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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(3,714)
- People (8)
- News (673)
- Research (2,357)
- Events (11)
- Multimedia (7)
- Faculty Publications (1,306)
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- 2020
- Article
Research on Corporate Sustainability: Review and Directions for Future Research
By: Jody Grewal and George Serafeim
We review the literature on corporate sustainability and provide directions for future research. Our review focuses on three actions: measuring, managing and communicating corporate sustainability performance. Measurement is the least developed of the three and... View Details
Keywords: Sustainability; Sustainability Reporting; Sustainability Management; Nonfinancial Disclosure; Nonfinancial Information; Nonfinancial Performance; Materiality; ESG; ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Performance; ESG Disclosure; ESG Disclosure Metrics; ESG Ratings; ESG Reporting; Inequality; Corporate Social Responsibility; Accounting; Finance; Management; Strategy; Environmental Sustainability; Climate Change; Diversity; Equality and Inequality; Corporate Disclosure; Measurement and Metrics; Corporate Governance; Corporate Accountability; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact
Grewal, Jody, and George Serafeim. "Research on Corporate Sustainability: Review and Directions for Future Research." Foundations and Trends® in Accounting 14, no. 2 (2020): 73–127.
- January 2022
- Article
Why is Corporate Virtue in the Eye of The Beholder? The Case of ESG Ratings
By: Dane Christensen, George Serafeim and Anywhere Sikochi
Despite the rising use of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings, there is substantial disagreement across rating agencies regarding what rating to give to individual firms. As what drives this disagreement is unclear, we examine whether a firm’s ESG... View Details
Keywords: ESG Ratings; Rating Agency Disagreement; ESG Disclosure; Corporate Social Responsibility; Sustainability; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Disclosure
Christensen, Dane, George Serafeim, and Anywhere Sikochi. "Why Is Corporate Virtue in the Eye of the Beholder? The Case of ESG Ratings." Accounting Review 97, no. 1 (January 2022): 147–175.
- 2006
- Chapter
The Social Dimensions of Entrepreneurship
By: Amir Licht and Jordan I. Siegel
Schumpeter's canonical depiction of the entrepreneur as an agent of social and economic change implies that entrepreneurs are especially sensitive to the social environment. We use an organizing framework based on institutional economics, in combination with lessons... View Details
Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Social Institutions; Culture; Law; Social Networks; Reputation; Social Entrepreneurship; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact
Licht, Amir, and Jordan I. Siegel. "The Social Dimensions of Entrepreneurship." In Oxford Handbook of Entrepreneurship, edited by Mark Casson, Bernard Yeung, Anuradha Basu, and Nigel Wadeson. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.
- 09 Apr 2020
- Research & Ideas
How Social Entrepreneurs Can Increase Their Investment Impact
Both impact investing and traditional philanthropy are on the rise after the decade-long economic boom following the Great Recession. But when does an impact investment make a bigger difference than a grant? The question is far more complicated than simply evaluating... View Details
Keywords: by Rachel Layne
- 20 Oct 2010
- Research & Ideas
HBS Workshop Encourages Corporate Reporting on Environmental and Social Sustainability
The development of corporate integrated reporting (IR) standards has the promise to be one of the great business innovations of the 21st century, and could be pivotal in restoring public trust in business... View Details
- March 2023 (Revised November 2023)
- Module Note
The Social Purpose of the Firm
By: Debora L. Spar and Julia M. Comeau
The Social Purpose of the Firm (SPF) is a short module designed to explore how, and under what circumstances, business leaders can harness the power of capitalism and markets to “make a difference in the world” – that is, to address a significant societal problem as a... View Details
Keywords: Social Accounting; Purpose; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Social Enterprise; Mission and Purpose; United States; Sweden; Kenya; Netherlands
Spar, Debora L., and Julia M. Comeau. "The Social Purpose of the Firm." Harvard Business School Module Note 323-051, March 2023. (Revised November 2023.)
