The Open University

Professional biography

I am currently a Senior Lecturer in Management in the Department for Public Leadership and Social Enterprise in the Open University Business School, which I joined in 2004. Before that I worked as Lecturer in Marketing at King's College London and as ESRC Research Associate at Manchester Business School. I hold degrees from the University of Heidelberg (Diplom), the University of Wales, Aberystwyth (MBA) and the University of Buckingham (DPil).

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 I have focused on the application and development of general social and management theory to the area of corporate social responsibility and sustainability.

My current research looks at sustainability in SMEs, CSR and international development, and organisational codes of ethics. In all these areas I am particularly interested in how people make sense of ethical and environmental challenges at work and how this links to their sense of self-identity.

I am currently supervising three PhD students:
Aqueel Wahga, on the impact of entrepreneurial capital on environmental improvement in SMEs
Olga Andrianova, on the role of enterprise policies in promoting environmental sustainability
Maria Wishart, on the development of responsible management education

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).

External collaborations

I am the Open University Faculty of Business and Law contact for UN PRME (link to Open University Business School SIP report here) and a member of the steering committee of the PRME UK & Ireland Chapter.

I am a member of the editorial review board of the Journal of Business Ethics and of Business Strategy and the Environment.

International links

I am working with colleagues in the Corporate Social Responsibility Research Group at the Universidad de Educacion a Distancia in Spain, through a Santander funded research exchange programme. The outputs from this research exchange so far have included several conference papers and a presentation at a conference on CSR held in Madrid in May 2013 (recording of the presentations here - in Spanish).

Publications

Journal articles

Patriotism as a conduit to employee environmental engagement in a post-Soviet economy in transition (2022)
Andrianova, Olga; Schaefer, Anja and Smolovic Jones, Owain
Business Strategy and the Environment ((Early access))

Individual Values and SME Environmental Engagement (2020)
Schaefer, Anja; Williams, Sarah and Blundel, Richard
Business & Society, 59(4) (pp. 642-675)

Making ‘greener’ connections: An introduction to the Special Issue (2018-02-04)
Blundel, Richard; Smith, David; Ackrill, Robert and Schaefer, Anja
The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 19(1) (pp. 3-8)

Understanding the Drivers of Sustainable Entrepreneurial Practices in Pakistan’s Leather Industry: A Multi-Level Approach (2017-04-11)
Wahga, Aqueel; Blundel, Richard and Schaefer, Anja
International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 24(2) (pp. 382-407)

Small and medium sized enterprises and sustainability: managers' values and engagement with environmental and climate change issues (2013-03)
Williams, Sarah and Schaefer, Anja
Business Strategy and the Environment, 22(3) (pp. 173-186)

Framing the Good Citizen (2010-11)
Pykett, Jessica; Saward, Michael and Schaefer, Anja
British Journal of Politics & International Relations, 12(4) (pp. 523-538)

Making sense of the diversity of ethical decision making in business: an illustration of the Indian context (2009-12)
Patel, Taran and Schaefer, Anja
Journal of Business Ethics, 90(2) (pp. 171-186)

Corporate greening and changing regulatory regimes: the UK water industry (2009-07)
Schaefer, Anja
Business Strategy and the Environment, 18(5) (pp. 320-333)

Trade associations and corporate social responsibility: evidence from the UK water and film industries (2008-04)
Schaefer, Anja and Kerrigan, Finola
Business Ethics: A European Review, 17(2) (pp. 171-195)

Contrasting institutional and performance accounts of Environmental Management Systems: three case studies in the UK Water & Sewerage industry (2007-06)
Schaefer, Anja
Journal of Management Studies, 44(4) (pp. 506-535)

Some considerations regarding the ecological sustainability of marketing systems (2005-12)
Schaefer, Anja
Electronic Journal of Radical Organisation Theory, 9(1)

Addressing sustainability and consumption (2005-06)
Schaefer, Anja and Crane, Andrew
Journal of Macromarketing, 25(1) (pp. 76-92)

Corporate sustainability - integrating environmental and social concerns? (2004-12-01)
Schaefer, Anja
Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 11(4) (pp. 179-187)

Managing relationships with environmental stakeholders: a study of UK water and electricity utilities (2001)
Harvey, Brian and Schaefer, Anja
Journal of Business Ethics, 30(3) (pp. 243-260)

Organizational structure and effective environmental management (2000)
Atkinson, Simon; Schaefer, Anja and Viney, Howard
Business Strategy and the Environment, 9(2) (pp. 108-120)

Environmental knowledge and the adoption of ready-made environmental management solutions (2000)
Schaefer, Anja and Harvey, Brian
Eco-Management and Auditing, 7(2) (pp. 74-81)

Stage models of corporate 'greening': a critical evaluation (1998)
Schaefer, Anja and Harvey, Brian
Business Strategy and the Environment, 7(3) (pp. 109-123)

Consumer knowledge and country of origin effects (1997)
Schaefer, Anja
European Journal of Marketing, 31(1) (pp. 56-72)

Do demographics have an impact on country of origin effects? (1997)
Schaefer, Anja
Journal of Marketing Management, 13 (pp. 813-834)

Book chapters

Human Capital and Environmental Engagement of SMEs in Pakistan: A Comparative Analysis of the Leather Industry (2018-01)
Wahga, Aqueel; Blundel, Richard and Schaefer, Anja
In: Spence, Laura J.; Frynas, Jedrzej G.; Muthuri, Judy and Navare, Jyoti eds. Research Handbook on Small Business Social Responsibility: Global Perspectives. Edward Elgar Research Handbooks (pp. 401-412)
ISBN : 978-1-78471-181-8 | Publisher : Edward Elgar | Published : Cheltenham

