B Corp Certification Impact on Sustainability, Profitability…

Defense-Ready APA 7 and Marymount Dissertation Format Audit Scope, evidence base, and standards applied This audit reviews the edited Word manuscript you provided (Maxine_Morris_Dissertation_Edited_For_Defense.docx). The file currently contains a title page, Chapters 13 content (partial), tables, a conceptual diagram (SmartArt), and a References section; it does not include several dissertation front-matter elements typically required for institutional submission (e.g., approval/signature page, abstract page, table of contents, list of tables/figures). Because program-specific dissertation manuals are not always publicly posted, the Marymount-specific formatting baseline in this report is triangulated from (a) Marymounts dissertation/thesis deposit guidance (submission workflow to ProQuest + institutional repository) and (b) a publicly available Marymount dissertation document that reflects how Marymount dissertations are formatted in practice (title page structure, approval page, page-number placement, etc.). The APA 7th edition baseline is drawn from official APA Style guidance on references/tables and widely used APA 7 implementation guidance (e.g., Purdue OWL summaries). Where Marymount practice and generic APA student/professional paper conventions diverge, this report prioritizes Marymount dissertation conventions (since dissertation formatting is an institutional deliverable distinct from a course paper). Document-level APA and Marymount compliance findings The manuscript already meets several baseline mechanics (page size and margins are set to US Letter and 1-inch margins), but the header/running-head logic, front matter, paragraph formatting, and style-based heading system need substantial correction before a defense and any submission workflow. Current vs required formatting Element Marymount dissertation practice (observed) APA 7 baseline (general) Status in your Word file Required correction Title page Uses dissertation-style title page (A dissertation presented to the Faculty…, location/date), not a course-paper title block APA student/professional title pages exist, but dissertations often follow institutional templates Your title page resembles a student paper layout rather than Marymounts dissertation title-page structure Replace title page with Marymount dissertation title-page structure (template provided below) Approval/signature page Present in Marymount dissertation example Not an APA requirement; institution-specific Missing Insert approval page per your college/program requirements Abstract Present as a standalone labeled page in Marymount example Abstract is commonly required for dissemination/submission; ProQuest has manuscript expectations Missing Add abstract page (and any required abstract formatting per your program/ProQuest) Table of contents + lists TOC appears in Marymount example (with hierarchical headings and page numbers) APA does not strongly standardize TOC for long works; institutions often require it Missing Build TOC from Word heading styles; add List of Tables/Figures Running head label Marymount example shows page number only (no running head) APA 7 removed the Running head: label; student papers typically dont require a running head First-page header contains Running Head: + a very long all-caps title; subsequent pages use a long title header Delete Running Head: label; adopt Marymount-style header of page number only (or confirm if your program requires a short running head) Pagination placement Marymount example shows page number at top right Page numbers are required in most APA formats; placement depends on template Page numbers appear, but header also includes an oversized title/running head Keep page number at top right; remove title/running head text from header Font Usually consistent, readable serif font (varies by institution) APA 7 allows several fonts; Times New Roman 12 remains acceptable Times New Roman throughout Keep (verify headers/captions match) Line spacing Typically double-spaced body APA commonly double-spaced; tables/figures may differ Mostly double; some single-spaced blocks appear in RQs/hypotheses Normalize to double for narrative text; keep any single-spacing only where your program permits Paragraph indentation Dissertations often use first-line indent in body paragraphs (unless template specifies block style) APA commonly uses 0.5 first-line indent for paragraphs Body paragraphs are largely not first-line indented Apply consistent first-line indent (0.5″) to body paragraphs (except headings, tables, block quotes) Headings Marymount example shows structured chapter headings suitable for TOC APA heading levels must be applied consistently Most headings are plain Normal text; only a few are styled Heading 2 Convert all heading text to real Word heading styles (Heading 