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Prof. Dr. Maureen Schulze

21335 Lüneburg, Universitätsallee 1, C11.404
Fon +49.4131.677-2224, maureen.schulze@leuphana.de
Junior Professor, Junior professorship of Sustainable Consumer Behaviour

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Vita

Maureen Schulze is Junior Professor for Sustainable Consumer Behaviour at the Centre for Sustainability Management. Her research focuses on understanding and facilitating the transition towards sustainable behavior change. She analyzes the behavioral mechanisms that shape sustainable purchasing decisions, as well as decision-making inconsistencies, such as the discrepancy between sustainability attitudes and actual consumer behavior. Additionally, she investigates sustainability transitions, particularly how innovations emerging in niche markets transition into the mainstream market. Her research explores the structural conditions that either enable or hinder sustainable consumer behavior, with a key focus on the role of (food) retailers as agents of change and their strategic levers to accelerate the transition toward more sustainable consumption patterns.

  • Since February 2025: Junior Professor for Sustainable Consumer Behavior at Leuphana University
  • 2021–2024: Postdoctoral Researcher
    Copenhagen Business School
    Department of Management, Society & Communication
  • June 2024: Visiting Researcher
    Wageningen University & Research
    Marketing and Consumer Behaviour Group 
  • 2020–2021: Postdoctoral Researcher
    Georg-August University of Göttingen
    Chair of Marketing for Food and Agricultural Products
  • October and November 2018: Visiting Researcher 
    Aarhus University
    School of Business and Social Sciences, 
  • 2017–2020: Doctoral Student
    Thesis titled Transformation Processes in Intensive Livestock Production Systems: Consumer Demands and Food Retailers Marketing Strategies
    Georg-August University of Göttingen
    Chair of Marketing for Food and Agricultural Products
  • 2013–2016: Master of Science, Agricultural Economics
    Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel

Projects

  1. Zukunft der Ernährung Niedersachsen
    Maureen Schulze (Project manager, academic)
    →

    Project: Research

View all projects

Publications

Journal contributions

  1. Interaction effects between food labels related to health and environmental aspects: A scoping review
    Kristin Jürkenbeck (Author) , Rebecca Elsner (Author) , Dominic Lemken (Author) , Maureen Schulze (Author) , Peter von Phillipsborn (Author) , 01.10.2026 , in: Food Quality and Preference, 144, 144 , 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research › peer-review

  2. Subdimensions matter: Consumer preferences for water footprint information in environmental labels for food
    Kristin Jürkenbeck (Author) , Maureen Schulze (Author) , 01.06.2026 , in: Future Foods, 13 , 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

  3. Fostering legume purchases with behavioural interventions: evidence from field experiments in online and offline supermarkets
    Maureen Schulze (Author) , Meike Janssen (Author) , 01.06.2026 , in: Food Policy, 141 , 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

  4. Do consumers prefer multidimensional or multiple single-issue sustainability labels? Evidence from rice markets in Germany and Singapore
    Julia Checco (Author) , Matty Demont (Author) , Leonard V. Coote (Author) , Maureen Schulze (Author) , Risti Permani (Author) , Yanti Nuraeni Muflikh (Author) , Jaquie Mitchell (Author) , Ammar Abdul Aziz (Author) , 01.03.2026 , in: Food Quality and Preference, 137 , 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

  5. How to move the transition to sustainable food consumption towards a societal tipping point
    Maureen Schulze (Author) , M. Janssen (Author) , J. Aschemann-Witzel (Author) , 01.06.2024 , in: Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 203 , 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

View all publications

Courses

Implementing and evaluating interventions for sustainable consumption
Jacob Hörisch, Maureen Schulze
Das Seminar baut stark auf dem vorherigen Semester des Minor-Strangs Nachhaltiger Konsum auf, in dem die Studierenden eine eigene Intervention für nachhaltigen Konsum entwickelt haben. Im Wintersemester werden die Studierenden die Gruppenarbeit aus dem Sommersemester 2026 fortführen und die erarbeiteten Interventionen umsetzen und evaluieren.
Next appointment:
Wednesday, 2026-10-14 at 10:15
Room: C 11.320 Seminarraum
Masterforum SEAL
Jacob Hörisch, Stefan Schaltegger, Maureen Schulze
Next appointment:
Wednesday, 2026-10-14 at 14:15
Room: C 11.320 Seminarraum
Sustainable M&E: Sustainable Consumer Behaviour in Retailing (S)
Maureen Schulze
Understanding consumer behavior, from selecting, purchasing, and using to disposing of goods or services, is essential for effectively managing retailers' marketing strategies. In the context of sustainability, these behaviors become even more complex as socio-political pressures, ethical considerations, and environmental concerns shape consumer decision-making. ‘Sustainable Consumer Behavior in Retailing’ examines how retailers can encourage more sustainable consumption choices, for instance through store design, nudging or social influences. Additionally, the course fosters a discussion on trends such as circular economy approaches, consumption reduction, shifts in dietary patterns etc. and retailers’ role in the transition. Through a combination of theoretical insights and practical examples, students will develop an understanding of the mechanisms that shape consumer behavior in retail and how these can be leveraged to drive more sustainable consumption. The course begins by building an understanding of consumer decision-making processes, with a particular focus on retail environments. This is followed by an overview of how retailers can either support or hinder sustainable consumption choices. Finally, students will gain an in-depth understanding of how retailers across various sectors apply theoretical knowledge to foster sustainable behavioral change.
Next appointment:
Tuesday, 2026-10-13 at 10:15
Room: C 11.307 Seminarraum