Prof. Dr. David Risi

Steckbrief

Prof. Dr. David Risi Dozent

  • Adresse Berner Fachhochschule
    Wirtschaft
    Institut Sustainable Business
    Brückenstrasse 73
    3005 Bern

Tätigkeiten

  • Forschungsprofessur für Responsible Management

Lehre

  • MSc Circular Innovation and Sustainability

  • MSc Business Administration

  • BSc Business Administration

  • BSc International Business Administration

  • International Management and Business Ethics (BSc)

  • Expansion of Personal Competences: Business Models (MSc)

  • Introduction to Business Adminstration (BSc)

  • Sustainable Business (BSc)

  • Decision Making of Consumers and Managers (BSc)

  • Angewandte Unternehmensethik (BSc)

  • Corporate Social Responsiblity and Business Ethics (MSc)

  • Corporate Social Responsiblity (MSc)

  • Introduction to Management (BSc)

  • Inside the International Firm (BSc)

  • Grundlagen BWL (BSc)

  • Wirtschaftsethik (BSc)

  • Business Ethics (BSc)

Forschung

  • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

  • Wirtschafts- und Unternehmensethik

  • Sustainable Management

  • Organisationstheorie

  • Corporate Governance

  • Strategie

  • Decision Making

  • Organizational Behavior

Lebenslauf

  • David Risi ist Inhaber der Forschungsprofessur für "Responsible Management" an der Berner Fachhochschule (Wirtschaft) und Privatdozent an der Universität St. Gallen und arbeitet zu Corporate Social Responsiblity, Organisationstheorie, Strategischem Management, Sustainable Business und Wirtschaftsethik. Er promovierte und habilitierte an der Universität St. Gallen.

    David Risis Arbeiten sind in einflussreichen praxisorientierten (z.B. Harvard Business Review) und führenden akademischen Fachzeitschriften (z.B. Journal of Management Studies) erschienen. Er war u.a. mehrere Jahre für eine Beratungsfirma tätig und Senior Researcher an Universität Oxford. Er ist bei wissenschaftliche Zeitschriften als Editorial Review Member und Special Issue Editor tätig und leitet Lehrmodule und Forschungsprojekte (u.a. mit Unterstützung des Schweizerischen Nationalfonds und Innosuisse). Er arbeitet eng mit führenden Hochschulen im In- und Ausland und mit Partnern aus der Industrie und Zivilgesellschaft zusammen, spricht in Praxisgremien und übernimmt Beratungsmandate.

    David Risi wurde 2017 mit dem Academy of Management Social Issues in Management Best Dissertation Award ausgezeichnet. 2021 war er nominiert für den Credit Suisse Award for Best Teaching. 2025 wurde er im BWL-Ranking der WirtschaftsWoche als Top100 der "Unter 40-jährigen" geehrt.
  • Seit Feb. 2024 Privatdozent (Habilitated Lecturer) Universität St. Gallen
  • Seit Feb. 2023 Professor Berner Fachhochschule (Wirtschaft)
  • Sep. 2020-Jan. 2023 Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) Berner Fachhochschule (Wirtschaft)
  • Feb. 2020-Jan.2024 Senior Research Fellow Universität St. Gallen
  • Jan. 2019-Sep. 2020 Postdoctoral Researcher Universität Oxford (Said Business School)
  • Dez. 2017-Jun. 2020 Postdoctoral Fellow Universität Zürich (Department of Banking and Finance)
  • Aug. 2018-Juni 2020 Lecturer (Lehrbeauftragter) ZHAW School of Management and Law
  • 2024 Habilitation Universität St. Gallen
  • 2017 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Universität St. Gallen
  • 2015 PhD Program (Organization Studies) York University (Schulich School of Business)
  • 2012 Master in Social and Communication Sciences Universität Luzern
  • 2008 Erasmus Exchange Program University of Valencia (Faculties of Social Sciences and Economics)
  • 2024: Quantitative research: data collection, analysis, and interpretation: two-day intensive course, Berne University of Applied Sciences
  • 2024: University teaching certificate: Berne University of Applied Sciences

Projekte

  • Balancing at the Top: How CEOs Manage Conflicting Demands (Collaboration with the University of Oxford)
    CEOs often face conflicting demands – from external sources such as politics or investors, and from within their own organizations. These demands often do not align, creating tensions and contradictions. We closely examine the CEOs of large international companies to understand how they successfully navigate these challenges.

