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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(1,177)
- People (1)
- News (214)
- Research (804)
- Multimedia (1)
- Faculty Publications (507)
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- 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
Keywords: Industrial Organization; Chinitz; Agglomeration; Clusters; Cities; Mine; Environmental Management; Operations Management; Sustainable Operations; Environmental Regulation; Entrepreneurship; Globalization; History; Operations; Management; Environmental Sustainability; Green Technology Industry; Utilities Industry; China; Singapore
Jones, Geoffrey, and Essie Alamsyah. "Olivia Lum: Wanting to Save the World." Harvard Business School Case 316-178, May 2016. (Revised April 2019.)
- February 2021
- Article
How Transparency into Internal and External Responsibility Initiatives Influences Consumer Choice
By: Ryan W. Buell and Basak Kalkanci
Amid growing calls for transparency and social and environmental responsibility, companies are employing different strategies to improve consumer perceptions of their brands. Some pursue internal initiatives that reduce their negative social or environmental impacts... View Details
Keywords: Sustainable Operations; Corporate Social Responsibility; Operational Transparency; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Operations; Environmental Sustainability; Consumer Behavior; Perception
Buell, Ryan W., and Basak Kalkanci. "How Transparency into Internal and External Responsibility Initiatives Influences Consumer Choice." Management Science 67, no. 2 (February 2021): 932–950.
- 2023
- Working Paper
The Economic and Environmental Effects of Making Electricity Infrastructure Excludable
By: Husnain Fateh Ahmad, Ayesha Ali, Robyn C. Meeks, Zhenxuan Wang and Javed Younas
Electricity theft occurs when individuals cannot be excluded from accessing services. We study the impacts of an infrastructure upgrade in Karachi, Pakistan -- converting bare distribution wires to aerial bundled cables (ABCs) -- that was intended to prevent illegal... View Details
Ahmad, Husnain Fateh, Ayesha Ali, Robyn C. Meeks, Zhenxuan Wang, and Javed Younas. "The Economic and Environmental Effects of Making Electricity Infrastructure Excludable." SSRN Working Paper Series, July 2023.
- May–June 2013
- Article
Can Global Brands Create Just Supply Chains? Response: Promoting Political Mobilization
By: Jodi L. Short and Michael W. Toffel
Codes of conduct indicate that working conditions are improving overall at the factories being monitored by multinational corporations, and that these codes of conduct also create possibilities for political mobilization that can improve labor conditions more broadly. View Details
Keywords: Regulation; Auditing; Labor Relations; Occupational Safety; Environmental Operations; Environmental Regulation; Employees; Labor; Labor and Management Relations; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Manufacturing Industry; China; Bangladesh; India; Honduras; Nicaragua; Pakistan; Guatemala; Malaysia; Viet Nam
Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Can Global Brands Create Just Supply Chains? Response: Promoting Political Mobilization." Boston Review 38, no. 3 (May–June 2013).
- Research Summary
Overview
My research examines how companies manage environmental issues, occupational safety, and working conditions in global supply chains. More recently, I have also begun researching the drivers and implications of CEO activism, where organizational leaders speak out on... View Details
Keywords: Environmental Performance; Environmental Strategy; Labor Management; Transparency; Institutional Theory; Economic Analysis; Quality Improvement; Operations Management; Supply Chain; Regulation; Environmental Sustainability; Safety; Quality; Climate Change; Environmental Regulation; Pollution; Environmental Management; Operations; Supply Chain Management; Manufacturing Industry; Construction Industry; Asia; Europe; United States
- Research Summary
Managing sustainability in supply chains
I am examining codes of conduct, management process standards, and government voluntary programs that address environmental and labor issues, seeking to understand what enables some of these programs to actually deliver on their promise of distinguishing organizations... View Details
- November 2012 (Revised April 2013)
- Case
Colbún and the Future of Chile's Power
By: Forest Reinhardt and Shon R. Hiatt
This case is about Colbún, Chile's second largest electricity generator, which is facing significant uncertainty regarding the cost and availability of alternative energy sources. Problems with the contracted supply of natural gas and the volatility of oil prices,... View Details
Keywords: Energy; Chile; Environmental Protection; Energy Generation; Energy Industry; South America; Chile
Reinhardt, Forest, and Shon R. Hiatt. "Colbún and the Future of Chile's Power ." Harvard Business School Case 713-047, November 2012. (Revised April 2013.)
- Article
Improving Environmental Performance Assessment: Comparative Analysis of Weighting Methods used to Evaluate Chemical Release Inventories
By: Michael W. Toffel and Julian D. Marshall
Toffel, Michael W., and Julian D. Marshall. "Improving Environmental Performance Assessment: Comparative Analysis of Weighting Methods used to Evaluate Chemical Release Inventories." Journal of Industrial Ecology 8, nos. 1-2 (January 2004): 143–172.
