Advancing community health response to global warming: Guiding principles to promote corporate community involvement alliance success

This systematic review contributes to the literature by: (1) applying general systems theory (GST) to the concept of a multi-firm, multi-nonprofit cross-sector corporate community involvement (CCI) alliance formed to address the adverse health effects of global warming on socially vulnerable populations in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region; and (2) identifying guiding principles to promote the success of such an alliance. The complexities in communicating the adverse health effects of global warming and the politicization of global warming create challenges for implementing sustainable interventions and solutions. A cross-sector CCI alliance may provide a reliable alternative to unreliable federal government initiatives. GST fosters a holistic analysis and assessment of the problem. This systematic review synthesized evidence from 60 peer-reviewed articles published since 2000. Fit for purpose quality appraisal of the evidence included assessments of internal and external validity. Thematic analysis leveraged a two-pass deductive-inductive protocol to generate cross-case themes, which informed the resultant findings and guiding principles. This systematic review identified seven guiding principles for an alliance: (1) engage and empower the community, (2) build the right team, (3) orchestrate with a reputable convenor, (4) commit to transparency, (5) choose an appropriate time horizon, (6) measure with purpose, and (7) beware of the unintended and disingenuous. Final steps in the synthesis included an assessment of the confidence in the findings using the Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research (CERQual) methodology. Each principle received a moderate-to-low confidence rating (i.e., likely-to-possible that the finding is reasonable) primarily since they were derived from indirect and partial evidence. The entirety of the guiding principles encompasses the core tenet of GST – to achieve more collectively than is possible singularly. The management implications of these principles are for an alliance to proactively identify and engage target communities within DMV, possibly starting with a small number of strategic pilot projects; empower communities through transparent participatory governance; monitor, evaluate, and improve alliance and program effectiveness; and manage the risk of unintended consequences.Running Head: CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ALLIANCE PRINCIPLES i ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: ADVANCING COMMUNITY HEALTH RESPONSE TO GLOBAL WARMING: GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO PROMOTE CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ALLIANCE SUCCESS Ty C. Mullen Doctor of Management, 2021 This systematic review contributes to the literature by: (1) applying general systems theory (GST) to the concept of a multi-firm, multi-nonprofit cross-sector corporate community involvement (CCI) alliance formed to address the adverse health effects of global warming on socially vulnerable populations in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region; and (2) identifying guiding principles to promote the success of such an alliance. The complexities in communicating the adverse health effects of global warming and the politicization of global warming create challenges for implementing sustainable interventions and solutions. A cross-sector CCI alliance may provide a reliable alternative to unreliable federal government initiatives. GST fosters a holistic analysis and assessment of the problem. This systematic review synthesized evidence from 60 peer-reviewed articles published since 2000. Fit for purpose quality appraisal of the evidence included assessments of internal and external validity. Thematic analysis leveraged a two-pass deductive-inductive protocol to generate cross-case themes, which informed the resultant findings and guiding principles. This systematic review identified seven guiding principles for an alliance: (1) engage and empower the community, (2) build the right team, (3) orchestrate with a reputable convenor, (4) commit to transparency, (5) choose an appropriate time horizon, (6) measure with purpose, and (7) beware of the unintended and disingenuous. Final steps in CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ALLIANCE PRINCIPLES ii the synthesis included an assessment of the confidence in the findings using the Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research (CERQual) methodology. Each principle received a moderate-to-low confidence rating (i.e., likely-to-possible that the finding is reasonable) primarily since they were derived from indirect and partial evidence. The entirety of the guiding principles encompasses the core tenet of GST – to achieve more collectively than is possible singularly. The management implications of these principles are for an alliance to proactively identify and engage target communities within DMV, possibly starting with a small number of strategic pilot projects; empower communities through transparent participatory governance; monitor, evaluate, and improve alliance and program effectiveness; and manage the risk of unintended consequences. Keywords: corporate community involvement, corporate social responsibility, global warming, health, socially vulnerable populations, cross-sector partnership, alliance CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ALLIANCE PRINCIPLES iii ADVANCING COMMUNITY HEALTH RESPONSE TO GLOBAL WARMING: GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO PROMOTE CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ALLIANCE SUCCESS By Ty C. Mullen Dissertation submitted to the School of Business, University of Maryland Global Campus, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Management 2021 CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ALLIANCE PRINCIPLES iv © Copyright by Ty C. Mullen 2021 CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ALLIANCE PRINCIPLES v Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my wife and daughter, Patty and Lyndsey; to my parents, Barb and Chuck; and to my brother, Ken. Patty and Lyndsey were super supportive and understanding, providing encouragement, and being sounding boards for my ideas and frustrations throughout this journey. My parents have always been my biggest fans in whatever I attempt to do. They instilled within me a love for learning at an early age that has continued to blossom. Ken has always been my best man and I’m glad to have him as my brother. My love and thanks to all of you. CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ALLIANCE PRINCIPLES vi Acknowledgements Completing a dissertation is often referred to as a once-in-a-lifetime achievement. I would not have made it without the help, support, guidance from others. Thanks go first and foremost to my wife and best friend, Patty, for engaging with me in discussions on potential topics and taking a genuine interest in my ideas, struggles, and