Understanding value conflict to engage SME managers with business greening (2017-01-16)
Williams, Sarah; Schaefer, Anja and Blundel, Richard
In: Rendtorff, Jacob Dahl ed. Perspectives on Philosophy of Management and Business Ethics. Ethical Economy: Studies in Economic Ethics and Philosphy (pp. 73-91)
ISBN : 978-3-319-46972-0 | Publisher : Springer

Sector-specific corporate responsibility in the United Kingdom (2013)
Schaefer, Anja
In: Beschorner, Thomas; Hajduk, Thomas and Simeonov, Samuil eds. Corporate Responsibility in Europe: Government Involvement in Sector-specific Initiatives (pp. 241-262)
ISBN : 978-3-86793-337-7 | Publisher : Verlag Bertelsmann Stiftung | Published : Gütersloh

Introducing social and sustainable enterprise: changing the nature of business (2012-11-30)
Underwood, Sarah; Blundel, Richard; Lyon, Fergus and Schaefer, Anja
In: Underwood, Sarah; Blundel, Richard; Lyon, Fergus and Schaefer, Anja eds. Social and Sustainable Enterprise: Changing the Nature of Business. Contemporary Issues in Entrepreneurship Research (xi-xv)
ISBN : 978-1-78190-254-7 | Publisher : Emerald Group Publishing | Published : Bingley

Corporate sponsorship and partnerships (2006-12-14)
Schaefer, Anja
In: Mordaunt, Jill and Paton, Rob eds. Thoughtful Fundraising: Concepts, Issues and Perspectives (pp. 100-111)
ISBN : 978-0-415-39428-4 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : Abingdon

Sustainable business organisations (2003)
Schaefer, A.; Skea, J.; New, S.; Green, K. and Coulson, A.
In: Berkhout, Frans; Leach, Melissa and Schoones, Ian eds. Negotiating environmental change: new perspectives from social science (pp. 209-230)
ISBN : 1 84376 153 X | Publisher : Edward Elgar | Published : Cheltenham, UK

Rethinking green consumption (2001)
Schaefer, Anja and Crane, A.
In: Rahtz, Don R.; McDonagh, Pierre and Bouchet, D. eds. Globalisation and equity: Proceedings of the 26th Annual Macromarketing Conference (pp. 178-195)
Publisher : The College of William and Mary | Published : Williamsburg, USA

Agents of change in corporate 'greening': six case studies in the UK water and electricity utilities (2000)
Schaefer, Anja and Harvey, Brian
In: Fineman, Stephen ed. The Business of Greening (pp. 169-188)
ISBN : 9780415224338 | Publisher : Routledge | Published : London, U.K. and New York, NY, U.S.

Edited books

Social and Sustainable Enterprise: Changing the Nature of Business (2012-11-30)
Underwood, Sarah; Blundel, Richard; Lyon, Fergus and Schaefer, Anja eds.
Contemporary Issues in Entrepreneurship Research
ISBN : 978-1781902547 | Publisher : Emerald | Published : Bradford

Conference items

Policy framework to overcome barriers to environmental improvement in Pakistan’s leatherworking SMEs (2019)
Wahga, Aqueel Imtiaz; Blundel, Richard and Schaefer, Anja
In : The British Academy of Management (BAM) 2019 Conference Proceedings (3-5 Sep 2019, Aston University, Birmingham United Kingdom)

Becoming and being a moral manager (2018)
Wishart, Maria; Schaefer, Anja and Reid, Kristen
In : British Academy of Management Conference Proceedings 2018 (04-06 Sep 2018, Bristol, UK)

Human Capital and Environmental Engagement of SMEs in Pakistan: A Comparative Analysis of the Leather Industry (2015)
Wahga, Aqueel; Blundel, Richard and Schaefer, Anja
In : ISBE Annual Conference 2015 (11 to 12 Nov, Glasgow)

Resilience and recovery: SME experiences of extreme weather events and other external threats (2014-11-05)
Blundel, Richard; Baldock, Robert; Dadd, Deneise; Schaefer, Anja and Williams, Sarah
In : Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) 2014 (5-6 Nov 2014, Manchester)

Public-private initiatives for industry specific corporate social responsibility (2014-09)
Schaefer, Anja; Pardo, Eva and Roloff, Julia
In : Corporate Responsibility Research Conference 2014 (15-17 Sep 2014, Leeds)

Engaging SMEs with business greening: the role of manager values (2012-11-08)
Williams, Sarah; Schaefer, Anja and Blundel, Richard
In : Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) 2012 Conference (6-8 Nov 2012, Dublin, Ireland)

SMEs’ construction of climate change risks: the role of networks and values (2011-10)
Schaefer, Anja; Williams, Sarah and Blundel, Richard
In : SMEs: Moving Towards Sustainable Development, International Conference (20-22 Oct 2011, Montreal, Canada)

SME managers' motivations to engage with climate change: the role of values and emotions (2010-09)
Williams, Sarah and Schaefer, Anja
In : Corporate Responsibility Research Conference (15-17 Sep 2010, Marseilles, France)

Corporate Social Responsibility and Discursive Control of Corporations (2008)
Schaefer, Anja and Preuss, Lutz
In : Academy of Management Conference 2008 (8-13 Aug 2008, Anaheim, California)

Institutionalizing an environmental agenda in business (2003-08-01)
Schaefer, Anja
In : Academy of Management Annual Conference (1-6 Aug 2003, Seattle, USA)