social issues - Publications - Faculty & Research

14 Feb 2023
News

Dean Datar Meets with Alumni in San Francisco

is business." This powerful idea paved the way for the new Institute for the Study of Business in Global Society (BiGS), which he described as an interdisciplinary research enterprise that will position HBS as an intellectual hub for examining the most critical View Details

Article

From Blood Diamonds to Dirty Gold: How to Buy Gold Less Tainted by Mercury

By: Kristin Sippl

This is a quick and easy news article on the link between poverty, mercury pollution, and gold mining. It explains the problems in the jewelry industry as well as public and civil society attempts to address them. View Details

Keywords: Mining; Pollutants; Poverty; Social Issues

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March 24, 2015
Article

Starbucks' 'Race Together' Campaign and the Upside of CEO Activism

By: Aaron Chatterji and Michael W. Toffel

When Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz asked his baristas to engage customers in a discussion about race in America, it was a clear case of the growing trend of "CEO activism." Despite the criticism of that particular initiative, CEO activism—from Shultz to Chick-Fil-A's... View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Social Issues; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Communication Strategy; Race

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25 Apr 2014
News

Disrupting criminal enterprises that prey on children

with vulnerable children. Recently, Brochu assumed a new position as the head of human trafficking programs for Geneva Global, a leading social enterprise that implements philanthropists' humanitarian goals at the grassroots level around... View Details

01 Sep 2007
News

Global Outreach Program Planned for HBS Centennial

come together to plan an event or activity that will recognize and continue their ongoing commitment to social enterprise — a history that includes efforts as diverse as volunteer consulting, fundraising, community events and programs,... View Details

Keywords: clubs; Centennial; global outreach; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

08 May 2020
Working Paper Summaries

Corporate Environmental Impact: Measurement, Data and Information

Keywords: by George Serafeim, DG Park, David Freiberg, and T. Robert Zochowski

15 Dec 2024
News

Back at the Ranch

The summer training program at Bear Hug Cattle Company starts truly at square one. “The first day is about teaching the guys how to just be out here and not die,” says lead instructor Zach Aguilar, gazing out from under his broad-brimmed hat to the grassy rangelands of... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; photos by Adler and Vance Jacobs; Animal Production and Aquaculture; Agriculture

01 Sep 2011
News

Water for Life

— water provision to the urban poor, water education, and environmental protection — that reflect the social issues we can address as a water and wastewater service provider. These programs were carefully... View Details

Keywords: Waste Management and Remediation Services; Corporate Services; Water, Sewage and Supply Systems; Utilities

13 May 2020
Blog Post

Crisis Leadership with Nikhil Patel: The Critical Importance of Trust

says Patel. At the same time, he crafted models “for addressing mental health issues and comorbidities” while negotiating services and soliciting potential funders for money. Finally, Patel coordinated Detroit’s Rapid Abbott COVID-19... View Details

Keywords: Social Enterprise; Social Enterprise

01 Dec 2019
News

Impact: Business in an Age of Sustainability

What is the role of business in addressing climate change? How should asset managers weigh the social impact of their investments? What steps should a company take to ensure transparency in management and compensation? Climate change and... View Details

Web

Palis Pisuttisarun | MBA

and business: I came to realize the power of tech and entrepreneurship when I founded my first startup. A few years ago, I built a social peer-counseling app to connect minority youth with mental health support. The nuanced process of... View Details

December 2024
Article

Can Activists Change Business for Good?

By: Hiske Arts, Geoffrey Jones, Sarah Soule and Lora Verheecke

Leading experts debate the ability of activists to successfully challenge unsustainable corporate behavior. Includes a discussion of the role of business leaders as actvivists. View Details

Keywords: Corporate Responsibility; Activism; Spirituality; Power and Influence; Social Issues; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact

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01 Jun 2024
News

Action Plan: Role-Play

When you encounter the phrase private investigator, chances are good the character you conjure up in your mind doesn’t resemble Sarah Carson (MBA 1971). So much the better for Carson, whose work has often required convincing people she was a small-business employee... View Details

Keywords: Christine Speer Lejeune; photo by Christina Gandolfo; detective; private investigator; undercover; acting

18 Nov 2020
News

Networking Goes Truly Global; Confronting Institutional Racism with Case Method Webinar

to recent political and economic shifts or part of a deeper social and cultural history? What can be done to address this crisis in our criminal justice system? The HBS Association of Boston (HBSAB), in partnership with the HBS... View Details

Keywords: Margie Kelley

19 Dec 2005
Research & Ideas

Public Education Goes to School

ranking 16th out of 20 in the number of students who complete high school. Just as importantly, public education is facing a social justice issue that has the potential to undermine our democracy. Even with... View Details

Keywords: by Mallory Stark; Education

19 Nov 2014
News

Finding inspiration in film and television

Jerry Isenberg (MBA 1964) pursued a passion for exposing social issues during his extensive career in the film and television industry. (Published November 2014) View Details

May 2022 (Revised May 2024)
Case

The Freedom Fund (A): Ending Modern Slavery

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Courtney Han

The Freedom Fund founded in 2013 to end modern slavery had raised more than half its intended target (by 2025) of $200 million. In 2021, impressed by its decentralized-partnering style of operations, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott awarded the Fund a gift of $35 million... View Details

Keywords: Social Issues; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Spending; Decisions; India; Thailand; Ethiopia

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Islamic Society | MBA

provides an open, inclusive environment to HBS Muslims while actively engaging the larger HBS community on issues related to Islam. Annual Events Friday prayer in the HBS Chapel Thursday evening prayers in the HBS Chapel Open reception... View Details

September 2022
Article

The Impact of Financial Assistance Programs on Health Care Utilization: Evidence from Kaiser Permanente

By: Alyce S. Adams, Raymond Kluender, Neale Mahoney, Jinglin Wang, Francis Wong and Wesley Yin

Most hospitals have financial assistance programs for low-income patients. We use administrative data from Kaiser Permanente to study the effects of financial assistance on health care utilization. Using a regression discontinuity design based on an income threshold... View Details

Keywords: Healthcare; Utilization; Financial Assistance; Health Care and Treatment; Social Issues; Poverty; Health Industry

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