Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • 2020
  • Working Paper
  • HBS Working Paper Series

A Framework for Product Impact-Weighted Accounts

By: George Serafeim and Katie Trinh
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:43
ShareBar

Abstract

While there has been significant progress in the measurement of an organization’s environmental and social impacts from its operations, metrics to evaluate the impact of products once they come to market lag far behind. In this paper, we provide a framework for systematic measurement of product impact in monetary terms and delve into the rationale for the framework’s seven elements. We then apply the whole framework to two competitor companies to show the feasibility of measuring product impact and the actionability of the framework. We indicate the value of impact-weighted financial statement analysis with examples of insights enabled by industry-wide product impact measurement. We see our results as a first step, rather than a definitive answer, towards more systematic measurement of product impact in monetary terms that can then be reflected in financial statements with the purpose of creating impact-weighted financial accounts.

Keywords

Social Impact; Product Life Cycle; Environment; Sustainability; Measurement; Metrics; Impact Investing; ESG; ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Performance; ESG Reporting; Product; Environmental Sustainability; Measurement and Metrics; Framework; Financial Statements

Citation

Serafeim, George, and Katie Trinh. "A Framework for Product Impact-Weighted Accounts." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 20-076, January 2020. (Revised October 2020.)
  • SSRN
  • Read Now

About The Author

George Serafeim

Accounting and Management
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • January 2025
    • Faculty Research

    Vytal: Packaging-as-a-Service

    By: George Serafeim, Michael W. Toffel and Stacy Straaberg
    • December 2024
    • Faculty Research

    Northvolt: Building Batteries to Fight Climate Change (B)

    By: George Serafeim, Debora L. Spar, Peter Tufano, Hugo Etchegoyhen and Emilie Billaud
    • 2024
    • Faculty Research

    Climate Solutions, Transition Risk, and Stock Returns

    By: Shirley Lu, Edward J. Riedl, Simon Xu and George Serafeim
More from the Authors
  • Vytal: Packaging-as-a-Service By: George Serafeim, Michael W. Toffel and Stacy Straaberg
  • Northvolt: Building Batteries to Fight Climate Change (B) By: George Serafeim, Debora L. Spar, Peter Tufano, Hugo Etchegoyhen and Emilie Billaud
  • Climate Solutions, Transition Risk, and Stock Returns By: Shirley Lu, Edward J. Riedl, Simon Xu and George Serafeim
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College.