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Prof. A.E. (Arno) Kourula

Faculty of Economics and Business
Section Strategy & International Business
Photographer: Kristen van Santen

Visiting address
  • Plantage Muidergracht 12
  • Room number: M3.01A
Postal address
  • Postbus 15953
    1001 NL Amsterdam
  • Profile

    Positions

    Professor (Full) of Business & Sustainability 
    Chair of Strategy and International Business section
    Director of Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability
    Co-Director of Honours Programme Sustainability

    Section

    Strategy & International Business 

    Research interests

    Corporate sustainability
    Cross-sector interaction
    Sustainability partnerships and alliances
    International corporate sustainability in context
    Corporate responsibility regulation
    Political roles of corporations
    Business - civil society relations
    Circular economy
    Stakeholder strategy

    Dissertation title

    Company Engagement with Nongovernmental Organizations from a Corporate Responsibility Perspective (2009; Aalto University School of Business; Helsinki, Finland).

    Prizes and honours

    MBA (general management) Lecturer of the year for 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2022
    Executive Program in Management Studies (EPMS) Lecturer of the year for 2020
    Finalist for Best reviewer award in 2018 and 2019 for Business & Society
    International Association for Business & Society Best Published Paper in 2017 Award
    Van der Schroeff award (Lecturer of the year) for Faculty of Economics and Business in 2016
    Honorary Docent title awarded at Aalto University School of Business in 2013
    Best Reviewer of Social Issues in Management Division of the Academy of Management in 2011
    Individual scholarships awarded from University of Amsterdam's A Sustainable Future platform, the Foundation for Economic Education, Helsinki School of Economics Foundation, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation.

    Editorial roles

    Section Editor: Journal of Business Ethics
    Editorial Review Board Member: Business & SocietyJournal of World Business and Journal of International Business Policy 

    International ties

    Invited presentations at events and universities , PhD dissertation opponent, and executive eduction in e.g., Austria, Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vietnam, U.K., United Arab Emirates and U.S.A.
    Copenhagen Business School (Denmark): Fellow (2014-2015)
    Aalto University School of Business (Finland): Docent (2013-)
    Stanford University (USA): Visiting Scholar (2012-2013)
    Stanford University (USA): Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2010-2012)
    Helsinki School of Economics / Aalto University School of Business (Finland): D.Sc. Econ in 2009
    Stanford University (USA): Visiting Scholar (2008)

  • Teaching

    Teaching activities

    Amsterdam Business School

    Sustainability in Management Research (Doctoral)
    Ethics in Management Research (Doctoral)
    Ethics and the Future of Business (MScBA)
    Masterclass on Revitalizing Your Sustainability Strategy (Executive)
    Sustainability, Circularity and Business (Master, Honours Programme Sustainability)

    Previously at Amsterdam Business School

    Business Strategy and the Environment (Master)
    Business in Society (Executive)
    Business Ethics (Master)
    Ethics, Responsibility, and Sustainability (MBA)
    Ethics and Sustainability in Healthcare (MBA)
    Integrity Workshop (MBA)
    Bachelor's and Master's thesis supervision (supervised 50+ master's theses)

    Previously at Aalto University (Finland)

    Environment, Sustainable Development, and Responsibility (Executive MBA)
    Introduction to Business Law and Business Ethics (Bachelor)
    International Corporate Responsibility (Master)
    Workshop of Corporate Responsibility (MBA)
    Bachelor's and Master's thesis supervision

  • Links
  • Publications

    2024

    2022

    2021

    2020

    • Arora, B., Kourula, A., & Phillips, R. (2020). Emerging paradigms of Corporate Social Responsibility, regulation, and governance: Introduction to the thematic symposium. Journal of Business Ethics, 162(2), 265-268. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-019-04236-2 [details]
    • Kolk, A., Kourula, A., Pisani, N., & Westermann-Behaylo, M. (2020). The state of international business, corporate social responsibility and development: Key insights and an application to practice. In P. Lund-Thomsen, M. W. Hansen, & A. Lindgreen (Eds.), Business and development studies: Issues and perspectives (pp. 257-285). (Routledge Studies in Innovation, Organizatoins and Technology). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315163338-11 [details]
    • Peterman, A., Kourula, A., & Levitt, R. (2020). Organizational roles in a sustainability alliance network. Business Strategy and the Environment, 29(8), 3314-3330. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2574 [details]

