Publications

August 2011
Supplement

Better World Books Video

By: Michael I. Norton, Fiona Wilson, Jill Avery and Thomas Steenburgh

This video contains an interview with David Murphy, CEO of Better World Books. Topics discussed include: the opportunities and constraints offered by having a social mission, an update on the company, and the future of Better World Books. View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development; Management Teams; Business Model; Social Enterprise; Publishing Industry

February 2018 (Revised August 2018)
Case

OpenInvest

By: Shawn Cole, Boris Vallée and Nicole Tempest Keller

Founded by a team of hedge fund and NGO alumni, OpenInvest launched its platform in 2015 to enable retail investors to tailor their portfolios to their personal values in an automated way, for instance by screening out weapons manufacturers stocks or overweighting... View Details

Keywords: Fintech; Impact Investing; Investment Portfolio; Customization and Personalization; Technological Innovation; Social Issues; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Model; Financial Services Industry

2020
Working Paper

Nonprofit Boards: It Is time to Lift Your Gaze and See the System

By: Shamal Dass, Kristy Muir and V. Kasturi Rangan

Nonprofits the world over have faced significant crises in 2020, leaving them and their constituents in precarious positions. Responses to these crises have demonstrated incredible agility. However, they have also demonstrated that the first two levels of governance... View Details

Keywords: Nonprofit Organizations; Governing and Advisory Boards; Health Pandemics; Governance; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; System; Framework

SSRN

2007
Working Paper

Diasporas and Domestic Entrepreneurs: Evidence from the Indian Software Industry

By: Ramana Nanda and Tarun Khanna

This study explores the importance of cross-border social networks for entrepreneurs in developing countries by examining ties between the Indian expatriate community and local entrepreneurs in India's software industry. We find that local entrepreneurs who have... View Details

Keywords: Diasporas; Developing Countries and Economies; Entrepreneurship; Financing and Loans; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Social and Collaborative Networks; Technology Industry; India

24 Mar 2022
News

Ripe for Revolution

October 2002 (Revised May 2004)
Case

Starbucks and Conservation International

By: James E. Austin and Cate Reavis

Starbucks, the world's leading specialty coffee company, developed a strategic alliance with Conservation International, a major international environmental nonprofit organization. The purpose of the alliance was to promote coffee-growing practices of small farms that... View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Growth and Development Strategy; Markets; Demand and Consumers; Production; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Cooperative Ownership; Performance Efficiency; Alliances; Nonprofit Organizations; Food and Beverage Industry; Mexico

Web

Organizational Behavior - Doctoral

the influence of individuals on organizational change, or the relationship between social missions and financial objectives. Your core disciplinary training will take place in either the psychology or sociology departments, depending on... View Details

April–June 2012
Article

Hybrid Organizations: The Next Chapter in Sustainable Business

By: Nardia Haigh and Andrew J. Hoffman

In this article, we describe how hybrid organizations are developing business models that are competitive and create positive social and environmental change. We discuss the distinctive characteristics of the hybrid business model, both conceptually and in practice. We... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Mission and Purpose; Environmental Management; Social Enterprise

February 2022
Case

US Foods: Driving Post-Pandemic Success?

By: David E. Bell, Olivia Hull and Amy Klopfenstein

In November 2021, US Foods CEO Pietro Satriano must decide his company’s trajectory following the COVID-19 pandemic. US Foods suffered due to business closures and social distancing during the height of the pandemic. While the situation improved following the return of... View Details

November 2022 (Revised October 2024)
Case

'A Marshall Plan for Africa': James Mwangi and Equity Group Holdings

By: Caroline M. Elkins, Debora L. Spar, Zeke Gillman and Julia M. Comeau

Financial Inclusion. Dignity. Trust. These were the core principles driving James Mwangi’s transformation of Equity Building Society, insolvent in 1991, into what is, today, Equity Group Holdings, East and Central Africa’s largest retail banking institution. Raised in... View Details

Keywords: Income Inequality; Micro Finance; Microcredit; Microfinance; Banks and Banking; Equality and Inequality; Mission and Purpose; Business Model; Social Entrepreneurship; Banking Industry; Financial Services Industry; Africa; Kenya

November 2007 (Revised June 2016)
Background Note

Differences at Work: The Individual Experience

By: Sandra J. Sucher

This note presents some basic concepts and findings from social science research that can help you anticipate and manage some of the complexities of differences at work. View Details

Keywords: Demographics

June 2024
Article

Redistributive Allocation Mechanisms

By: Mohammad Akbarpour, Piotr Dworczak and Scott Duke Kominers

Many scarce public resources are allocated at below-market-clearing prices, and sometimes for free. Such "non-market" mechanisms sacrifice some surplus, yet they can potentially improve equity. We develop a model of mechanism design with redistributive concerns. Agents... View Details

Keywords: Equality and Inequality; Welfare; Mathematical Methods; Market Design; Cost vs Benefits

SSRN

22 Mar 2022
Cold Call Podcast

How Etsy Found Its Purpose and Crafted a Turnaround

Keywords: Re: Ranjay Gulati; Technology; Retail

October 2009
Article

A Decision-making Perspective to Negotiation: A Review of the Past and a Look into the Future

By: Chia-Jung Tsay and Max Bazerman

Through the decision-analytic approach to negotiations, the past quarter century has seen the development of a better dialog between the descriptive and the prescriptive, as well as a burgeoning interest in the field for both academics and practitioners. Researchers... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Negotiation; Perspective; Ethics; Emotions; Perception; Relationships; Management Practices and Processes; Training; Behavior

Find at Harvard

9 AM – 10 AM EDT, 04 Sep 2019
HBS Online

HBS Online Sustainable Business Strategy

Learn how to become a purpose-centered business leader while examining the critical role that businesses play in solving the world's big problems, including climate change, income inequality, and social injustice. Program Dates: September 4, 2019 - September 25, 2019 View Details

9 AM – 10 AM EDT, 17 Apr 2019
HBS Online

HBS Online Sustainable Business Strategy

Learn how to become a purpose-centered business leader while examining the critical role that businesses play in solving the world's big problems, including climate change, income inequality, and social injustice. Program Dates: April 17, 2019 - May 8, 2019 View Details

12 May 2015
Other Presentation

Shared Value and Strategy (Video)

By: Michael E. Porter

Harvard Business School Professor Michael E. Porter presents at the Shared Value Leadership Summit on how creating both business and social value makes a company stand out against the competition. View Details

Keywords: Society; Strategy; Competitive Advantage; United States