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About the InitiativeAbout the Initiative   

The Business History Initiative (BHI) seeks to enable and encourage educators, practitioners and scholars to understand the past in order to better navigate today's global business world. Associated faculty and fellows study the history of capitalism, ecological and social sustainability, innovation, emerging markets, government policies, and gender and racial inequalities using the lens of business and employing comparative perspectives. 

Impact Stories 

Angle of Insight

Re: Efosa Ojomo
Business history has taught me that context matters.

Discovery Process

Re: Caitlin Rosenthal
My time at HBS made me more interested in how history can reshape the way business people think about their roles and responsibilities.

History's Guiding Light

Re: Nataliya Langburd Wright
The HBS Business History Initiative taught me to take history not as a static repository of information, but rather as a fluid set of perspectives that may enrich understanding of phenomena of today.
“The Business History Initiative encourages transformational research and course development on the history of capitalism that is impactful and relevant to scholars, educators, and practitioners worldwide. History provides rich and nuanced evidence on many key debates in the world today.”
Geoffrey Jones
Professor of Business History
Faculty Chair
“The Business History Initiative encourages transformational research and course development on the history of capitalism that is impactful and relevant to scholars, educators, and practitioners worldwide. History provides rich and nuanced evidence on many key debates in the world today.”
Geoffrey Jones
Professor of Business History
Faculty Chair

Faculty & Research 

Nestlé’s KitKat Diplomacy: Neutrality vs. Shared Value

Re: Geoffrey G. Jones
  • 17 Jan 2023
  • | 
  • Working Knowledge

Racism, Colonialism, and Britain's Legacy of Violence

by Avery Forman
  • 12 Apr 2022
  • | 
  • Working Knowledge

Beyond the Cold War: Reinventing Socialism in 5 Countries

by Dina Gerdeman
  • 04 Feb 2022
  • | 
  • Working Knowledge

Projects 

Historians at Harvard Business School engage in a number of multi-year projects that promote the research and teaching of history, that create new resources for future research, that reexamine the evolution of capitalism, and that bring case method teaching in the field of history to new audiences.
  • Creating Emerging Markets
  • The Medici Project
  • The Way to Wealth Project
  • Case Method Project

Courses 

Since 1927, Harvard Business School has been a pioneer in teaching business history. The Business History Initiative continues this tradition and seeks to facilitate and promote course development in business history globally.
 

Creating Emerging MarketsCreating Emerging Markets   

 

Fellowships 

The business history group awards four different fellowships and grants.

Events 

See our latest and past conferences, seminars, and workshops.
  • Business History Review

  • Harvard Studies in Business History

  • Baker Library

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Campus Map
Business History Initiative
Harvard Business School
Connell House 301A
Boston, MA 02163
Phone: 1.617.495.1003
Email: bhi@hbs.edu
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