Tom Lyon

Tom Lyon

  • Dow Professor of Sustainable Science, Technology and Commerce
  • Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy
  • Professor of Environment and Sustainability
Education
  • PhD Stanford University 1989
  • MS Stanford University 1984
  • BSE Princeton University 1981

Contact Information

Phone
(734) 615-1639
Fax
(734) 936-8715
Email
Room
R6366

Thomas P. Lyon holds the Dow Chair of Sustainable Science, Technology and Commerce, with appointments in both the Ross School of Business and the School of Environment and Sustainability (SEAS).  Professor Lyon is a leader in using economic analysis to understand corporate environmental strategy and how it is shaped by emerging government regulations, non-governmental organizations, and consumer demands.  His book Corporate Environmentalism and Public Policy, published by Cambridge University Press, is the first rigorous economic analysis of this increasingly important topic.   Professor Lyon earned his bachelor’s degree at Princeton University and his doctorate at Stanford University.  His current research focuses on corporate environmental information disclosure, greenwash, the causes and consequences of renewable energy policy, and voluntary programs for environmental improvement. 

 

Professor Lyon has been a visiting professor at Stanford University, the University of Paris, the University of California at Santa Barbara, the University of Chicago and at the University of Bonn, and a Fulbright Scholar at the Scuola Sant’Anna in Pisa, Italy.  He spent the academic year 2002/2003 as a Gilbert White Fellow at Resources for the Future in Washington, DC, and 2003/2004 as a visiting economist in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.  Professor Lyon serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Economics and Management Strategy and the Journal of Regulatory Economics.  His teaching experience includes energy economics and policy, environmental governance, non-market strategy, regulation, managerial economics, business and government, game theory, business strategy, and the management of innovation.

 

Please view the video on Professor Lyon's award winning paper, "CSR Needs CPR: Corporate Sustainability and Politics" 

 

 

 

Featured Books

Expect the Unexpected: Building Business Value in a Changing World

Expect the Unexpected: Building Business Value in a Changing World
Yvo de Boer, Barend van Bergen, Thomas Lyon, Tom Gladwin, et al.

In this report, KPMG International's network of firms analyzes a system of 10 sustainability megaforces that will impact each and every business over the next 20 years. These forces do not act alone in predictable ways. They are interconnected. They interact. It is important for business leaders to understand this system of forces; assess the implications for their own organizations; and devise strategies for managing the risks and harnessing the opportunities....

Thomas Gladwin

Towards Sustainability: The Role and Limitations of Certification

Towards Sustainability: The Role and Limitations of Certification
Thomas Lyon, Ben Cashore, Michael Vandenbergh, Mike Barry, Jason Clay, Michael Fernandez, Louis Lebel, Patrick Mallett, Tensie Whelan

Leadership Forum on Organizations and Sustainability: Taking Stock, Looking Forward

Authors
Tobias Hahn, Jennifer Howard-Grenville, Thomas P. Lyon, Mike Russo, and Judith Walls
Published Date
2021

Source

Organization & Environment
Volume: 
34
Issue: 
1
Pages: 
3-17
Authors
Thomas P. Lyon
Published Date
04/2021

Source

The Hill
Volume: 
1
Issue: 
1
Pages: 
1

The Millennial `Meh’: Correlated Groups as Collective Agents in the Automobile Field

Authors
Montgomery, A., Wolske, K., and Lyon, T.
Published Date
2021

Source

Journal of Management Studies
Volume: 
58
Issue: 
3
Pages: 
673-717

Introduction to the Special Issue on Social Movements and Private Environmental Governance

Authors
Lyon, T.
Published Date
2020

Source

Organization and Environment
Volume: 
33
Issue: 
1
Pages: 
3-6

Merchants of Doubt: Corporate Political Influence when NGO Credibility is Uncertain

Authors
Chiroleu-Assouline, M. and Lyon, T.
Published Date
2020

Source

Journal of Economics and Management Strategy
Volume: 
29
Issue: 
2
Pages: 
439-461

A Theory of Multi-tiered Ecolabel Competition

Authors
Fischer, C. and Lyon, T.
Published Date
05/2019

Source

Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists
Volume: 
6
Issue: 
3
Pages: 
461-501
Authors
Lyon, T.
Published Date
04/2019

Source

Dow Elements of Sustainability Video Series
Volume: 
1
Issue: 
1
Pages: 
1

The Role of the Corporation in Sustainability Transitions

Authors
Delmas, M., Lyon, T., and Maxwell, J.
Published Date
2019

Source

Organization and Environment
Volume: 
32
Issue: 
2
Pages: 
87-97
Authors
Lyon, T., Delmas, M., Maxwell, J., Bansal, T., Chiroleu-Assouline, M., Crifo, P., Durand, R., Gond, J-P., King, A., Lenox, M., Toffel, M., Vogel, D., Wijen, F.
Published Date
2018

Source

California Management Review
Volume: 
60
Issue: 
4
Pages: 
5-24

Nonmarket Strategy and Social Movements Research: What Are the Gains from Trade?