1/2/3), then auto-generate TOC Heading structure, navigation, and TOC readiness Findings Your document is not TOC-ready because most headings are not encoded as Word headings. This creates three defense risks: Committee members cannot reliably navigate the manuscript, and printed/PDF versions will not have a stable outline. You cannot auto-generate a Table of Contents aligned to headings/page numbers. Heading-level logic is currently inconsistent (e.g., chapter numbers and sub-section numbers skip sequencessuch as 1.3.4 appearing even though intermediate sections are absentcreating the appearance of missing content). Marymount dissertations commonly use chapter-level headings that roll up cleanly into a TOC. Required heading corrections You have two viable compliance paths; choose one and apply it consistently. Path A: Marymount dissertation chapter structure (recommended, based on Marymount examples). Heading 1: CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION, CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW, CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY, etc. Heading 2: Major sections inside each chapter (e.g., Research Problem, Research Questions, Hypotheses). Heading 3: Subsections (e.g., Stakeholder Theory, Institutional Theory, etc.). Path B: Numbered outline headings (acceptable if your committee expects numbering). Keep 1.1, 1.2… but apply Words multilevel list tied to Heading 1/2/3 styles so numbers update automatically. This prevents missing section number artifacts. Either way: once headings are properly styled, insert TOC and lists. Marymount examples show a TOC that enumerates subsections with page numbers. In-text citations and reference list integrity audit What APA requires APA Style is explicit that works cited in the text must correspond to entries in the reference list (reference lists, not bibliographies, and each work cited in the text must appear in the reference list). This requirement is frequently enforced by committees because it is easy to audit and is a proxy for scholarly rigor. High-confidence mismatches detected in your manuscript In your current manuscript text, the following citations appear in-text but do not appear as corresponding entries in your References section (as currently written in the file): (2024) is cited multiple times, but there is no matching B Lab reference entry. This is a major credibility issue because your introduction relies on B Corp prevalence statistics. Friedman (1970) is cited, but there is no Friedman reference entry. Ioannou & Serafeim (2019) is cited, but the reference list contains Eccles, Ioannou, & Serafeim (2014)not a 2019 Ioannou & Serafeim itemsuggesting a missing or incorrect source-year pairing. Reinhardt & Stavins (2010) is cited in the literature review discussion of environmental outcomes, but is missing from References. Serafeim (2020) is cited (re: financial measurement rationale), but no Serafeim (2020) entry exists. These specific issues should be corrected before defense because committee questions often target traceability of foundational claims. Critical content update opportunity: B Corp statistics should be refreshed Your manuscript currently uses earlier B Corp scale figures (e.g., 7,500…92 countries…). However, press releases and B Lab regional FAQs indicate the movement has surpassed 10,000 certified B Corps across 103 countries and roughly 160 industries by 20252026. Because your dissertation premise depends on certification growth and legitimacy, the defense version should align with the most current authoritative numbers and cite them properly. Tables, figures, appendices, and permissions audit APA requirements for tables/figures APA guidance indicates that the table number appears above the table in bold, and the table title appears below it (typically one double-spaced line below). Similar rules apply for figures: consistent numbering, clear titles, and notes/attributions when required. Findings in your manuscript Table captions are present but caption text shows corruption/typos in multiple places (missing letters/words). This reduces professionalism and can create confusion in oral defense when committee members refer to Table 1 / Table 2. Table 2 appears to be structurally incomplete (a blank/empty table object exists where content should be). This is high priority because the prose nearby implies you intended a full comparison table. Table 6 (mixed-methods strategy matrix) appears incomplete (the table object present is empty). Your methodology section references the matrix, so leaving it blank undermines evaluability and raises methods rigor concerns. Your diagram is labeled Diagram 1. In APA publishing conventions, this is typically handled as Figure 1 (diagrams are figures). For dissertation templates, consistent Figure labeling is generally safer and matches external