Publications

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November 2015 (Revised August 2016)
Case

Unilever's New Global Strategy: Competing through Sustainability

By: Christopher A. Bartlett

In January 2009, when Paul Polman was appointed CEO of Unilever, he inherited a company in long-term decline at the beginning of a major global financial crisis. As the first outsider ever recruited to lead the company, Polman lost little time in challenging the... View Details

Keywords: Globalized Firms and Management; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Competitive Strategy; Environmental Sustainability; Consumer Products Industry

Research Summary

Energy, IT, real estate, and sustainability

By: Rebecca M. Henderson

Professor Henderson’s current research focuses on the energy, information technology, and real estate sectors and the challenges firms encounter as they attempt to act in more sustainable ways. This work is an outgrowth of her decade-long examination of the... View Details

TeachingInterests

Managing Service Operations

By: Frances X. Frei

Managing Service Operations (MSO) focuses on how firms can deliver excellent service while achieving business success. This involves a deep understanding of customers, competitors, and the firm's internal mechanisms.

Career Focus

Managing Service... View Details

January 20, 2020
Article

Larry Fink Isn't Going to Read Your Sustainability Report

By: Mark R. Kramer

In his recent annual letter to CEOs, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink makes the stunning claim that climate change has brought us to “the edge of a fundamental reshaping of finance” and “in the near future … a significant reallocation of capital.” BlackRock has committed to... View Details

Keywords: Environmental Sustainability; Business Model; Investment

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May 2017
Teaching Note

Hilti Fleet Management (A) and (B)

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Oliver Gassmann and Roman Sauer

These notes are meant to accompany Hilti Fleet Management (A): Turning a Successful Business Model on Its Head (717-427) and Hilti Fleet Management (B): Towards a New Business Model (717-465).
This case explores the introduction of fleet management in the... View Details

14 Dec 2015
News

How Accounting Can Help Build a Sustainable Economy

Program

Owner/President Management

months over three calendar years, the Owner/President Management (OPM) program is a transformative learning experience that will boost your leadership skills—and the value of your enterprise. Key Benefits Whether you seek a broader global... View Details

November 2011 (Revised June 2013)
Case

Allied Electronics Corporation Ltd: Linking Compensation to Sustainability Metrics

Robert Venter, second-generation Chief Executive (CE) of family-owned Allied Electronics Corporation Ltd (Altron), considered the pros and cons of more clearly linking the firm's compensation system to sustainability performance. In June 2011, Altron, a conglomerate... View Details

Keywords: Compensation and Benefits; Motivation and Incentives; Environmental Sustainability

Fast Answer

Sustainability in VCPE & Investing

investment with a focus on the benefits of sustainable investment, best practices, and lessons for the future. Private Equity for the Public Interest: The Evolution of ESG and Considerations for Asset View Details

April 1994 (Revised August 1994)
Case

Brazilian Foundation for Sustainable Development

By: Forest L. Reinhardt

Keywords: Development Economics; Environmental Sustainability; Policy; Brazil

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15 Dec 2011
News

Sustainability Nears a Tipping Point

Keywords: David Kiron, Nina Kruschwitz, Knut Haanaes, Ingrid von Streng Velken

Web

Sustainable Investing - Course Catalog

to rigorously assess investments in the context of non-financial objectives. Investing – Sustainable Investing is a finance course, which could be taken on a stand-alone basis or as a complement to Private Equity Finance, VC/PE, and... View Details

Creative Construction: The DNA of Sustained Innovation

Every company wants to grow, and the most proven way is through innovation. The conventional wisdom is that only disruptive, nimble startups can innovate; once a business gets bigger and more complex corporate arteriosclerosis sets in. Gary Pisano's remarkable research... View Details

Web

Sustainable Investing Course | HBS Online

Government, Business, and Nonprofit Leaders Early-Career Professionals Learn how to evaluate, measure, and manage sustainable investment opportunities with cutting-edge frameworks, strategies, and... View Details

16 Apr 2013
News

New Guidelines to Help Companies Report on Sustainability Issues

March 2001 (Revised April 2001)
Case

Sustainable Development & Socially Responsible Investing: ABB in 2000

By: Forest L. Reinhardt

Several investment firms and mutual funds position themselves as providers or facilitators of opportunities for socially responsible investment. This case addresses the impact of these firms on publicly traded companies. Focuses on managers at ABB, a large... View Details

Keywords: Investment; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Social Enterprise; Corporate Governance; Business Strategy; Capital Markets; Management Teams; Business and Community Relations; Trade; Electronics Industry; Switzerland

23 Sep 2022
Research & Ideas

8 Strategies to Sustain Business Innovation

for tailgate redesigns—a response Honda executives and engineers hadn’t anticipated. 5. Keep it simple For McDonald and Bingham, simple practices are key to helping companies manage complexities. Chick-fil-A servers say “My pleasure!”... View Details

Keywords: by Lane Lambert

October 2011 (Revised June 2013)
Case

Novo Nordisk: A Commitment to Sustainability

By: Robert G. Eccles and Michael P. Krzus

The case describes the early commitment of a European pharmaceutical company, Novo Nordisk, to integrated reporting. Novo Nordisk is one of the pioneers of integrated reporting and it emerged out of its commitment to a "Triple Bottom Line approach to managing the... View Details

Keywords: Strategic Planning; Business Ventures; Business or Company Management; Integrated Corporate Reporting; Business Strategy; Pharmaceutical Industry