Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn: The Power of Writing to Launch and Sustain a Movement (Abridged)

Julie  Battilana; Lakshmi  Ramarajan; Michael  Norris

Case | HBS Case Collection | April 2019

Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn: The Power of Writing to Launch and Sustain a Movement (Abridged)

by Julie Battilana, Lakshmi Ramarajan and Michael Norris

Abstract

In 2018, New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof and his wife, former Times writer Sheryl WuDunn (HBS ’86) who worked in finance, were planning for their next book. The couple’s earlier books had given rise to social movements around gender equity and poverty issues. They hoped the next book would be equally powerful. What should the book focus on? What additional content should they create to make sure their writing had an impact?

Keywords: Social Movement; Gender equality; Writing; Social Issues; Gender; Equality and Inequality; Poverty; Books; Change; Leadership;

Language: English

Format: Print

20 pages

Educators

Citation:

Battilana, Julie, Lakshmi Ramarajan, and Michael Norris. "Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn: The Power of Writing to Launch and Sustain a Movement (Abridged)." Harvard Business School Case 419-059, April 2019.

Teaching Note for HBS No. 417-051. This Teaching Note provides conceptual foundations and teaching plan recommendations for the case on Vox Capital, a firm that launched one of the first impact investing funds in Brazil. The learning objectives are to understand how an impact investing fund operates (here a venture capital fund seeking both financial and social returns) and to understand how an impact investing firm can organize itself internally to balance its financial and social objectives over time.

In 2019, Nadine Vogel, founder and CEO of Springboard Consulting, a firm that worked with Fortune 500 companies on issues related to disability and their workforce, faced the decision of the best path forward to grow her small company. Should she built more and better expertise to expand the topics she worked on with her current clientele? Or should she explore the possibility of moving into the new market of smaller businesses?

Case | HBS Case Collection | February 2020

Leading Change in Talent at L'Oréal

Lakshmi Ramarajan, Vincent Marie Dessain and Emer Moloney

Jean-Claude Le Grand had dedicated almost his entire career to following talent at L'Oréal. He strongly believed that L'Oréal's workforce needed to be diverse in order to ensure creativity and innovation. In early 2018—as he was about to take up the position of EVP for Human Relations and a place on the Executive Committee—L'Oréal still struggled to diversify its senior leadership team, which was often male, French, elite-educated and made up of executives who had spent their entire careers at the company. At the same time, in an increasingly competitive market for talent, and given digitalization and new ways of working Le Grand was preoccupied that L'Oréal would no longer be able to attract vibrant young talent.

Keywords: Advertising; Business Headquarters; Business Divisions; Business Organization; Change; Change Management; Transformation; Competency and Skills; Experience and Expertise; Talent and Talent Management; Demographics; Diversity; Gender; Nationality; Multinational Firms and Management; Human Resources; Employees; Recruitment; Retention; Selection and Staffing; Innovation and Management; Jobs and Positions; Employment; Human Capital; Leadership; Leadership Development; Leadership Style; Leading Change; Management Practices and Processes; Marketing; Brands and Branding; Product Marketing; Organizations; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Structure; Personal Development and Career; Planning; Strategic Planning; Problems and Challenges; Networks; Social Psychology; Attitudes; Power and Influence; Social and Collaborative Networks; Business Strategy; Advertising Industry; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Consumer Products Industry; France; Paris;

Citation:

Ramarajan, Lakshmi, Vincent Marie Dessain, and Emer Moloney. "Leading Change in Talent at L'Oréal." Harvard Business School Case 420-106, February 2020. View Details

Cite View Details Educators

Faculty & Research

Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn: The Power of Writing to Launch and Sustain a Movement (Abridged)

Abstract

Citation:

About the Authors

More from these Authors