Each week, the Daniels Debrief is featuring a researcher who conducts meaningful research that impacts their field and the wider community. Learn more about their work in Q&As with Melissa Archrpru Akaka, associate dean for faculty research. Email Melissa to nominate yourself or a colleague for a future Q&A.
Murat Kucukvar
Murat Kucukvar is an assistant professor in the Department of Business Ethics and Legal Studies who joined Daniels College of Business this fall. He has an interdisciplinary background in management, engineering and environmental sciences. He is passionate about studying the exciting world of sustainability to take on the grand challenges of today’s world, at the intersection of society and the environment. He collaborates with teams, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup, to better understand their sustainability needs and share sustainability solutions with others. Read more about Murat and his research below and join him and his colleague, Nuri C. Onat, from the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, to learn more about real-world applications of carbon accounting. All Daniels faculty and staff are invited.
Can you tell me about your research and how you became interested in these types of studies?
My research is very interdisciplinary and I am working on triple-bottom-line sustainability analytics and decision-making of businesses, sectors and emerging technologies. I am very interested in analyzing macro-level socioeconomic and environmental sustainability issues and I am using decision science methods such as optimization, multi-objective decision-making, AI/ML, and data analytics and visualization to find systemic solutions for emerging sustainability problems. In my research, I am trying to bridge the gap between various disciplines such as management, engineering, natural sciences, social sciences and decision sciences. Working on interdisciplinary problems such as climate change, sustainable transportation and the built environment, energy, and business sustainability always excites me since I am tackling pressing problems and public good challenges from a systems perspective.
My research is very interdisciplinary and I am working on triple-bottom-line sustainability analytics and decision-making of businesses, sectors and emerging technologies. I am very interested in analyzing macro-level socioeconomic and environmental sustainability issues and I am using decision science methods such as optimization, multi-objective decision-making, AI/ML, and data analytics and visualization to find systemic solutions for emerging sustainability problems. In my research, I am trying to bridge the gap between various disciplines such as management, engineering, natural sciences, social sciences and decision sciences. Working on interdisciplinary problems such as climate change, sustainable transportation and the built environment, energy, and business sustainability always excites me since I am tackling pressing problems and public good challenges from a systems perspective.
What is the key to your success in conducting research that has important implications for both academics and practitioners?
I think that academic research is more theory-oriented and research done by practitioners is more aligned with finding solutions for real problems. In today’s world, university and industry partnership is critical for developing applicable solutions for problems of business and it will also help academic researchers to define problems correctly and use the right methods for their solutions. In my research, I am connected with industrial practitioners to tackle real-world challenges and apply theories and tools to their problems. This is a very interesting and exciting effort. For example, in one of my publications, I collaborated with the 2022 FIFA World Cup sustainability team and global business consulting company and worked on real and applicable project related to carbon footprint management and building carbon-neutral events. Collaboration is critical to make research more applicable; the World Cup sustainability team gave us feedback about the models we were developing, and those models helped them to measure and reduce carbon emissions.
I think that academic research is more theory-oriented and research done by practitioners is more aligned with finding solutions for real problems. In today’s world, university and industry partnership is critical for developing applicable solutions for problems of business and it will also help academic researchers to define problems correctly and use the right methods for their solutions. In my research, I am connected with industrial practitioners to tackle real-world challenges and apply theories and tools to their problems. This is a very interesting and exciting effort. For example, in one of my publications, I collaborated with the 2022 FIFA World Cup sustainability team and global business consulting company and worked on real and applicable project related to carbon footprint management and building carbon-neutral events. Collaboration is critical to make research more applicable; the World Cup sustainability team gave us feedback about the models we were developing, and those models helped them to measure and reduce carbon emissions.
How does your research help managers in their day-to-day work?
It helps them to manage social, economic and environmental aspects of their day-to-day operations such as procurement, product design, transportation and logistics, and even marketing and sales. Sustainability management provides an opportunity for a manager to define their sustainability problems correctly, collect relevant data, understand the sustainability impacts of their value chains, set KPIs and long-term achievable targets, and implement effective strategies to make their business more sustainable, socially responsible and resilient. All these efforts help managers not only reduce environmental impacts but also cut costs, enhance innovation, and design socially and ethically responsible operations.