  • Unpacking the Internal Dynamics of Corporate Social Responsibility Implementation (Collaboration with the University of Oxford and the Free University of Amsterdam; funded by Swiss National Science Foundation)
    How do Swiss financial institutions actually turn their sustainability goals into action? That’s the question at the heart of our research project. We examine the individuals and organizational structures that underpin CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) strategies.

  • From Morals to Market Power: How Moral Values Drive Digital Plattform Success (Collaboration with the Free University of Berlin and the Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society)
    Digital platforms such as Google and Amazon have inspired both excitement and criticism, but the role of moral values in their rise has received little attention. Based on over 500 reports from 76 U.S. platform companies (1995–2021), we demonstrate that values such as freedom, inclusiveness, and sustainability have played a significant role in shaping the platform field. Over time, these values became closely tied to business strategies and global expansion.

  • When Responsibility Meets Control: Market Governance in a New Era (Collaboration with the Munich University of Applied Sciences and the Pennsylvania State University; funded by Swiss National Science Foundation)
    The project examines how European companies in China navigate two distinct systems of values. On one side are their own Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) standards; on the other is China’s Social Credit System (SCS). Focusing on firms from Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland, we examine how companies navigate the tensions between CSR expectations and local SCS regulations.

  • Smart Corporate Sustainability Powered by People and Artificial Intelligence (Collaboration with Lucerne University of Applied Sciences, Intep Ltd, and Equintel; funded by Innosuisse)
    Sustainability is a key success factor for SMEs — but implementing it can be complex. Hybrid intelligence, the combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and human expertise, helps make sustainability data clearer, more efficient, and more manageable, and we show how this approach supports SMEs in practice.

Publikationen

  • Risi, D. (2024). The Value of Values for Corporate Social Responsibility - Descriptive and Normative Approaches and Their Reconciliation. Cumulative Habilitation: Unpublished.

  • Fischer, M., Foord, D., Frecè, J., Hillebrand, K., Kissling-Näf, I., Meili, R, Peskova, M., Risi, D., Schmidpeter, R., Stucki, T. (2023). Sustainable Business: Managing the Challenges of the 21st. Springer. Equal contribution of the authors. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-25397-3

  • Wickert, C. W., & Risi, D. (2019). Corporate social responsibility (Elements in Business Strategy). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: 10.1017/9781108775298

  • Risi, D. (2017). An institutional theory perspective on the implementation of corporate social responsibility within large firms: Empirical and conceptual considerations. Dissertation no. 4620: Difo-Druck GmbH, Bamberg.

  • Dey, P., Gurtner, S., Risi, D., & Tokarski, K. (im Erscheinen). Intensifying research on the dark side of entrepreneurship. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing.

  • Heroth, T., Risi, D., et al. (2025). Hybride Intelligenz in der Beratung: Eine Fallstudie wie man Nachhaltigkeitsherausforderungen in KMU erfolgreich meistert. Zeitschrift für Organisation & Führung 15.

  • Athanasopoulou, A., Marti, E., Risi, D., & Schlindwein, E. (2025). How Companies Restrain Means-Ends Decoupling: A Comparative Case Study of CSR Implementation. Journal of Management Studies, 62, 214–245. Equal contribution of the authors. DOI: 10.1111/joms.13043.