- Article
Democratizing Work: Redistributing Power in Organizations for a Democratic and Sustainable Future
By: Julie Battilana, Julie Yen, Isabelle Ferreras and Lakshmi Ramarajan
Environmental destruction and social inequalities are increasingly urgent challenges. How can corporations, which have played a key role in creating and reproducing these problems, be part of the solution? In this paper, we advance that a shift to more democratic forms... View Details
Keywords: Corporate Citizenship; Corporate Social Responsibility; CSP; CSR; Domination; Industrial Relations; Power; Resistance; Work; Corporate Governance; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Governance; Power and Influence; Environmental Management; Social Issues
Battilana, Julie, Julie Yen, Isabelle Ferreras, and Lakshmi Ramarajan. "Democratizing Work: Redistributing Power in Organizations for a Democratic and Sustainable Future." Organization Theory 3, no. 1 (January–March 2022).
- 2025
- Working Paper
Impact Investing and Worker Outcomes
By: Josh Lerner, Markus Lithell and Gordon M. Phillips
Impact investors claim to distinguish themselves from traditional venture capital and growth
equity investors by also pursuing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives.
Whether they successfully do so in practice is unclear. We use confidential Census... View Details
Lerner, Josh, Markus Lithell, and Gordon M. Phillips. "Impact Investing and Worker Outcomes." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 25-040, February 2025. (Revised May 2025.)
- Article
Assessing the Impact of CEO Activism
By: Aaron K Chatterji and Michael W. Toffel
CEO activism refers to corporate leaders speaking out on social and environmental policy issues not directly related to their company’s core business. Distinct from nonmarket strategy and traditional corporate social responsibility, the recent wave of CEO activism... View Details
Keywords: Business And Society; Leadership; Policy; Ethics; Values and Beliefs; Governance; Social Issues; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Public Opinion
Chatterji, Aaron K., and Michael W. Toffel. "Assessing the Impact of CEO Activism." Organization & Environment 32, no. 2 (June 2019): 159–185. (Profiled in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Chief Executive magazine, CEO magazine, and by Edelman and Weber Shandwick.)
- July 2025
- Article
Reputation Burning: Analyzing the Impact of Brand Sponsorship on Social Influencers
By: Mengjie Cheng and Shunyuan Zhang
The growth of the influencer marketing industry warrants an empirical examination of the effect of posting sponsored videos on influencers' reputations. We collected a novel dataset of user-generated YouTube videos created by prominent English-speaking influencers in... View Details
Keywords: Reputation; Mathematical Methods; Marketing Reference Programs; Social Media; Brands and Branding
Cheng, Mengjie, and Shunyuan Zhang. "Reputation Burning: Analyzing the Impact of Brand Sponsorship on Social Influencers." Management Science 71, no. 7 (July 2025): 5910–5932.
- Editorial
Companies Must Include Environmental and Social Performance Measures
By: George Serafeim
Serafeim, George. "Companies Must Include Environmental and Social Performance Measures." Financial Times (February 24, 2020).
- September 2018 (Revised June 2019)
- Case
THE VELUX FOUNDATIONS: Selecting Impact Funds
By: Vikram Gandhi, Caitlin Reimers Brumme and Nathaniel Schwalb
After much internal debate, THE VELUX FOUNDATIONS of Denmark have decided to allocate a small percentage of their investment portfolio to impact investments. Cambridge Associates, one of the leading investment advisory firms in the world, has been engaged to assist... View Details
Keywords: Impact Investing; Mission-Related Investing; Foundations; Investment; Venture Capital; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Strategy; Investment Funds; Decision Making; Consulting Industry; Financial Services Industry; Denmark; Europe
Gandhi, Vikram, Caitlin Reimers Brumme, and Nathaniel Schwalb. "THE VELUX FOUNDATIONS: Selecting Impact Funds." Harvard Business School Case 819-021, September 2018. (Revised June 2019.)
