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Biography

Ben W. Lewis is an Associate Professor of Strategy in the Department of Management at the Brigham Young University Marriott School of Business and the Horace Pratt Beasley Research Fellow. He currently teaches the Strategy and Economics course to graduate students and a data analytics course to undergraduates.

Ben’s research explores how firms strategically manage their reputation, particularly within the domains of corporate social and environmental responsibility. Recently, he has focused his efforts on understanding how corporations respond to ratings and rankings. His work has been published in leading management journals including Administrative Science Quarterly and the Strategic Management Journal. In 2017, he received the William H. Newman Award, a prestigious recognition from the Academy of Management for solo-authored work based on a dissertation. In 2020, he received the Emerging Scholar Award from the Organizations and the Natural Environment division of the Academy of Management.

Ben received his PhD in Management from the Johnson College of Business at Cornell University in 2013, and a MAcc and BS in Accounting and Economics from Brigham Young University in 2008. Prior to pursuing his doctoral studies, he was involved in international development work in Kenya and Mozambique. Many of his research interests have been shaped by these experiences and drive his efforts to understand how business can be used as a force for good in society.

Education

• PhD, Management, Cornell University, 2013
• BS, Accounting, Brigham Young University, 2008
• BS, Economics, Brigham Young University, 2008
• MAcc, Accounting, Brigham Young University, 2008

Selected Publications

• "Catalysts of Change: How Social Movement Organizations Accelerate Shifts in Social Norms", 2024
• "The risk of being ranked: Investor response to marginal inclusion on the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list", Strategic Management Journal, Edition 1, Volume 44, Pages 117-140, 2023
• "Avoiding the appearance of virtue: Reactivity to corporate social responsibility ratings in an era of shareholder primacy", Administrative Science Quarterly, Edition 4, Volume 67, Pages 1093-1135, Sage Journals, 2022
• "Pragmatism and pluralism: A moral foundation for stakeholder theory in the 21st Century", Cambridge Handbook of Stakeholder Theory, Cambridge University Press, 2019
• "Strategic silence: Withholding certification status as a hypocrisy avoidance tactic", Administrative Science Quarterly, Edition 1, Volume 63, Pages 130-169, 2018
• "Entrepreneurs and the strategic communication of socially responsible activities", Entrepreneurship and Social Responsibility, Nanjing University Press, Joel Glassman, Masato Kimura, Ki Hyoung Sohn, Shuming Zhao, 2018
• "A behavioral view on firm response to ratings: How positive recognition leads to reductions in charitable contributions", Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 2014
• "Difference in degrees: CEO characteristics and firm environmental disclosure", Edition 5, Volume 35, Strategic Management Journal, 2014
• "The effect of technology type on the adoption and effectiveness of global environmental standards", Enhancing Global Competitiveness through Sustainable Environmental Stewardship, Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, Subhash C. Jain and Ben L. Kedia, 2011
• "Bottom billion", ESR Review, Provo, UT, 2008

Awards

• Horace Pratt Beesley Fellowship, Brigham Young University Marriott School of Business, 2021
• Emerging Scholar Award, Organizations and the Natural Environment division of the Academy of Management, 2020
• Best Published Article Award in 2018, International Association for Business & Society, 2018
• William H. Newman Award for Best Paper Based on a Dissertation, Academy of Management, 2017
• Outstanding Paper Award, Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability, 2016

Languages

• Portuguese

Certificates and Licenses

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) — Colorado — 2010

Professional Citizenship

• Organization Science, Editorial Review Board Member, January 2023
• Strategic Organization, Editorial Review Board Member, January 2023