  • Risi, D., & Schindwein, E. (2024). CSR und ESG kombinieren für ein sinnvolles Engagement für Nachhaltigkeit mit Realitätscheck. Zeitschrift Führung + Organisation, 6, 357–362.

  • Marti, E., Risi, D., Schlindwein, E., & Andromachi Athanasopoulou (2024). Creating a Corporate Social Responsibility Program with Real Impact. Harvard Business Review, March 27, 2024, p. 1-9.

  • Risi, D., Wickert, C. W., & Tommaso, R. (2023). Coordinated enactment: How organizational departments work together to implement CSR. Business & Society, 62(4), 745-786. DOI: 10.1177/00076503221110213

  • Risi, D., et al. (2023). Institutional theory-based research on corporate social responsibility: Bringing values back in. International Journal of Management Reviews, DOI: 10.1111/ijmr.12299

  • Wickert, C. W., Risi, D. & Tommaso, R. (2022). What a mature CSR team looks like. Harvard Business Review, November 16, p. 1-9. https://hbr.org/2022/11/what-a-mature-csr-team-looks-like

  • Risi, D., & Marti, E. (2022). Illuminating the dark side of values: A framework for institutional research. Journal of Management Inquiry, 31(3), 253-263. DOI: 10.1177/10564926221091521

  • Risi, D. (2022). Institutional research on business and society: Integrating normative and descriptive research on values. Business & Society, 61(2), 305-339. DOI: 10.1177/0007650320928959

  • Risi, D., Paetzold, F., & Kellers, A. (2021). Wealthy private investors and socially responsible investing: The influence of reference groups. Sustainability, 13(22), 1-24. DOI: 10.3390/su132212931

  • Risi, D. (2020). Time and business sustainability: Socially responsible investing in Swiss banks and insurance companies. Business & Society, 59(7), 1410-1440. DOI: 10.1177/0007650318777721

  • Risi, D., et al. (2017). Reconsidering the "symmetry" between institutionalization and professionalization: The case of CSR managers. Journal of Manag Studies, 54(5), 613-646. DOI: 10.1111/joms.12244

  • Risi, D. (2016). Longitudinal comparison between CSR implementation and CSR function's resource access. Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings, 2016(1), 25-28. DOI: 10.5465/ambpp.2016.69

  • Risi, D. (2014). Strategische Überlegungen für eine gute Unternehmensführung: Ein Plädoyer für die Verbindung von Compliance und Integrity. Zeitschrift Führung + Organization, 83(4), 221-226.

  • Risi, D. (2014). CSR professionals and institutional work: An institutional perspective on [...]. ZFWU, 15(2), 279-286. DOI: 10.5771/1439-880x-2014-2-279

  • Bohn, S., Kontareva, A., & Risi, D. (2025). How morality translates into growth and dominance: The role of normative values in the emergence and establishment of the digital platform field. Academy of Management Proceedings.

  • Schlindwein, E., Risi, D., & Wickert, C. W. (2024). Making sense of causal ambiguity: The case of corporate social responsibility. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2024. DOI: forthcoming

  • Stucki, T. & Risi, D. (2023). More flexibility, less sustainability: How workforce flexibility has a dual effect on corporate environmental sustainability. DRUID Conference 2023. DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4581828

  • Athanasopoulou, A., Smets, M., Risi, D., & Morris, T. (2020). Lonely at the Top? CEO sensemaking in the boardroom. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2020 (1). DOI: 10.5465/AMBPP.2020.20409abstract

  • Risi, D., & Wickert, C. W. (2019). Exploring the internal dynamics of corporate social responsibility implementation. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2019 (1). DOI: 10.5465/AMBPP.2019.10561abstract

  • Risi, D., Vigneau, L., & Bohn, S. (2019). The role values play for agency in institutions. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2019 (1). DOI: 10.5465/AMBPP.2019.10558abstract

  • Risi, D. (2017). Toward a morally reflective institutional analysis. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2017 (1), 10512. DOI: 10.5465/AMBPP.2017.10512abstract

