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- All HBS Web
(2,063)
- People (3)
- News (321)
- Research (1,350)
- Events (2)
- Multimedia (8)
- Faculty Publications (682)
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- October 2010 (Revised July 2013)
- Case
ActionAid International: Globalizing Governance, Localizing Accountability
By: Alnoor Ebrahim and Rachel Gordon
As a global NGO working in 45 countries, ActionAid International aims to eradicate poverty by addressing its underlying causes such as injustice and inequality. This case follows a series of radical transformations implemented by the organization's CEO, Ramesh Singh—a... View Details
Keywords: Local Range; Globalized Firms and Management; Corporate Accountability; Corporate Governance; Leading Change; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Structure; Nonprofit Organizations; Power and Influence; Johannesburg; London
Ebrahim, Alnoor, and Rachel Gordon. "ActionAid International: Globalizing Governance, Localizing Accountability." Harvard Business School Case 311-004, October 2010. (Revised July 2013.)
- 2012
- Working Paper
A Framework for Research on Corporate Accountability Reporting
By: Karthik Ramanna
This paper provides an accounting-based conceptual framing of the phenomenon of corporate accountability reporting. Such reporting is seen as arising from a delegator's (e.g., a citizenry) demand to hold a delegate (e.g., shareholders) to account. When effective,... View Details
Keywords: Integrated Corporate Reporting; For-Profit Firms; Framework; Corporate Accountability; Corporate Governance; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Research; Environmental Sustainability; Social Issues
Ramanna, Karthik. "A Framework for Research on Corporate Accountability Reporting." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 12-021, September 2011. (Revised July 2012, October 2012.)
- Research Summary
Social Choice and Voting Rules
By: Jerry R. Green
This research program is based on the idea that good voting systems should take into account the frequency with which different choice problems arise. Traditional social choice theory requires properties over a fixed domain of choice problems but does not offer the... View Details
- 15 Sep 2008
- Research & Ideas
The Coming Transformation of Social Enterprise
nation's social enterprise organizations. Today, the United States has more than 1.4 million non-profit organizations, and they account for 5 percent of GDP. Annual contributions have grown faster than the... View Details
Keywords: by Roger Thompson
- 2007
- Chapter
Beyond Dependence: Conceptualizing Information and Accountability in NGO-Funder Relations
By: Alnoor Ebrahim
This paper explores the linkages between information systems and accountability in nongovernmental and nonprofit organizations (NGOs). The information systems in four NGOs are introduced: two Indian NGOs engaged in natural resource management and rural development, an... View Details
Keywords: Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Corporate Accountability; Information Management; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Non-Governmental Organizations; Information Technology; India; District of Columbia
Ebrahim, Alnoor. "Beyond Dependence: Conceptualizing Information and Accountability in NGO-Funder Relations." In Reconceptualising NGOs and Their Roles in Development: NGOs, Civil Society and the International Aid System, edited by Paul Opoku-Mensah, David Lewis, and Terje Tvedt, pp. 119–159. Aalborg, Denmark: Aalborg University Press, 2007.
- October 2024
- Module Note
Purpose of the Firm
By: Debora L. Spar and Julia M. Comeau
Purpose of the Firm (PoF) is a short module designed to explore how, and under what circumstances, business leaders can harness the power of capitalism and markets to “make a difference in the world”—that is, to address a significant societal problem as a commercial... View Details
Keywords: Social Accounting; Purpose; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Social Enterprise; Mission and Purpose; Leadership
Spar, Debora L., and Julia M. Comeau. "Purpose of the Firm." Harvard Business School Module Note 325-035, October 2024.
- November 2023 (Revised October 2024)
- Supplement
Accounting Outages at Plug Power? (C)
By: Jonas Heese, Joseph Pacelli and James Barnett
Set in June 2023, the C case explores Plug Power’s recovery from its financial restatements, how it benefited from government subsidies, and new strategic alliances. View Details
Keywords: Environmental Accounting; Financial Reporting; Ethics; Finance; Management; Social Enterprise; Energy Industry; Green Technology Industry; United States; Europe
Heese, Jonas, Joseph Pacelli, and James Barnett. "Accounting Outages at Plug Power? (C)." Harvard Business School Supplement 124-019, November 2023. (Revised October 2024.)
- Article
The Influence of Ownership on Accounting Information Expenditures
This paper analyzes the association between ownership, top management incentives, and expenditures on accounting information. We argue that organizations with privately appointed boards of directors such as for-profit and non-governmental nonprofit organizations use... View Details
Keywords: Governance; Motivation and Incentives; Accounting; Health Care and Treatment; Ownership; Health Industry
Eldenburg, Leslie, and Ranjani Krishnan. "The Influence of Ownership on Accounting Information Expenditures." Contemporary Accounting Research 25, no. 3 (Fall 2008).
- 2007
- Working Paper
Accountability in Complex Organizations: World Bank Responses to Civil Society
By: Alnoor Ebrahim and Steve Herz
Civil society actors have been pushing for greater accountability of the World Bank for at least three decades. This paper outlines the range of accountability mechanisms currently in place at the World Bank along four basic levels: (1) staff, (2) project, (3) policy,... View Details
Keywords: Corporate Accountability; Corporate Governance; Governing and Advisory Boards; Compensation and Benefits; Business and Community Relations; Social Enterprise; Motivation and Incentives
Ebrahim, Alnoor, and Steve Herz. "Accountability in Complex Organizations: World Bank Responses to Civil Society." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 08-027, October 2007.
