Publications

September 2011 (Revised February 2013)
Case

Trucost: Valuing Corporate Environmental Impacts

By: Michael W. Toffel and Stephanie van Sice

Trucost provided corporate environmental performance data and analysis to institutional investors and corporate managers, but after operating for a decade had yet to achieve profitability. Trucost was struggling to effectively differentiate its high quality products... View Details

Keywords: Competitive Strategy; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Distribution Channels; Investment; Measurement and Metrics; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Information; Value; Environmental Sustainability; Financial Services Industry

March 2007 (Revised October 2007)
Case

Alleviating Poverty and Malnutrition

By: Ray A. Goldberg and Kerry Herman

Deals with approaches to alleviating poverty and how firms, governments, and NGOs are able to work together to accomplish these goals. View Details

Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Nutrition; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Business and Government Relations; Non-Governmental Organizations; Poverty; Welfare

02 Oct 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, October 2, 2018

Xu Abstract—We investigate how dynamic pricing can lead to more product returns in the online retail industry. Using detailed sales data of more than two million transactions from the Indian online retail market, where price promotions... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

January 2014
Case

Anglo American: Implementing a 'Social Way' for Global Mining

By: Christopher Marquis, David Plumb, Tom Blathwayt and Zoe Yang

The mining giant Anglo American attempts to differentiate itself through its social performance, yet public expectations are still growing. Maintaining a "social license" to operate was increasingly challenging and critical to business success.

The case... View Details

Keywords: Global Mining; Localization; Socioeconomic Issues; Procurement; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Supply Chain Management; Globalization; Reputation; Emerging Markets; Mining Industry; South Africa

15 Jul 2014
First Look

First Look: July 15

Wawa Inc. Retailing requires attention to detail and customer and employee loyalty. Wawa is a 50-year-old food retailer with an almost cult-like following. With $9 billion in revenues, Wawa is the 50th... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

26 Feb 2013
First Look

First Look: Feb. 26

and "In re CNX Gas" and provides commentary on current developments, such as "Say on Pay," proxy access and the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010. A new chapter on executive compensation appears. The fourth edition provides additional contextual background for... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

02 Jun 2014
Research & Ideas

Excerpt: ‘A Social Strategy’

entailed setting up a corporate page on Facebook, getting people to "Like" it, and then broadcasting messages to those fans with the expectation of receiving a response (in the... View Details

09 Feb 2016
Working Paper Summaries

Executive Compensation and Misconduct: Environmental Harm

Keywords: by Dylan Minor

02 Mar 2015
Research & Ideas

Retail Reaches a Tipping Point—Which Stores Will Survive?

range and retailers who serve these categories are among the walking dead. Q: The book outlines three strategies for retailers to consider as responses to the online threat.... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Retail

23 Jul 2008
Sharpening Your Skills

Sharpening Your Skills: Balanced Scorecard in Action

Sharpening Your Skills dives into the HBS Working Knowledge archives to bring together articles on ways to improve your business skills. Questions To Be Answered How does the... View Details

January 2009 (Revised May 2009)
Case

College Summit: Rethinking the Relationship Between Growth and Impact

By: Stacey M. Childress and Geoff Eckman Marietta

College Summit, a nonprofit organization "committed to the day when every student who can make it in college makes it to college," was faced with an important strategic decision. After growing rapidly at more than 30% a year for the last several years, founder and CEO,... View Details

Keywords: Secondary Education; Growth and Development Strategy; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Mission and Purpose; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Nonprofit Organizations; Education Industry

March 2008 (Revised March 2009)
Case

Microsoft's Unlimited Potential (A)

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Marie Bell

In April 2007, Bill Gates announced Microsoft Unlimited Potential. Its mission was to enable social and economic opportunity for the next five billion people. To deliver against this mission, Microsoft sought to focus its citizenship efforts and its product development... View Details

Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Emerging Markets; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Growth and Development Strategy

Find at Harvard

12 Nov 2001
Research & Ideas

Can Religion and Business Learn From Each Other?

and many responsibilities that aren't from the same person I am at home and in my church on Sunday, and I don't know how to navigate that transition.'" Business is made up of many relationships and... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

November 2001
Case

Naming the Edsel (Condensed)

Reveals the interesting and unusual story behind Ford's selection of "Edsel" as the new brand name for its ill-fated 1957 new product launch. Noteworthy as perhaps the most extensive, creative, and politically charged naming stories on record. Although both... View Details

Keywords: Customers; Marketing Strategy; Brands and Branding; Auto Industry

12 Oct 1999
Research & Ideas

Rapid Response: Inside the Retailing Revolution

retailers require a rapid response from their suppliers. Indeed, a replenishment delivery time of no more than one to two weeks is now regarded as standard operating procedure. In their book, Hammond and her... View Details

Keywords: by James E. Aisner; Apparel & Accessories; Fashion; Consumer Products; Manufacturing; Retail

09 Apr 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, April 9, 2019

earlier, Freed-Finnegan and Wall had founded Index after observing the technological advantages that Amazon and other online retailers had over brick-and-mortar retailers. Index’s first product was a customer database tool that allowed... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

November 1990 (Revised June 2004)
Case

McDonald's and the Environment

McDonald's decides to withdraw its polystyrene plastic packaging for sandwiches and hamburgers after years of defending itself against environmental critics. The decision occurs in the midst of a six-month Joint Task Force study, with the nonprofit Environmental... View Details

Keywords: Announcements; Change Management; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Retail Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United States