HBR Article: How Some Companies Avoid Accusations of Greenwashing

Our brand new Harvard Business Review piece with Joel Bothello, Vlad Andrei Porumb and Yasemin Zengin-Karaibrahimoglu on how some companies manage to avoid greenwashing accusations is out! 🚀🎉 Give it a read to learn how some firms may be escaping scrutiny due to their corporate structure. Specifically, through an analysis of 500+ companies globally, we found that apex firms in Business Groups tend to advertise sustainability efforts more than they substantively act.

While markets currently extend some tolerance and stakeholders may see it as a division of labor, this apparent greenwashing is risky long-term.🌳 Leaders should motivate real action through shared identity, best practice diffusion, talent sharing, and mindfulness of evolving expectations.💡 This article unpacks a fascinating dynamic and offers critical insights for managers beyond business groups too.

Read the full piece with my co-authors at this link.

Biography

Professor Ioannou is a leading expert in sustainability leadership and corporate responsibility whose award-winning academic research provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities organizations face when developing sustainable business models. An Associate Professor at London Business School, his work focuses on strategic ESG integration and its implications for businesses and investors. He actively engages with leading companies, boards, and executives as a sought-after speaker, advisor, and author. Deeply involved with practice, he serves on advisory boards including the Sustainability Advisory Panel of Merck KGaA and the ESG Advisory Board of DWS Group. He is also a member of the World Economic Forum's Expert Network. Building on his experience advising organizations, he is interested in contributing further as a Non-Executive Director. His research is published in top journals, he is among the most cited scholars in his field, and he teaches popular courses on sustainability leadership and responsible business.

Upcoming Events

February 20, 2024

Prof. Ioannou will deliver a talk at the Family Office Conference at LBS

March 13, 2024

Prof. Ioannou will be delivering a keynote at CBS Center for Leadership Thinktank in Copenhagen.

March 14, 2024

Prof Ioannou will be keynoting ENGAGE.EU Think Tank 2024 in Bergen, Norway.