How Community Identity Influences Rebuild Decisions
Ever wonder why entrepreneurs choose to rebuild and reinvest after a tornado or earthquake? After witnessing the after-effects of the May 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, , a Leeds PhD student, wondered just that. She鈥檚 partnering with CESR which has been funding her disaster research, particularly data collection via mail surveys and in-person interviews, for her dissertation about why entrepreneurs vow to rebuild and reinvest despite a clear financial opportunity or plan.
鈥淧eople will forgo personal financial beliefs for their neighbors,鈥� observed Dinger.
Through surveys and in-depth interviews she is working to uncover decision processes and factors contributing to the decision to rebuild or not. It is becoming clear to Dinger that there is 鈥渃lear evidence that a social responsibility to their community is a driving factor.鈥� Traditional motivators, such as job stability or income, are not the dominant considerations.
is a related area of study for Dinger, which she says is 鈥渁 tool for aspiring entrepreneurs in breaking down barriers to funding for many groups of people鈥 democratization of capital, if you will.鈥�
Dinger鈥檚 Background with Corporate Sustainability at Walmart
Before arriving at Leeds for her doctoral program, Dinger was involved in Walmart鈥檚 in late 2004.
Dinger admits, 鈥淲almart receives a lot of criticism, some warranted...some not so much in my opinion, but one thing that you cannot deny is that they integrated sustainability into the culture in a brilliant way. They did not create a new department and hire a small army to launch projects. They challenged employees and suppliers to take ownership and integrate it into their everyday conversations....it took off!鈥�
At Walmart, Dinger worked with consumer electronics suppliers to improve production efficiencies and use less invasive components. To that end, she also worked with the EPA, NGOs, Apple and Samsung to develop programs to collect electronic waste after useful life. She observes, 鈥淢ore than five years later, we still don't have a solution in the US. These are daunting challenges and require unprecedented innovation. Progress is happening, but not as quickly or pervasively as any of us would hope.鈥�
Climate Reality Project
Dinger is a Lecturer within the , the initiative of former Vice-President Al Gore to educate and motivate the general public to take action against climate change. She travels and speaks with various groups on the topic.
Dinger will defend her dissertation in spring semester 2015 and will join Suffolk University in Boston as an assistant professor of entrepreneurship with the intention of helping develop tomorrow鈥檚 business leaders.
Course Offerings in Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability
Are you interested in learning more about how businesses can be more environmentally sustainable? At CESR, to offer a variety of course offerings. Feel free to reach out by contacting us at CESR@colorado.edu or by phone at 303-492-3324.听