- May 2023
- Case
CMA CGM: Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Container Shipping
By: Willy C. Shih and Emilie Billaud
Marine transport is the most cost-effective way to move large volumes over long distances, and container shipping is the backbone of international trade in goods. Yet shipping contributed 3% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, and the deep-sea segment, which... View Details
Keywords: Container Shipping; Logistic Regression; Trade Links; Decarbonization; Environmental Strategies; Environmental Impact; Globalization; Trade; Environmental Regulation; Logistics; Supply Chain; Governance Compliance; Shipping Industry; European Union; Asia; North America
Shih, Willy C., and Emilie Billaud. "CMA CGM: Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Container Shipping." Harvard Business School Case 623-006, May 2023.
- Forthcoming
- Article
Sending a Message: An Empirical Assessment of Responses to Punitive and Non-punitive Compliance Messaging Strategies
By: Jodi L. Short, Michael W. Toffel, Elizabeth A. Keenan and Melissa Ouellet
Regulators operate in an increasingly hostile political environment. The U.S. Supreme Court is ramping up efforts to curtail the authority of administrative agencies. The second election of Donald Trump to the presidency has unleashed a torrent of anti-regulatory... View Details
Keywords: Field Experiment; Compliance; Compliance Programs; Compliance Policies; Regulatory Enforcement; Environmental Regulation; Environmental Policy; Government Experimentation; Governance Compliance; Government Administration; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Business and Government Relations; Construction Industry; Public Administration Industry; California; United States
Short, Jodi L., Michael W. Toffel, Elizabeth A. Keenan, and Melissa Ouellet. "Sending a Message: An Empirical Assessment of Responses to Punitive and Non-punitive Compliance Messaging Strategies." Ecology Law Quarterly (forthcoming).
- September 2023
- Supplement
CMA CGM: Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Container Shipping
By: Willy C. Shih
Marine transport is the most cost-effective way to move large volumes over long distances, and container shipping is the backbone of international trade in goods. Yet shipping contributed 3% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, and the deep-sea segment, which... View Details
Keywords: Container Shipping; Trade Links; Decarbonization; Environmental Strategies; Environmental Impact; Globalization; Trade; Environmental Regulation; Supply Chain; Logistics; Shipping Industry; European Union; Asia; North America
Shih, Willy C. "CMA CGM: Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Container Shipping." Harvard Business School Supplement 624-708, September 2023.
- February 2014 (Revised June 2014)
- Case
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.: Safety, Environment and Health
By: John A. Quelch and Margaret L. Rodriguez
In January 2014, Gary Bald, senior vice president of Safety, Environment and Health at Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCL), prepared for a review meeting with the company's chief executive, Adam Goldstein, and chairman, Richard Fain. Prior to joining RCL in 2006, Bald... View Details
Keywords: Marketing; Market Segmentation; Operations; Shipbuilding; Cruising; Cruise Lines; Royal Caribbean; Carnival; Environmental And Social Sustainability; Environment; Security; Health; Public Health; Environmental Protection; Health Care; International; Safety; Environmental Sustainability; Travel Industry; Health Industry; Europe; West Indies; Mexico; United States; United Kingdom
Quelch, John A., and Margaret L. Rodriguez. "Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.: Safety, Environment and Health." Harvard Business School Case 514-069, February 2014. (Revised June 2014.)
- August 2021 (Revised October 2024)
- Case
Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion
By: Michael W. Toffel, Kenneth P. Pucker and Eren Kuzucu
The Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion (A) case introduces Allbirds as a footwear startup not only focused on simple design, comfort, and sustainable natural materials but on decarbonizing the wider fashion industry. Background material highlights the growing... View Details
Keywords: Decarbonization; Climate Impact; Environmental Strategy; Innovation; Product Design; Supply Chain Management; Innovation Strategy; Innovation and Management; Product Development; Climate Change; Environmental Management; Environmental Sustainability; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Fashion Industry; United States; California
Toffel, Michael W., Kenneth P. Pucker, and Eren Kuzucu. "Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion (A)." Harvard Business School Case 622-024, August 2021. (Revised October 2024.)
- September 2023
- Background Note
Amager Bakke: Municipal Waste to Energy
By: Willy Shih, Michael W. Toffel and Kelsey Carter
This background note describes the Amager Bakke waste-to-energy (WtE) plant in Copenhagen, which merges traditional waste incineration with a combined heat and power (CHP) plant and air pollution control (scrubbing) technology, and had plans to add carbon dioxide (CO2)... View Details
Keywords: Decarbonization; Innovation; Innovation Focused Strategy; Environmental Operations; Circular; Waste Heat Recovery; Waste Management; Carbon Regulation; Buildings and Facilities; Energy Generation; Environmental Sustainability; Pollution; Climate Change; Wastes and Waste Processing; Innovation Leadership; Innovation Strategy; Energy Industry; Denmark; Netherlands; Europe; European Union
Shih, Willy, Michael W. Toffel, and Kelsey Carter. "Amager Bakke: Municipal Waste to Energy." Harvard Business School Background Note 624-040, September 2023.