    2019

    2017

    2016

    • Halme, M., Kourula, A., Lindeman, S., Kallio, G., Lima-Toivanen, M., & Korsunova, A. (2016). Sustainability Innovation at the Base of the Pyramid Through Multi-Sited Rapid Ethnography. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 23(2), 113–128. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1385 [details]
    • Kourula, A., & Delalieux, G. (2016). The micro-level foundations and dynamics of political corporate social responsibility: hegemony and passive revolution through civil society. Journal of Business Ethics, 135(4), 769-785. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2499-7 [details]

    2015

    • Joutsevirta, M., & Kourula, A. (2015). The role of nongovernmental organizations in corporate social responsibility. In E. R. G. Pedersen (Ed.), Corporate social responsibility (pp. 267-288). Sage. [details]
    • Midttun, A., Gjølberg, M., Kourula, A., Sweet, S., & Vallentin, S. (2015). Public Policies for Corporate Social Responsibility in Four Nordic Countries: Harmony of Goals and Conflict of Means. Business & Society, 54(4), 464-500. https://doi.org/10.1177/0007650312450848 [details]

    2014

    2013

    • Mäkinen, J., & Kourula, A. (2013). Yritysvastuun yhteiskuntafilosofiaa. In I. Niiniluoto, R. Vilkko, & J. Kuorikoski (Eds.), Talous ja filosofia (pp. 155-167). Gaudeamus. [details]

    2012

    2011

    • Delalieux, G., & Kourula, A. E. (2011). Nongovernmental organizations influence and capacity in management literature: The implicit influence of Tocqueville and explicit reference to Habermas. In R. Hull, J. Gibbon, O. Branzei, & H. Haugh (Eds.), The Third Sector (pp. 57-73). (Dialogues in critical mangement studies; No. Vol. 1). Emerald.

    2010

    • Kourula, A. E. (2010). Corporate engagement with nongovernmental organizations in different institutional contexts: A case of a forest productys company. Journal of World Business, 45(4), 395-404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2009.08.010
    • Kourula, A. E., & Laasonen, S. (2010). Nongovernmental organizations in business and society, management, and international business research: Review and implications from 1998 to 2007. Business & Society, 49(1), 35-67. https://doi.org/10.1177/0007650309345282

    2009

    • Kourula, A. E. (2009). Company engagement with nongovernmental organizations from a corporate responsibility perspective. (Acta Universitatis Oeconomicae Helsingiensis; No. A-355). Helsinki School of Economics. http://epub.lib.aalto.fi/pdf/diss/a355.pdf

    2008

    • Kourula, A. E., & Halme, M. (2008). Types of corporate responsibility and engagement with nongovernmental organizations: An exploration of business and social outcomes. Corporate Governance, 8(4), 557-570. https://doi.org/10.1108/14720700810899275
    • Makinen, J., & Kourula, A. E. (2008). The politics of corporate responsibility. niin & näin, 2008(4), 92-101.

    2007

    • Haltsonen, I., Kourula, A. E., & Salmi, A. (2007). Stakeholder pressure and socially responsible purchasing. Finanza, Marketing e Produzione: rivista di economia d'impresa dell'Università Bocconi, 2007(September), 47-56.

    2023

    • Kourula, A., & Halme, M. (2023). Ecological approaches to corporate sustainability and responsible business. In A. Rasche, M. Morsing, J. Moon, & A. Kourula (Eds.), Corporate Sustainability: Managing Responsible Business in a Globalised World (2nd ed., pp. 134-152). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009118644.009 [details]
    • Kourula, A., Rasche, A., Morsing, M., & Moon, J. (2023). Corporate Sustainability: Where Are We Going? In A. Rasche, M. Morsing, J. Moon, & A. Kourula (Eds.), Corporate Sustainability: Managing Responsible Business in a Globalised World (2nd ed., pp. 550-557). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009118644.031 [details]
    • Rasche, A., Morsing, M., Moon, J., & Kourula, A. (2023). Corporate Sustainability: Managing Responsible Business in a Globalised World. (2nd ed.) Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009118644 [details]
    • Rasche, A., Morsing, M., Moon, J., & Kourula, A. (2023). Corporate sustainability – What it is and why it matters. In A. Rasche, M. Morsing, J. Moon, & A. Kourula (Eds.), Corporate Sustainability: Managing Responsible Business in a Globalised World (2nd ed., pp. 1-26). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009118644.002 [details]
    • Stadtler, L., & Kourula, A. (2023). Sustainability partnerships. In A. Rasche, M. Morsing, J. Moon, & A. Kourula (Eds.), Corporate Sustainability: Managing Responsible Business in a Globalised World (2nd ed., pp. 370-387). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009118644.022 [details]

