Social Enterprise
Social Enterprise
HBS pioneered the concept of “social enterprise” with the founding of its Social Enterprise Initiative (SEI) in 1993. Under the early leadership of James Austin on the importance of collaborative relationships to the success of nonprofits and Allen Grossman and V. Kasturi “Kash” Rangan on new directions in nonprofit strategy, we adopted a problem-focused approach toward understanding the challenges associated with driving sustained, high-impact social change. Current research focuses on leadership of socially mission-driven organizations; the role of business leaders and corporate citizenship in driving social change; business models that address poverty; management of high-performing K-12 public school districts; and financing models for the non-profit sector.
Initiatives & Projects
The Social Enterprise Initiative, Business & Environment Initiative, and Health Care Initiative apply innovative business practices and managerial disciplines to drive sustained, high-impact social change.
Social EnterpriseBusiness & EnvironmentHealth CareRecent Publications
Principles and Content for Downstream Emissions Disclosures
- 2024 |
- Working Paper |
- Faculty Research
The paper uses several consumer-product examples to develop three principles for corporate disclosure of downstream emissions. Principle 1: Only companies whose products are directly used by end-consumers (B2C companies) should be required to disclose downstream emissions. Principle 2: Only B2C companies with products that require energy for consumer use, and for which a reasonable causal link exists between the product’s sourcing and design decisions and the emissions from consumer use, should be subject to downstream disclosure. Principle 3: Since companies have limited influence on consumers’ quantity of use of their products, a B2C company’s downstream disclosures should focus on emissions per unit of consumer use, not on total emissions. The paper concludes by explaining why reports of downstream emissions are “disclosures” not “accounting.”
Asian Community Development Corporation: Building Housing and Community
- February 2024 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
Generation Investment Management
- January 2024 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
Monsters in the Machine? Tackling the Challenge of Responsible AI
- December 2023 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
Accountability of Corporate Emissions Reduction Targets
- 2023 |
- Working Paper |
- Faculty Research
Introduction to the Special Section on Business and Climate Change
- December 2023 |
- Article |
- Management Science
'Care in Every Drop': Ayala Corporation and Manila Water (A)
- November 2023 (Revised February 2024) |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
Kickstarter: Crowdfunding for the Arts
- November 2023 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
Tata Group in 2021: Pursuing Profits through Purpose
- November 2023 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
How Courage Can Help Leaders Stay the Course
- November 7, 2023 |
- Article |
- Inc.com