Publications

December 2012 (Revised August 2013)
Case

Nestlé: Agricultural Material Sourcing Within the Concept of Creating Shared Value (CSV)

By: Ray A. Goldberg and Lorin A. Fries

Corporate Head of Agriculture Hans Jöhr's mind raced in anticipation of the executive board meeting that afternoon. Jöhr recognized the meeting as a key opportunity to strategize far into the future, reexamining how his team's efforts in sustainable agricultural... View Details

Keywords: Agribusiness; Value Creation; Quality; Supply Chain Management; Social Issues; Environmental Sustainability; Problems and Challenges; Growth and Development Strategy; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Health Industry

2010
Working Paper

Sustainable Cities: Oxymoron or the Shape of the Future?

By: Annissa Alusi, Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson and Tiona Zuzul

Two trends are likely to define the 21st century: threats to the sustainability of the natural environment and dramatic increases in urbanization. This paper reviews the goals, business models, and partnerships involved in eight early "ecocity" projects to begin to... View Details

Keywords: Communication Technology; Investment; City; Infrastructure; Business and Government Relations; Environmental Sustainability; Urban Development; Information Technology; Green Technology Industry; Real Estate Industry

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11 May 2015
Research & Ideas

A Road Map to Fix America’s Transportation Infrastructure

Any highway commuter who has wasted hours stuck in traffic can see the cracks in the United States' transportation system, as can any airline passenger who has been stranded overnight in an airport. Yet while many agree that the need for infrastructure change is... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Transportation

02 Apr 2024
Blog Post

IFC India: A Circular Journey Through JSW Cement - From Steel Slag to Stronger Shores

about the superior strength and environmental benefits of the product, which paid off. Slag-blended cement is now in coastal regions where its enhanced durability against saltwater erosion shines. JSW also recognizes the need for... View Details

11 Jun 2007
Lessons from the Classroom

Teaching the Next Generation of Energy Executives

Northern, students must decide how the railroad's coal-transporting operations will be affected by clean-air legislation; in another, they consider questions of risk and strategy, international politics, and View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Energy; Utilities

January 2025
Technical Note

Get Cool: Air Conditioning Industry Background

By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Jacob A. Small

The “air conditioning paradox” is tied to climate change: the more the planet warms, the greater the need for cooling (due to the dangers of extreme heat as well as comfort within buildings), but the use of electricity-powered AC contributes to further warming. There... View Details

Keywords: Appliances; Global Warming; Energy Efficiency; Climate Change; Venture Capital; Demand and Consumers; Distribution Channels; Green Technology; United States; Asia

08 Jul 2016
News

So Why Don't You Have Your Dream Job Yet?

requires long hours. A role at an environmental nonprofit that meets interests and lifestyle needs, but doesn’t pay well. “At least recognizing that there are trade-offs is really powerful. And what I like to say is you can have it all... View Details

10 Mar 2021
News

In My Humble Opinion: A Timely Tension

Thoren believes there doesn’t need to be a divide between for-profit and nonprofit missions. In December 2020, she joined outdoor-clothing brand Patagonia as director of Environmental Action and Initiatives, EMEA, a position that unites... View Details

Keywords: April White

02 Jul 2001
What Do You Think?

Built to Last or Bought to Sell?

Summing Up The authors of a recently-published book, Creative Destruction, have more work to do to convince our readers of their primary argument that creative destruction, based on an assumption of discontinuity, is a more effective management principle than View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

February 2010 (Revised October 2010)
Case

Re-THINK-ing THINK: The Electric Car Company

By: Joseph B. Lassiter III and David Kiron

On January 5, 2010, 48-year-old Richard Canny was on his way to meet the governor of Indiana. He was reading his newly issued press release announcing that THINK planned to start automobile production in Elkhart County, Indiana to launch its THINK City battery-operated... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Investment; Global Strategy; Market Entry and Exit; Product Development; Production; Pollutants; Environmental Sustainability; Auto Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Norway; Indiana

24 Feb 2009
First Look

First Look: February 24, 2009

activities. Organizational Design and Control across Multiple Markets: The Case of Franchising in the Convenience Store Industry Authors:Dennis Campbell, Srikant M. Datar, and Tatiana Sandino Periodical:The Accounting Review (forthcoming) Abstract Many companies View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

14 May 2024
Blog Post

Creating Emerging Markets Sustainability Series - How to Build a Culture of Intrapreneurship

products and services, large companies have bought into the success of the trend by making bold “100% sustainable” statements about their business models. However, concerns over greenwashing – a term referring to misleading claims about corporate View Details

07 Sep 2021
News

Green House

available in the building industry,” she recalls. She could, for instance, track the positive environmental impact of each dollar the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development spent on retrofitting and installing... View Details

01 Jan 2002
News

Orin C. Smith (MBA '67)

Smith. Not only has Starbucks created a "third place" for the customer between work and home, but it has also launched a number of environmental and community-oriented initiatives. "We have a great culture in this company," Smith... View Details

August 2013 (Revised January 2016)
Case

Sustainability at Siemens

By: V. Kasturi Rangan, Amy C. Edmondson, Daniela Beyersdorfer and Emer Moloney

Describes sustainability efforts at Siemens since arrival of Chief Sustainability Officer, Barbara Kux, in 2008. Asks students to evaluate success of those efforts and outline what the company should do going forward. View Details

Keywords: Corporate Sustainability; Energy Efficiency; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Supply Chain Management; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Energy Conservation; Environmental Sustainability; Gender; Electronics Industry