Erin C. McKie

Assistant Professor
Operations and Business Analytics

Background

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.

Areas of Expertise

Production/Operations Management

  • Operations Strategy

Sustainability/Corporate Responsibility

  • Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility

Education

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

Publications

  • McKie, E.C., Chandrasekaran, A., & Venkataraman, S (2024). How do Curbside Feedback Mechanisms Impact Households’ Recycling Behavior? Evidence from Community Programs. Production and Operations Management33(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 Analytics54(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

Working Papers

  • 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.

Courses

MBA 6233 - Operations Management
Operations Management (MBA 6233) is designed to provide a solid foundation and deeper understanding of how the operations function contributes to ensuring effective and efficient flow of materials and information within and outside the organization. Prereq: Enrollment in MBA, or permission of instructor.
BUSOBA 4253 - Sustainable Operations
There is increasing pressure on businesses to pay more attention to the environmental consequences of the raw materials they source, processes they deploy, and the products and services they offer. Recognizing that operations are at the core of any sustainable enterprise, this course addresses issues related to sustainable operations in three modules. Prereq: 2320, 2321, 3230, AcctMIS 2200, 2300, and BusMHR 2292.