Publications

Read Now

08 Sep 2022
Book

Gen Xers and Millennials, It’s Time To Lead. Are You Ready?

True North: who they really are, deep down, and what their fundamental purpose is. Only then, he says, will they be prepared to work with a team, rather than issue top-down directives. Finding yourself and your leadership values George... View Details

Keywords: by Lane Lambert

February 2025
Teaching Note

Barbie: Reviving a Cultural Icon at Mattel

By: Elie Ofek and Sarah Mehta

Teaching Note for HBS Case Nos. 525-006 and 525-020. View Details

Keywords: Brand Management; Marketing Strategy; Entertainment Marketing; Intellectual Property; Consumer Preferences; Toy Industry; Culture And Marketing; Societal Marketing; Brand Purpose; Diversity And Inclusion; Turnaround Strategies

Article

Why Do Firms Have 'Purpose'? The Firm's Role as a Carrier of Identity and Reputation

By: Rebecca Henderson and Eric Van den Steen

Why do so many firms publicly espouse a "purpose" beyond simple profit maximization? And why do so many managers and employees appear to care deeply about this purpose and to believe that it is critically important? In this paper we argue that the conventional answers... View Details

Keywords: Mission and Purpose; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Identity; Reputation

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02 Aug 2022
Research & Ideas

6 Strategies for Building Socially Responsible—and Profitable—Companies

A dozen years ago, Harvard Business School Professor George Serafeim wondered why some companies operated with an eye toward the greater good, while most did not. Back then, he always got the same response: Corporate leaders thought social and environmental practices... View Details

Keywords: by Lane Lambert

27 Apr 2023
Cold Call Podcast

Equity Bank CEO James Mwangi: Transforming Lives with Access to Credit

Keywords: Re: Caroline M. Elkins; Banking; Financial Services

September 2022 (Revised January 2023)
Case

DBS: Purpose-Driven Transformation

By: Ranjay Gulati, Adina Wong, Dawn H. Lau and Joseph Mesfin

Singapore-based bank DBS went through three waves of purpose-driven transformation, overhauling the bank’s systems, upgrading employee skills, and re-centering its customer focus, with the bank’s purpose growing bolder with each key milestone achieved. Find out how the... View Details

Keywords: Transformation; Alignment; Business Strategy; Balanced Scorecard; Technology Adoption; Mission and Purpose; Change Management; Banking Industry; Financial Services Industry; Asia; Singapore

05 May 2015
First Look

First Look: May 5

Abstract—Why do so many firms publicly espouse a "purpose" beyond simple profit maximization? And why do so many managers and employees appear to care deeply about this purpose and to believe that it is critically important? In... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

02 Aug 2024
HBS Case

How a Mission to Cut Food Waste Launched a Multimillion-Dollar Venture

On a hectic Friday in October 2016, Josh Domingues wondered if he had made a mistake quitting the security of a well-paying job managing contracts for professional hockey players to start a new venture selling nearly expired groceries at discount prices. After all, a... View Details

Keywords: by Lane Lambert; Technology; Information Technology

July 24, 2019
Editorial

How to Make Even the Most Mundane Tasks More Motivating

By: Jaewon Yoon, A.V. Whillans and Ed O'Brien

People want purposeful work, and managers know it. That’s why companies try to inspire employees with mission statements about the impact their work can have. Ikea tells employees they’re “creating a better everyday life”; Microsoft says they’re “empowering every... View Details

Keywords: Employees; Motivation and Incentives; Goals and Objectives; Perspective

April 2011 (Revised June 2012)
Background Note

Note on U.S. Pension Accounting

By: Robert C. Pozen and Brij Khurana

The purpose of this note is to describe the manner in which publicly traded corporations and local governments in the United States account for their pension plans. View Details

Keywords: Retirement; Accounting; United States

03 Feb 2018
Op-Ed

How to Heed BlackRock's Call for Corporate Social Responsibility

attempt to incorporate a social purpose frequently have to deal with competing market demands that still push them to focus exclusively on financial performance. We must take action to create an ecosystem within which companies are... View Details

Keywords: by Julie Battilana

2010
Journal Article

Competitiveness: Business Model Reconfiguration for Innovation and Internationalization

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Joan E. Ricart

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on competitiveness by using the business model concept and to understand the need to adapt business models to changes in the environment. View Details

Keywords: Modeling Innovation; Business Improvement; Spain; Competitive Strategy; Business Model; Change; Globalization; Innovation and Invention; Situation or Environment; Competition

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November 1986
Supplement

People Express - May 1985

By: D. Quinn Mills

Describes situation facing Don Burr at People Express in May of 1985. Purpose is to get students to make a business policy decision. Follow-up to People Express - March 1984. View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Policy; Management Teams; Air Transportation Industry

April 2020
Teaching Note

VIZIO, Inc.

By: Krishna G. Palepu

This note was prepared by Professor Krishna G. Palepu for the purpose of aiding classroom instructors in the use of “VIZIO, Inc.,” HBS No. 110-024. View Details

2011
Casebook

Transnational Management: Text Cases and Readings in Cross Border Management

By: Christopher A. Bartlett and Paul W. Beamish

Transnational Management focuses on the management challenges associated with developing strategies and managing the operations of companies whose activities stretch across national boundaries. The purpose of this book is to provide a conceptual framework showing the... View Details

Keywords: Experience and Expertise; Economy; Framework; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Global Strategy; Management; Problems and Challenges; Situation or Environment; Strategy; Competition

December 2021 (Revised March 2022)
Case

Collaboration Wars: Slack vs. Microsoft Teams

By: David B. Yoffie, Kriti Gupta, Mehek Punatar, Poonam Sacheti and Poorvi Vijay

In 2021, Slack was acquired by Salesforce. While widely viewed as the best corporate collaboration and messaging software, Slack was being challenged by Microsoft, which was giving away its competitive product, Microsoft Teams, for free with a subscription to... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Applications and Software; Technology Adoption; Acquisition; Business Model; Business Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Competition; Expansion; Technology Industry

May 1995
Background Note

Note on Industry Self-Regulation and U.S. Antitrust Laws

By: Lynn S. Paine and Michael Santoro

Describes the purpose and nature of industry self-regulation and outlines the factors self-regulatory groups must consider to avoid infringing U.S. antitrust laws. Several examples of industry self-regulation are discussed. View Details

Keywords: Ethics; Governance Compliance; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Knowledge; Law

31 Jul 2018
Working Paper Summaries

How Does Product Liability Risk Affect Innovation? Evidence from Medical Implants

Keywords: by Alberto Galasso and Hong Luo

April 2020
Teaching Note

Preserving Trust at Care.com (A) and (B)

By: Krishna G. Palepu

Teaching Note for the purpose of aiding classroom instructors in the use of “Preserving Trust at Care.com (A),” HBS No. 120-011 and "Preserving Trust at Care.com (B), "HBS No. 120-012. View Details