Research Inspired by Nature
Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Sustainable Business Management at the University of Exeter Business School
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
UKRI POLICY FELLOW Covid Commemoration Natural Hazards and Resilience Fellowship with the Environment Agency - Grant value: £279.639
Previous positions:
Assistant Professor in Management (sustainability focus) at Baruch College, City University of New York
Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Corporate Social Responsibility at Bayes Business School (formerly Cass), City University of London
Postdoc at Cambridge Judge Business School, Energy Policy Research Group (Cambridge)
Research Associate at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge (2021-2023)
PhD in Management Sciences from ESADE Business School, Department of Society, Politics & Sustainability, (Barcelona) (2018-2021)
Visiting Researcher at Babson College (MA) (2019)
Master of Research from Esade Business School (Barcelona), Master in International Management from Bocconi University (Milan), CEMS Master in International Management (Global)
Bachelor in Business Administration from Bocconi University (Milan)
My research focuses on understanding the relationships between organizations and the natural environment to inform policy makers. Following my passion for nature, and especially the interactions between social and ecological systems, I investigate how organizational members interpret and respond to the natural environment stimuli, such as climate change or natural disasters.
My research is multidisciplinary: it draws from organization theory, behavioral strategy, social and environmental psychology, geography, and natural sciences. It also uses both quantitative (OLS, SEM, PLSSEM, Text Analysis), experimental and qualitative methods (Content Analysis, Thematic Analysis, Inductive Coding). I developed my research interest through different experiences in Italy and abroad (Brazil, India, and Benin), and from the academic training in business schools in Europe (Bocconi, Esade), America (University of California, Babson College) and Asia (Indian Institute of Management).
ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS
Nava L., Matsuno K. and Beunza D. (2026). Long-term Organizational Growth Following Extreme Events: The Role of Collective Empathy. Journal of Management. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/01492063261436832
Nava L., Chiapetti J., Barbosa da Rocha R. and Tampe M. (2025). Die now of hunger or later of thirst: Understanding climate change adaptation decisions in vulnerable contexts. Strategic Management Journal. Doi: https://sms.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smj.3709
AI-generated short podcast about this article: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/de973851-f7e3-4f8e-bf95-e578bed894ec/audio
Abegg M., Clulow Z., Nava L. and Reiner D.M. (2024). Expert Insights into Future Trajectories: Assessing Cost Reductions and Scalability of Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies. Frontiers in Climate. Doi: 10.3389/fclim.2024.133190
AI-generated short podcast about this article:
https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/c6e12adf-56e9-4a7f-a88d-5a3110304c74/audio
Nava L. and Tampe M. (2023). The Challenge of Implementing Voluntary Sustainability Standards: A Dynamic Framework on the Tension between Adherence and Adaptation. Business Ethics Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1017/beq.2022.1
AI-generated short podcast about this article:
https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/2ea6bd80-3145-4703-9b3c-ceb050eaa684/audio
Baudoin L., Carmine S., Nava L., Poggioli N., Malou O.* (2022). Imagining a New Place for Sustainability Management: An Early-Career Call for Action. Journal of Management Studies. *Authors in alphabetic order
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.12887
AI-generated short podcast about this article:
https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/509c05d4-faf5-496a-ae72-225a11d2bd6f/audio
Nava L. (2022). Rise from Ashes: A Dynamic Framework of Organizational Learning and Resilience in Disaster Response. Business and Society Review. https://doi.org/10.1111/basr.12261
AI-generated short podcast about this article:
https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/94c3f65d-6036-4aea-927b-d0a500fd81b5/audio
AWARDS
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER BUSINESS SCHOOL (2026)
Outstanding Published Research Output Award (Paper: Die now of hunger or later of thirst: Understanding climate change adaptation decisions in vulnerable contexts)
UKRI POLICY FELLOWSHIP WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY (2025)
Covid Commemoration Natural Hazards and Resilience Fellowship - Grant value: £279.639
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER BUSINESS SCHOOL (2025)
Best Employer Award Nomination (for research student interns)
UNIVERSITAT RAMON LLULL, 2021
Best PhD Thesis Award Nomination
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT SOCIETY (SMS) CONFERENCE, 2020, virtual
Honorable Mention Award Recipient from the Behavioral Strategy Interest Group
Best Methods Paper Prize Finalist
Best PhD Paper Prize Nomination
Paper: The Grasshopper and the Ant: Why some Vulnerable Organizations Adapt to Climate Change and Others Do Not
ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT, ONE Division, 2020, 2022
Best Reviewer Award
SOCIETY FOR BUSINESS ETHICS (SBE) CONFERENCE, 2019, Boston, MA
Emerging Scholar Award Recipient (Paper: The Grasshopper and the Ant: Why some Vulnerable Organizations Adapt to Climate Change and Others Do Not)
ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA FOUNDER’S SCHOLARSHIP, 2017
The Ermenegildo Zegna Founder’s Scholarship provides scholarships to enable promising Italians to undertake research programs in prestigious international institutions to make a positive contribution to Italy following the completion of the career abroad.