Authors
Lyon, T.
Published Date
2018

Source

Research in the Sociology of Organizations
Volume: 
56
Issue: 
1
Pages: 
349-367

Not a Drop to Drink? Drinking Water Quality, System Ownership, and Stakeholder Attention

Authors
Montgomery, A., Lyon, T., and Zhao, D.
Published Date
2018

Source

Research in the Sociology of Organizations
Volume: 
56
Issue: 
1
Pages: 
207-245
Authors
Lyon, T.
Published Date
12/2018

Source

Administrative Science Quarterly
Volume: 
64
Issue: 
4
Pages: 
1-3
Authors
Heyes, A., Lyon, T., and Martin, S.
Published Date
03/2018

Source

Journal of Environmental Economics and Management
Volume: 
88
Issue: 
2
Pages: 
396-410

Voluntary Cleanup Programs for Brownfield Sites: A Theoretical Analysis

Authors
Lyon, T., Yin, H., Blackman, A., and Wernstedt, K.
Published Date
2018

Source

Environmental and Resource Economics
Volume: 
70
Issue: 
2
Pages: 
297-322
Authors
Lyon, T. and Delmas, M.
Published Date
07/2018

Source

The Conversation

A Test for Corporate Sustainability Leadership

Authors
Lyon, T.
Published Date
10/2017

Source

Huffington Post
Volume: 
1
Issue: 
1
Pages: 
1-2

Optimizing Eco-Efficiency Across the Procurement Portfolio

Authors
Pelton, R.O., Li, M., Smith, T., and Lyon, T.
Published Date
2016

Source

Environmental Science and Technology
Volume: 
50
Issue: 
11
Pages: 
5908-5918

Self-Regulation and Regulatory Flexibility: Why Firms May be Reluctant to Signal Green

Authors
Lyon, T. and Maxwell, J.
Published Date
2016

Source

Advances in Strategic Management
Volume: 
34
Issue: 
1
Pages: 
301-330

The Drivers and Impacts of Renewable Portfolio Standards

Authors
Lyon, T.
Published Date
2016

Source

Annual Review of Resource Economics
Volume: 
8
Issue: 
1
Pages: 
141-155

Energy as a Driver of Change in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin

Authors
Keeler, B., Kelly, B., Helm, G, Krantzberg, G., Lyon, T. and Mabee, W.
Published Date
2015

Source

Journal of Great Lakes Research
Volume: 
41
Issue: 
1
Pages: 
59-68

Front Groups Play a Growing and Dangerous Role in Energy Policy

Authors
Lyon, T.
Published Date
2015

Source

US Association for Energy Economics Dialogue
Volume: 
23
Issue: 
3
Pages: 
1-3

The Means and End of Greenwash

Authors
Lyon, T. and Montgomery, A.
Published Date
2015

Source

Organization & Environment
Volume: 
28
Issue: 
2
Pages: 
223-249

Greenwash vs. Brownwash: Exaggeration and Undue Modesty in Corporate Sustainability Disclosure

Authors
Kim, E-H. and Lyon, T.
Published Date
12/2014

Source

Organization Science
Volume: 
26
Issue: 
3
Pages: 
705 - 723

Cleaner Production in Small Firms taking part in Mexico´s Sustainable Supplier Program

Authors
Thomas P. Lyon and Bart van Hoof
Published Date
2013

Source

JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
Volume: 
41
Pages: 
270-282

How Do Shareholders Respond to Sustainability Awards?: Evidence from China

Authors
Lyon, T; Lu, Y.; Shi, X. and Yin, Q.
Published Date
2013

Source

Ecological Economics
Volume: 
94
Issue: 
1
Pages: 
1-8

Revitalizing Underperforming and Contaminated Land through Voluntary Action: Perspectives from U.S. Voluntary Cleanup Programs

Authors
Thomas Lyon, Kris Wernstedt, Allen Blackman, and Kelly Novak
Published Date
2013

Source

LAND USE POLICY
Volume: 
31
Pages: 
545-556

Tweetjacked: The Impact of Social Media on Corporate Greenwash

Authors
Lyon, T. and Montgomery, A.
Published Date
2013

Source

Journal of Business Ethics
Volume: 
118
Issue: 
4
Pages: 
747-757

Voluntary Environmental Agreements in Developing Countries: The Colombian Experience

Authors
Thomas Lyon, Allen Blackman, Eduardo Uribe, and Bart van Hoof
Published Date
2013

Source

POLICY SCIENCES
Volume: 
46
Issue: 
4
Pages: 
335-385

Capture or Contract?: The Early Years of Electric Utility Regulation

Authors
Thomas Lyon and Nathan Wilson
Published Date
2012

Source

Journal of Regulatory Economics
Volume: 
40
Pages: 
225-241

Environmental Disclosure: Evidence from Newsweek's Green Companies Rankings

Authors
Thomas Lyon and Jay Shimshack
Published Date
2012

Source

BUSINESS AND SOCIETY

Fragmenting Forests: The Double Edge of Effective Forest Monitoring

Authors
Thomas Lyon, Andrew R. Bell, Rick L. Riolo, Jacqueline M. Doremus, Daniel G. Brown, John Vandermeer, and Arun Agrawal
Published Date
2012

Source

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLICY
Volume: 
16
Pages: 
20-30

Is "Smart Charging" Policy for Electric Vehicles Worthwhile?

