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- All HBS Web
(2,727)
- People (2)
- News (266)
- Research (2,218)
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- Faculty Publications (1,771)
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- December 2010 (Revised March 2013)
- Case
Asian Agri and the Future of Palm Oil
By: David E. Bell and Natalie Kindred
For Asian Agri and other Indonesian palm oil producers, the future promised rising demand from fast-growing Asian populations, but also intensifying criticism from environmental groups. With the highest yield and lowest production cost of any edible oil, palm oil... View Details
Keywords: Plant-Based Agribusiness; Social Marketing; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Business Strategy; Supply Chain Management; Natural Environment; Marketing Strategy; Environmental Sustainability; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Indonesia; Malaysia
Bell, David E., and Natalie Kindred. "Asian Agri and the Future of Palm Oil." Harvard Business School Case 511-015, December 2010. (Revised March 2013.)
- 23 Oct 2000
- Research & Ideas
The Strategy-Focused Organization
illustrate how major organizations have used the Scorecard to create an entirely new performance management framework that puts strategy at the center of a company's key management processes and systems.... View Details
Keywords: by Robert S. Kaplan & David P. Norton
- March 2025
- Article
Limited Accountability and Awareness of Corporate Emissions Target Outcomes
By: Xiaoyan Jiang, Shawn Kim and Shirley Lu
Firms are increasingly announcing targets to reduce their carbon emissions, but it is unclear whether firms are held accountable for these targets. Here we examine emissions targets that ended in 2020 to investigate the final target outcomes, the transparency of target... View Details
Keywords: Carbon Emissions; Goals and Objectives; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Corporate Accountability; Environmental Sustainability; Public Opinion
Jiang, Xiaoyan, Shawn Kim, and Shirley Lu. "Limited Accountability and Awareness of Corporate Emissions Target Outcomes." Nature Climate Change 15, no. 3 (March 2025): 279–286.
- October 2008 (Revised October 2009)
- Case
Shaklee Corporation: Corporate Social Responsibility
By: Christopher Marquis, V. Kasturi Rangan and Alison Comings
Having bought Shaklee Corporation from Yamanouchi, Roger Barnett, its owner and CEO, wrestled with the question of how to grow the company and its reputation for environmental sustainability. In addition to preserving the "network marketing" nature of its sales channel... View Details
Keywords: Business Model; Growth and Development Strategy; Marketing Channels; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Reputation
Marquis, Christopher, V. Kasturi Rangan, and Alison Comings. "Shaklee Corporation: Corporate Social Responsibility." Harvard Business School Case 509-031, October 2008. (Revised October 2009.)
- September 2023
- Teaching Note
Patagonia: 'Earth Is Now Our Only Shareholder'
By: Brian Trelstad, Nien-hê Hsieh, Michael Norris and Susan Pinckney
Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 323-057. Patagonia’s change of ownership from a privately held company to a perpetual purpose trust and 501(c)(4) nonprofit in order to use the company’s profit to fight the environmental crisis and be a model for future businesses. View Details
Keywords: Trusts; Business Ventures; Business Organization; Family Business; Restructuring; Change; Disruption; Transition; Decision Making; Ethics; Values and Beliefs; Finance; Financial Management; Governance; Corporate Governance; Investment Activism; Innovation Leadership; Labor; Law; Common Law; Management; Goals and Objectives; Organizations; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Ownership; Ownership Type; Family Ownership; Private Ownership; Social Enterprise; Nonprofit Organizations; Society; Social Issues; Wealth and Poverty; Value; Value Creation; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States
- July 1993 (Revised September 1995)
- Case
Block 16: Conoco's "Green" Oil Strategy (A)
By: Malcolm S. Salter and Susan E.A. Hall
Conoco's attempted to win an oil development contract in Ecuador's tropical rain forest. The case discusses government perspectives, environmental perspectives, and indigenous people's perspectives. Allows role playing in a "negotiating forum" set up by Conoco to get... View Details
Keywords: Governance; Contracts; Growth and Development Strategy; Negotiation; Practice; Business and Community Relations; Environmental Sustainability; Perspective; Culture; Corporate Strategy; Latin America
Salter, Malcolm S., and Susan E.A. Hall. Block 16: Conoco's "Green" Oil Strategy (A). Harvard Business School Case 394-001, July 1993. (Revised September 1995.)
- 12 Sep 2023
- What Do You Think?
