David J. Skandera, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor
School of Business
Virginia Commonwealth University
ABOUT
I am a researcher and Assistant Professor of Strategic Management in the School of Business at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). I hold a Ph.D. in strategic management and entrepreneurship from the University of Central Florida, M.B.A. and M.S. degrees from the University of Massachusetts, and a B.A. in economics and management studies from St. Olaf College.
My research is at the forefront of establishing and advancing the portfolio-based view of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). My conceptual and empirical work specifically focuses on how CSR initiatives are inter- and intra-temporally connected within CSR portfolios, and how managers orchestrate CSR portfolios to maximize synergies among CSR initiatives. More generally, my work focuses on the role of business in society and I engage with theories that help explain how firms create societal and organizational value through CSR, including doughnut economics, institutional theory, resource-based theory, stakeholder theory, and moral philosophy. Complementing my conceptual and empirical research, I work to advance organizational research methods in ways that promote the interdependency between methodological practices and theoretical contributions.
Overall, I believe business can be a critical force for good in society, with the potential to have a significant positive impact on the social, environmental, and economic challenges humankind faces in the 21st century. Therefore, it is important for managers to understand how to efficiently use their resources in CSR portfolios and impact social and environmental issues in ways that are meaningful and economically sustainable.
My work has been published in the Journal of Management and featured at a variety of industry and academic conferences. I also participate regularly as an expert panelist at industry and academic conferences, present my research to international audiences of business executives, and lead guest lectures on how managers can orchestrate portfolios of CSR initiatives. Aside from my research work, I serve as the chair of the communications committee of the AOM’s SIM division, and on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Management.
Over the course of my career, I hope to produce rigorous research and serve the business community in ways that help our shared societal systems – from markets, to households, the state, and our earth systems – collectively thrive in balance. I hope that my research can pave the way for a new era of CSR strategizing, where managers approach CSR with the same level of rigor and precision as their core business investments.
CORE RESEARCH INTERESTS
Business & Society
Corporate Sustainability
CSR & ESG
Doughnut Economics
Portfolio-Based View of CSR
Strategic Management
Corporate Strategy
Institutional Theory
Managerial Attention
Stakeholder Theory
EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, AMHERST
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
Master of Science (M.S.) – Sport Management
ST. OLAF COLLEGE
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) – Economics, Management Studies
EXPERIENCE
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Executive MBA:
Corporate Sustainability
Undergraduate:
Moral Foundations of Business
Strategic Management
SELECT APPLIED EXPERIENCE
Boston Cannons
Clinical & Support Options
Lidl US, Inc.
MAN Energy Solutions SE
Summit Sports Group