Publications

May 2020
Case

M-Lab: Enabling Innovation at Mitsubishi Corporation

By: Krishna Palepu and Allison M. Ciechanover

M-Lab’s founding goals were to infuse an innovation mindset into Mitsubishi Corporation; to catalyze new business opportunities; and to enable a dialogue between Japanese business and Silicon Valley. M-Lab housed representatives from each of Mitsubishi Corporation’s... View Details

Keywords: Business Ventures; Disruption; Transformation; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Multinational Firms and Management; Innovation and Management; Innovation Strategy; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Japan; United States

June 2010
Background Note

A Note on Corporate Entrepreneurship: Challenge or Opportunity?

This note provides an overview of the rationale and the challenges associated with building new businesses within established companies. It provides a framework for understanding why corporations pursue entrepreneurial ventures and the various levers that they employ.... View Details

Keywords: Business Plan; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Innovation and Invention; Problems and Challenges; Opportunities

Web

Social Entrepreneurship and Systems Change (SESC) - Course Catalog

HBS Course Catalog Social Entrepreneurship and Systems Change (SESC) Course Number 1581 Senior Lecturer Gerald Chertavian Senior Lecturer Brian Trelstad Fall; Q1Q2; 3.0 credits 28 Sessions Paper/Project Career Focus SESC is tailored for... View Details

January 2004
Article

Corporate Venturing: The Origins of Unilever's Pregnancy Test

By: Geoffrey Jones and Alison Kraft

The relative ability of different sizes of firm and organisational designs to develop and sustain dynamic capabilities in innovation and create new businesses remains a matter of contention. While Chandler among many others has emphasised the pre-eminent role of large... View Details

Keywords: Business Ventures; Organizational Design; Technological Innovation; Business Startups; Venture Capital; Brands and Branding; Multinational Firms and Management; Product Development; Product Launch; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Great Britain

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Read Now

01 May 2009
What Do You Think?

Do Innovation and Entrepreneurship Have to Be Incompatible with Organization Size?

innovation and entrepreneurship in organizations of any size. If that's the case, one has to conclude from the comments that there is a shortage of such talent. Can someone lead both a large, established organization and encourage... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

1990
Book

The Critical Path to Corporate Renewal

By: M. Beer, R. A. Eisenstat and R. Spector

Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship

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2006
Chapter

Corporate Philanthropy: Taking the High Ground

By: Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer

Keywords: Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Social Entrepreneurship; Ethics

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October 1992 (Revised November 1997)
Case

ImmuLogic Pharmaceutical Corporation (A): March 1991

By: Josh Lerner

ImmuLogic Pharmaceutical Corp., a development-stage biotechnology company, is considering making an initial offering of common stock. The diverse perspectives of the entrepreneur, venture capitalist, investment banker, and institutional investor are explored. Problems... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Banks and Banking; Initial Public Offering; Going Public; Perspective; Valuation; Biotechnology Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry

May 2017 (Revised November 2017)
Case

Cotopaxi: Managing Growth for Good

By: Andy Wu and Laura Huang

Cotopaxi, an innovative outdoor gear business targeting millennials, focuses on profit and social impact. This registered benefit corporation was formed by Davis Smith who coalesced his experiences as a Wharton MBA student along with professional knowledge from an... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Social Venture; Benefit Corporation; B-Corp; Retail; Consumer Products; Apparel; Social Impact; Social Entrepreneurship; Business Model; Product Positioning; Social Enterprise; Mission and Purpose; Consumer Products Industry; Retail Industry

Research Summary

Overview

By: Olivia S. Kim

My research examines how firms and households make financial decisions, with a focus on the role of the family. My work evaluates how financial regulations shape credit and consumption disparities within the household and the extent to which business owners' family... View Details

Keywords: Household Finance; Entrepreneurship; Corporate Finance; Financial Intermediation

March 1992 (Revised April 2000)
Case

Joline Godfrey and the Polaroid Corporation (A)

By: Linda A. Hill and Nancy A Kamprath

Describes how Joline Godfrey, an intrapreneur at the Polaroid Corp., introduced and developed a project that could help Polaroid move to a more service- as opposed to product-oriented focus. Also depicts the mentor-protege relationship between Godfrey and Gerald... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Rank and Position; Leading Change; Problems and Challenges; Change; Electronics Industry; Consumer Products Industry

24 Apr 2014
News

Bringing a global perspective to corporate Australia

Peter Bohn (MBA 1998), managing director of the retail chain Diva in Eastern Europe, talks about the advantages of having a global business perspective. (Published April 2014) View Details

Research Summary

Overview

Yanhua Bird's research encompasses two streams: (1) entrepreneurship and social innovation — how the design and structure of alternative forms of enterprises influence their activities and success, with a focus on peer-to-peer markets and social enterprises, and (2)... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Behavior; Strategy; Social Evaluation; Entrepreneurship; Social Innovation; Social Movements; Non-market Strategy; Corporate Sustainability

25 Apr 2018
News

Giving Minorities a Playbook for Corporate Success

a 2016 report on corporate diversity, black men and women account for only 4.7 percent of executive team members in the Fortune 100, although African Americans make up 13.2 percent of the US population. And only 1 percent—that’s five... View Details

February 2014 (Revised April 2014)
Supplement

Pixability: Managing a Corporate Board (Pre Class)

By: Noam Wasserman

"Bettina’s Board Walk" examines the board management methods of Bettina Hein, Founder-CEO of Pixability, Inc., as she prepares for and conducts a standard board meeting. The case is designed to give students an understanding of the delicate dynamics inherent in board... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Management; Board Of Directors; Entrepreneurship