Publications

22 May 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, May 22, 2018

show that, even in a world with perfect capital markets and without differences in innate ability, wealthy parents invest, on average, more in their offspring than poorer ones. As a result, persistence of economic status is higher at the... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

April 2020
Teaching Note

Indigo Agriculture: Harnessing Nature

By: Michael W. Toffel and James Barnett

Teaching Note for HBS No. 620-024. Indigo Agriculture used a digital-enabled research and development (R&D) process to launch its initial product, microbial coatings for agricultural seeds, which increase crop yields while reducing the need for fertilizers. In doing... View Details

Keywords: Operations; Supply Chain; Social Enterprise; Product Development; Distribution Channels; Business Strategy; Digital Platforms; Science-Based Business; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Green Technology Industry; United States; Massachusetts

15 Nov 2011
First Look

First Look: November 15

referring users to all manner of other sites, and in light of striking market concentration among search engines. Read the paper: http://www.nls.ac.in/ojs-2.2.3/index.php/IJLT/article/viewFile/92/72 Measuring the Prevalence of... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

August 2021 (Revised February 2022)
Case

Northvolt: Making the World's Greenest Battery

By: Jurgen R. Weiss and Emilie Billaud

In 2021, the demand for lithium-ion batteries increased rapidly, particularly for electric vehicles. Anxious not to be reliant on Asian players, Europe was keen on developing its own home-grown capacity to control the value chain, maintain employment in Europe, and get... View Details

04 Nov 2009
What Do You Think?

What is the Role of Government Vis-à-Vis Capitalism?

asked, "If we take the invisible hand of capitalism away would we ever learn from our mistakes? The more government steps in the more accountability for actions decreases." Charles Green set forth an opposing view: "In the... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

16 Oct 2017
Research & Ideas

The Most Successful Startups Have Hands-On Founders

the researchers, is intensive mentoring and monitoring of staff. “Because many young companies face both technological and market risks, founders may prioritize dealing with these challenges rather than the more mundane aspects of human... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

11 Feb 2019
Research & Ideas

The Business of Saving the Planet

business by-products. Now, some pioneering companies are exploring healthier ways to operate. How Companies Can Increase Market Rewards for Sustainability EffortsThere is a connection between public sentiment about a company and how the... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Green Technology; Green Technology

12 Nov 2008
First Look

First Look: November 12, 2008

upgrades, or perform a major upgrade with construction and expansion? 2. What emphasis—commitment made to Green Technologies? Purchase this case: http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=208078 FREEJ Harvard Business... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

22 Mar 2011
First Look

First Look: March 22

company's first product, QuietRock, originated the soundproofing drywall category and created a steady stream of revenue. It was now considering how to expand its product line to compete in the rapidly developing green building markets.... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

October 2022
Supplement

Single Earth: Science White Paper Supplement

By: Rembrand Koning and Emer Moloney

Science White Paper prepared by Single.Earth to give an overview of the models and solutions it has developed. View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Climate Change; Environmental Sustainability; Green Technology; Natural Resources; Pollution; Analytics and Data Science; Marketing; Product Marketing; Product Launch; Product Positioning; Markets; Market Timing; Strategy; Green Technology Industry; Estonia

October 2022
Case

Single.Earth

By: Rembrand Koning and Emer Moloney

Estonian greentech company Single.Earth is launching a nature-backed token that is linked to and funds the protection of a specific plot fo land. The first landowners had been onboarded to the company's Digital Twin, a virtual representation of the planet's natural... View Details

Keywords: Alternative Assets; Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Climate Change; Environmental Sustainability; Green Technology; Natural Resources; Pollution; Analytics and Data Science; Marketing; Product Marketing; Product Launch; Product Positioning; Markets; Market Timing; Strategy; Green Technology Industry; Estonia

May 2016 (Revised April 2019)
Case

Olivia Lum: Wanting to Save the World

By: Geoffrey Jones and Essie Alamsyah

This case considers the entrepreneurial career of Olivia Lum, who founded the Singaporean water company Hyflux in 1989. An orphan born in Malaysia, Lum provides a rare case of an entrepreneurial success in a country whose economic success has primarily rested on... View Details

11 Aug 2009
First Look

First Look: August 11, 2009

profit from their private information relating to a specific financial reporting element, goodwill impairments, prior to its incorporation by the equity market or recognition by the firm's accounting system. Download the paper:... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

12 Mar 2007
Research & Ideas

The New Real Estate

some of the best real estate market returns anywhere. Green real estate development in dense locations in our urban centers could have an enormous impact on our energy use. The average home owner in the U.S.... View Details

Keywords: by Arthur I. Segel; Construction; Real Estate

July 2014 (Revised December 2016)
Case

EcoMotors International

By: John D. Macomber and Hermes Alvarez

Eco-Motors, funded in part by Khosla Ventures, has to decide how to go to market with a new technology for internal combustion engines for automotive and industrial use. The OPOC engine has opposed pistons and is a two-stroke engine, as compared to a more traditional... View Details

Keywords: Technological Innovation; Business Model; Customer Value and Value Chain; Engineering; Manufacturing Industry; Green Technology Industry; Auto Industry