Publications

November 2019 (Revised February 2020)
Case

Starbucks: Reaffirming Commitment to the Third Place Ideal

By: Francesca Gino, Katherine B. Coffman and Jeff Huizinga

On April 12, 2018, two African American entrepreneurs had scheduled a business meeting at a Starbucks in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. They sat without ordering, waiting for a local businessman to show up for the meeting. The store manager called 911... View Details

Keywords: Mission and Purpose; Values and Beliefs; Prejudice and Bias; Crisis Management; Employees; Training

27 Mar 2025
Blog Post

IFC India 2025: Driving India's EV Future: Insights from Ather Scooter and Exponent Energy

determination to build an EV ecosystem that accelerates India's path to decarbonization is remarkable. We left with a deeper respect for their founders and teams, who continue to push boundaries and work... View Details

Clubs

Future of Work Club

Clubs

Consulting for Impact Club

Keywords: Consulting

07 Jun 2021
News

Nine Tips from an Expert Fundraiser: Help Donors 'Invest in Their Passion'

15 Aug 2019
Video

HBS Alumnae Circles Peer Facilitators – An Introduction

02 Dec 2022
Blog Post

Why Does Your Company Exist?

help the local community. While most companies have some type of socially positive goal, it usually takes a back seat to making money. But for some companies, a corporate purpose is actually much, much more—it's a powerful force that... View Details

Keywords: All Industries

October 2005 (Revised September 2006)
Case

Sapient Corporation (Abridged)

By: Rakesh Khurana and Joel Podolny

Describes the start-up, growth, organizational design, and operations over the first 10 years of a professional services firm. Focuses on the creative use of organizational purpose and values as an integral part of strategy and alignment of organizational activities. View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Organizational Culture; Change Management; Human Resources; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Growth and Maturation; Operations; Business Processes; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Service Industry

March 2023
Background Note

A Primer on OKRs

By: Suraj Srinivasan and Li-Kuan (Jason) Ni

The OKR framework is a popular goal-setting and strategy execution tool that uses goal setting through “Objectives” and measuring performance using “Key Results” on a periodic basis to measure and drive performance. The OKR framework has been adopted and practiced at... View Details

Keywords: Business Organization; Talent and Talent Management; Framework; Corporate Governance; Goals and Objectives; Growth and Development; Growth and Development Strategy; Growth Management; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Management Practices and Processes; Management Skills; Management Systems; Measurement and Metrics; Outcome or Result; Performance Effectiveness; Performance Evaluation; Performance Expectations; Performance Productivity; Performance Efficiency

Clubs

Women in Investing Club

Keywords: Affinity; Venture Capital / Private Equity / LBO

Clubs

Whisky, Bourbon & Spirits Society

September 2024
Module Note

Governance for Non-Profit Social Enterprises

By: Brian Trelstad, Gerald Chertavian and Alexis Lefort

An overview of the various roles a non-profit board of directors plays, including the board’s principal responsibilities and how those evolve as organizations grow and scale. Looks closely at the overall role in setting the mission of the organization; supervising and... View Details

Keywords: Governing and Advisory Boards; Nonprofit Organizations; Growth Management; Mission and Purpose; United States

Teaching Interest

Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management (SPNM)

This Executive Education course is an HBS Social Enterprise Initiative program that provides the opportunity for senior executives to examine their missions and develop new strategies for the new global economy. View Details

25 Apr 2014
Video

Harvard Business School - Making A Difference

October 2014 (Revised December 2014)
Case

Gentera: Beyond Microcredit

By: Rajiv Lal and Lisa Mazzanti

Gentera, whose largest subsidiary is Compartamos Banco, has been a fantastically successful endeavor since it started in the 1990s. But in 2014, Gentera faces challenges in expanding beyond group-lending and micro-credit into microfinance and beyond in order to fulfill... View Details

Keywords: Financial Inclusion; Compartamos; Gentera; Micro-lending; Microfinance; Insurance; Banking Industry; Insurance Industry; Mexico City