  • Risi, D. (2017). Understanding financial intermediaries' hesitation about socially responsible investing. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2017 (1), 10331 DOI: 10.5465/ambpp.2017.10331abstract

  • Risi, D. (2016). Longitudinal comparison between CSR implementation and CSR function's resource access. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2016 (1), 10138. DOI: 10.5465/ambpp.2016.69

  • Risi, D., Schlindwein, E., & Wickert, C. W., & Schmidpeter, R. (forthcoming). Combining Management Concepts for Sustainable Organizational Transformation: When Corporate Purpose Gets a Reality Check. In: Schmidpeter, R., et al. (Eds.). Sustainable Management: Springer.

  • Fischer, M., Foord, D., Frecè, J., Hillebrand, K., Kissling-Näf, I., Meili, R, Peskova, M., Risi, D., Schmidpeter, R., Stucki, T. (2023). Why Sustainability?. In: Fischer, M., et al. (Eds.). Sustainable Business: Managing the Challenges of the 21st. Springer, 17-27. Equal contribution of the authors. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-25397-3_1

  • Fischer, M., Foord, D., Frecè, J., Hillebrand, K., Kissling-Näf, I., Meili, R, Peskova, M., Risi, D., Schmidpeter, R., Stucki, T. (2023). The Concept of Sustainable Development. In: Fischer, M., et al. (Eds.). Sustainable Business: Managing the Challenges of the 21st. Springer, 17-27. Equal contribution of the authors. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-25397-3_2

  • Fischer, M., Foord, D., Frecè, J., Hillebrand, K., Kissling-Näf, I., Meili, R, Peskova, M., Risi, D., Schmidpeter, R., Stucki, T. (2023). Challenges of Managing Common Resources. In: Fischer, M., et al. (Eds.). Sustainable Business: Managing the Challenges of the 21st. Springer, 29-34. Equal contribution of the authors. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-25397-3_3

  • Fischer, M., Foord, D., Frecè, J., Hillebrand, K., Kissling-Näf, I., Meili, R, Peskova, M., Risi, D., Schmidpeter, R., Stucki, T. (2023). Corporate Sustainability. In: Fischer, M., et al. (Eds.). Sustainable Business: Managing the Challenges of the 21st. Springer, 35-76. Equal contribution of the authors. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-25397-3_4

  • Fischer, M., Foord, D., Frecè, J., Hillebrand, K., Kissling-Näf, I., Meili, R, Peskova, M., Risi, D., Schmidpeter, R., Stucki, T. (2023). Social Innovation (or Why We Need the Civil Society). In: Fischer, M., et al. (Eds.). Sustainable Business: Managing the Challenges of the 21st. Springer, 77-89. Equal contribution of the authors. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-25397-3_5

  • Fischer, M., Foord, D., Frecè, J., Hillebrand, K., Kissling-Näf, I., Meili, R, Peskova, M., Risi, D., Schmidpeter, R., Stucki, T. (2023). Policy Instruments and Financial System. In: Fischer, M., et al. (Eds.). Sustainable Business: Managing the Challenges of the 21st. Springer, 91-104. Equal contribution of the authors. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-25397-3_6

  • Fischer, M., Foord, D., Frecè, J., Hillebrand, K., Kissling-Näf, I., Meili, R, Peskova, M., Risi, D., Schmidpeter, R., Stucki, T. (2023). Sustainable Consumption. In: Fischer, M., et al. (Eds.). Sustainable Business: Managing the Challenges of the 21st. Springer, 77-89. Equal contribution of the authors. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-25397-3_7

  • Fischer, M., Foord, D., Frecè, J., Hillebrand, K., Kissling-Näf, I., Meili, R, Peskova, M., Risi, D., Schmidpeter, R., Stucki, T. (2023). Sustainability in a Digital Context. In: Fischer, M., et al. (Eds.). Sustainable Business: Managing the Challenges of the 21st. Springer, 117-128. Equal contribution of the authors. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-25397-3_8

