency, Global Reporting Initiative, Amsterdam, May 27, 2010. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Sustainability Indexes." Paper presented at the Conference Board's Research Working Group on Governance and Sustainability, February 27, 2009. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "New Research on Corporate Environmental Disclosure and Environmental Ratings." Paper presented at the Enterprise Carbon Accounting, February 25, 2009. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Coming Clean...and Cleaning Up? Examining the Effects of Self-Policing." Paper presented at the Conference on Corporate Transparency and Accountability, Washington, DC, February 06, 2009. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "MapEcos: Introduction and Facility Information Disclosure." Paper presented at the Small Business Environmental Roundtable, February 22, 2008. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "MapEcos: Facility Disclosure and Stakeholder Attention (preliminary analysis)." Paper presented at the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) National Training Conference, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, February 12, 2008. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "The Health and Safety of Quality Programs: An Empirical Evaluation." Paper presented at the California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation Meeting, Oakland, CA, August 25, 2005. View Details
- Toffel, Michael W. "Resolving Information Asymmetries in Supply Chains: The Role of Certified Voluntary Programs." Paper presented at the National Environmental Partnership Summit, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Chicago, IL, April 11, 2005. View Details
- Research Summary
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My research examines how companies manage environmental issues, occupational safety, and working conditions in global supply chains. More recently, I have also begun researching the drivers and implications of CEO activism, where organizational leaders speak out on controversial societal and political issues.Keywords: Environmental Performance; Environmental Strategy; Labor Management; Transparency; Institutional Theory; Economic Analysis; Quality Improvement; Operations Management; Supply Chain; Regulation; Environmental Sustainability; Safety; Quality; Climate Change; Environmental Regulation; Pollution; Environmental Management; Operations; Supply Chain Management; Manufacturing Industry; Construction Industry; Asia; Europe; United StatesI am examining codes of conduct, management process standards, and government voluntary programs that address environmental and labor issues, seeking to understand what enables some of these programs to actually deliver on their promise of distinguishing organizations as possessing superior management practices and operational performance.Current research projects in this domain include investigations of the following questions:
- Under what circumstances do social audits of factories lead to sustained improvements in working conditions? How do social audit team characteristics affect operational improvements?
- Why are some suppliers more willing than others to disclose to their buyers their carbon footprint and vulnerability to climate change? (article)
- To what extent can private-sector governance mechanisms mitigate corruption, and thus excess pollution, in vehicle emissions testing? (article)
- To what extent does adopting the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Standard affect an organization’s environmental performance? (dissertation)
- To what extent are government policies that mandate green building practices in public construction projects stimulating the private sector green building market? (article)
This research focuses on transparency and information disclosure strategies, a topic of growing importance in environmental sustainability, corporate strategy, stakeholder relations, and public policy. My prior research in this area explored why some facilities were voluntarily disclosing compliance violations to the US EPA that their internal environmental compliance auditing programs had uncovered. Another article examined why some companies were voluntarily disclosing greenhouse gas emissions and the opportunities and risks they perceived global climate change was posing to their businesses. I have also looked at how managers respond to environmental ratings. My current research projects in this domain address the following questions:- What factors lead particular quality problems documented within organizations to garner follow-up problem solving activities? (article)
- Why are some corporations much more transparent in disclosing their environmental performance than others? (article)
- Why are some suppliers more willing than others to disclose to their buyers their carbon footprint and vulnerability to climate change? (article)
This research involves developing clarity around the murky construct of environmental sustainability, and improving techniques to measure corporate environmental performance. My prior research in this domain includes clarifying environmental sustainability as a construct, and a case about one company’s sustainability initiative and its approach to greenhouse gas emissions management, and a case about green building that analyzes performance implications of the LEED green building process standard. Other prior work has tested the predictive validity of environmental ratings, and developing better ways to measure environmental performance using Toxic Release Inventory data and to deploy hybrid life cycle assessment techniques. - Teaching
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Professor Toffel teaches the required first-year MBA course Technology and Operations Management (TOM).
He also coordinates and teaches the Doctoral Seminar in Technology and Operations Management to help doctoral students develop research ideas, design studies, conduct robust analysis, and learn to clearly present their insights.
Toffel has also taught the MBA elective Environmentally Sustainable Strategy & Operations, a course based on the award-winningBusiness and the Environment course he co-developed with Forest Reinhardt.
He has also taught the Technology and Operations Management portion of the Business Education for Scholars and Teachers (BEST) course to all HBS doctoral students.
