Publications

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December 2020 (Revised December 2021)
Case

Komatsu and Smart Construction

By: Rajiv Lal, David J. Collis and Akiko Saito

Komatsu, Japan's leading construction equipment manufacturer, is considering investing in a digital platform "Smart Construction" that will digitise the entire work process on a construction site, allowing for substantial reductions in cost and time while improving... View Details

Keywords: Platform; Digital Business; Construction; Business Model; Strategy; Technology Adoption; Internet and the Web; Digital Platforms; Construction Industry; Japan

2000
Chapter

E-Business Models: Making Sense of the Internet Business Landscape

By: L. M. Applegate

Keywords: Business Model; Internet and the Web; Business Ventures; Internet and the Web

March 2017 (Revised July 2019)
Case

Walmart: Navigating a Changing Retail Landscape

By: Michael E. Porter and Jorge Ramirez-Vallejo

As the largest company, by revenue, in the world, Walmart has been a lightning rod for criticism. However, in an attempt to stay ahead of traditional and digital retailers, and keep customers satisfied with evolving demands, the company is strengthening its competitive... View Details

Keywords: Shared Value; Strategy; Department Stores; Sustainability; Social Responsibility Of Business; Value Creation; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Retail Industry

Web

Past Projects | Social Enterprise | Harvard Business School

leadership among the business community by founding the Ebola Private Sector Mobilization Group (EPSMG). Our project evaluated the role that AM and EPSMG played during the Ebola crisis in Liberia. Measuring the "Impact" in Impact... View Details

Web

History | Social Enterprise | Harvard Business School

social enterprise. 2015 New MBA Elective Public Entrepreneurship is introduced. 2014 HBS-led forum on Business for Social Impact convenes over 100 practitioners and academics to discuss the global role of View Details

January 2020 (Revised October 2023)
Case

Governing PG&E

By: Lynn S. Paine and Will Hurwitz

The five commissioners of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) listened intently at a public forum in April 2019 as PG&E Corporation’s out-going chairman Richard Kelly described the company’s proposed new board. PG&E, which provided electricity and natural... View Details

Teaching Interest

Overview

Since coming to HBS, my teaching interests have centered around the intersection of science and business: entrepreneurship, management, and strategy. More recently, i have become more engaged in considering the emergence of new university models for the translation... View Details

Keywords: Science Business; Biotechnology; Pharmaceuticals; Innovation

13 Dec 2018
Blog Post

Working at the Intersection of Business and Environment

The Business and Environment Initiative is the hub for environmentally-focused research, teaching, and discourse at HBS. We connect faculty, students, alumni, and practitioners to deepen the understanding of the most pressing... View Details

January 2020
Case

Terra Nova: A Social Business Trying to Unlock Land Rights for the Urban Poor in Brazil

By: Julie Battilana, Ruth Costas, Marissa Kimsey and Priscilla Zogbi

Brothers André and Daniel Albuquerque founded the company Terra Nova in 2001 to mediate land disputes between poor families illegally living in urban areas and the official landowners—with the aspiration to improve the lives of the poor. A business-led approach to the... View Details

Keywords: Mission and Purpose; Social Enterprise; Entrepreneurship; Negotiation; Power and Influence; Social Issues; Conflict and Resolution; Business and Government Relations; Infrastructure; Urban Development; Real Estate Industry; Brazil; Latin America

Teaching Interest

Overview

By: Rob Markey

Managing Service Operations - MBA Elective Curriculum

World-class service organizations deeply understand the needs and behaviors of their customers, and design, manage, and improve their operating models accordingly. This course... View Details

Keywords: Customer Lifetime Value; Customer Centric Initiative; Customer Engagement; Service Management; Service Profit Chain; Service Design; Service Models; Service Excellence; Customer Focus and Relationships; Customer Satisfaction; Customer Value and Value Chain; Service Delivery; Service Operations

01 Jun 2013
News

Can Business Smarts Save the Charter School Revolution?

for innovation to fulfill that promise. Charter schools, in other words, might just need a better business plan. School Ties A loosely knit HBS charter network links alumni nationwide. Greg Thompson (MBA 2005) leads the Tennessee Charter... View Details

Keywords: David McKay Wilson; charter schools; Elementary and Secondary Schools; Educational Services

Web

Purpose of the Firm | Institute for Business in Global Society

Purpose of the Firm Companies are increasingly evaluated not just on their financial performance but on their contributions to society. This section investigates the changing purpose of the firm in society and how this can generate new View Details

13 Oct 2015
Research & Ideas

Does Business Get Done the Same Way in Emerging and Developed Countries?

morning meetings. Business was first, but the families were all there as well. Saturdays were business and family affairs. Q: Why has governance evolved that way among some of... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

10 Jun 2022
Blog Post

New Venture Competition 2022: Business and Environment Ventures

disrupt traditional supply chain models by allowing users to carry out digital business through a collaborative supply chain. DIBIZ is dedicated to users who struggle to find and source authentic certified... View Details

18 Jul 2019
Lessons from the Classroom

The Internet of Things Needs a Business Model. Here It Is

says, companies need to be clear about what they offer customers, and be prepared to pursue innovative business models to monetize it. Oftentimes, it’s not immediately obvious how connected devices can help... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Computer

January 2017 (Revised January 2019)
Case

The Rise and Fall of Lehman Brothers

By: Stuart C. Gilson, Kristin Mugford and Sarah L. Abbott

With nearly $700 billion in assets, Lehman was the largest U.S. bankruptcy in history. In 2007, Lehman achieved record earnings of over $4 billion on revenues of $60 billion. By September 2008 the fourth largest investment bank in the world was bankrupt. How had a... View Details

Article

Making 'Green Giants': Environment Sustainability in the German Chemical Industry, 1950s–1980s

By: Geoffrey Jones and Christina Lubinski

This article examines the evolution of corporate environmentalism in the West German chemical industry between the 1950s and the 1980s. It focuses on two companies, Bayer and Henkel, that have been identified as "green giants," and traces the evolution of their... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Green Business; Regional Strategy; Pollution; Henkel; Bayer; Globalization; History; Chemical Industry; Germany; United States