Publications

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June 2014 (Revised February 2017)
Case

Kathy Giusti and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation

By: Richard G. Hamermesh, Joshua D. Margolis and Matthew G. Preble

What do you do when your rising professional career is cut short by an unexpected cancer diagnosis? Kathy Giusti shifted careers, built a new organization that transformed how cancer research is done, and now faces the challenge of sustaining the organization and its... View Details

16 May 2023
Blog Post

Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at HBS (part 2)

impact on society, knowing that one’s life is measured by the impact on others, not by material possessions, as my grandfather had done. This conviction fueled my lifelong mission to improve the human condition through innovation and... View Details

March 2020 (Revised August 2020)
Case

Culture at Google

By: Nien-hê Hsieh, Amy Klopfenstein and Sarah Mehta

Beginning in 2017, technology (tech) company Google faced a series of employee-relations issues that threatened its unique culture of innovation and open communication. Issues included protests surrounding Google’s contracts with the U.S. government, restrictions of... View Details

13 Mar 2005
Research & Ideas

The Tricky Business of Nonprofit Brands

authors John A. Quelch and Nathalie Laidler-Kylander see branding issues that are shared by many international entities, but also recognize that NGOs have missions and constituencies that add to the complexity of brand management. They... View Details

Keywords: by Manda Salls

01 Jun 2002
News

Up to the Challenge: Ipsita Dasgupta - Global Perspective, Local Results

to HBS, citing the School's mission to create socially responsible leaders as “a huge pull.” “I knew most of the students would be more interested in private-sector concerns than international ones,” says Dasgupta. “But as future leaders,... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; development; leadership; social issues; management; technology; Finance; Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Professional Services

Web

Climate Impact - Business & Environment

sustainable future for fashion.” Rahul Shendure MBA 2001 | CEO, Director, CarbonBuilt “CarbonBuilt is on a mission to help decarbonize the built environment through the production of ultralow-carbon concrete. We use waste materials to... View Details

28 Sep 2023
News

Meet the New HBS Team Helping Alumni Clubs and Associations to Thrive

Clubs News Clubs News Guided by Harvard Business School’s mission to educate leaders who make a difference in the world, the HBS Global Alumni Clubs & Associations Network provides thousands of opportunities to create and strengthen... View Details

Keywords: Margie Kelley; community service

01 Dec 2023
News

Venturing Forth

having blown billions.) But as the industry slows, it could be an opportunity to reassess the way they do business. “We are very data-driven, and all the data shows that diversity in teams can actually lead to out-performance,” Rupp observes. Her firm’s View Details

Keywords: Janelle Nanos; Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles; Finance

17 Jul 2023
Blog Post

Sustainability Career Advice from the Career & Professional Development Office

a position within the nonprofit space and specifically for an organization that had mission and purpose in their DNA. I was fortunate to find a position in the marketing department for HBS’s Career Professional Development team. I spent... View Details

July 2023 (Revised April 2025)
Case

'Bugs' Burger Bug Killers

By: Ryan W. Buell and William Fulmer

In the height of its success, Bugs Burger Bug Killers (BBBK; Burger has a soft 'g' - it rhymes with merger) was the largest independent extermination company in America, growing at more than 20% per year. BBBK built its business on the promise of pest eradication,... View Details

Keywords: Mission and Purpose; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Model; Service Industry

01 Feb 2022
Book

Innovation Isn’t Just for Startups: How Big Companies Can Succeed

Although Carol was a scientist by background, along with many of the leaders she hired, it had not been her vision that started the unit. She focused intensely on the mission and vision for the venture, engaging organizational consultants... View Details

Keywords: by Lane Lambert

January 2022
Case

Bee-ing Better at Bombas

By: Elizabeth A. Keenan, Youngme Moon and John Masko

David Heath and Randy Goldberg founded Bombas in 2013 to serve two missions: to deliver the “best socks in the history of feet,” and to donate socks (the most requested item in homeless shelters) to Americans experiencing homelessness. Eight years later, Bombas had... View Details

Keywords: Social Entrepreneurship; Values and Beliefs; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Digital Marketing; Distribution; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Mission and Purpose; Quality; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Human Needs; Poverty; Growth and Development Strategy; Apparel and Accessories Industry; New York (city, NY)

Web

Hiring at HBS: How Summer Interns Make an Impact at Emerson Collective - Recruiting

in an area of interest and working directly with a portfolio company. Projects are customized to align with company needs and students’ interests and experiences. “Students have a high degree of autonomy in selecting their market map focus area, as long as it is... View Details

January 2010 (Revised April 2011)
Case

Google Inc.

By: Benjamin Edelman and Thomas R. Eisenmann

Describes Google's history, business model, governance structure, corporate culture, and processes for managing innovation. Reviews Google's recent strategic initiatives and the threats they pose to Yahoo, Microsoft, and others. Asks what Google should do next. One... View Details

Keywords: Digital Marketing; Business Model; Growth and Development Strategy; Network Effects; Mission and Purpose; Expansion; Internet and the Web; Information Technology Industry

April 2021
Case

Etsy: Crafting a Turnaround to Save the Business and Its Soul

By: Ranjay Gulati, Luciana Silvestri and Monte Burke

Etsy, the online seller of handmade goods, was founded in 2005 on an almost utopian ideal—a responsible, caring company that offered individual crafters a place to sell their wares, a wholesome alternative to companies that sold mass-manufactured products. The company... View Details

Keywords: Turnaround; Organizational Culture; Financial Condition; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Mission and Purpose; Transformation; Leadership

04 Feb 2002
Research & Ideas

How a Juicy Brand Came Back to Life

the Triarc team used. In most corporations, brand marketing sounds like a form of warfare. Consumers are targeted, campaigns are planned, products are positioned and launched, waves of advertising are flighted, and then market research does the reconnaissance to say... View Details

Keywords: by John Deighton; Food & Beverage

Web

HBS - Financials | Supplemental Financial Information

a nonprofit, wholly owned subsidiary of the University. HMC has managed the Harvard endowment portfolio since 1974. Its mission is to ensure the University has the financial resources to confidently maintain and expand its leadership in... View Details

October 1991 (Revised December 1993)
Case

Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream, Inc.: Keeping the Mission(s) Alive

Ben & Jerry's is an anti-establishment, values-driven company that has become a successful venture. The dominant founder, Ben Cohen, is not an effective manager, but he brings creative marketing and product skills that have been important to the company's success. He... View Details

Keywords: Mission and Purpose; Organizational Culture; Entrepreneurship; Compensation and Benefits; Manufacturing Industry; Food and Beverage Industry