  • Fischer, M., Foord, D., Frecè, J., Hillebrand, K., Kissling-Näf, I., Meili, R, Peskova, M., Risi, D., Schmidpeter, R., Stucki, T. (2023). The Future of Sustainable Business: The Circular Economy. In: Fischer, M., et al. (Eds.). Sustainable Business: Managing the Challenges of the 21st. Springer, 129-140. Equal contribution of the authors. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-25397-3_9

  • Wickert, C. W., & Risi, D. (2019). Implementing corporate social responsibility as institutional work: Exploring the day-to-day activities of CSR managers in multinational corporations. In: Sales, A. (Ed.). Corporate social responsibility and corporate change. Institutional and organizational perspectives: Springer, 101-122. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-15407-3_12

  • Risi, D. (2013). Compliance and its effectiveness in preventing unethical behavior: Analysis of the Siemens Business Conduct Guidelines. In: Brändli, S., Schister, R., & Tamò, A. (Eds.). Multinational Companies and Institutions in Transition - Challenges for Business, Law and Society: Stämpfli Verlag, 289-307.

  • Stucki, T., Risi, D. (2025). Umweltverantwortungsinitiative: Eine Einordnung aus wissenschaftlicher Sicht. (06.01.2025) https://www.bfh.ch/de/aktuell/storys/2025/umweltverantwortungsinitiative-wissenschaftliche-einordnung

  • Risi, D., Marti, E., Schlindwein, E., Athanasopoulou, A. (2024). Wirkungsvolle Unternehmensverantwortung erfordert Experimentieren. Verantwortung – Das Magazin für Nachhaltigkeit, CSR und nachhaltiges Wachstum. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

  • Risi, D., Stucki, T. (2024). CO₂-Gesetz: Ein Perspektivenwechsel. Neue Zürcher Zeitung. (01.07.2024) https://sustainableswitzerland.ch/artikel/co-2-gesetz-ein-perspektivenwechsel-id.2226

  • Risi, D., Schmidpeter, R. (2023). Die soziale Dimension der Circular Economy. Warum auch die Gesellschaft mit eingebunden werden sollte. Verantwortung – Das Magazin für Nachhaltigkeit, CSR und nachhaltiges Wachstum. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. 04.2023, 63. (23.10.2023) https://www.faz-institut.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/23-LOW-WEB-RISI-SCHMIDPETER-GESCHUETZT-V-04-2023.pdf

  • Risi, D., Schmidpeter, R. (2023). Zwei Seiten einer Medaille. Im Zusammenspiel entfalten die Managementkonzepte CSR und ESG ihre Wirksamkeit. Verantwortung – Das Magazin für Nachhaltigkeit, CSR und nachhaltiges Wachstum. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. 03.2023, 6-7. (25.07.2023) https://www.faz-institut.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/19-LOW-WEB-RISI-SCHMIDPETER-GESCHUETZT-V-03-2023.pdf

  • Risi, D., Schlindwein, E. (2023). Wie Schweizer Banken und Versicherungen nachhaltige Massnahmen umsetzen. SocietyByte: Wissenschaftsmagazin der Berner Fachhochschule. https://www.societybyte.swiss/2023/03/14/wie-schweizer-banken-und-versicherungen-nachhaltige-massnahmen-umsetzen/ (14.03.2023)

  • Risi, D. (2022). Was moralische Werte für Corporate Social Responsibility bedeuten. SocietyByte: Wissenschaftsmagazin der Berner Fachhochschule. https://www.societybyte.swiss/2022/07/12/was-moralische-werte-fuer-corporate-social-responsiblity-bedeuten/ (12.07.2022)

  • Risi, D. (2021). Auch in der Schweiz ist das Bildungssystem nicht perfekt. Bildungsmagazin, https://eduwo.ch/bildungsmagazin/interview-david-risi/ (16.02.2021)