expectations. Appendices are currently absent. If your study includes instruments (surveys, interview protocols), IRB materials, coding schema, or data dictionaries, most dissertation committees expect these in appendices, with TOC entries and consistent appendix labels (e.g., Appendix A, Appendix B). Marymount dissertations commonly include appendices in the compiled manuscript. (example includes appendices section) Permissions Your current diagram appears to be author-created SmartArt. If it is entirely generated by you (no third-party icons/images), permissions are typically not needed. If you copy any charts/figures from third parties later (e.g., B Lab score distributions, BrandZ charts), you will need figure notes and permissions or recreate the figure from underlying data. Alignment of research questions, hypotheses, and methodology with the triple bottom line Triple bottom line alignment Your study is structurally well-positioned to fit the triple bottom line (PeoplePlanetProfit), because your dependent variables already map to: Planet: carbon footprint, waste, energy use Profit: revenue growth, profitability/ROA/ROE, brand equity People: employee engagement, stakeholder trust/culture This aligns with scholarly definitions of the triple bottom line as integrating environmental, social, and economic performance (often described as people, planet, profit). Where alignment currently breaks down The strongest defense risk in your draft is internal design coherence, not the topic itself: The manuscript states an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, but the methods text also describes the study as quantitative and cross-sectional, while simultaneously proposing five-year performance windows, moderation analysis, and post-certification comparisons. This needs clarification because cross-sectional and longitudinal/post-certification trend designs are not equivalent. Your hypotheses include brand equity measures (e.g., external indices) and engagement measures (e.g., Gallup Q12), but the methods section needs to state how these measures will be obtained (public sources vs proprietary datasets vs primary data collection) and how missingness will be handled. Your requested three-group comparison You wrote that your design will compare: B Corp certified firms, nonB Corp firms, and firms that are sustainable but not B Corp (i.e., sustainability-oriented comparators). This three-group design is analytically defensible, but only if you define group membership precisely. A defensible operationalization is: Group 1: Certified B Corps (verification via B Corp Directory / B Lab listings). Group 2: Sustainable but not B Corp (define using an objective criterion such as ISO 14001 certification, verified science-based targets, or consistent ESG disclosure/ratings threshold). Group 3: Conventional non-certified peers (industry- and size-matched firms without the sustainability credential threshold used for Group 2). This reduces selection bias and improves interpretability of effect estimates. Graphs you should include for a stronger defense narrative You explicitly asked for a graph or two. The strongest defense-aligned visual set is: Conceptual model figure (triple bottom line mapping + moderators) this functions as your theory-to-method bridge. Outcomes-by-group plot (even if using pilot/illustrative data in proposal stage; final version should use results): Planet: mean carbon intensity (e.g., tCO2e/$ revenue) by group Profit: revenue CAGR or ROA by group People: engagement/turnover proxy by group This is especially useful because B Corp debates center on whether outcomes are real vs signal. Also note: B Labs standards and certification processes have been evolving, with communications indicating updated standards and recertification expectations. In your dissertation, treat certification as a moving institutional regime and specify the certification cohort years you analyze. Required edits with Word track-change instructions, sample corrected text, checklist, and time estimate High-priority required edits Header/running head correction (Marymount-aligned): In Word: Insert Header Edit Header. Check Different First Page. (It is currently enabled.) First page header: delete the literal text Running Head: … entirely. (APA 7 no longer uses the Running head: label; Marymount example uses page number only.) All headers: remove the long all-caps title from the header; keep page number only, top right. This matches Marymount dissertation pagination practice. Update fields: Ctrl+A F9 to refresh page numbers and TOC fields after edits. Sample corrected header (what it should look like): Top right: 1 (page number field) No running head text. Title page replacement (Marymount dissertation-style template): Replace your current title-page block with a Marymount-formatted dissertation title page similar to the