- Research Summary
Overview
Matthew's research examines how entrepreneurial organizations and their managers create social and institutional change. His latest project focuses on hybrid organizations that combine aspects of non-profits and companies to create innovative organizational forms. In... View Details
- 2019
- Working Paper
Rehabilitating Corporate Purpose
In this paper, I address how the ascendance of the theory of shareholder value maximization into the central consciousness of public corporations and its canonization as the only legitimate expression of corporate purpose has contributed to both a widening breach... View Details
Keywords: Capitalism; Justice; Corporate Purpose; Shareholder Value Maximization; Ethical Reciprocity; Economic Systems; Business Ventures; Mission and Purpose; Ethics; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact
Salter, Malcolm S. "Rehabilitating Corporate Purpose." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 19-104, April 2019.
- December 2024 (Revised January 2025)
- Case
Balancing Returns and Responsibilities at Raya Partners
By: Arthur Segel, Ephraim Mernick, Derek C. M. van Bever and Olivia Barba
Raya Partners, a private equity firm, faces a crucial decision regarding Asa Specialty Coatings Company (ASCC). The dilemma involves shifting ASCC's manufacturing operations to Mexico, a move that would boost profitability and reduce emissions but result in significant... View Details
Keywords: Factories, Labs, and Plants; Communication Strategy; Private Equity; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Values and Beliefs; Financial Services Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Mexico; Vermont
Segel, Arthur, Ephraim Mernick, Derek C. M. van Bever, and Olivia Barba. "Balancing Returns and Responsibilities at Raya Partners." Harvard Business School Case 325-068, December 2024. (Revised January 2025.)
- 07 Aug 2013
- Working Paper Summaries
Debating the Responsibility of Capitalism in Historical and Global Perspective
Keywords: by Geoffrey G. Jones
- February 2006 (Revised November 2012)
- Case
Corporate Responsibility & Community Engagement at the Tintaya Copper Mine (A)
By: V. Kasturi Rangan, Brooke Barton and Ezequiel Reficco
Located in the highlands of Peru, the Tintaya copper mine has long been a source of intense conflict between local community members and mine operators. The mine, which was owned and managed first by the Peruvian state and later by BHP Billiton, stands on 2,300... View Details
Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Multinational Firms and Management; Agreements and Arrangements; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Business and Community Relations; Non-Governmental Organizations; Conflict Management; Mining Industry; Australia; Peru
Rangan, V. Kasturi, Brooke Barton, and Ezequiel Reficco. "Corporate Responsibility & Community Engagement at the Tintaya Copper Mine (A)." Harvard Business School Case 506-023, February 2006. (Revised November 2012.)
- April 2012
- Article
Proposing a Welfare Framework for the Society and Local Community Stakeholders: A Mixed Method Study
By: Shashank Shah
Shah, Shashank. "Proposing a Welfare Framework for the Society and Local Community Stakeholders: A Mixed Method Study." Journal of Human Values 18, no. 1 (April 2012): 53–71.
- 17 Jul 2014
- Panel Discussion
Monitoring the Monitors: How Social Factors Influence Supply Chain Auditors
By: Jodi L. Short and Michael W. Toffel
Keywords: CSR; Corporate Accountability; Corporate Social Responsibility; Outsourced Production; Outsourcing; Sustainability; Sustainability Management; Auditing; Audit Quality; Gender; Conflicts Of Interest; Bias; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; China; India; Pakistan; Bangladesh; Mexico; Brazil; Viet Nam; Indonesia; Philippines; Sri Lanka; Taiwan; South Korea
Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Monitoring the Monitors: How Social Factors Influence Supply Chain Auditors." Elevate Limited Webinar, July 17, 2014. (Webinar coordinated by Elevate Limited.)
- September 2006 (Revised May 2008)
- Supplement
Corporate Responsibility & Community Engagement at the Tintaya Copper Mine (B)
By: V. Kasturi Rangan, Brooke Barton and Ezequiel Reficco
Engaging local stakeholders and building strong relations has become a strategic imperative for multinational firms in the often politically charged mining, oil, and gas sectors. For BHP Billiton, the world's second largest mining company, its Tintaya copper mine in... View Details
Rangan, V. Kasturi, Brooke Barton, and Ezequiel Reficco. "Corporate Responsibility & Community Engagement at the Tintaya Copper Mine (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 507-030, September 2006. (Revised May 2008.)