success. Next, I want to acknowledge my professional colleagues, Dr. Liz Canzone, Dr. David Tanenbaum, Linda Fischetti, and Dr. Mark Kramer. Liz has been a constant support throughout this program providing positive encouragement. David, Linda, and Mark first sparked my interest in climate change and health and helped me understand the need for proactive response to the global warming crisis. Finally, I want to thank my dissertation mentors – Dr. John Sherlock and Dr. James (Jim) Gelatt – and my entire class cohort. John and Jim’s guidance has been wonderful throughout this final year of the program. The doctorate class has remained largely intact throughout the program, and I have appreciated the support, camaraderie, and friendships that we have developed along the way. CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ALLIANCE PRINCIPLES vii Table of Contents ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................................................... i ADVANCING COMMUNITY HEALTH RESPONSE TO GLOBAL WARMING: GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO PROMOTE CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ALLIANCE SUCCESS ................................................ iii Dedication .................................................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................... x List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1: Introduction and Overview of the Management Problem ....................................................... 12 Background ............................................................................................................................................ 12 Problem Statement and Significance of the Problem .............................................................................. 14 Purpose of the Study and The Research Question .................................................................................. 14 Rationale for the Study ............................................................................................................................ 16 Definitions and Terminology ................................................................................................................... 19 Chapter Summary................................................................................................................................... 20 Organization of the Dissertation ............................................................................................................. 20 Chapter 2: Theoretical Frame and Scoping Literature Review ................................................................... 21 Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................................................... 21 General Systems Theory ..................................................................................................................... 21 The Literature Landscape ........................................................................................................................ 23 Adverse Health Effects of Global Warming......................................................................................... 23 An Opportunity for Corporate Action ................................................................................................. 46 Conceptual Framework ........................................................................................................................... 57 Chapter Summary................................................................................................................................... 58 Chapter 3: Method ..................................................................................................................................... 59 The Evidence-Based Research Framework .............................................................................................. 59 Review Initiation ..................................................................................................................................... 59 Evidence Search Strategy ........................................................................................................................ 60 Quality Appraisal Approach ..................................................................................................................... 61 Analysis and Synthesis Methodology ...................................................................................................... 62 Chapter Summary................................................................................................................................... 63 Chapter 4: Analysis and Findings ................................................................................................................ 64 Review of the Research Question............................................................................................................ 64 Description of the Data Set ..................................................................................................................... 64 Results of the Quality Appraisal of the Data Set ...................................................................................... 67 Results of the Synthesis of the Articles in the Data Set ........................................................................... 68 Principle 1: Engage and Empower the Community (CERQual Rating: Moderate to Low Confidence 69 Principle 2: Build the Right Team (CERQual Rating: Moderate to Low Confidence) .......................... 73 CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ALLIANCE PRINCIPLES viii Principle 3: Orchestrate With a Reputable Convenor (CERQual Rating: Moderate to Low Confidence) ........................................................................................................................................................... 77 Principle 4: Commit to Transparency (CERQual Rating: Moderate to Low Confidence) .................... 79 Principle 5: Choose an Appropriate Time Horizon (CERQual Rating: Moderate to Low Confidence) 81 Principle 6: Measure With Purpose (CERQual Rating: Moderate to Low Confidence) ....................... 82 Principle 7: Beware of the Unintended and Disingenuous (CERQual Rating: Moderate to Low Confidence) ........................................................................................................................................ 84 Chapter Summary................................................................................................................................... 88 Chapter 5: Conclusions and Implications .................................................................................................... 89 Review of the Research ........................................................................................................................... 89 Answer to the Research Question ........................................................................................................... 90 Management Implications ....................................................................................................................... 