Publications

November 2009 (Revised May 2010)
Case

Red Tomato: Keeping It Local

By: Jose B. Alvarez, Mary Louise Shelman and Laura Winig

This case describes the operating model and history of Red Tomato, a non-profit organization dedicated to branding and logistical support for locally grown produce farmers in the northeast U.S. The case highlights the challenges involved in making locally grown produce... View Details

Keywords: Agribusiness; Trends; Food; Local Range; Consumer Behavior; Logistics; Supply Chain; Nonprofit Organizations; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Northeastern United States

February 2008 (Revised August 2008)
Case

Quanta Computer and the One Laptop Per Child Initiative

By: Willy Shih, Chintay Shih and Jyun-Chen Wang

When Quanta Computer, Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of laptop computers, first joined the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative, it faced a challenge trying to balance the cost objectives of a laptop computer targeted at children of the developing world with... View Details

Keywords: For-Profit Firms; Disruptive Innovation; Demand and Consumers; Supply Chain; Partners and Partnerships; Nonprofit Organizations; Hardware

June 2007
Case

AARP Foundation (A)

By: Srikant M. Datar, Herman B. Leonard, Marc J. Epstein and Thomas Goodwin

AARP Foundation--a leading non-profit corporation--must create a new "Dashboard" performance measurement tool to track the effectiveness of its new strategic plan. View Details

Keywords: Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Performance Effectiveness; Performance Evaluation; Strategic Planning; Nonprofit Organizations; Welfare; Business Strategy

19 Mar 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, March 19, 2019

Harvard Business School Case 318-089 City Year at 30: Toward Long-Term Impact In 2018, City Year was a 30-year-old nonprofit that recruited and organized teams of young-adult “volunteers” (corps teams) to provide a year of citizen... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

02 Oct 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, October 2, 2018

general of the Nigeria-based International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), is making progress toward two of his primary strategic objectives for the nonprofit research Institute: 1) to scale the impact and reach of some of the... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

01 Jul 2008
First Look

First Look: July 1, 2008

Cases & Course MaterialsAdvanced Energy: Programs for Energy Conservation Harvard Business School Case 508-003 Describes the dilemma facing Advanced Energy (AE), a $6 million nonprofit engaged in energy conservation in North... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

April 2010
Case

Manchester Bidwell Corporation: the Replication Question

By: Toby E. Stuart, G. Felda Hardymon, James L. Heskett and Ann Leamon

Bill Strickland, CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation, must decide the best way to replicate his innovative, award-winning approach to curing poverty. Manchester Bidwell's approach, which provides both adult job-training tuned to fill the needs of local industries and... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Nonprofit Organizations; Growth and Development; Social Enterprise; Poverty; Training; Competency and Skills; Jobs and Positions; Human Resources

August 2017
Supplement

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in Motion: Video Supplement

By: Boris Groysberg and Sarah L. Abbott

Evan Siddall, newly appointed CEO of Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation, a governmental organization focused on the residential housing market, is charged with leading change at the organization. The case follows this process of change step by step and looks at the... View Details

Keywords: Leading Change; Organization Behavior; Government; Performance; Leadership; Change; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Nonprofit Organizations; Government Administration; Restructuring; Risk Management; Financial Services Industry; Canada

October 2004 (Revised May 2006)
Case

Transforming Singapore's Public Libraries (Abridged)

By: Lynda M. Applegate and Roger H. Hallowell

The Singapore Public Library system was transformed from being mediocre at best to world class using information technology, progressive human-resources management, and marketing approaches unusual for government agencies. View Details

Keywords: Transformation; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Service Delivery; Marketing Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Human Resources; Information Technology; Nonprofit Organizations; Public Administration Industry; Singapore

March 2002 (Revised October 2002)
Case

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston/Fleet Financial Group Sponsorship of Monet in the 20th Century

By: Stephen A. Greyser and David Crockett

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and Fleet Financial Group's sponsored the Monet in the 20th Century exhibition, the world's largest, in 1998. The case chronicles the solicitation of a large corporate sponsor, as well as the growth and development of their... View Details

Keywords: Nonprofit Organizations; Finance; Product Development; For-Profit Firms; Partners and Partnerships; Arts; Brands and Branding; Innovation and Invention; Fine Arts Industry; Financial Services Industry; Massachusetts

August 2022
Teaching Plan

Janet Ames (A), (B), (C), (D)

By: Brian Trelstad

Teaching Plan for HBS Case Nos. 320-076, 320-077, 320-078, and 322-051. The series of Janet Ames cases follow a fictional alumna of Harvard Business School into her consulting career in Boston. Over the series of cases, Ames is first offered the opportunity to join... View Details

Keywords: Philanthropy; Board; Non-profit Management; Career Changes And Transitions; Evaluation; Personal Development and Career; Opportunities; Decision Choices and Conditions; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Governing and Advisory Boards; Social Enterprise; Social Entrepreneurship; Nonprofit Organizations; Management; United States

17 Oct 2006
First Look

First Look: October 17, 2006

largely been ignored, despite intense debate over whether business's invasion of basic science—long the domain of universities and nonprofit research institutions—is limiting access to discoveries, thereby slowing advances in science.... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

12 Dec 2012
Research & Ideas

Book Excerpt: Strength in Numbers

with matching funds from nonprofit organizations and the government, they are able to prod the listening public into contributing sufficient funds to sustain the public good. “The point is not that coordination is easy, or automatic. But... View Details

Keywords: Re: Gunnar Trumbull

16 May 2017
First Look

First Look at New Ideas and Research, May 16

in innovative capabilities, and increased employee engagement as a result. The programs vary but have seven major elements in common. Companies should 1) team with governments or nonprofits experienced in working with people with... View Details

Keywords: Re: Multiple Faculty

23 Jan 2012
Research & Ideas

Break Your Addiction to Service Heroes

Institute, which advises managers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, says that as organizations increasingly ask customers to play a more active role in transactions, saving money shouldn't be the sole guiding force.... View Details

Keywords: by Deborah Blagg; Service

27 Sep 2010
Research & Ideas

Customer Experts Lose Influence When Teams are Pressured

dynamics include the founding team in an entrepreneurial venture, a research group comprising physicians and scientists, a financial services team evaluating a possible deal, a governing board for a nonprofit organization, and a corporate... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert

February 2009 (Revised April 2011)
Supplement

Mistry Architects (C)

By: Amy C. Edmondson, Robert G. Eccles and Mona Sinha

This case is a follow-up to "Mistry Architects: Innovating for Sustainability (A)" (Case 609-044) and (B) (Case 609-064). In Case (A) Sharukh and Renu Mistry founded and run an architectural firm dedicated to being both client-oriented and environmentally responsible.... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Growth and Development Strategy; Management Succession; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Business and Community Relations; Nonprofit Organizations; Environmental Sustainability