Publications

2002
Article

Marketing no Mission towa (What is the Mission of Marketing?)

By: Hirotaka Takeuchi

Keywords: Marketing; Mission and Purpose

March 24, 2020
Article

A Time to Lead with Purpose and Humanity

By: Hubert Joly

In these unprecedented times, corporate leaders are being put to the test. Many just last summer had signed the Business Roundtable Statement of Purpose that committed their companies to serving all stakeholders. The pandemic is the first test of these principles. The... View Details

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June 2014
Case

The Kursk Submarine Rescue Mission (Multimedia)

By: Anette Mikes and Tom Ryder

During a military exercise in August 2000, a state-of-the-art Russian nuclear submarine, the Kursk, sank in the Barents Sea, triggering global media attention and an international rescue effort.
In addition to Russia's Northern Fleet, two other organizations got... View Details

23 Aug 2019
Sharpening Your Skills

Has the Corporate Mission Just Been Disrupted?

has been discussed for decades. Here is research and writing from Harvard Business School that discusses both the concept in theory and examples of CSR in practice. A Good Place to Start Statement on the... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Green Technology

October 2010
Teaching Note

Whole Foods: Balancing Social Mission and Growth (TN)

By: Christopher Marquis and Bobbi Thomason

Teaching Note for 410023. View Details

Keywords: Food; Growth and Development; Mergers and Acquisitions; Mission and Purpose; Supply Chain; Business Model; Growth and Development Strategy; Integration; Management Practices and Processes; Labor Unions; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

Article

The Social Contract Model of Corporate Purpose and Responsibility

By: Nien-he Hsieh

Of the many developments in business ethics that Thomas Donaldson has helped pioneer, one is the application of social contract theory to address questions about the responsibilities of business actors. In Corporations and Morality, Donaldson develops one of the... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact

June 2014 (Revised June 2017)
Teaching Note

The Kursk Submarine Rescue Mission (Case and Multimedia)

By: Anette Mikes and Amram Migdal

Teaching note for 114-708 View Details

Keywords: Span Of Support; JDOT; Job Design; Levers Of Control

2005
Other Unpublished Work

Accountability Myopia Can Impede NGO Learning and Mission

By: Alnoor Ebrahim

Keywords: Non-Governmental Organizations; Governance; Mission and Purpose; Learning

May 1992 (Revised May 1993)
Case

World Bank: Mission Uncertain

By: George C. Lodge

Keywords: Banks and Banking; Mission and Purpose; Business and Government Relations

July 1983
Background Note

Written Interview: The Purpose and General Plan

April 2021 (Revised December 2023)
Case

The Mahindra Group: Leading with Purpose

By: Ranjay Gulati and Rachna Tahilyani

India headquartered Mahindra Group is a multibillion-dollar federation of companies operating across the globe. It is ahead of its time in articulating its purpose and mapping its values, something it had first done at inception and then refreshed yet again as ‘Rise’... View Details

Keywords: Mission and Purpose; Organizational Culture; Change Management; Communication Strategy; Family Ownership; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Revenue; Auto Industry; Financial Services Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Technology Industry; Asia; India; Mumbai; South Korea; Italy; United States

May 2009 (Revised November 2009)
Case

Ralph Nader: When Purpose and Legacy Collide

By: Nitin Nohria and Umaimah Mendhro

This case tells the story of Ralph Nader's leadership, from his success as a crusader for consumer interests and active public participation in the political process to his controversial campaigns for the U.S. presidency. View Details

Keywords: Values and Beliefs; Government and Politics; Leadership; Personal Development and Career; Reputation; Public Opinion; Public Administration Industry

June 2006 (Revised January 2007)
Case

Dana Hall: Funding a Mission (A)

By: F. Warren McFarlan, Herman B. Leonard and Melissa Tritter

Dana Hall is a private all-girls school in New England facing a crisis in its mission. As social norms shift away from single-sex education, the school's enrollment is falling and deficits are becoming the norm. At the same time, the modern vision for girls' education... View Details

Keywords: Crisis Management; Financing and Loans; Nonprofit Organizations; Mission and Purpose; Strategic Planning; Education Industry; England

August 2022
Case

In-Q-Tel: Innovation On A Mission

By: Joshua Lev Krieger and Josh Lerner

In 2022, the leaders of In-Q-Tel (IQT) considered what was next for the unique mission-driven organization. Since 1999, IQT had one mission: to be the most sophisticated source of strategic technical knowledge and capabilities to the U.S. government and its allies. IQT... View Details

Keywords: Mission and Purpose; National Security; Technological Innovation; Research; Geopolitical Units; Risk Management; Recruitment; Growth and Development Strategy; Venture Capital; Knowledge Management; Information Industry; Banking Industry

November 15, 2021
Article

Putting Your Corporate Purpose to Work

By: Hubert Joly

Making a company purpose come to life is an arduous journey that requires a multi-pronged and sustained approach. Yet as hard as it is, the journey is well worth it and will yield positive transformation not only for the company, but also for the people who work there.... View Details

Keywords: Organizations; Mission and Purpose; Corporate Strategy; Management Practices and Processes; Organizational Culture; Business and Stakeholder Relations