Publications

2020
Chapter

Ethical Business, Corruption and Economic Development in Comparative Perspective

By: Janet Hunter and G. Jones

This chapter contextualises the drivers of corruption in Turkish business through comparisons with Japan and India in the late 19th century. It identifies the developmental state as a common driver of corruption. Catching up by using extensive state intervention had... View Details

Keywords: Corruption; Crime and Corruption; Economic Growth; Turkey; Middle East; Central Asia; Japan; India

2012
Working Paper

'Power from Sunshine': A Business History of Solar Energy

By: Geoffrey Jones and Loubna Bouamane

This working paper provides a longitudinal perspective on the business history of solar energy between the nineteenth century and the present day. It covers early attempts to develop solar energy, the use of passive solar in architecture before World War 2, and the... View Details

Keywords: Renewable Energy; Business History; Policy; Entrepreneurship; Innovation and Invention; Business Model; Energy Industry

2013
Working Paper

Historical Origins of Environmental Sustainability in the German Chemical Industry, 1950s-1980s

By: Geoffrey Jones and Christina Lubinski

This working paper examines the growth of corporate environmentalism in the West German chemical industry between the 1950s and the 1980s. German business has been regarded as pioneering corporate environmentalism after World War II. In contrast, this study reveals... View Details

Keywords: Sustainability; Green Business; Pollution; Environmental Sustainability; Business History; Chemical Industry; Germany; United States

SSRN

07 Nov 2017
First Look

New Research and Ideas: November 7, 2017

Fall 2017 Business History Review The Alternative Business History: Business in Emerging Markets By: Austin, Gareth, Carlos Davila, and Geoffrey Jones Abstract—This article suggests that the business history... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

Fall 2017
Article

The Alternative Business History: Business in Emerging Markets

By: Gareth Austin, Carlos Davila and Geoffrey Jones

This article suggests that the business history of emerging markets should be seen as an alternative business history rather than merely adding new settings to explore established core debates. The discipline of business history evolved around the corporate strategies... View Details

Keywords: Globalization; History; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Developing Countries and Economies; Business History; Asia; Latin America; Africa

Find at Harvard

2017
Working Paper

Business History, the Great Divergence and the Great Convergence

By: Geoffrey Jones

This working paper provides a business history perspective on debates about the Great Divergence, the rise of the income gap between the West and the Rest, and the more recent Great Convergence, which has seen a narrowing of that gap. The literature on the timing and... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Economics; History; Wealth and Poverty; Developing Countries and Economies; Economic Growth

SSRN

Article

U.S. Multinationals in British Manufacturing before 1962

By: G. Jones and Frances Bostock

This article presents a new database on U.S. multinationals active in British manufacturing between 1907 and 1962. Britain was the largest European host economy for U.S. direct investment in manufacturing and the second largest host worldwide. This article identifies... View Details

Keywords: Production; Trade; Foreign Direct Investment; Research and Development; Business Subsidiaries; Policy; Investment; Manufacturing Industry; United States; Great Britain

Find at Harvard

20 Apr 2010
First Look

First Look: April 20

Industry Author: Geoffrey Jones Publication: Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2010 Abstract The global beauty business permeates our lives, influencing how we perceive ourselves and what it is... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

2016
Working Paper

Entrepreneurs and the Co-Creation of Ecotourism in Costa Rica

By: Geoffrey Jones and Andrew Spadafora

Between the 1970s and the 2000s, Costa Rica became established as the world’s leading ecotourism destination. This working paper suggests that although Costa Rica benefited from biodiversity and a pleasant climate, the country’s preeminence in ecotourism requires more... View Details

Keywords: Tourism; Latin America; Business History; Sustainable Strategy; Sustainability; Nonprofit; Entrepreneurs; Environment; Entrepreneurship; History; Environmental Sustainability; Tourism Industry; Costa Rica

SSRN

16 Mar 2010
First Look

First Look: March 16

PublicationsRenewing Unilever: Transformation and Tradition Author:Geoffrey Jones Publication:Istanbul: Is Bankasi Kultur Yayinlari, 2010, Turkish ed. Abstract Unilever's brands can now be found in one out of every two households in the... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

08 Sep 2010
First Look

First Look: September 8, 2010

more deliberate and slower pace of product development and approval that is typical in healthcare. Purchase this case:http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/810143-PDF-ENG The Guggenheims and Chilean Nitrates Geoffrey View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

26 Jun 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, June 26, 2018

forthcoming Journal of International Business Studies Organizational Innovation in the Multinational Enterprise: Internalization Theory and Business History By: da Silva Lopes, Teresa, Mark Casson, and G. View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

2014
Chapter

Schumpeter's Plea: Historical Reasoning in Entrepreneurial Theory and Research

By: G. Jones and R. Daniel Wadhwani

This chapter draws on theories of entrepreneurship and history to explore the ways in which historical processes play an integral role in entrepreneurship. It builds off the plea by Joseph Schumpeter for an active exchange between historical approaches and theories of... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurs; Business History; Entrepreneurship; History; Organizations

Find at Harvard

October 2004 (Revised July 2013)
Case

Making China Beautiful: Shiseido and the China Market

By: Geoffrey G. Jones, Akiko Kanno and Masako Egawa

Describes the multinational growth of Shiseido, the world's fourth-largest cosmetics company, with a focus on its strategy in China since 1981. Explores the challenges facing firms in the globalization of a culturally specific industry such as cosmetics. The Japanese... View Details

Keywords: Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Globalized Firms and Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Resource Allocation; Competition; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; China; Japan

Educators

08 Apr 2008
First Look

First Look: April 8, 2008

case: http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=806071 PublicationsMerchants to Multinationals Authors:Geoffrey G. Jones Publication:Athens: Alexandria Publications, 2008, Greek... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

March 2006 (Revised October 2006)
Teaching Note

L'Oreal and the Globalization of American Beauty (TN)

Teaching Note to 805086. View Details

Keywords: Beauty and Cosmetics Industry

July 2003 (Revised February 2004)
Background Note

Multinationals and the First Global Economy before 1914

Reviews the literature on the growth of globalization before 1914 and examines the role of multinationals in the process. View Details

Keywords: History; Multinational Firms and Management; Growth and Development

Educators

Teaching Interest

Overview

I currently teach the history of global entrepreneurship over the last 200 years. The 28-session course called Entrepreneurship and Global Capitalism has become one of the most popular second year electives in the MBA program at the Harvard Business School. The cases,... View Details

July 2005 (Revised April 2007)
Teaching Note

Brazil at the Wheel (TN)

Teaching Note to (9-804-080). View Details

Keywords: Brazil