Who Gets the Loudest Voice in DEI Decisions?
(AdobeStock/ Katleho S/peopleimages.com) Business leaders today face decisions of increasing complexity. They have to take into account far more than economics, in particular the increasing influence of matters under debate in the broader society. Let’s imagine that... View Details
Keywords: by James Heskett
- October 2021 (Revised May 2023)
- Case
Engine No.1: An Impact Investing Firm Engages with ExxonMobil
By: Mark Kramer, Shawn Cole, Vikram S. Gandhi and T. Robert Zochowski
ExxonMobil, the world's fifth largest source of carbon emissions, remained committed to aggressively expanding its oil & gas business despite global warming. During the COVID pandemic this strategy resulted in massive losses as the price and demand for oil declined. ... View Details
Keywords: Carbon Emissions; Global Warming; Impact Investment Funds; Hedge Fund Activism; Leadership Development; Business Model; Renewable Energy; Resource Allocation; Decision Choices and Conditions; Governing and Advisory Boards
Kramer, Mark, Shawn Cole, Vikram S. Gandhi, and T. Robert Zochowski. "Engine No. 1: An Impact Investing Firm Engages with ExxonMobil." Harvard Business School Case 222-028, October 2021. (Revised May 2023.)
- December 2019 (Revised December 2022)
- Case
TXU (A): Powering the Largest Leveraged Buyout in History
By: Trevor Fetter, Erik Snowberg and Rebecca M. Henderson
This case is designed to support a lively discussion about the relative merits of shareholder vs. stakeholder perspectives in the context of a company that provides a vital public service that has important environmental implications. The 2007 purchase of TXU, the... View Details
Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Transformation; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Environmental Sustainability; Business and Shareholder Relations; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Energy Generation; Non-Renewable Energy; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Utilities Industry; Energy Industry; Texas
Fetter, Trevor, Erik Snowberg, and Rebecca M. Henderson. "TXU (A): Powering the Largest Leveraged Buyout in History." Harvard Business School Case 320-064, December 2019. (Revised December 2022.)
- August 2006 (Revised October 2012)
- Case
Natura: Global Beauty Made in Brazil
By: Geoffrey G. Jones and Ricardo Reisen de Pinho
Explores the globalization strategies of Natura, Brazil's largest cosmetics company. Founded in 1969, Natura grew using a direct selling model. Led by its three founders, the firm made distinctive use of Brazil's diversity and became characterized by high ethical and... View Details
Keywords: Global Strategy; Globalized Firms and Management; Globalized Markets and Industries; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Brazil
Jones, Geoffrey G., and Ricardo Reisen de Pinho. "Natura: Global Beauty Made in Brazil." Harvard Business School Case 807-029, August 2006. (Revised October 2012.)
- Forthcoming
- Article
Corporate Alignment with the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities: First Evidence from Financial Accounting Data
By: Alex Cheema-Fox, Megan Czasonis, Piyush Kontu and George Serafeim
What is sustainable? This question is of paramount importance given the trillions of assets invested according to different sustainability criteria. While until now we have had no standard for answering this question, the European Union's (EU) Taxonomy for sustainable... View Details
Keywords: Financial Accounting; Capital Expenditures; Revenues; Sustainability; Regulation; Accounting; Finance; Climate Change; Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Disclosure; Europe; European Union
Cheema-Fox, Alex, Megan Czasonis, Piyush Kontu, and George Serafeim. "Corporate Alignment with the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities: First Evidence from Financial Accounting Data." Journal of Applied Corporate Finance (forthcoming). (Pre-published online April 24, 2025.)
- July 2024 (Revised December 2024)
- Background Note
District Heating: An Overview
By: Willy Shih and Michael W. Toffel
This note provides an overview of district heating: systems in which central plants generate heat that is conveyed by steam or water through a set of insulated pipes to send heat to residential and/or commercial buildings. It describes key elements of the system (heat... View Details
Keywords: Decarbonization; Energy Efficiency; Energy Storage; Energy Transmission; Construction; Energy; Buildings and Facilities; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Climate Change; Operations; Energy Industry; Denmark; Europe; United States
Shih, Willy, and Michael W. Toffel. "District Heating: An Overview." Harvard Business School Background Note 625-008, July 2024. (Revised December 2024.)