  • Risi, D. (2020). Implementing socially responsible investing in Swiss banks and insurance companies. Business & Society Blog, https://businessandsociety.org/swiss-banks/ (16.12.2020)

  • Risi, D. (2019). Corporate Social Responsibility Managers und ihre informellen Strategien. Organizational Viability@ZHAW. https://blog.zhaw.ch/organizationalviability/2019/04/25/corporate-social-responsibility-managers-und-ihre-informellen-strategien/ (25.04.2019)

  • Bendell, A., Busch, T., Carroux, S., Mudaliar, A., Pomares, R., Risi, D., Utz, S. (2018). The value of the Toniic member network. T100 Powered Ascent Report, 2018(1), 17. https://toniic.com/download/t100-powered-ascent-report/?wpdmdl=1002&_wpdmkey=65f46e785d185 (24.05.2018)

  • Risi, D. (2018). Zeit und Nachhaltigkeit: Socially Responsible Investing in Schweizer Finanzinstituten. Organizational Viability@ZHAW. https://blog.zhaw.ch/organizationalviability/2018/11/15/zeit-und-nachhaltigkeit-socially-responsible-investing-in-schweizer-finanzinstituten/ (15.11.2018)

  • Risi, D., Wickert, C. W., & Sayah, S. (2014). Corporate social responsibility managers as internal activists for ethics and sustainability. Amsterdam in Science, Business and Society, 2(1), 8-11 [Review by the editor].

  • Risi, D., Wickert, C. W., & Sayah, S. (2014). CSR managers as agents for corporate sustainability. [German title: CSR Manager als Agenten unternehmerischer Nachhaltigkeit] CSR MAGAZIN, 13, 44-45.

Mitgliedschaften

  • Institut Sustainable Business

  • Academy of Management

  • European Group of Organization Studies

  • Journal of Management Studies (Editorial Review Board)

  • University of St. Gallen (School of Humanities and Social Sciences)

  • International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing (Special Issue Editor)

Auszeichnungen

- BWL-Ranking der WirtschaftsWoche: Top100 der "Unter 40-jährigen"

- F.A.Z.-Institut für Management-, Markt- und Medieninformationen GmbH, Germany: Guest of honor at the Responsible Leadership Conference
- British Academy of Management, United Kingdom: "Wiley Top Cited Article 2022-2023"
- British Academy of Management, United Kingdom: "Wiley Top Downloaded Paper"
- Journal of Management Studies, United Kingdom: Member of the Editorial Committee, Editorial Review Board [re-election]

- F.A.Z.-Institut für Management-, Markt- und Medieninformationen GmbH, Germany: Guest of honor at the "Responsible Leadership Conference"
- University of Johannesburg, South Africa: Invitation [declined] as "Visiting Professor"
- International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing, Switzerland: Invitation as Editor [special issue]

- ESG Investing, United Kingdom: Elected as a jury member for the "ESG Reporting Awards 2022"

- Berne University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland: "Credit Suisse Award for Best Teaching", finalist

- Journal of Management Studies, United Kingdom: Member of the Editorial Board, Editorial Review Board
- Academy of Management, United States: Best Book Award (SIM Division), Nomination

- Academy of Management, United States: "Outstanding Junior Faculty" (SIM, ONE, and PNP Divisions), Nomination

- Academy of Management, United States: "Best Dissertation Award" (SIM Division), Winner

- German Academic Association for Business Research (VHB), Germany: "Best Paper Award", finalist (nominated by the Organization Sciences group)
- Academy of Management, United States: Best Student Paper Award (SIM Division), Finalist
- Academy of Management, United States: "Best Paper Proceedings" (SIM Division)

- International Sociological Association, Italy: "PhD Students/ Early Career Researchers Award"

- Society for Business Ethics, United States: "Founders' Award"