General Management

- December 12, 2024
- Article
How to Build a Life: The Virtuous Circle of a Happy Personality

By: Arthur C. Brooks
- December 12, 2024
- Article
How to Build a Life: The Virtuous Circle of a Happy Personality

By: Arthur C. Brooks
- November–December 2024
- Article
How Robust Is Your Climate Governance?

By: Lynn S. Paine and Suraj Srinivasan

During the past few years, as evidence of climate change and its effects has mounted, many corporate boards have added climate governance to their agendas. But the maturity of boards’ climate-oversight processes and activities varies widely. To better understand how climate issues are being handled in the boardroom and to determine what good climate governance looks like in practice, the authors interviewed 20 directors who hold leadership positions on the boards of S&P 500 companies. Drawing from those interviews and other research, they identify eight hallmarks of meaningful climate oversight. For example, “the board is knowledgeable about the company’s climate profile,” “the board has the expertise needed for effective climate oversight,” and “the board can articulate the company’s climate positioning and strategy.” The authors also offer their perspective on the set of issues associated with each hallmark that corporate leaders must grapple with as they decide how to incorporate climate issues into their company’s governance. Climate concerns are here to stay, and climate governance will increasingly be seen as a core element of good governance.
- November–December 2024
- Article
How Robust Is Your Climate Governance?

By: Lynn S. Paine and Suraj Srinivasan

During the past few years, as evidence of climate change and its effects has mounted, many corporate boards have added climate governance to their agendas. But the maturity of boards’ climate-oversight processes and activities varies widely. To better understand how climate issues are being handled in the boardroom and to determine what good...
- December 2023
- Article
Managerial Pluralism: Thirty Years of Teaching Business Ethics

By: Joseph L. Badaracco

The author reflects on 30 years of teaching business ethics at Harvard Business School. The paper presents tactical lessons for teaching courses in professional ethics and introduces “managerial pluralism.” This concept is akin to Isaiah Berlin’s value pluralism and directly addresses the complexity of ethical decision-making in business. Managerial pluralism also raises challenging questions about judgment, and the article argues that, while we can distinguish good and bad judgment, we fundamentally do not know what judgment is or how we make final judgments on complex moral and practical issues.
- December 2023
- Article
Managerial Pluralism: Thirty Years of Teaching Business Ethics

By: Joseph L. Badaracco

The author reflects on 30 years of teaching business ethics at Harvard Business School. The paper presents tactical lessons for teaching courses in professional ethics and introduces “managerial pluralism.” This concept is akin to Isaiah Berlin’s value pluralism and directly addresses the complexity of ethical decision-making in business....

About the Unit

The General Management Unit is concerned with the leadership and management of the enterprise as a whole. This concern encompasses:

the personal values and qualities of effective general managers and enterprise leaders;
the philosophies, values, and strategies that inform successful enterprises; and
the relation of enterprise to the broader community and other external constituencies.

The Unit's work is conceived and carried out principally in four interest groups, each of which has its own leadership, research agenda, and teaching programs:

Management Policy and Process
Management Information Systems
Society and Enterprise
Leadership, Values, and Corporate Responsibility

Recent Publications

Ethical Analysis: Complicity

By: Nien-he Hsieh and Matthew Souba

December 2024 |
Technical Note |
Faculty Research

Citation

Educators

Purchase

How to Build a Life: The Virtuous Circle of a Happy Personality

By: Arthur C. Brooks

December 12, 2024 |
Article |
The Atlantic

Citation

A New Model for Funding Healthcare Innovation

By: Regina E. Herzlinger and Duke Rohlen

10 Dec 2024 |
Interview |
Faculty Research

Citation

Read Now

How to Build a Life: Unburden Yourself of Secret Shame and Feel Happier

By: Arthur C. Brooks

December 5, 2024 |
Article |
The Atlantic

Citation

Ethical Analysis: Conflicts of Interest

By: Nien-hê Hsieh and Matthew Souba

December 2024 |
Technical Note |
Faculty Research

This note briefly outlines a working definition of what constitutes a conflict of interest, the challenges in negotiating such conflicts, and how individuals and organizations can address them.

Citation

Educators

Purchase

Disruptive Innovation: How Can We Beat Our Most Powerful Competitors? (Abridged)

By: Clayton M. Christensen and Derek C. M. van Bever

December 2024 |
Module Note |
Faculty Research

Citation

Purchase

How Robust Is Your Climate Governance?

By: Lynn S. Paine and Suraj Srinivasan

November–December 2024 |
Article |
Harvard Business Review

During the past few years, as evidence of climate change and its effects has mounted, many corporate boards have added climate governance to their agendas. But the maturity of boards’ climate-oversight processes and activities varies widely. To better understand how climate issues are being handled in the boardroom and to determine what good climate governance looks like in practice, the authors interviewed 20 directors who hold leadership positions on the boards of S&P 500 companies. Drawing from those interviews and other research, they identify eight hallmarks of meaningful climate oversight. For example, “the board is knowledgeable about the company’s climate profile,” “the board has the expertise needed for effective climate oversight,” and “the board can articulate the company’s climate positioning and strategy.” The authors also offer their perspective on the set of issues associated with each hallmark that corporate leaders must grapple with as they decide how to incorporate climate issues into their company’s governance. Climate concerns are here to stay, and climate governance will increasingly be seen as a core element of good governance.

Keywords: Corporate Governance; Climate Change; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Governing and Advisory Boards

Citation

Find at Harvard

Managerial Pluralism: Thirty Years of Teaching Business Ethics

By: Joseph L. Badaracco

December 2023 |
Article |
Society

The author reflects on 30 years of teaching business ethics at Harvard Business School. The paper presents tactical lessons for teaching courses in professional ethics and introduces “managerial pluralism.” This concept is akin to Isaiah Berlin’s value pluralism and directly addresses the complexity of ethical decision-making in business. Managerial pluralism also raises challenging questions about judgment, and the article argues that, while we can distinguish good and bad judgment, we fundamentally do not know what judgment is or how we make final judgments on complex moral and practical issues.

Keywords: Business Education; Ethics; Judgments