Dr Anja Schaefer

Biography

I gained a first degree in languages and translation at the University of Heidelberg (Germany) before completing an MBA at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and a DPhil on the topic of 'The impact of country of origin on product evaluations' at the University of Buckingham. From 1996 to 1997 I worked as Research Associate at Manchester Business School before taking up a role as Lecturer in Marketing at King's College London in 1998. Since 2004 I have been working as Lecturer and then Senior Lecturer in Management at the Open University Business School. 

Teaching interests

I have taught on a wide range of business & management modules but my main teaching has been in the areas of marketing and business ethics & corporate social responsibility. In the past I have taught undergraduate modules on Principles of Marketing, Marketing Management, Business Strategy, and Business Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility, as well as postgraduate modules on International Marketing. At the Open University I have contributed a block on Research Traditions in Marketing to a postgraduate module on Management and Business Research (B852); a block on Introduction to Marketing in Business to a Level 1 module on An Introduction to Business Studies (B120); units on globalisation and corporate social responsibility to a Level 2 module on Business Organisations in their Environment (B201), and a block on Responsible Business Marketing to a Level 3 module on Marketing & Society (B324). I have chaired a Level 3 module on Understanding Marketing and Financial Information in the final stages of production and in presentation, as well as chairing the Level 1 module An Introduction to Business Studies in presentation. I am currently chairing the production of a new, compulsory level 1 module 'An Introduction to Business and Management (B100).

Research interests

My main research interest centres around corporate social responsibility and sustainability. My longitudinal, empirical research into environmental strategy and management in the UK water and electricity sectors has led to a number of journal articles and contributions to edited works, as well as numerous conference papers. Coupled with this empirical work she has focused on the application and development of general social and management theory to the area of corporate social responsibility and sustainability.

Currently I am working on a cross-European research project on government policies for corporate responsibility in specific industry sectors, in collaboration with colleagues at seven other universities across Europe (project funded by the Bertelsmann Foundation, Germany). I am working on three case studies of sector specific government initiatives for corporate responsibility in the United Kingdom. The project will continue to April 2012 and will result in an edited book published by Bertelsmann publishers, as well as briefing documents, and briefing workshops for public policy decision makers at European Union and national level.

I am currently supervising two PhD students in the field of small and medium sized enterprises and sustainability. One of these looks at the way in which SMEs in the East of England make sense of climate change and respond to it. The other will look at innovation for sustainability in SMEs in the leather working industry in Pakistan. I have also recently supervised a PhD student working in the area of controversial advertising and ethical decision making in advertising practice.

I also have an interest in sustainable marketing and consumption.

External contributions

I am a member of the editorial review board of the Journal of Business Ethics and of Business Strategy and the Environment. I am also a member of the committee of the special interest group on Sustainable and Responsible Business of the British Academy of Management.

International collaborations

International collaborative research project on sector specific government initiative for corporate responsibility: funded by Bertelsmann Foundation, Germany, and co-ordinated by Institute of Business Ethics, University of St Gallen, Switzerland. Other collaborators come from ESC Rennes, France; University of Applied Sciences in Business Management, Zurich, Switzerland, Universidad National de Educacion a Distancia, Madrid, Spain; University of Tilburg, Netherlands; University of Lodz, Poland; Copenhagen Business School, Denmark

Areas of expertise

• Corporate social responsibility
• Sustainability
• business ethics

Web links

• LinkedIn profile

Research student supervision

• Tom Farrell
• Aqueel Wahga
• Sarah Williams

Publications