Research




Long a bastion of quantitative excellence, UC Berkeley and the Haas School of Business are also institutions committed to creating positive social change. The powerful combination of these two strengths provides substantial contributions to the nascent field of Corporate Social Responsibility - with the Center at the forefront of research in the field in both the academic and practitioner arenas.


The Center has a variety of innovative research activities under its umbrella - notably the Corporate Social Responsibility Working Paper Series, the Moskowitz Research Program focused on social investing research, the CSR in the Technology Sector Multi-client Study, and an Annual CSR Conference Partnership.


The Center places research priority on social performance metrics - the study and development of quantitative metrics for the non-financial aspects of business performance. Through its research activities, the Center enables faculty, Ph.D. candidates, talented students, and visiting scholars to pursue research interests on issues related to CSR. The resulting works include peer review journal publications, conference presentations and research symposia, case studies, and internally-produced publications.




Center's Research Activities

Moskowitz Research Program
Moskowitz Research Program is an important research effort at the Center that examines the foundations and trends in the socially responsible investing (SRI) industry. The program includes the Moskowitz Prize – the only global award recognizing outstanding quantitative work on socially responsible investing.


CSR in the Technology Sector Multi-Client Study
In collaboration with the Haas School's Management of Technology program, the Center launched an innovative multi-client study in Fall 2006 exploring the critical corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues facing the technology sector.


Corporate Social Responsibility Working Paper Series
The Center publishes important research through an e-Repository of Corporate Social Responsibility Working Papers authored by faculty, students, and visiting scholars.


Annual CSR Conference Partnership
The Center co-sponsors an Annual CSR Conference in collaboration with the Boston University School of Management, London Business School, and the Aspen Institute.


Levi Strauss Small Grants Program
The Levi Strauss Small Grants Program engages and promotes innovative thinking and creative ideas on ways to advance the CSR agenda at the Haas School. All members of the Haas community are eligible to apply for small grant awards, with particular emphasis placed on support of CSR-focused research.


Ph.D. Fellowships
The Center sponsors two one-year Ph.D. fellowships to support the CSR-focused research efforts of Haas Ph.D. candidates.




Case Studies


Corporate Governance Issues at CarBoulevard.com
ESADE Strategic Management Case Competition
Michael Hanna, MBA 2004, Haas School of Business


Designing Sustainability at BMW Group: The Designworks/USA Experience
United Nations Global Compact Learning Forum
Michael W. Toffel, Natalie Hill, and Kellie A. McElhaney, Haas School of Business, December 2002




Other Research Examples


California Management Review
California Management Review (CMR), a vehicle of communication between academia and business practitioners, is a quarterly journal published by the Haas School of Business featuring articles that are both research-based and address issues of current concern to managers.


Environmental Implications of Wireless Technologies
Michael W. Toffel and A. Horvath, Environment, Science & Technology, 38(11), 2004




Richard Lyons

"Given the rich history of social activism and Nobel Prize winning quantitative excellence, Berkeley is a natural place for CSR to thrive. It is no surprise that we've established ourselves as a leader in this area. We'll continue to solidify that leadership with the Center at the forefront."

- Richard Lyons
Executive Associate Dean
Haas School of Business