- April 2025
- Teaching Note
Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion (A) and (B)
By: Michael W. Toffel, Ken Pucker and Stacy Straaberg
Teaching Note for HBS Case Nos. 622-024, 625-004, 625-005, and 625-702. The Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion (A) case introduces Allbirds as a footwear startup not only focused on simple design, comfort, and sustainable natural materials but on decarbonizing the wider... View Details
Keywords: Decarbonization; Climate Impact; Environmental Strategy; Innovation; Product Design; Supply Chain Management; Innovation Strategy; Innovation and Management; Product Development; Climate Change; Environmental Management; Environmental Sustainability; Business Startups; Initial Public Offering; Knowledge Sharing; Competitive Advantage; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Fashion Industry; United States; California
- 2013
- Working Paper
Debating the Responsibility of Capitalism in Historical and Global Perspective
By: Geoffrey Jones
This working paper examines the evolution of concepts of the responsibility of business in a historical and global perspective. It shows that from the nineteenth century American, European, Japanese, Indian and other business leaders discussed the responsibilities of... View Details
Keywords: Rachel Carson; Sustainability; Local Food; Operations Management; Supply Chain; Business And Society; Business Ethics; Business History; Corporate Philanthropy; Corporate Social Responsibility; Corporate Social Responsibility And Impact; Environmentalism; Environmental Entrepreneurship; Environmental And Social Sustainability; Ethics; Globalization; History; Religion; Consumer Products Industry; Chemical Industry; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Energy Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Forest Products Industry; Green Technology Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Asia; Europe; Latin America; Middle East; North and Central America; Africa
Jones, Geoffrey. "Debating the Responsibility of Capitalism in Historical and Global Perspective." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 14-004, July 2013.
- Article
Managing Climate Change: Lessons from the U.S. Navy
By: Forest Reinhardt and Michael W. Toffel
The U.S. Navy operates on the front lines of climate change. It manages tens of billions of dollars in assets on every continent and on every ocean, which take many years to design and build and then have decades of useful life. This means that it needs to understand... View Details
Keywords: Climate Change; Environment; Military; Disaster Relief; Refugees; Environmental Impact; Environmental Strategy; Sustainability; Energy; Energy Conservation; Energy Sources; Energy Generation; Globalization; Innovation and Invention; Leadership; Strategic Planning; Problems and Challenges; Risk and Uncertainty; Supply Chain; Operations; Logistics; Infrastructure; Strategy; Environmental Sustainability; Service Industry
Reinhardt, Forest, and Michael W. Toffel. "Managing Climate Change: Lessons from the U.S. Navy." Harvard Business Review 95, no. 4 (July–August 2017): 102–111.
- 2024
- Working Paper
Second- versus Third-party Audit Quality: Evidence from Global Supply Chain Monitoring
By: Maria R. Ibanez, Ashley Palmarozzo, Jodi L. Short and Michael W. Toffel
Capitalizing on the superior credibility and flexibility and potential lower cost of external assessments, many global buyers are relying less on their own employee (“second-party”) auditors and more on third-party auditors to monitor and prevent environmental and... View Details
Keywords: Auditing; Audit Quality; Working Conditions; Sustainability; Empirical Operations; Empirical Service Operations; Sustainability Management; Corporate Accountability; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Supply Chain Management
Ibanez, Maria R., Ashley Palmarozzo, Jodi L. Short, and Michael W. Toffel. "Second- versus Third-party Audit Quality: Evidence from Global Supply Chain Monitoring." Working Paper, August 2024.
- April 2025
- Supplement
Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion PowerPoint Supplement
By: Michael W. Toffel, Ken Pucker and Stacy Straaberg
The Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion (A) case introduces Allbirds as a footwear startup not only focused on simple design, comfort, and sustainable natural materials but on decarbonizing the wider fashion industry. Background material highlights the growing... View Details
Keywords: Decarbonization; Climate Impact; Environmental Strategy; Innovation; Product Design; Supply Chain Management; Innovation Strategy; Innovation and Management; Product Development; Climate Change; Environmental Management; Environmental Sustainability; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Fashion Industry; United States; California
- August 2012 (Revised September 2013)
- Case
EnerNOC: DemandSMART
By: Michael W. Toffel, Kira Fabrizio and Stephanie van Sice
EnerNOC is an energy company with an innovative business model: it serves as an intermediary between electric utilities and electricity users. It contracts with electricity users willing to reduce demand during periods of peak energy demand, and sells this as excess... View Details
Keywords: Production Planning; Productivity; Environmental Protection; Energy; Environment; Business Government Relations; Laws And Regulation; Business Model; Environmental Sustainability; Innovation and Invention; Opportunities; Risk and Uncertainty; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Supply Chain Management; Production; Energy Conservation; Energy Industry
Toffel, Michael W., Kira Fabrizio, and Stephanie van Sice. "EnerNOC: DemandSMART." Harvard Business School Case 613-036, August 2012. (Revised September 2013.)