91 Proactively Identify and Engage Target Communities Within DMV ................................................... 91 Empower Communities Through Transparent Participatory Governance ......................................... 93 Monitor, Evaluate, and Improve Alliance and Program Effectiveness ............................................... 95 Manage the Risk of Unintended Consequences ............................................................................... 100 Limitations of the Study and Areas for Future Research ....................................................................... 101 Limitations of the Study .................................................................................................................... 101 Areas for Future Research ................................................................................................................ 102 Final Summary and Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 103 Epilogue ................................................................................................................................................ 104 References ............................................................................................................................................... 105 Appendix of Tables ................................................................................................................................... 129 CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ALLIANCE PRINCIPLES ix List of Tables Table 1 Motives for CCI Initiatives 54 Table 2 Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria 60 Table 3 Summary Characteristics of Included Studies (n = 60) 66 Table 4 Summary of the Overall Value of the Articles (n = 60) 68 Table A1 Characteristics of the Studies Included in This Review 129 Table A2 Critical Appraisal of the Quality of the Studies Included in This Review 161 Table A3 Assessment of the Confidence in the Findings 166 CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ALLIANCE PRINCIPLES x List of Figures Figure 1 Impact of Climate Change on Human Health 13 Figure 2 General Systems Theory Theoretical Framework 22 Figure 3 Global Anthropogenic CO2 Emissions 24 Figure 4 Global Widespread Impacts Attributed to Global Warming 25 Figure 5 Global Warming Phenomena and Associated Emerging Health Threats 28 Figure 6 Sea Level Rise Inundation Scenarios 30 Figure 7 Hurricane Storm Surge 34 Figure 8 Coastal Flood Hazard Composite 35 Figure 9 County-level CDC SVI for the DMV Region 38 Figure 10 Census-tract-level CDC SVI for Baltimore 39 Figure 11 Census-tract-level CDC SVI for Washington, DC 39 Figure 12 Vulnerability Mapping Comparison for Washington, DC 40 Figure 13 Census-tract-level CDC SVI Themes for Hampton/Norfolk, VA 41 Figure 14 Corporate Social Performance Model 47 Figure 15 Three Spheres of Corporate Social Responsibility 48 Figure 16 CCI is a Subset of CSR 51 Figure 17 Framework for CCI Response and Action 55 Figure 18 CCI Alliance Conceptual Model 57 Figure 19 Flow of Information Discovery 65 Figure 20 Guiding Principles Overlaid on the Conceptual Framework 91 Figure 21 Participatory Decision-making in CCI Governance 94 Figure 22 Donabedian Framework for Evaluating the Quality of Health and Healthcare 97 Figure 23 Notional CCI Balanced Scorecard 99 CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ALLIANCE PRINCIPLES xi List of Abbreviations C2ES Center for Climate and Energy Solutions CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CERQual Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research CCI Corporate community involvement CSR Corporate social responsibility DC District of Columbia DoD Department of Defense DMV District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia EBM Evidence-based management EEE Eastern equine encephalitis virus EPA Environmental Protection Agency GST General systems theory KPI Key performance indicator IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change MD Maryland MHHW Mean higher high water NGO Nongovernmental organization NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration PRISMA Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses SPICE Setting, perspective, intervention, comparison, evaluation SVI Social Vulnerability Index UMGC University of Maryland Global Campus UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change US United States of America USGCRP US Global Change Research Program VA Virginia WHO World Health Organization CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ALLIANCE PRINCIPLES 12 Chapter 1: Introduction and Overview of the Management Problem This dissertation is on the management of the health impacts of global warming. Specifically, this is a systematic review that contributes to the literature by: (1) applying general systems theory (GST) to conceptually model a multi-firm, multi-nonprofit cross-sector corporate community involvement (CCI) alliance formed to address the adverse health effects of global warming on socially vulnerable populations in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region; and (2) identifying guiding principles to promote the success of such an alliance. Through the GST lens, the reader receives a holistic introduction to the health challenges presented by global warming on socially vulnerable populations in DMV. The author applied GST to create a conceptual framework, which supports the assimilation of a broad and diverse evidence set into guiding principles for a socially responsible cross-sector CCI alliance. Finally, the author leveraged GST once again in applying the guiding principles to DMV to develop region-specific management implications for practical application. Background The mention of health threats exacerbated by global warming conjures visions of the spread of vector-borne infectious diseases such as dengue fever, West Nile virus, zika virus, eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus, and Lyme disease among many others (Johns Hopkins University, n.d.). As the mean global temperature rises, the ranges of disease carrying vectors (for example, mosquitos and ticks) expands into new regions posing risks to new human populations. However, the spread of infectious diseases is not the only health threat worsened by global warming. Many climate change phenomena including extreme weather, rising sea levels, and deteriorating air, food, and water quality adversely influence the health of people within affected regions in ways other than through the spread of infectious disease. Some of the most common health threats are heat stroke, the health of at-risk populations, aggravated chronic conditions, mental health stressors, and physical trauma, all of which CORPORATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ALLIANCE PRINCIPLES 13 may lead to reduced quality of life and premature death (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC], 2014; United States Global Change Research Program [USGCRP], 2018). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is concerned with the health-related problems