    2022

    • Böhm, S., Carrington, M., Cornelius, N., de Bruijn, B., Greenwood, M., Hassan, L., Jain, T., Karam, C., Kourula, A., Romani, L., Riaz, S., & Shaw, D. (2022). Ethics at the Centre of Global and Local Challenges: Thoughts on the Future of Business Ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 180(3), 835-861. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05239-2 [details]
    • Kourula, A., & Vishwanathan, P. (2022). Media Review: Research Handbook of Responsible Management [Review of: O. Laasch, R. Suddaby, R.E. Freeman and D. Jamali (Eds.) (2020) Research Handbook of Responsible Management]. Organization Studies, 43(7), 1161-1167. https://doi.org/10.1177/01708406211030655 [details]

    2015

    2014

    • Chowdury, R., Kourula, A., & Siltaoja, M. E. (2014). Theorizing grassroots organizations' network strategies across an issue life-cycle. Academy of Management. Annual Meeting Proceedings, 2014, Article 11601. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2014.11601abstract [details]
    • Mäkinen, J., & Kourula, A. (2014). Globalization, National Politics and Corporate Social Responsibility. In R. Tainio, S. Meriläinen, J. Mäkinen, & M. Laihonen (Eds.), Limits to Globalization: National Borders Still Matter (pp. 219-235). Copenhagen Business School Press. [details]

    2013

    2012

    • Kourula, A. E. (2012). [Review of: A. Rasche, G. Kell. The United Nations Global Compact: Achievements, Trends and Challenges]. Business & Society, 52, 170-176. https://doi.org/10.1177/0007650312459922

    2011

    • Joutsenvirta, M., & Kourula, A. E. (2011). Kansalaisaktivistit yritysten vastuun asialla (Civil society activists and corporate responsibility). In M. Joutsenvirta, M. Halme, M. Jalas, & J. Makinen (Eds.), Vastuullinen liiketoiminta kansainvalisessa maailmassa (Corporate responsibility in an international world) (pp. 210-230). Gaudeamus.

    2010

    • Kourula, A. E. (2010). Finland. In W. Visser, & N. Tolhurst (Eds.), The world guide to CSR: A coutry-by-country analysis of corporate sustainability and responsibility (pp. 151-157). Greenleaf.

    2007

    • Kourula, A. E. (2007). Finnish corporations engagement with nongovernmental organizations. In M. Kamppinen, & P. Nurmi (Eds.), Responsible business (pp. 80-91). Turku University.

    2022

    • Kourula, A. (2022). The roles and responsibilities of business in sustainability. [details]

    2016

    • Kourula, A., & Houtbeckers, E. (2016). 10: Finland. In W. Visser (Ed.), The world guide to sustainable entrepreneurship. - Vol. 3: Europe (pp. 85-91). Greenleaf Publishing. [details]

    2010

    • Halme, M., Kallio, G., Korsunova, A., Kourula, A. E., Lima-Toivonen, M. B., Lindeman, S., & Peltonen, T. (2010). Final report: Practices at the Base of the Pyramid - Packaging, primary education, and mass communication practices in Brazil, India, Russia, and Tanzania. TEKES and Forest Cluster.

    2006

    • Aijala, P., Kourula, A. E., Siltanen, M., & Mustonen, E. (2006). The evaluation of Finnish NGOs development cooperation capacity. Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Department for Develoment Policy.

    2005

    • Telford, J., Mikkola, E., Bianchi, P., & Kourula, A. E. (2005). The evaluation of Finnish humanitarian assistance 1996-2004. Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Department for Development Policy.

    Prize / grant

    Media appearance

    Others

    • Georgallis, P. (organiser), Kourula, A. (organiser), Boe-Lillegraven, S. (organiser), Kolk, A. (organiser), van Dolen, W. (organiser) & Vishwanathan, P. (organiser) (31-5-2022 - 2-6-2022). GRONEN 2022 Conference: Sustainability in context, Amsterdam. Organization/hosting of the 2022 GRONEN research conference. (organising a conference, workshop, ...). http://www.gronenonline.com/_gronen1/gronen-research-conference/

    2024

    2023

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  • Ancillary activities
    • Solve
      Advisory board member
    • Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)
      Technical expert
    • Aalto University Executive Education
      Visiting lecturer