Ann Terlaak

Dr. Ann Terlaak is an Associate Professor of Management and Human Resources at the Wisconsin School of Business, University of Wisconsin–Madison. She directs the Business, Environment and Social Responsibility (BESR) graduate certificate program and served on the leadership team of UW's Office of Sustainability (2016-2022).

Her research examines organizational adaptation during technological and institutional change, with emphasis on sustainability transitions, environmental management standards, and corporate social strategy. She investigates how firms learn from uncertainty in adoption/abandonment decisions and how certified management standards (ISO 9000/14001) shape corporate behaviors. Her work integrates institutional theory with strategic management perspectives.

Recent publications analyze imitation patterns in firm exit decisions, vicarious learning in innovation adoption, and signaling strategies in sustainability certification. Earlier foundational work established frameworks for understanding environmental voluntary agreements across institutional contexts.

Honors include the 2019 Professor of the Year award and the Erwin Gaumnitz Distinguished Research Award. She earned her PhD from UC Santa Barbara's Bren School of Environmental Science and Management.