It helps them to manage social, economic and environmental aspects of their day-to-day operations such as procurement, product design, transportation and logistics, and even marketing and sales. Sustainability management provides an opportunity for a manager to define their sustainability problems correctly, collect relevant data, understand the sustainability impacts of their value chains, set KPIs and long-term achievable targets, and implement effective strategies to make their business more sustainable, socially responsible and resilient. All these efforts help managers not only reduce environmental impacts but also cut costs, enhance innovation, and design socially and ethically responsible operations.
How do you disseminate your research to students, and to managers more broadly?
Sometimes, I share my data with my students and do analysis on real sustainability problems. For example, in my recent work, I worked on the social, economic and environmental impacts of e-scooters. I shared my model with them and they replicated my work, adding their perspectives, and it helped them to work on real data and problems. When you work on a project in collaboration with a business, you must engage with them; managers are providing you with very valuable feedback. In our recent project on carbon footprint accounting and reporting, a manager asked us, “How can I convince the top management to implement your research findings for making a change for sustainable operations in the company?” It was a very interesting question and then we started working on building an interactive data visualization platform that presents our carbon footprint accounting model in a user-friendly and easy way for top management.
Sometimes, I share my data with my students and do analysis on real sustainability problems. For example, in my recent work, I worked on the social, economic and environmental impacts of e-scooters. I shared my model with them and they replicated my work, adding their perspectives, and it helped them to work on real data and problems. When you work on a project in collaboration with a business, you must engage with them; managers are providing you with very valuable feedback. In our recent project on carbon footprint accounting and reporting, a manager asked us, “How can I convince the top management to implement your research findings for making a change for sustainable operations in the company?” It was a very interesting question and then we started working on building an interactive data visualization platform that presents our carbon footprint accounting model in a user-friendly and easy way for top management.
Where do you see your research going in the future?
I see that my research will become more and more interdisciplinary in the future. Also, from a regulatory compliance perspective, sustainability-related practices such as “climate risk disclosure” and “carbon footprint accounting, management and reporting” become mandatory, and therefore sustainability research will be inevitable for the companies. Considering the importance of artificial intelligence, machine learning and digital transformation, my research will be more integrated with decision sciences.
I see that my research will become more and more interdisciplinary in the future. Also, from a regulatory compliance perspective, sustainability-related practices such as “climate risk disclosure” and “carbon footprint accounting, management and reporting” become mandatory, and therefore sustainability research will be inevitable for the companies. Considering the importance of artificial intelligence, machine learning and digital transformation, my research will be more integrated with decision sciences.
Tell us about the seminar you’re hosting in Daniels on Wednesday, Oct. 25.
My colleague, Nuri C. Onat, and I will talk about what carbon footprint accounting and management is and why it is important. We will talk about the carbon footprint of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and present a real-world application for a transportation service provider—one that made the world’s largest electric bus procurement in history. We’ll also talk about compliance and how it relates to financial and climate risks. It will be a kind of seminar and masterclass. I’m excited about presenting my research at Daniels because I see sustainability as a catalyzer for bridging different disciplines across DU, from engineering to social sciences and public policy, and within Daniels, such as business ethics, marketing, management and the built environment. I hope sustainability can bring together different programs in our College and I look forward to continuing the conversation with everyone.
My colleague, Nuri C. Onat, and I will talk about what carbon footprint accounting and management is and why it is important. We will talk about the carbon footprint of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and present a real-world application for a transportation service provider—one that made the world’s largest electric bus procurement in history. We’ll also talk about compliance and how it relates to financial and climate risks. It will be a kind of seminar and masterclass. I’m excited about presenting my research at Daniels because I see sustainability as a catalyzer for bridging different disciplines across DU, from engineering to social sciences and public policy, and within Daniels, such as business ethics, marketing, management and the built environment. I hope sustainability can bring together different programs in our College and I look forward to continuing the conversation with everyone.