Publications

January 2024
Technical Note

The ICARUS Principles: What It Takes to Tackle the World

By: Debora L. Spar and Julia M. Comeau

Over the course of the 20th century, most of the world’s major multinational corporations framed their mission around Milton Friedman’s famous mantra: that the sole purpose of the firm is to maximize its shareholders’ profits. Recently, however, growing numbers of... View Details

Keywords: Purpose; Mission; Social Business; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Mission and Purpose; Social Enterprise; For-Profit Firms

02 Apr 2020
What Do You Think?

What Are Lessons for Leaders from This Black Swan Crisis?

outbreaks Climate change and its ensuing environmental, economic and social disasters is the next White Swan.” JSD saw a possible motive behind the debate when he opined that, “In the corporate sector, the continuing effort to brand the... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

Web

Health Care - Faculty & Research

Africa's Climate Crisis Re: John D. Macomber More Articles Harvard Business Publishing July 3, 2025 Article A New Framework for Reducing Healthcare Disparities By: Susanna Gallani , Mary Lynch Witkowski, Lidia M. V. R. Moura and Katie... View Details

04 Apr 2023
Book

Two Centuries of Business Leaders Who Took a Stand on Social Issues

While shareholders still reign supreme at many companies, a widespread shift toward more responsible business practices is driving more leaders to take a stand on social and environmental issues today, says Harvard Business School Professor Geoffrey Jones. Jones... View Details

Keywords: by Lane Lambert; Consumer Products; Fashion; Retail; Green Technology

TeachingInterests

Investing: Risk, Return and Impact (MBA)

By: Shawn A. Cole

This is an investing/finance course, designed to build on skills introduced in the RC finance course, but with an emphasis on how and whether investors should incorporate what have traditionally been considered “non-financial” criteria in their decisions: for... View Details

01 Jun 2023
News

Bridging the ESG Data Gap

Chicago-based company with a half-dozen employees and venture investment from institutional funds and strategic angel investors. Murday says her post-HBS involvement with two alumni-focused Harvard Innovation Labs programs—Launch Lab X GEO (LLX GEO) and the Harvard... View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg

10 Oct 2023
Blog Post

Policy Drivers for Environmental Justice: What Businesses Need to Know

Environmental Justice (EJ): working to combat climate change and promote climate resilience and investing in the green economy in a way that creates good, well-paying jobs, with a focus on combatting... View Details

30 Jan 2024
Cold Call Podcast

Can Second-Generation Ethanol Production Help Decarbonize the World?

Keywords: Re: Gunnar Trumbull; Energy

October 2023 (Revised March 2024)
Case

KOKO Networks: Bridging Energy Transition and Affordability with Carbon Financing

By: George Serafeim, Siko Sikochi and Namrata Arora

The problem was massive: two million hectares of African forests were lost annually to charcoal production for cooking, an area equivalent to 13 times Greater London, resulting in one billion tons of carbon emissions yearly. At the same time, an estimated 700,000... View Details

January 2020 (Revised July 2020)
Case

BlackRock: Linking Purpose to Profit

By: Aiyesha Dey

The case revolves around the actions that Barbara Novick, co-founder and Vice-Chair of Blackrock, and Michelle Edkins, Global Head of Investment Stewardship, would need to take in response to the controversial CEO letters from Laurence (Larry) Fink, Chairman and CEO of... View Details

Portrait Project

Jourdan Henry

under assault. People constantly debate what used to be considered facts. This has crippled our ability to make progress against the challenges we face, such as political polarization, racial injustice, and climate change. As a media... View Details

04 Jan 2022
Research & Ideas

Scrap the Big New Year's Resolutions. Make 6 Simple Changes Instead.

need to live in harmony with it. As the world confronts climate change, resource depletion, deforestation, and other environmental challenges, it has never been more important for leaders and organizations to internalize these problems... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz

17 Sep 2012
Research & Ideas

Blue Skies, Distractions Arise: How Weather Affects Productivity

thinking," the researchers write. For Gino, the findings match up with her professorial career. In fact, she says, academics often joke that they seek out positions in harsh climates on purpose, so that they won't feel like they're... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

2022
Chapter

Capitalism and the Environment

By: Geoffrey Jones

Capitalism drove the environmental decimation of the planet. The environment was seen as a free good, while the consequences of dirty industrial and agricultural processes were seen as external to the firm. Public policies largely allowed this to happen, as politicians... View Details

Keywords: History; Environment; Sustainability; Capitalism; Ethics; Business History; Environmental Sustainability; Green Technology; Pollution; Climate Change

February 2020
Case

Rotoplas: Bringing More and Better Water

By: John D. Macomber and Carla Larangeira

Private companies were being turned to for potable water in the world’s megacities due to impacts of climate change including droughts and flooding. Mexico City had endured several water-related crises, with its population suffering from floods, droughts, water... View Details

Keywords: Water Supply; Water Management; Finance; Infrastructure; Urban Development; Business and Government Relations; Latin America; Mexico