MEDIA EXPOSURE
Williams, A., Nava, L., Whiteman, G. “Sustainability Backsliding Doesn’t Have to Mean Back to Square One”, Stanford Social Innovation Review, June 2025.
Nava, Lucrezia. “The psychology of climate traps and how to avoid them”, The Conversation, May 21, 2025.
Nava, Lucrezia. “Letter: Climate crisis needs business schools to woo natural scientists.” Financial Times, January 19, 2023.
Cited in: Juliette Portala, “Carbon Dioxide Removals: On your marks, get set, emit?”, Net Zero Investor, January 24, 2024.
Cited in: “The 2025 Economic Report of the President”, The White House, January 10, 2025.
TEACHING AND SUPERVISION
SUPERVISION
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Supervision of 2 PhD students at University of Exeter (2025-2028)
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Supervision of a Master thesis at University of Exeter (2025)
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Supervision of 4 Bachelor theses at University of Exeter (2026)
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Supervision of two Bachelor theses at Esade Business School (2018-2019)
THEORY AND PRACTICE OF MANAGEMENT – University of Exeter Business School (Spring 2025, 2026)
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Instructor and module leader for 11 weeks of frontal lectures and tutorials – 130 students per cohort
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Core course for first-year undergraduate students
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Teaching evaluations: 4.4/5 (Response rate: 43%)
MAJOR PROJECT – University of Exeter Business School (Spring 2025, 2026)
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Instructor for three sessions of frontal lectures – 30+ students
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Core course for master students
ADVANCED QUANTITATIVE METHODS – University of Exeter Business School (Spring 2026)
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Instructor for one session of frontal lecture and tutorial – 8 students
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Core course for Master of Research students
MANAGEMENT AND SOCIETY – Baruch College, City University of New York (Spring 2024)
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Instructor and module leader for 14 weeks of frontal lectures – 50+ students
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Core course for undergraduate students
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Teaching evaluations: 4.4/5 (Response Rate: 69%)
BUSINESS IN SOCIETY – Bayes Business School, City University of London (Fall 2022; Fall 2023)
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Co-instructor for 64 hours of frontal lectures – 720 students
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Core course for third year undergraduate students
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Teaching evaluations: 6.69/7 (Response Rate: 11%) - 2022
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY – Cambridge Judge Business School (February 2022)
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Elective course for Master of Science students
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Co-instructor with David Reiner
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Teaching Evaluations: 6.8/7 (Response Rate: 100%)
STRATEGY AND LEADERSHIP – Girton College, University of Cambridge (Summer 2021, Winter 2022)
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Instructor (24 hours of virtual frontal lectures)
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Teaching Evaluations: 6.59/7 (Response Rate: 75%)
BUSINESS AND SOCIETY – Esade Business School (Fall 2020)
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Teaching Assistant for the Master in Business Analytics (30 hours)
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Instructor: Maja Tampe
LEADING TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE FUTURES - Esade Business School (Spring 2020) – Virtual due to Covid-19 outbreak
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Co-instructor together with Maja Tampe (guest lecturer & group projects mentor)
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Elective for Master students
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Teaching Evaluations: 6.23/7
BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY – Esade Business School (Winter 2020)
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Teaching Assistant for the MBA
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Instructors: Maja Tampe & Daniel Arenas
HOW TO WRITE A MASTER THESIS – Esade Business School (Winter 2020)
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Instructor for the Master in Research in Management Science
BUSINESS AND SOCIETY – Esade Business School (Fall 2018)
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Teaching Assistant for the Master in Business Analytics (30 hours)
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Instructor: Maja Tampe
SERVICE
DEPUTY EDITOR – Organization & Environment (IF: 8.1) (2025–ongoing)
SPECIAL ISSUE CO-EDITOR – Organization & Environment (IF: 8.1) (2025–2029). Title: Positioning the Planetary Boundaries Framework at the Core of Managing Organizations
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBER – Project for People (2024–ongoing)
PASTORAL TUTOR FOR POSTGRADUATE RESEARCHERS – University of Exeter Business School (2025–ongoing)