- May 1992 (Revised January 2000)
- Supplement
ABB: Accountability Times Two (B)
By: Robert L. Simons
Describes internal allocation conflicts in a complex global company structured as a matrix organization. ABB Switzerland has secured and will build an important power station project; however, internal market allocation policies dictate that this work be handled by ABB... View Details
Simons, Robert L. "ABB: Accountability Times Two (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 192-142, May 1992. (Revised January 2000.)
- Forthcoming
- Article
Social Security and Trends in Wealth Inequality
By: Sylvain Catherine, Max Miller and Natasha Sarin
Recent influential work finds large increases in inequality in the U.S. based on measures of wealth concentration that notably exclude the value of social insurance programs. This paper shows that top wealth shares have not changed much over the last three decades when... View Details
Catherine, Sylvain, Max Miller, and Natasha Sarin. "Social Security and Trends in Wealth Inequality." Journal of Finance (forthcoming).
- 1987
- Book
Accounting and Management: Field Study Perspectives
By: Robert S. Kaplan and William J. Bruns
Kaplan, Robert S. and William J. Bruns, eds. Accounting and Management: Field Study Perspectives. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1987.
- January 2024
- Supplement
Accounting Red Flags or Red Herrings at Catalent? (B)
By: Joseph Pacelli, ZeSean Ali and Tom Quinn
GlassHouse Research identified accounting red flags at Catalent. Fiat Lux Partners countered most of GlassHouse’s claims. Who was right? This update explores the aftermath of the short seller duel. View Details
Keywords: Accounting Audits; Acquisition; Budgets and Budgeting; Business Earnings; Earnings Management; Cost Accounting; Fair Value Accounting; Financial Reporting; Revenue Recognition; Integrated Corporate Reporting; Fairness; Moral Sensibility; Values and Beliefs; Government Legislation; Conflict of Interests; Announcements; Blogs; Debates; Lawsuits and Litigation; Stocks; Performance Productivity; Accounting Industry; Accounting Industry; United States
Pacelli, Joseph, ZeSean Ali, and Tom Quinn. "Accounting Red Flags or Red Herrings at Catalent? (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 124-055, January 2024.
- 2022
- Working Paper
The Gender Gap in Confidence: Expected But Not Accounted For
By: Christine L. Exley and Kirby Nielsen
We investigate how the gender gap in confidence affects the views that evaluators (e.g., employers) hold about men and women. If evaluators fail to account for the confidence gap, it may cause overly pessimistic views about women. Alternatively, if evaluators expect... View Details
Keywords: Confidence; Experiments; Gender; Perception; Values and Beliefs; Performance Evaluation; Analysis
Exley, Christine L., and Kirby Nielsen. "The Gender Gap in Confidence: Expected But Not Accounted For." Working Paper, October 2022.
- 14 Sep 2009
- Research & Ideas
Understanding Users of Social Networks
If the ongoing social networking revolution has you scratching your head and asking, "Why do people spend time on this?" and "How can my company benefit from the social network... View Details
- 01 Jun 2010
- Sharpening Your Skills
Sharpening Your Skills: Social Reporting
Nonprofit Accountability Working Paper. Nonprofit leaders face multiple, and sometimes competing, accountability demands from numerous actors, for varying purposes, and requiring differing levels of... View Details
Keywords: by Staff
- Research Summary
Governance, Accountability, and Performance for Social Enterprise
By: Dutch Leonard
This project examines the relationship between governance structures, accountability relationships, and performance outcomes for social enterprises. Most previous work in this area has examined these topics separately, or in pairs; the purpose of this project is to... View Details
- May 2003
- Article
Accountability in Practice: Mechanisms for NGOs
By: Alnoor Ebrahim
Ebrahim, Alnoor. "Accountability in Practice: Mechanisms for NGOs." World Development 31, no. 5 (May 2003): 813–829.
- October 2023 (Revised April 2024)
- Case
Accounting Red Flags or Red Herrings at Catalent? (A)
By: Joseph Pacelli, ZeSean Ali and Tom Quinn
Fund manager Janet Curie asked for a recommendation about the pharmaceutical company Catalent. The company seemed like a solid investment. However, a pair of research reports issued over the previous two months complicated this narrative. GlassHouse Research, a short... View Details
Keywords: Accounting Audits; Budgets and Budgeting; Earnings Management; Cost Accounting; Fair Value Accounting; Revenue Recognition; Integrated Corporate Reporting; Fairness; Moral Sensibility; Values and Beliefs; Government Legislation; Conflict of Interests; Announcements; Blogs; Debates; Investment; Trust; Business and Shareholder Relations; Accounting Industry; Accounting Industry; United States
Pacelli, Joseph, ZeSean Ali, and Tom Quinn. "Accounting Red Flags or Red Herrings at Catalent? (A)." Harvard Business School Case 124-024, October 2023. (Revised April 2024.)
- 01 Jul 2020
- Working Paper Summaries