My research focuses on studying the relationship between business strategies and public policy in the US and developing countries. In particular, I am now pursuing work that seeks to understand business responses to the creation and implementation of environmental and social protection policies. My research has also been studying how institutional pressures are associated with corporate environmental protection strategies.  This work has evaluated if participation in voluntary environmental programs is associated with business competitiveness and higher corporate environmental performance.

Applicants to the Doctoral Program: Please click here and study this information before contacting me by email or phone.

Research        Teaching          Professional Biography   

---

Book flyer            Contents Conclusion          Buy it on Amazon

Outstanding Book Award, 2011 Academy of Management's ONE Division Read book review by ASQ   Book flyer                Contents Conclusion              Buy it on Amazon

PUBLICATIONS 

Books:

1. Rivera, J. (2010). Business and public policy: Responses to environmental & social protection processes.
Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
    - Outstanding Book Award, Academy of Management's Organizations and the Natural Environment Division, 2011
2.  deLeon, P., and Rivera, J. (Eds.) (2009). Voluntary Environmental Programs:
A Policy Perspective. Maryland: Lexington Books for the Policy Studies Organization.

Refereed articles:

1. Blackman, A., and Rivera, J. (2011). Producer-Level Benefits of Sustainability Certification.
Conservation Biology, Vol. 25(6):1176-85.
2. Tashman, P., and Rivera, J.(2010). Are Members of Business for Social Responsibility More Responsible?
Policy Studies Journal. Vol. 38(3):487-514.  
    - Best paper award nominee, Social Issues in Management Division, Academy of Management Conference, 2008
3.  Oetzel, J., Westermann-Behaylo, M., Koerber, C., Fort, T, & Rivera, J. (2010).Peace through commerce: Sketching the Terrain.
Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 89 (supplement 4): 351-373.
4. Husted, B., Allen, D. and Rivera, J. (2010). Governance choice for strategic corporate social responsibility:
Evidence from Central America. Business and Society, 49:201-215.
5. Rivera, J., Oetzel, J., de Leon, P., and Starik, M. (2009). Business Responses to Environmental and Social Protection Policies:
Towards a Framework for Analysis.Policy Sciences: Vol 42: 3-42.
6. Rivera, J. and deLeon, P. (2008). Voluntary Environmental Programs: Are carrots without sticks enough?
Policy Studies Journal: Vol. 36(1): 61-63.
7. deLeon, P. and Rivera, J. (2007). Voluntary Environmental Programs: A Symposium.
Policy Studies Journal: Vol. 35(4): 685-688
8. Shah, K., and Rivera, J. (2007). Export processing zones and corporate environmental performance in
emerging economies: The case of the oil, gas, and chemical sectors of Trinidad and Tobago.
Policy Sciences,  40(4):265-285.  Please also see results's table erratum.
9. Steelman, T., and Rivera, J. (2006). Voluntary environmental programs in the United States: Whose
interests are served? Organization & Environment, 2006, Vol. 19, No. 4: 505-526.
10. Rivera, J., de Leon, P. and Koerber, C. (2006). Is greener whiter yet? The Sustainable Slopes
Program after five years. Policy Studies Journal, Vol. 34, No. 2: 195-224.
  -This article has been mentioned in news stories published by the Denver Post.
11. Rivera, J., and de Leon, P. (2005). Chief executive officers and voluntary environmental performance: Costa Rica’s
Certification for Sustainable Tourism. Policy Sciences, Vol. 38, No. 2-3: 107-127.
12. United Nations. (2005). Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: Business Synthesis Report.
New York: United Nations. (One of 16 co-authors).
  - The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment has been mentioned in stories by newspapers around the world
including The New York Times, the Financial Times,  The Times in India, the People's Daily in China,
Pravda in Russia, The Guardian, The Globe and Mail, BBC News, and CNN.
13. Rivera, J., and Delmas, M. (2004). Business and Environmental Policy: An Introduction. Human
Ecology Review, Vol. 11, No. 3, winter 2004.
14. Rivera, J. and deLeon, P. (2004). Is greener whiter? The Sustainable Slopes Program and the voluntary
environmental performance of western ski areas. Policy Studies Journal, Vol.32, No.3, p. 417-437.
   - Most cited paper of the articles published in the Policy Studies Journal 2004-09.
    - In 2007, this article was selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, among over
      200 publications, as one of "ten illustrative examples” of research available on the compliance
      and environmental behavior literature between 1999-2007.
    - This article has been mentioned in news stories published by the New York Times (see article),
     MIT Technology Review (see article), Denver Post (see articles), LA Times, and Seattle Post among others.
15. Rivera, J. (2004). Institutional pressures and voluntary environmental behavior in developing countries:
Evidence from Costa Rica. Society and Natural Resources, Vol. 17:779-797. 
16. Rivera, J. (2002). Assessing a voluntary environmental initiative in the developing world: The Costa 
Rican Certification for Sustainable Tourism.’ Policy Sciences, Vol. 35: 333-360.  
   - Policy Sciences Society’s McDougal Prize for best policy sciences published paper, 2003.
17. Ickis J., and Rivera J. (1997) Cerro Cahuí : A case study of the relationship between tourism, 
environmental protection and competitiveness. Journal of Business Research, Vol. 38, No.1;  47-56.

