Dr. Austin holds the Eliot I. Snider and Family Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus at the Harvard Business School. Previously he held the John G. McLean Professorship and the Richard Chapman Professorship. He has been a member of the Harvard University faculty since 1972. He was the Co-Founder and Chair of the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative.
Educational Background: Doctor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration from Harvard University with Distinction; Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Michigan with High Distinction, elected to Beta Gamma Sigma.
Research Publications: He has been the author or editor of 16 books, dozens of articles, and over a hundred case studies on business and nonprofit organizations. His most recent book is Social Partnering in Latin America published in 2004 (Harvard University Press), a collaborative research publication of the Social Enterprise Knowledge Network (SEKN). In 2000 he authored The Collaboration Challenge: How Nonprofits and Businesses Succeed Through Strategic Alliances (Jossey-Bass Publishers)which was selected to be part of the Drucker Foundation Leader Book series and received one of the Independent Sector's research publication awards. His current research deals with social enterprises with emphasis on the creation, management, and governance of nonprofit organizations, and on the role of business leaders and corporations in the social sector. His prior research focused primarily on management problems in developing countries, agribusiness, and nutrition policy. His previous books include Managing in Developing Countries (The Free Press), Strategic Management in Developing Countries (The Free Press), and Agroindustrial Project Analysis (World Bank/Johns Hopkins Press).
Teaching Experience: Prof. Austin has taught courses in the following areas: Entrepreneurship in the Social Sector, Governance of Nonprofit Organizations, Management in Developing Countries, Agribusiness, Business Ethics, International Business, Business-Government Relations, Marketing, Nutrition Policy, and Case Method Teaching. In addition to Harvard, Dr. Austin has given seminars to managers, government officials, and graduate students in various institutions throughout the world.
Advisory Services: Dr. Austin has provided advisory services to private companies, governments, international development agencies, educational institutions, and nongovernmental organizations. He served as a Special Advisor to the White House.
Jane Wei-Skillern, James Austin, Herman Leonard and Howard Stevenson
"Entrepreneurship in the Social Sector provides an excellent overview of the many tools available to the entrepreneur to advance his or her mission, and it discusses many of the problems that organizations and their managers encounter at different points of a growth process." -NONPROFIT AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR QUARTERLY
Written for students and practitioners, this unique text, with Harvard cases, provides detailed analysis and frameworks for achieving maximum impact through social entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship in the Social Sector enables readers to attain an in depth understanding of the distinctive characteristics of the social enterprise context and organizations. The authors offer tools to develop the knowledge to pursue social entrepreneurship more strategically and achieve mission impact more efficiently, effectively, and sustainably.
Austin, James E., Ezequiel Reficco, Gabriel Berger, Rosa Maria Fischer, Roberto Gutierrez, Mladen Koljatic, Gerardo Lozano, and Enrique Ogliastri. Social Partnering in Latin America. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2004.
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Austin, James, Enrique Ogliastri, and Roberto Gutierrez. Dos Casos Colombianos de Gerencia Social: La Corporacion de Accion Solidaria Corposol y La Compania de Financiamiento Comercial Finansol. Vol. 55, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Administración Monografías. Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia), Facultad de Administración, 2001, Spanish ed.
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Austin, James E. Food and Nutrition Policies in a Changing Environment. Vol. 25, World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics. Bazel: Karger, 1976.
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What happens when small iconic socially oriented businesses are acquired by large corporations? Such mergers create significant opportunities for creating both business value and substantially expanded social value, but they also pose unusually difficult challenges because the merging entities are often strikingly different in philosophy and operating styles as well as in scale. This article examines three examples—Ben and Jerry's acquisition by Unilever, Stonyfield Farm by Groupe Danone, and Tom's of Maine by Colgate—to ascertain what is distinctive about the merger process and to analyze the elements critical to success. The article offers suggestions on how other companies considering similar arrangements might best manage the process of courtship, developing agreements, and executing effectively within the newly merged entities.
Austin, James E., W. Cohn, and J. Quelch. "Pathways to Business Success in Sub-Saharan Africa." Journal of African Finance and Economic Development 2, no. 1 (spring 1996): 57–76.
