Publications

January 2023 (Revised August 2023)
Case

Veeva Systems and the Transformation to a Public Benefit Corporation

By: Ranjay Gulati and Allison M. Ciechanover

Peter Gassner, the co-founder and CEO of Veeva Systems, steered the company through rapid scaling from its launch in 2007 to 2022. Year after year, the company had exceeded expectations, with its market capitalization reaching $50 billion at its peak. By 2022, the... View Details

Keywords: Transformation; Corporate Governance; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Mission and Purpose; Organizational Culture; Information Technology Industry; Technology Industry; United States; California

November 2017 (Revised April 2019)
Case

Summa Equity: Building Purpose-Driven Organizations

By: George Serafeim

In 2015, Reynir Indahl left top Nordic private equity firm Altor Equity Partners to found Summa Equity (Summa). After long contemplation following the financial crisis, Indahl was convinced the financial system was producing negative externalities and that the current... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Governance; Governance Controls; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Governing and Advisory Boards; Executive Compensation; Lawsuits and Litigation; Crisis Management; Mission and Purpose; Organizational Design; Business and Community Relations; Business and Government Relations; Crime and Corruption; Business Organization; Business Model; Ethics; Corporate Accountability; Governance Compliance; Policy; Compensation and Benefits; Resignation and Termination; Laws and Statutes; Legal Liability; Business or Company Management; Risk Management; Business Processes; Organizational Culture; Organizational Structure; Failure; Agency Theory; Business and Shareholder Relations; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Risk and Uncertainty; Salesforce Management; Public Opinion; Banking Industry; North and Central America

12 Nov 2018
Blog Post

Student Portraits - Armed Forces Alumni Association

to work on the mission at hand. It has not always been fun, and it’s never been easy, but it has honestly been worth every ounce of struggle. All this hardship has made me the person I am today. I gained perspective from all walks of life... View Details

Portrait Project

Phil Black

compassionate family is no small accomplishment. HBS's mission is to train business leaders who "contribute to society's well-being," but mine will start at home, where Accounting, Negotiations, Leadership, and Investment... View Details

01 Apr 2000
News

Student "Treks" Lead to Jobs and Opportunities

Eurotrek program also featured opportunities to make contact with major companies and entrepreneurs from a number of countries on the Continent. HBS Dean Kim B. Clark is an enthusiastic supporter of the career trek concept. "The mission... View Details

25 Mar 2015
HBS Case

Tate’s Digital Makeover Transforms the Traditional Museum

mission is built on the idea of curating artwork in a way that leads visitors through an intentional, physical experience. "Web 2.0 is scary to some museums, and some companies in general, because it involves giving audiences a voice... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Education

Web

Frequently Asked Questions | HBS Online

resources), free career and academic webinars, a Harvard Gmail account, and education tax credit and loan deferments. Does HBS Online restrict enrollment for citizens/residents of countries in geopolitical conflict with the United States or its allies? Harvard Business... View Details

June 2017 (Revised September 2021)
Case

Sales Misconduct at Wells Fargo Community Bank

By: Suraj Srinivasan, Dennis W. Campbell, Susanna Gallani and Amram Migdal

Set in early 2017, this case examines widespread sales misconduct at Wells Fargo Community Bank. Wells Fargo's governance and controls are described in the lead up to the September 2016 announcement that Wells Fargo had settled with regulators for $185 million in... View Details

18 Apr 2000
Research & Ideas

Learning in Action

initial role was to capture lessons from the National Training Centers where troops engage in long, simulated battles to test their readiness and skills. As the Army's mission broadened to include 'operations other than war' such as fire... View Details

Keywords: by David A. Garvin

22 Feb 2022
News

Breaking News

part of what’s driving consolidation across the country,” Hansen Shapiro observes. The National Trust used a leveraged buyout to acquire the titles, which will continue with their mission under a new public benefit corporation that is... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; illustration by Dana Smith; News, Library, Internet, and Other Services; Information

Web

HBS - Financials | Supplemental Financial Information

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 education and research for future... View Details

30 Mar 2018
What Do You Think?

What Should Mark Zuckerberg Do?

Facebook’s vision and mission statement.” Brendan Coffey led the way in proposing that “FB needs a much more active strategy to place the user in a position of control with respect to how their data is used.” Bhanu Ramenani suggested one... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Web Services; Information Technology

July 2023 (Revised February 2024)
Case

Clair

By: Lauren Cohen, Grace Headinger and Marcos Quirno

Clair was founded with a simple mission: to expedite America’s workers access to their hard-earned wages. In the headwinds of the COVID-19 pandemic, the startup had successfully raised a seed round of $4.5 million, and within two years the earned wage access (EWA)... View Details

Keywords: Fintech; Ewa; Lending; Technology; Business Startups; Growth and Development Strategy; Social Enterprise; Business Strategy; Business Model; Mission and Purpose; Venture Capital; Profit; Financial Services Industry; United States

12 Feb 2021
News

How Dunkin’ Donuts Took Over the World

for. And that’s when the trouble began. Basically I changed the mission of the business from being a focused coffee and donut shop company to becoming a franchise business. Feeling that a 60-time multiple was extraordinarily intoxicating,... View Details

Keywords: brands; leadership; management; strategy; operations; career; Food and Beverage Stores; Retail Trade

July 2021 (Revised October 2021)
Case

Trouble at Basecamp: Managing Politics, Polarization, and Conflict in the Workplace (A)

By: Nour Kteily, Deepak Malhotra and David Lane

As founders of the software company Basecamp, Jason Fried and David H. Hansson were used to being the subjects of social media attention. Both maintained active and dedicated Twitter followings for their unique perspectives on management and life. But on April 26,... View Details

18 Sep 2019
Op-Ed

WeWork—The IPO That Shouldn’t?

mission “to elevate the world’s consciousness” and his personal objective of “We are here to change the world; nothing less interests me.” Indeed, WeWork’s prospectus reads like a Marianne Williamson self-help book. The market should... View Details

Keywords: by Nori Gerardo Lietz; Financial Services; Real Estate

November 2022 (Revised March 2024)
Case

Northvolt: Building Batteries to Fight Climate Change

By: George Serafeim, Debora L. Spar, P. Tufano and Julia M. Comeau

In 2016, Swedish entrepreneurs Carl-Erik Lagercrantz and Peter Carlsson founded an electric battery company called Northvolt with the dual goals of creating a company to address climate change and bringing battery manufacture to Europe. Northvolt, which succeeded in... View Details

Keywords: Batteries; Climate Change; Factories, Labs, and Plants; Green Technology; Mission and Purpose; Goals and Objectives; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Green Technology Industry; Battery Industry; Sweden; Europe

22 Feb 2024
News

GCC Crossroads Aims for a Bright Future; Seattle Alumni Talk Leadership in Tech; Italy Preps for European Alumni Summit

Clubs News Clubs News Crossroads Forum Explores Future of Gulf Region More than 1,300 public and private leaders convened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on January 30 and 31 for the Crossroads GCC Future Impact Forum, co-hosted by the HBS Club of the Gulf Cooperation Council... View Details

Keywords: Margie Kelley

July 2021 (Revised February 2022)
Case

Mary Kay Inc.: Enriching Women's Lives while Embracing Change

By: Elie Ofek, K. Shelette Stewart and Julia Kelley

In December 2020, Mary Kay Inc. Chief Marketing Officer Sheryl Adkins-Green considered several strategic dilemmas. Founded in 1963 by Mary Kay Ash, Mary Kay was a direct sales company whose Independent Beauty Consultants purchased its beauty and cosmetics products at... View Details