- March 2003 (Revised July 2004)
- Case
Sustainable Development at Shell (A)
Describes the complex and challenging process by which social and environmental concerns are integrated into the existing strategy of a large, multinational firm. Details the circumstances leading up to a large-scale effort to transform Shell's strategy to take into... View Details
Keywords: Multinational Firms and Management; Corporate Strategy; Environmental Sustainability; Growth and Development Strategy; Energy Industry
Wei-Skillern, Jane. "Sustainable Development at Shell (A)." Harvard Business School Case 303-005, March 2003. (Revised July 2004.)
- 2020
- Working Paper
A Preliminary Framework for Product Impact-Weighted Accounts
By: George Serafeim and Katie Trinh
While there has been significant progress in the measurement of an organization’s environmental and social impacts from its operations, metrics to evaluate the impact of products once they come to market lag far behind. In this paper, we provide a framework for... View Details
Keywords: Social Impact; Product Life Cycle; Environment; Sustainability; Measurement; Metrics; Impact Investing; ESG; ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Performance; ESG Reporting; Product; Environmental Sustainability; Measurement and Metrics; Framework; Financial Statements
Serafeim, George, and Katie Trinh. "A Framework for Product Impact-Weighted Accounts." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 20-076, January 2020. (Revised October 2020.)
- Research Summary
Winning Coalitions
James K. Sebenius is examining the most effective ways to generate and sustain cooperation among a corporations many stakeholders. As the number of stakeholders grows, and management actions more often involve players outside the traditional chain of command and... View Details
- January 1991 (Revised March 1991)
- Case
Responsible Care
By: George C. Lodge and Jeffrey F. Rayport
Describes a 1989 initiative of the Chemical Manufacturer's Association (CMA) to secure chemical industry support for and implementation of a series of codes of conduct in the field of environmental health and safety. Called "Responsible Care", the program makes... View Details
Keywords: Business and Government Relations; Fairness; Ethics; Environmental Sustainability; Safety; Chemical Industry
Lodge, George C., and Jeffrey F. Rayport. "Responsible Care." Harvard Business School Case 391-135, January 1991. (Revised March 1991.)
- 2021
- Case
Walmart's Blockchain Quest: Integrating New Technology into a Complex Supply Chain
By: Andrew J. Hoffman
Blockchain is a digital, distributed, immutable ledger designed to build trust among parties without requiring an independent, third-party arbitrator or intermediary. The technology has potential to improve a variety of industries, including the complex, fragmented,... View Details
Hoffman, Andrew J. "Walmart's Blockchain Quest: Integrating New Technology into a Complex Supply Chain." William Davidson Institute Case 4-290-769, 2021.
- October 2010 (Revised October 2011)
- Case
Polyface: The Farm of Many Faces
By: Deishin Lee and Stephanie van Sice
This case explores a method of value creation through exploiting synergies that exist in an environment where there is diversity. The context of the case is a farm where biodiversity is leveraged to create value. This is contrasted to industrial farming, which operates... View Details
Keywords: Agribusiness; Product Development; Production; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Value Creation; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry
Lee, Deishin, and Stephanie van Sice. "Polyface: The Farm of Many Faces." Harvard Business School Case 611-001, October 2010. (Revised October 2011.)
- 16 Feb 2023
- HBS Case
ESG Activists Met the Moment at ExxonMobil, But Did They Succeed?
The impact-investment hedge fund Engine No. 1 made a big splash in May 2021 when it managed to get three nominees elected to the ExxonMobil board of directors. It was an open effort to prod the oil giant toward renewable energy and test whether activist investing could... View Details
- September 2014 (Revised November 2017)
- Case
Sustainability at IKEA Group
By: V. Kasturi Rangan, Michael W. Toffel, Vincent Dessain and Jerome Lenhardt
By 2014, IKEA Group was the largest home furnishing company, with EUR28.5 billion of sales, and planned to reach EUR50 billion by 2020, mainly from emerging markets. At the same time, IKEA Group had adopted in 2012 a new sustainability strategy that focused the... View Details
Keywords: Furnishing; Sustainability; Supply Chain; Wood; Customer Value and Value Chain; Supply Chain Management; Environmental Sustainability; Growth and Development Strategy; Consumer Products Industry
Rangan, V. Kasturi, Michael W. Toffel, Vincent Dessain, and Jerome Lenhardt. "Sustainability at IKEA Group." Harvard Business School Case 515-033, September 2014. (Revised November 2017.)