Silvia Vázquez Sánchez

Title of Dissertation:
Systematic biases and cognitive heuristics as an obstacle to CSR practices: overcoming problems and finding solutions

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Philipp Schreck
University: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
Scholarship: tba
Cohort: 7th Cohort, since 2020
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• Short Abstract

  Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) literature has grown exponentially in the last decades and many great initiatives have been carried out in ways that are good for business and the society. However, I have the impression that many organizations and companies are still not understanding the value that the implementation of efficient CSR practices can offer to all relevant stakeholders. My hypothesis is that this might be a result of a general misinterpretation of CSR amongst management and shareholders, among others, due to systematic biases and cognitive heuristics that affect managerial decision-making processes. Thus, the introduction of CSR in companies has often encountered obstacles that after a first “boom” of CSR in corporations are likely to prevent further success in sustainably changing business practices.  

  However, as many solutions for humanity`s greatest challenges are not directly under governmental control, it is assumed nowadays that the role of industry will be essential in achieving the sustainability goals that the world has committed to. And, as in democracies societies cannot be obliged to follow rules given by its leaders, it is from my point of view at that point, where the understanding of decision-making processes and especially managerial decision-making process play an important role. My work will thus concentrate on exploring the executive’s heuristics and biases and their intervention and interaction with all relevant stakeholders of a company (shareholders, employees, clients…) related to CSR. The objective of the study is first of all to identify the cognitive barriers in implementing effective CSR practices that help to make business and society inherently more sustainable and resilient in the mid and long term. In a second step, I would like to study potential overcomes, which also could mean changing the way that CSR performance is measured and valued by different stakeholders.   

• Research Interests

  • Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Business ethical decision-making: heuristic and biases
  • Corporate Social Responsibility Performance Measurement
  • Behavioral Management Accounting

  Economics

• Education

  • June 2012, Master: European Union and Mediterranean: Historical, Cultural, Political, Economic and Social Bases, Complutense University of Madrid and the Euro-Mediterranean University Institute (EMUI), Spain
  • June 2008, Licenciatura in Economia (MS equivalent Spanish degree in Economics), University of Seville, Spain

• Professional and Academic Career

  • 2012-2016, Non-financial reporting manager – Abengoa SA, Seville, Spain
  • 2008-2012, Communications & CSR manager - Abengoa Solar, Seville, Spain
  • 2008, Consultant - Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Spain,
    Madrid, Spain
  • 2007-2008, Intern, Assistant for Hispanic Affairs – Political & Diplomatic Section at the Embassy of Spain, Washington, DC, USA.

• Publications

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• Conference Contributions: Talks

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• Conference Contributions: Posters

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• Memberships

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