- Awards & Honors
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Winner of a 2023 Silver Anthem Award in the Sustainability, Environment and Climate category for the HBS Business and Environment Initiative’s “Climate Rising Podcast” with Kate Zerrenner and Craig McDonald.Winner of the 2023 Case Centre Award in the Ethics and Social Responsibility category for “Global Sourcing at Nike” (HBS Case 619-008) with Nien-hê Hsieh and Olivia Hull.Recipient of the 2023 Highly Commended Financial Times Responsible Business Education Award for “Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion” (HBS Case 622-024) with Ken Pucker and Eren Kuzucu.Finalist for the 2021 MSOM Responsible Research Award from the Manufacturing and Service Operations Management Society (MSOM) for his article with Maria Ibanez, “How Scheduling Can Bias Quality Assessment: Evidence from Food Safety Inspections” (Management Science, June 2020).Finalist for the 2020 Responsible Research in Management Award from the Community for Responsible Research in Business and Management (RRBM) for his article with Yanhua Bird and Jodi L. Short, "Coupling Labor Codes of Conduct and Supplier Labor Practices: The Role of Internal Structural Conditions" (Organization Science, July–August 2019).Winner of the 2019 ComplianceNet Best Paper Award for his article with Yanhua Bird and Jodi L. Short, "Coupling Labor Codes of Conduct and Supplier Labor Practices: The Role of Internal Structural Conditions" (Organization Science, July–August 2019).Winner of the 2019 California Management Review Best Article Award for his article with Thomas Lyon, Magali A. Delmas, John W. Maxwell, Pratima Bansal, Mireille Chiroleu-Assouline, Patricia Crifo, Rodolphe Durand, Jean-Pascal Gond, Andrew King, Michael Lenox, David Vogel, and Frank Wijen, "CSR Needs CPR: Corporate Sustainability and Politics" (Summer 2018).Awarded the 2019 Warren Bennis Prize for the best 2018 Harvard Business Review article on leadership for his article with Aaron Chatterji, "The New CEO Activists" (January–February 2018).Honorable Mention for the 2016 Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Best Paper Award for his article with Chonnikarn Fern Jira, "Engaging Supply Chains in Climate Change" (Fall 2013).Winner of the Outstanding Conference Paper Award from the 2015 Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS) Annual Conference for his paper with Jodi Short and Andrea Hugill, “Monitoring Global Supply Chains.”Winner of the 2014 NBS Research Impact on Practice Award from the Network for Business Sustainability and the Academy of Management (AOM) Organizations and Natural Environment (ONE) Division for his article with Lamar Pierce, “The role of organizational scope and governance in strengthening private monitoring.”Winner (with Matthew Johnson and David I. Levine) of the 2014 Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy Grant Competition on the subject of “Demonstrating How Low-Cost Randomized Controlled Trials Can Drive Effective Social Spending.”Winner of the inaugural ARCS Sustainable Scholar Award from the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS) in 2014. This research career award seeks to recognize the leading pre-tenure scholar “in the area of corporate sustainability who is likely to make significant contributions to the advancement of corporate sustainability scholarship and practice.”Winner of the Outstanding Conference Paper Award from the 2014 Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS) Annual Conference for his paper with Susan Kayser and John Maxwell, “How multinational corporations can leverage stakeholder scrutiny to identify socially responsible suppliers.”Received the 2013 Apgar Award for Innovation in Teaching.Winner of the 2013 Paul Kleindorfer Award in Sustainability from the Production and Operations Management Society (POMS). The award recognizes “young scholars who have already distinguished themselves through the breadth and innovativeness of their scholarly work on questions related to sustainable operations and the social and environmental impact of business.”Won the 2012 Doctoral Award for Excellence in Mentoring. Established by doctoral students, the awards recognize HBS faculty “who exemplify a deep commitment to fostering the personal and professional development” of HBS doctoral students.Nominated in 2012 by the Strategic Management Society (SMS) for Best Conference Paper for Practice Implications at the SMS 32nd Annual International Conference for “Competition and Illicit Quality” (Bennett, Pierce, Snyder, Toffel, HBS Working Paper No. 12–071, February 2012).Nominated in 2012 by the Strategic Management Society (SMS) for Best Conference Paper at the SMS 32nd Annual International Conference for “Competition and Illicit Quality” (Bennett, Pierce, Snyder, Toffel, HBS Working Paper No. 12–071, February 2012).Awarded the Marvin Bower Fellowship in 2011 by Harvard Business School.Won the 2011 Best Health Care Management Theory-to-Practice Paper Award in the Health Care Management Division of the Academy of Management for his paper with Julia Adler-Milstein and Sara J. Singer, “Managerial Practices that Promote Voice and Taking Charge among Frontline Workers.”Selected for the 2011 Best Paper Proceedings of the Academy of Management for his paper with Julia Adler-Milstein and Sara J. Singer, "Managerial Practices that Promote Voice and Taking Charge among Frontline Workers."Runner up for the 2010 Doctoral Award for Excellence in Mentoring. Established by doctoral students, the awards recognize HBS faculty "who exemplify a deep commitment to fostering the personal and professional development" of HBS doctoral students.Won the 2010 Emerging Scholar Award from the Academy of Management's Organizations and the Natural Environment (ONE) Division. The award recognizes "a stream of research that has substantial ONE content and that has been published in premier scholarly outlets."Won the 2009 D. Alfred N. and Lynn Manos Page Grand Prize for Sustainability Issues in Business Curricula for the HBS Elected Curriculum course, "Business and the Environment" with Forest Reinhardt.Winner of the 2006 Charles H. Levine Award for Best Conference Paper from the Public and NonProfit Division of the Academy of Management for "Coerced Confessions: How Regulatory Deterrence Drives Self-Policing" (with Jodi L. Short, Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings, 2006).Runner up for the 2006 Academy of Management Best Dissertation Award from the Organizations and Natural Environment Division for "Voluntary Environmental Management Initiatives: Smoke Signals or Smoke Screens?" (University of California at Berkeley, 2005).Winner of the 2006 Academy of Management Best Dissertation Award from the Social Issues in Management Division for "Voluntary Environmental Management Initiatives: Smoke Signals or Smoke Screens?" (University of California at Berkeley, 2005).
- Additional Information
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- Working Conditions in Supply Chains: Research Insights microsite
- Curriculum Vitae
- Statement of Outside Activities
- Working Knowledge Articles
Affiliations - Areas of Interest
- In The News