SUB-THEME CONVENOR - EGOS conference (2024, 2026)
2024: Ecological insights on sustainable organizing: Bridging organizational and natural sciences
2026: Organizing within Boundaries: Integrating Management and Natural Sciences
READING GROUP (GROReg) CO-ORGANIZER – Group for Research on Organizations and the Natural Environment (2024– ongoing) - Three events per year
DOCTORAL CONSORTIUM ORGANIZER - ONE Division, Academy of Management (2024, 2025, 2026)
EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD – Organization & Environment (IF: 7.5) (2023 - 2025)
ELECTED COMMUNICATION TEAM MEMBER - ONE Division, Academy of Management (2021 – 2024)
SENATE RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEE (2022-2024) – Bayes Business School
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Ethical evaluation and approval of students and faculty research projects
ETHOS CENTRE (2022 - 2023) – Bayes Business School
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Communication specialist
CO-FOUNDER AND CHAIR OF THE FIRST SUSTAINABILITY PHD COMMUNITY (May 2020 – August 2021)
Organization of monthly virtual meetings where the over 400 members of the community can present and get feedback on their work, discuss, develop and share new opportunities, build long-lasting relationships. Supported by GRONEN and ONE Division of the Academy of Management. Special events organized within the community, such as Navigating the Job Market Event, Meet the Association or Meet the Editor.
REGULAR REVIEWING FOR TOP‐RANKED PEER‐REVIEWED JOURNALS AND CONFERENCES
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Administrative Science Quarterly
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Strategic Management Journal
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Academy of Management Review
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Journal of Management Studies
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Organization Studies
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Academy of Management Discoveries
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Journal of Business Ethics
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Journal of Business Venturing
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Business & Society
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Business Ethics Quarterly
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Organizations & Environment
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Accounting & Finance
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Business & Society Review
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Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility
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AOM annual conference (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) – Best Reviewer Award (2020, 2022)
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ARCS annual conference (2020, 2022)
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SBE annual conference (2020)
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SMS annual conference (2021)
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GRONEN annual conference (2022)
ORGANIZATION OF ACADEMIC CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS
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Co-organization of a Professional Development Workshop for the ONE Division of the Academy of Management (for the 2021, 2022, 2023 Annual Meeting). Title: "Step ONE: Starting Your Sustainability PhD Journey with ONE"
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Business and Society Research Seminars at Esade Business School (co-organizer of 10 sessions) – 2018-2019
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Co-organization of plenaries at GRONEN (2022) and AOM – ONE Division (2023)
MEMBERSHIP IN ACADEMIC ASSOCIATIONS
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Academy of Management (AOM) – ONE and SIM Divisions
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Group for Research on Organizations and the Natural Environment (GRONEN)
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European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS)
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Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS)
MENTORSHIP
- R&R Bootcamp panelist – University of Exeter Business School (2026)
- Research Development Workshop for the SIM Division, Academy of Management 2025
- PhD Sustainability Community Meet the Association Event 2024 (mentor/panelist)
- PRME 2023: UK & Ireland – Mentor for Manuscript Development Workshop
- GRONEN Reading Group – Mentor for Manuscript Development Workshop
- PRME World Tour 2022: Brazil – Mentor for Manuscript Development Workshop
- PhD Sustainability Community Job Market Event 2022 (mentor/panelist)
ESADE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ REPRESENTATIVE (2019-2020) – Career Development
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Organization of seminars for PhD students on job market preparation, teaching, and other academic opportunities
AOM – ORGANIZATIONS AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT (ONE) DIVISION COMMUNICATION TEAM (since 2019)
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Volunteer to manage the Twitter institutional account
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Organization of the social events for the Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2021 – ONE Division