public Marymount dissertation example. Sample replacement text (edit placeholders to your DBA program): QUANTIFYING THE IMPACT OF B CORP CERTIFICATION ON SUSTAINABILITY, PROFITABILITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES A dissertation presented to the Faculty of in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) by Herrisha Maxine Morris Arlington, Virginia Month, Year of Oral Defense (Adapt this to the exact DBA wording required by your school/committee; Marymounts example demonstrates the structure.) Insert missing dissertation front matter (minimum defense-ready set): Title page (no visible page number) Approval/signature page (program-specific; shown in Marymount example) Abstract page (standalone) Table of Contents and (if required) List of Tables / List of Figures References (already present) Marymounts deposit workflow indicates dissertations are submitted for archiving and may be routed through ProQuest submission processes, so the manuscript needs institutional completeness. Heading and TOC rebuild instructions (track-change friendly) Turn on Track Changes: Review Track Changes. For each chapter title (e.g., your current 1.1 Introduction structure), decide whether you are using Chapter headings (recommended) or numbered headings. Apply styles: Chapter headings apply Heading 1 Major internal sections Heading 2 Subsections Heading 3 Insert TOC: References Table of Contents Automatic Table. If you must keep numbering, use Multilevel List tied to headings: Home Multilevel List Define New Multilevel List, link Level 1 to Heading 1, Level 2 to Heading 2, etc. Citation/reference repairs (with sample corrected entries) Fix missing reference entries for in-text citations. APA requires one-to-one correspondence between in-text citations and reference entries. Below are sample APA-style reference entries you can insert (verify titles/URLs and use the exact source you relied on): B Lab statistics (update to current): B Lab press releases show over 10,000 B Corps across 103 countries… Sample: B Lab. (2025, July 28). Over 1 million people now work at certified B Corps… [Press release]. B Corporation. (Use the exact page title and date you cite; if the webpage changes frequently, consider adding a retrieval date.) Friedman (1970): Add the canonical publication you used (commonly a journal or magazine essay). Ensure the text and reference match (author, year, title, source). Ioannou & Serafeim (2019) and Serafeim (2020): Either (a) correct the in-text year/author to match what you actually cited, or (b) add the full reference entry for the item you intended. Right now the reference list contains Eccles et al. (2014), which is a different work. Reinhardt & Stavins (2010): Add the full bibliographic entry (journal/book chapter) matching your in-text discussion. Then reverse-check: remove any References entries that do not appear in the final text (unless your program explicitly allows a bibliography). APA guidance distinguishes references from bibliographies and expects cited-work alignment. Tables and figures: exact rebuild instructions Table formatting: Put the table number in bold above the table, and the title below it. Table 2: Rebuild as a real Word table (Insert Table) with the columns you already drafted (Certification / Scope / Key Focus / Strengths / Limitations). Table 6: Rebuild the mixed-methods matrix table (Phase / Type / Data Sources / Collection Methods / Analysis Techniques). Do not leave it blank because your methods narrative references it. Figure labeling: Rename Diagram 1 to Figure 1; add a figure number + title in APA style, and add a figure note if needed. Defense-ready editing checklist Use this as the final pass checklist: Title page matches Marymount dissertation title-page structure Approval/signature page included if required Abstract page included; meets any ProQuest/manuscript expectations Page-number-only header (top right), no Running Head: label Headings use Word Styles (Heading 1/2/3) and generate TOC Paragraph formatting consistent (indentation, spacing, lists) All tables numbered/titled correctly; Table 2 and Table 6 populated Diagram converted to Figure 1 and referenced in text Every in-text citation has a References entry and vice versa B Corp statistics updated to current authoritative counts RQs hypotheses methods explicitly aligned to PeoplePlanetProfit Final update of fields (Ctrl+A F9), then export to PDF for a visual check Estimated time to implement edits The estimated total time to implement the above corrections is ~17 hours (typical range: 1222 hours, depending on how much front matter your program requires and how many citation mismatches remain once the full dissertation text is assembled). This estimate is consistent with the scope of structural changes required (front matter creation, heading/TOC rebuild, and citation reconciliation).