Erin C. McKie

Dr. Erin C. McKie is an assistant professor of operations at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. Her research is focused in the areas of sustainable supply chains, the circular economy, and the interface between marketing and operations. She often investigates opportunities to shift consumers towards more sustainable behaviors (e.g., recycling) and unlock value in circular economy business models through use of information, technology, and predictive models. Topics she has worked on include examining the impact of AI generated feedback on consumers’ recycling behaviors, understanding consumers' valuations of sustainable products, identifying the optimal structure of environmental regulations, and developing analytical models to better predict consumer returns. Her research is frequently supported through practice-based collaborations, and grants from a wide range of organizations including Fortune 100 firms, small startups, and nonprofit organizations.

McKie’s work has been published in leading academic journals such as Production and Operations Management, INFORMS Journal of Applied and Analytics, and the Journal of Operations Management. She frequently serves as session chairs of sustainability and environmental operations tracks at DSI, INFORMS, and POMS annual conferences. In addition to research, McKie teaches the core MBA course in operations management and electives in sustainable operations management.

Dr. McKie joined the Fisher College of Business after earning a Ph.D. in operations management from the University of South Carolina. She is also affiliated with the university’s Institute for Materials Research and the Sustainability Institute, organizations focused on advancing sustainability manufacturing and interdisciplinary sustainability research and scholarship, respectively. Prior to returning to academia, McKie worked as a consultant in the areas of business systems and operations strategy development.

Ph.D., Production and Operations Management, University of South Carolina

B.S., Business Administration, University of South Carolina

RESEARCH AREAS OF INTEREST

• Sustainability issues in operations management
• Material reuse and recovery
• Environmental regulations
• Energy management technologies

• McKie, E.C., Chandrasekaran, A., & Venkataraman, S (2024). How do Curbside Feedback Mechanisms Impact Households’ Recycling Behavior? Evidence from Community Programs. Production and Operations Management, 33(5), 1064-1082.
• McKie, E.C. and Ahire, S. (2024). Enhancing the Reach of Socially Missioned Non-Profits: Learnings and Insights from TOC Interventions. INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics, 54(2), 127-146.
• Shang, G., McKie, E.C., Ferguson, M., Galbreth, M. (2020). Using Transactions Data to Improve Consumer Returns Forecasting. Journal of Operations Management, 66(3), 326-348.
• McKie, E. C., Ferguson, M. E., Galbreth, M. R., & Venkataraman, S. (2018). How do Consumers Choose between Multiple Product Generations and Conditions? An Empirical Study of iPad Sales on eBay. Production and Operations Management, 27(8), 1574-1594.

Article

• McKie, E.C. (2022) Kicking Contamination from the Curb: How New Feedback Mechanisms Can Increase Opportunities for Recycling. Lead Reed Today

• McKie, E.C., Agrawal, V., and Saez de Tejada Cuenca, A. Take-Back Programs for Clothing: Understanding Consumer Preferences. Under second round review at Manufacturing and Service Operations Management.
• McKie, E.C., Bendoly, E., and Bellamy, M. Supply Chain Relationship Impacts on Firms’ Environmental and Innovation Performance. Under second round review at Journal of Business Logistics.
• McKie, E.C., Sharma, N. and Chandrasekaran, A.  Optimizing Consumers’ Sustainability Behaviors. Under revision for Manufacturing and Service Operations Management.
• McKie, E.C., Bendoly, E., and Bellamy, M. Associations between Strategic Partners and Firms’ Environmental Performance. In preparation for submission to Management Science.
• Iversen, J., Lan, Y., Chandrasekaran, A., and McKie, E.C. Impact of E-Visits on Patient Care. Manuscript In Progress.