Publications

Article

People Make It So Hard to Ditch Plastic Straws

By: Scott Duke Kominers

Rarely has a minor consumer product received more vilification than the plastic straw. As a symbol of human wastefulness and our careless disregard for the environment, straws are the near-perfect villain. You use a plastic straw once and toss it, but it stays with us... View Details

Keywords: Environmental Sustainability; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Consumer Behavior

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2015
Chapter

Staying the Same While Changing: Organizational Identity in the Face of Environmental Challenges

By: Mary Ann Glynn, Christi Lockwood and Ryan Raffaelli

We explore the role of organizational identity in the adoption of new sustainability practices, focusing on how identity functions as a driver of (or sometimes a drag on) adoption. Drawing on illustrations from the U.S. hotel industry, we examine how sustainability... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Mission and Purpose; Organizational Culture; Environmental Sustainability; Adoption; Accommodations Industry; United States

1990
Chapter

From Cross-Border Corporate Transactions to Environmental Accords

By: James K. Sebenius

Keywords: Globalized Firms and Management; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Agreements and Arrangements; Environmental Sustainability

June 2012 (Revised February 2014)
Case

Low-Carbon, Indigenous Innovation in China

By: Richard H.K. Vietor

For the past seven years or so, the Chinese government has been powering ahead with industrial policies to promote low-carbon energy technologies—wind, solar, electric batteries and vehicles, nuclear power, and even carbon capture and sequestration. In 2009, the... View Details

Keywords: Energy; Renewables; Carbon; Environment; Industrial Policy; Competitiveness; Environmental Sustainability; Policy; Renewable Energy; Competition; Globalized Markets and Industries; Energy Industry; China

January 2008 (Revised February 2008)
Case

Restructuring at Nova Chemical Corporation

Management of a diversified chemicals company faces two financial decisions: whether to finance a major investment in new production facilities for its rapidly expanding Environmental Products Division, and whether to sell a more slowly growing non-specialty chemicals... View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Decision Choices and Conditions; Chemicals; Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Finance; Chemical Industry

2008
Working Paper

Resolving Information Asymmetries in Markets: The Role of Certified Management Programs

By: Michael W. Toffel

Firms and regulators are increasingly relying on voluntary mechanisms to signal and infer quality of difficult-to-observe management practices. Prior evaluations of voluntary management programs have focused on those that lack verification mechanisms and have found... View Details

Keywords: Management Practices and Processes; Information; Standards; Performance Improvement; Programs; Environmental Sustainability; Manufacturing Industry; United States

SSRN

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February 2011
Supplement

Carbon Trading Simulation: Brown Cement Inc.

By: Peter A. Coles

This simulation presents students the opportunity to experience firsthand the economics of carbon markets and permit trading. Each student has private role information about a company he or she manages. The student must make decisions about pollution-reducing... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Economics; Investment; Business or Company Management; Market Design; Pollutants

February 2011
Supplement

Carbon Trading Simulation: Black Cement Inc.

By: Peter A. Coles

This simulation presents students the opportunity to experience firsthand the economics of carbon markets and permit trading. Each student has private role information about a company he or she manages. The student must make decisions about pollution-reducing... View Details

Keywords: Market Design; Pollutants; Investment; Price; Profit; Agreements and Arrangements; Decisions; Service Industry; Energy Industry

2018
Working Paper

Corporate Sustainability: A Strategy?

By: George Serafeim

We explore the conditions under which firms maintain their competitive advantage through sustainability-based differentiation when faced with imitation pressures by industry peers. We document growing intraindustry convergence on sustainability actions over time for... View Details

Keywords: Sustainability; Corporate Performance; Industry Analysis; CSR; ESG; ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Performance; Environment; Social Responsibility; Strategy And Execution; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Strategy; Performance; Corporate Strategy

Keywords: Aviation & Aerospace;#13;#Biotech & Life Sciences;#20;#Ecommerce;#24;#Electronics & Hardware;#28;#Energy, Oil, Renewables, & Environment;#31;#Finance;#37;#Gaming;#45;#Insurance;#58;#Real Estate & Housing;#64;#Software/App;#75;#Venture Capital

SSRN

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Research Summary

Overview

By: Kyle R. Myers

Professor Myers studies the economics of what determines the rate and direction of innovation. He has examined the reallocation of scientists through the use of targeted research grants at the National Institutes of Health, and is working to further understand how... View Details

01 Feb 1998
News

Former HBS Dean Fouraker Dies at 74

organization, Fouraker was the author of a number of publications and journal articles. A study (with Sidney Siegel) titled Bargaining and Group Decision-Making won the 1959 monograph prize in the social sciences from the American Academy... View Details

01 Jun 2016
News

In My Humble Opinion: Julie Bishop (AMP 151, 1996)

later she defeated a seasoned incumbent to win a seat in parliament. Her experience led to cabinet positions including Minister for Ageing, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women’s Issues, and Minister for Education, Science and... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; photography by X99/Zuma

01 Jun 2015
News

Rebooting Europe

through 2019. “The big objective of my tenure is to help Europe to be able to have an ecosystem where you can actually create the conditions for fundamental science and research to be transformed into real products and businesses that... View Details

Keywords: Janelle Nanos; European Union; Government; Health, Social Assistance

25 Sep 2017
Blog Post

Michael Schrader (MBA 2012) on Finding Entrepreneurial Success with HBS Resources

Kosuda and Harvard Law School student Patrick Ho in the Commercializing Science course at HBS. The course brings together graduate students from across Harvard University to build viable business ventures. Vaxess Technologies, a company... View Details

Arjun Chopra

Highest Honors (summa cum laude) with a BS in Computer Sciences from The University of Texas at Austin, where he was an Endowed Presidential scholar and a recipient of the Vice President of Research Fellowship. As an HBS student, he was... View Details

01 Dec 2016
News

The Power of Many

Pagliuca, the lab, opened in November, offers shared space for high-potential life sciences and biotech startups that are founded by Harvard faculty, alumni, students, and postdoctoral scholars. The 15,000-square-foot facility has fully... View Details

January 2025
Case

Negotiating with Data: Analytics FC (A)

By: Jillian Jordan and Livia Alfonsi

Analytics FC was a UK-based sports consultancy that focused on international football (soccer), leveraging cutting-edge data-analytic techniques to support clubs, federations, and players. In 2022, Alex Greenwood, an elite female defender, approached the company for... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Preparation; Gender; Analytics and Data Science; Reputation; Value Creation; Consulting Industry; Sports Industry; Europe; United Kingdom

April 2024
Teaching Note

Ferrari: Shifting to Carbon Neutrality

By: Raffaella Sadun

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 723-446. A sports car manufacturer commits to carbon neutrality and to electrifying a large part of its car fleet. View Details

Keywords: Strategic Planning; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Leadership Style; Environmental Sustainability; Auto Industry; Italy

2022
Case

Interface: The Journey Toward Carbon Negative

By: Andrew J. Hoffman

Interface has been a leading innovator in the carpet industry, specializing in the manufacturing of carpet tiles for commercial flooring. This case describes the history, context, and technology behind the company's development of its newest sustainable... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Innovation and Invention; Environmental Sustainability; Environmental Accounting