The Fowler Center is a leader in scholarship and research on business as an agent of world benefit. Discover some of the research initiatives and case studies the Fowler Center coordinates, find opportunities to learn more about sustainable value, or serve as an intern or fellow in the field of sustainability.
World Inquiry
The World Inquiry into business as an agent of world benefit is a worldwide action-research initiative that uses Appreciative Inquiry (AI) to learn more about the role of business in society. The best of the uncovered innovations are profiled in the Innovation Bank.
Featured Innovation
Freeplay Energy- Technology with Conscience
Perennial access to electricity, constrained only by the willingness of the user to employ his or her kinetic energy, is the crux of Freeplay Energy’s business model. The organization makes self-sufficient products that harness human, solar and rechargeable energy to power portable devices like radios, lanterns and mobile chargers. Understanding that ‘Energy Poverty’ is a significant cause of many other social issues like lower education levels, the company has made omnipresent access to power as the driving force behind all its efforts. Multiple applications of self-sufficiency in use of energy in geographically and economically diverse regions makes the business model not only noble but also sustainable for the company.
Case Study Library
Search sustainability-themed business cases that serve as teaching resources for faculty across management disciplines
Featured Case Study
Pyramyd Air: Looking through the Scope of Values
Pyramyd Air, a small and growing online airgun retailer serving the shooting community, wants to broaden its sustainability practices from its current internal initiatives in order to communicate an even stronger value proposition: sustainability isn’t just about recycling and efficiency, it is about a thriving environment leading to more engaged employees and more loyal premium customers. Pyramyd Air recognizes that some sustainability practices are vital to its customers’ long-term enjoyment of a flourishing outdoor sporting industry.