Publications

Contributing to the burgeoning discourse on economic inequality, we expose an inequality in what the poor are socially permitted to buy. Across 11 experiments (n = 4,179), we demonstrate that lower-income individuals are held to more... View Details

27 Jul 2009
Research & Ideas

Social Network Marketing: What Works?

When marketers want to reach users of social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, or Cyworld, they have two choices: buy advertising or start a viral campaign. New research by Harvard Business School professor Sunil Gupta suggests that... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert; Advertising; Publishing; Retail

Research Summary

Social Marketing and Cause Marketing

By: V. Kasturi Rangan

Rangan is studying the role of marketing in influencing social change by focusing on the adoption of social products and ideas such as family planning, economic development, drug abuse prevention, health care, and recycling. Rangan is attempting to determine how social... View Details

2007
Book

Entrepreneurship in the Social Sector

By: Jane Wei-Skillern, James Austin, Herman Leonard and Howard Stevenson

"Entrepreneurship in the Social Sector provides an excellent overview of the many tools available to... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Society

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May 2025 (Revised June 2025)
Background Note

Social Enterprise in Latin America

By: Brian L. Trelstad and Karina Souza

This research note provides an overview of the social enterprise ecosystem in Latin America, exploring current dynamics across key markets, including country-specific insights on Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Central America. In a region characterized... View Details

2020
Working Paper

Working (From Home) During a Crisis: Online Social Contributions by Workers During the Coronavirus Shock

By: Prithwiraj Choudhury, Wesley W. Koo and Xina Li

Prior research has documented that during mortality-related crises workers face psychic costs and are motivated to make social contributions. In addition, management practices that encourage workers to make social contributions during a crisis create value for firms.... View Details

Keywords: Crisis; Social Contributions; Work From Home (WFH); Cannot Work From Home (CWFH); Social Distancing; Online Communities; Coronavirus; COVID-19; Health Pandemics; Employees; Working Conditions; Internet and the Web; Crisis Management

SSRN

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20 Dec 2023
News

Industry Spotlight Series: Social Enterprise

16 Aug 2023

Industry Spotlight: Social Impact

Wonder what an MBA could do to help with your professional growth? Hear from the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative staff and alumni focused on social enterprise to learn more about how HBS ignites and... View Details

November 2009
Article

Neural Mechanisms of Social Influence

By: Malia Mason, Rebecca Dyer and Michael I. Norton

The present investigation explores the neural mechanisms underlying the impact of social influence on preferences. We socially tagged symbols as valued or not-by exposing participants to the preferences of their peers-and assessed subsequent brain activity during an... View Details

Keywords: Power and Influence; Value; Information; Outcome or Result

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March 2011 (Revised August 2014)
Background Note

Social Media in Health Care

By: Regina E. Herzlinger, Selin Gunal Tyler and Charles C. Huang

This note reviews the social media firms in health care that help providers and consumers to interact and their nascent business models. View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Health Care and Treatment; Digital Platforms; Social and Collaborative Networks; Health Industry

01 Jun 2009
News

Social Enterprise Visionary

John Whitehead Played a Key Role in Developing the HBS Initiative AUSTIN, WHITEHEAD, AND RANGAN: Social enterprise pioneers. In the early 1990s, legendary Wall Street executive and former deputy secretary of state John Whitehead (MBA... View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg; Social Assistance; Social Assistance; Social Assistance; Social Assistance

01 Mar 2012
News

Social Investing Pioneers

the social impact bond, an innovative approach to marrying social purpose with financial returns for investors. Still in the pilot stage in the UK, social impact bonds already... View Details

Keywords: Roger Thompson; Social Assistance; Social Assistance; Social Assistance; Social Assistance

Article

Scaling Social Impact Strategies for Spreading Social Innovations

Video

2012 Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship: Winner

Research Summary

Social Determinants of Health

By: Susanna Gallani

Healthcare provider organizations are becoming progressively more involved in ways to improve health equity and address social determinants of health (SDOH). In this line of work, Prof. Gallani studies organizational factors interacting with the implementation of SODH... View Details

Keywords: Healthcare Organizations; Performance Management; Accountability; Health Industry

03 Feb 2014

2+2 Information Session: Duke University

This information session is an opportunity for bachelor and master degree students to learn more about the 2+2 application process to the MBA program and ask questions to an Admissions Board Member. The session will take place at 4:30 PM in Social Sciences 119. No... View Details

December 2019
Case

Steemit: A New Social Media?

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Alexander White and Karen Elterman

This case discusses the alternative social media site Steemit, including the principles it was founded on in 2016 and the challenges it faced in 2019. Steemit was a blockchain-based platform that aimed to differentiate itself from other social media companies by... View Details