Dr. Alvar O. Elbing
September 24, 1928 - January 25, 2022

Dr. Alvar O. Elbing, pioneering scholar in Corporate Social Responsibility

Dr. Elbing passed away on January 25, 2022 at 93 years old. He had been happily married to his wife Carol for 71 years. He leaves two sons, Kristofer and John, and three grandchildren.

He pioneered CSR with his critically acclaimed treatise "The Value Issue of Business," published over 50 years ago in 1967. His work has since been repeatedly cited as part of the still relevant ongoing discussion on the responsibility of corporations beyond their shareholders. He coauthored this book and several others with his wife, Dr. Carol Elbing.

Dr. Elbing was also an early advocate for flexible work hours, beginning with his 1974 Harvard Business Review article entitled "Flexible Working Hours: It's About Time."

Of Swedish descent, Dr. Elbing grew up in Minneapolis and received a bachelor's at the University of Minnesota. After college, he enlisted in the US Air Force, reaching the rank of First Lieutenant. He then went on to receive a business degree at the University of California Berkeley, a master's degree as the University of California, Sacramento, and a PhD at the University of Washington.

He taught for many years at Dartmouth University in Hanover, New Hampshire, and then for many years at the IMEDE in Lausanne, Switzerland (now IMD). He went on to establish a private consulting practice in which he worked with large corporations around the world to understand organizational behavior and help them solve problems in human dimensions in organizations.

He and his wife loved theater, ballet and opera, and they travelled extensively.

A memorial service will be held in Sarasota, Florida, where he and his wife have been living since 1989.

Tributes