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Austin, James E. "Sustainability through Partnering: Conceptualizing Partnerships between Businesses and NGOs." Chap. 3 in Partnerships, Governance and Sustainable Development: Reflections on Theory and Practice, edited by Pieter Glasbergen, Frank Biermann, and Arthur P.J. Mole. Cheltenham, U.K.: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2008.
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Leonard, Dutch, Ezequiel Reficco, Jane Wei-Skillern, and James E. Austin. "Social Entrepreneurship: It's for Corporations, Too." Chap. 8 in Social Entrepreneurship, edited by Johanna Mair, Jeffrey Robinson, and Kai Hockerts. Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.
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Austin, James E. "Three Avenues for Social Entrepreneurship Research." In Social Entrepreneurship, edited by Johanna Mair, Jeffrey Robinson, and Kai Hockerts. Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.
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Austin, James E. "Leadership Through Social Purpose Partnering." Chap. 13 in Responsible Leadership, edited by Thomas Maak and Nicola Pless, 202–212. London: Routledge, 2006.
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Austin, James E. "Reflections on Leadership." Chap. 5 in Liderazgo, Lideranca, Leadership: Testimonios personales, 71. Costa Rica: VIVA Services Co., 2005, Spanish ed.
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Austin, James E. "Institutional Collaboration." Chap. 8 in Effective Economic Decision-Making by Nonprofit Organizations, edited by Dennis R. Young, pp. 149–166. New York: Foundation Center, 2003.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Kohn. "Management in the Emerging Countries." In The International Encyclopedia of Business and Management. 2nd ed. 8 vols. Edited by Malcolm Warner. London: Thomson Learning, 2002.
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Barrett, Diana, James E. Austin, and Sheila McCarthy. "Cross Sector Collaboration: Lessons from the International Trachoma Initiative." In Public-Private Partnerships for Public Health, edited by Michael R. Reich.Harvard Series on Population and International Health. Harvard University Press, 2002.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Kohn. "Management in Developing Countries." In International Encyclopedia of Business and Management, edited by J. Kotter. London: Routledge, 2001.
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Austin, James E., L. B. Barnes, C. R. Christiansen, and A. J. Hansen. "Communicating the Teacher's Wisdom." In Teaching and the Case Method: Text, Cases, and Readings. Harvard Business School Press, 1994.
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Austin, J. E. "Teaching Notes: Communicating the Teacher's Wisdom." In Teaching and the Case Method: Instructor's Guide. 3rd ed. Edited by Louis B. Barnes, C. Roland Christensen, and Abby J. Hansen. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 1994.
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Austin, J. E. "La estrategia empresarial y el entorno en los paises en desarrollo." In Estrategia: Diseño y ejecucion, edited by J. N. Marin and E. Montial. San Jose, Costa Rica: Asociación Libro Libre, 1992.
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Austin, J. E., A. Sweet, and C. Overholt. "To See Ourselves as Others See Us: The Rewards of Classroom Observation." In Education for Judgment: The Artistry of Discussion Leadership, edited by C. R. Christensen, David A. Garvin, and A. Sweet. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1991.
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Austin, James E., and Kenneth L. Hoadley. "State Trading and the Futures Market." In U.S.-Mexico Relations: Agriculture and Rural Development, edited by Bruce F. Johnston, Cassio Luiselli, Roger Norton, and Celso Cartas Contreras. Stanford University Press, 1987.
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Austin, James E., and Michael J. Buckley. "Food Marketing Public Enterprises." In Marketing Perspectives of Public Enterprises in Developing Countries, edited by K.L.K. Rao.ICPE Monograph Series. Ljubljana, Yugoslavia: International Center for Public Enterprises in Developing Countries, 1986.
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Austin, James E., C. Overholt, Mary B. Anderson, and Kathleen Cloud. "Women in Development: A Framework for Project Analysis." In Gender Roles in Development Projects: A Case Book, edited by Catherine Overholt, Mary B. Anderson, Kathleen Cloud, and James E. Austin., 1985.
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Austin, James E. "Food Policy." In Nicaragua: The First Five Years, edited by James E. Austin and Jonathan Abbott Fox. New York: Praeger, 1985.