Authors
Thomas Lyon, Mark Michelin, Arie Jongejan, and Thomas Leahy
Published Date
2012

Source

Energy Policy
Volume: 
41
Pages: 
259-268

Lurching towards Markets for Power: China's Electricity Policy 1985-2007

Authors
Thomas Lyon, Xiaoli Zhao and Cui Song
Published Date
2012

Source

APPLIED ENERGY
Volume: 
94
Pages: 
148-155

Promoting Global CCS RDD&D by Stronger U.S.- China Collaboration

Authors
Thomas Lyon and Jia-Hai Yuan
Published Date
2012

Source

RENEWABLE AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
Volume: 
16
Pages: 
6746-6769

Creating a Plug-In Electric Vehicle Cluster in Michigan: Prospects and Policy Options

Authors
Thomas Lyon and Russell Baruffi
Published Date
2011

Source

Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review
Volume: 
18
Pages: 
303-347

Does Public Disclosure Reduce Pollution? Evidence from India's Pulp and Paper Industry

Authors
Thomas Lyon, Allen Blackman, Urvashi Narain, and Nicholas Powers
Published Date
2011

Source

Environmental and Resource Economics
Volume: 
50
Pages: 
131-155.

Greenwash: Corporate Environmental Disclosure under Threat of Audit

Authors
Thomas Lyon and John Maxwell
Published Date
2011

Source

Journal of Economics & Management Strategy
Volume: 
20
Pages: 
3-41

Strategic Environmental Disclosure: Evidence from the DOE's Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Registry

Authors
Thomas Lyon and Eun-Hee Kim
Published Date
2011

Source

Journal of Environmental Economics and Management
Volume: 
61
Pages: 
311-326
Authors
Thomas Lyon and Eun-Hee Kim
Published Date
2011

Source

BE JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND POLICY (CONTRIBUTIONS TIER)
Volume: 
11
Issue: 
1

What Drives Participation in State Voluntary Cleanup Programs? Evidence from Oregon

Authors
Thomas Lyon, Allen Blackman, Sarah Darley, and Kris Wernstedt
Published Date
2010

Source

Land Economics
Volume: 
86
Pages: 
785-799

Why Do States Adopt Renewable Portfolio Standards? An Empirical Investigation

Authors
Thomas Lyon and Haitao Yin
Published Date
2010

Source

The Energy Journal
Volume: 
31
Pages: 
131-155

Introduction to the Special Issue on Management Strategy and the Environment

Authors
Thomas Lyon
Published Date
2009

Source

Journal of Economics & Management Strategy
Volume: 
18
Pages: 
1-6

Non-profits and the Environment: Using Market Forces for Social Good

Authors
Delmas, D., Lyon, T., and Jackson, J.
Published Date
2020

Source

Stanford University Press
The Nonprofit Sector: A Research Handbook
Powell, W. and Bromley, P.

Astroturf Groups

Authors
Lyon, T.
Published Date
2016

Source

Detroit: McMillan
American Governance
Stephen L. Schechter

On the Profitability of Corporate Environmentalism

Authors
Thomas Lyon and John W. Maxwell
Published Date
2013

Source

Oxford University Press
Pages: 
559-584
Oxford Handbook of Managerial Economics
Christopher Thomas, Jr. and William F. Shughart II

Environmental Governance

Authors
Thomas Lyon and David Baron
Published Date
2012

Source

Oxford University Press
Handbook on Business and the Environment
Andrew Hoffman and Tima Bansal

Environmental Governance: An Economic Perspective

Authors
Thomas Lyon
Published Date
2009

Source

Cambridge University Press
Governing the Environment: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Magali Delmas and Oran Young

Expect the Unexpected: Building Business Value in a Changing World

Authors
Yvo de Boer, Barend van Bergen, Thomas Lyon, Tom Gladwin, et al.
Published Date
2012

Source

KPMG

Towards Sustainability: The Role and Limitations of Certification

Authors
Thomas Lyon, Ben Cashore, Michael Vandenbergh, Mike Barry, Jason Clay, Michael Fernandez, Louis Lebel, Patrick Mallett, Tensie Whelan
Published Date
2012

Source

RESOLVE, Inc.

Good Cop/Bad Cop: Environmental NGOs and Their Strategies towards Business

Authors
Thomas Lyon
Published Date
2010

Source

Resources for the Future Press