Book Chapters/Sections, and Reports:

1. King, A., Prado, A., and Rivera, J. 2011. Industry Self-regulation and Environmental Protection.
In A. J. Hoffman & T. Bansal (Eds). Oxford Handbook of Business and the Environment. Oxford, UK.
2. Blackman, A., and Rivera, J. 2010. Environmental certification and the Global Environment Facility.
Washington, DC: United Nations’ Global Environmental Facility.
3. United Nations. (2006). Choosing environmental policy responses. In the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment’s policy responses global assessment report. New York: United Nations. (One of 7 co-authors).
4. Jones, et al. (2000). Strategic Issues in the Design of a Green Certification Program for Tourism. In
“Environment for Growth and Competitiveness in Central America. Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press.
5. Rivera, J. (1998). Foreign investment and the environment: The tourism industry in Costa Rica. 
In: Gentry, B. Ed. Private Capital Flows and the Environment: Lessons from Latin America.
Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.
6. Rivera, J. (1998). The Costa Rican banana industry: Competitiveness and environmental performance.
In: Gentry, B. Ed. Private Capital Flows and the Environment: Lessons from Latin America.
Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar. 

Academic journal special issues edited: 

1. Rivera, J. and de Leon, P. (Eds) 2008. Symposium on voluntary environmental programs:
Are carrots without sticks enough? Policy Studies Journal, Vol. 36(1): 61-166.
2. deLeon, P., and Rivera, J. (Eds.) (2007). Voluntary environmental programs: A symposium.
Policy Studies Journal, Vol. 35(4): 685-792.
3. Rivera, J., and Delmas, M. (Eds.) (2004). Special Issue on Business and Environmental Policy.
Human Ecology Review, Vol. 11, No. 3, winter 2004, 235-291.

Books Reviews:                                                                                                                

1. Rivera, J. and Turcotte, M. (2005). Community-Driven Regulation: Balancing Development
 and the Environment in Vietnam, by Dara O’Rourke,  London: MIT Press, 2003, 299 pages. Book 
Policy Sciences, Vol. 34: 377-381.

Refereed Conference Proceedings:
 
1. Tashman, P., and Rivera, J. Are Members of Business for Social Responsibility More Responsible?
    Anaheim, CA: Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings, 2008.
2. Husted, B., Allen, D., and Rivera, J. Making, buying, or collaborating for corporate social
responsibility: Evidence from Central America and Mexico. Proceedings of International Association
of Business and Society's Annual Meeting
3. Rivera, J. (2001). Does it pay to be green in the developing world? Participation in voluntary
environmental programs and its impact on firm competitive advantage. Washington DC: 
Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings.
- 2001 Best Paper Award for the Organizations and the Natural Environment Division

WORK IN PROGRESS

Manuscripts:
1. Shah, K., and Rivera, J.Industry associations and corporate environmentalism in emerging economies:
Evidence from the oil, gas, and chemical sectors of Trinidad and Tobago.
2. Rivera, J., Naranjo, M., Robalino, J., Alpizar, F. and Blackman, A. Participation in collective voluntary environmental certification initiatives:
The case of the Blue Flag Program in Costa Rica.
3. Rivera, J., and Chang, H. Environmental regulations and MNC foreign market entry.
4. Boland, B., Rivera, J. Not only laggards: Small firms as a vanguard for green technology innovation.
5. Tashman, P. and Rivera, J. Climate change, resource dependence and environmental performance in the ski resort industry.

(Click here to see my Curriculum Vitae)

EDUCATION:

Joint Ph.D. in Environmental Policy and Business Strategy, December 2000
Duke University, North Carolina.
Dissertation: Does it pay to be green in the developing world?
        Summary Manuscript: Best Paper Award 2001, Academy of Management’s Organizations & the Natural Environment Division
 
Master of Natural Resources Management, 1994
Harvard Affiliated Central American Institute of Business Administration (INCAE), Costa Rica.
Concentration: Business Administration. Graduated third in my class. Co-editor of Student’s Newspaper.
 
Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, 1992
San Carlos University, Guatemala (Guatemala’s National University)
Graduated wiht highest grades in my class. School of Chemistry's Best Thesis Award, 1992.

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE:

Associate Professor (with tenure, 2008-)
Assistant Professor (2004-2008)
The George Washington University, School of Business,
Department of Strategic Management and Public Policy

Associate Research Fellow (Jan 2009-)
Environment for Development Center, CATIE, Costa Rica
 
Assistant Professor (2002-2004)
George Mason University, Departments of Public Affairs and Environmental Science and Policy
 
Assistant Professor of Public and Business Policy (2001-2002)
Graduate School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado
 
Visiting Lecturer, Duke University. (2000-2001)

Researcher, INCAE Costa Rica (1994-1996)

1. Business & Society, Associate Editor (2008-)
2. Policy Sciences, Associate Editor (2009-), Editorial Board Member (2006-08)
3. Policy Studies Journal, Editorial Board Member (2009-)
4. Organization & Environment, Editorial Board Member (2006-)

Other recent service:

1. Division Chair, Academy of Management’s Organizations and the Natural Environment Division. 2011-12
    -  Program Chair, 2009-10, and Professional Development Workshop Chair. 2008-09
2. Advisory Board Member, Latin American Environmental Economics Program (2009-)
3. Secretary of the Policy Sciences Society’s Executive Council. 2006-2007.
4. Executive Council Member of the Policy Sciences Society, October 2005-08.

(Back to the top)

My teaching philosophy is based on the belief that teaching requires a balanced combination of the following factors: understanding of theory principles, case study discussions, and team-based learning. Successful management/public policy courses should provide a theoretical background that allows students to apply general principles to the solution of business and societal problems. Simultaneously, students should also learn that in the real world there is often no best solution to unstructured and ambiguous management and public policy issues. Following these principles, I have been fortunate to enjoy a very rewarding teaching experience at GW School of Business since joining the university three years ago. In 2010, I received the GW School of Business Doctoral Student Association’s Faculty Member of the Year Award

Samples of Course Syllabi:

Business and Government(BADM 150)

Corporate Environmental Management in Developing Nations (SMPP211)

Business and Public Policy, Doctoral Seminar (SMPP 331)