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Austin, James E. "Strategies and Mechanisms for Urban and Rural Subsidization: The Case of CONASUPO." In Nutrition Policy Implementation, edited by N. Scrimshaw and M. Wallerstein. Plenum Press, 1982.
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Austin, James E. "Nutrition Intervention Programs: Scope and Limits." In Nutrition in Health and Disease and International Development: Symposia from the XII International Congress of Nutrition, edited by A. E. Harper and G. K. Daves. Alan R. Liss, Inc., 1982.
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Austin, James E., J. A. Quelch, Joe R. D'Cruz, and Edward T. Popper. "The Marketing Factor for Nonconventional-Protein Products." Chap. 9 in Protein Resources and Technology, edited by Max Milner, Nevin S. Scrimshaw, and Daniel I.C. Wang, 111–135. Westport, CT: AVI Publishing Company, 1978.
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Austin, James E., and Donald S. Snodgrass. "Cereal Fortification: Barriers to Implementation." In Improving the Nutrient Quality of Cereals II: Report on Second Workshop on Breeding and Fortification, edited by Harold Ludwig Wilcke. Washington, D.C.: AID, 1976.
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Austin, James E. "Attacking the Malnutrition Problem." In Food, Man, and Society, edited by Henry L. Barnett, Norman Kretchmer, and Dwain N. Walcher.International Organization for the Study of Human Development. New York: Plenum Press, 1976.
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Austin, James E. "At What Price Paternalism." In Comparative Management: Organizational and Cultural Perspectives.Stanley Davis Series. Prentice Hall, 1971.
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Corporate Social Entrepreneurship (CSE) is a process aimed at enabling business to develop more advanced and powerful forms of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
What happens when small iconic socially-oriented businesses are acquired by large corporations? Such mergers create significant opportunities for creating both business value and substantially expanded social value, but also pose unusually difficult challenges because the merging entities are often strikingly different in philosophy and operating styles as well as in scale. We examine three examples -- Ben and Jerry's acquisition by Unilever, Stonyfield Farm by Groupe Danone, and Tom's of Maine by Colgate -- to ascertain what is distinctive about the merger process and to analyze the elements critical to success. We develop suggestions about how other companies considering similar arrangements might best manage the process of courtship, developing agreements, and executing effectively within the newly merged entities.
Austin, James. "Sustainability through Partnering: Strategic Alliances between Businesses and NGOs." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 06-054, June 2006.
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James Austin, Herman Leonard, Ezequiel Reficco and Jane Wei-Skillern
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Austin, James, Herman Leonard, Ezequiel Reficco, and Jane Wei-Skillern. "Social Enterprise Series No. 31--Corporate Social Entrepreneurship: A New Vision of CSR." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 05-021, October 2004.
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James Austin, Howard H. Stevenson and Jane Wei-Skillern
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Austin, James, Howard H. Stevenson, and Jane Wei-Skillern. "Social Enterprise Series No. 28--Social Entrepreneurship and Commercial Entrepreneurship: Same, Different, or Both?" Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 04-029, November 2003.
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Austin, James E. "Social Enterprise Series No. 23: Survivor: The Brave New World of ePhilanthropy." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 02-066, March 2002.
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Austin, James E. "Social Enterprise Series No. 22: Marketing's Role in Cross-Sector Collaboration." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 01-087, June 2001.
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Austin, James E., and Arthur McCaffrey. "Social Enterprise Series No. 20: Business Leadership Coalitions and Public-Private Partnerships in American Cities: A Perspective on Regime Theory." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 01-080, May 2001.
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Austin, James E. "Social Enterprise Series No. 18: The e-Philanthropy Revolution." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 01-031, November 2000.
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Barrett, Diana, James E. Austin, and Sheila McCarthy. "Social Enterprise Series No. 16: Cross-Sector Collaboration: Lessons from the International Trachoma Initiative." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 00-091, June 2000.
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Austin, James E. "Social Enterprise Series No. 15: Private-Public Partnerships." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 00-072, April 2000.
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Austin, James E. "Social Enterprise Series No. 14: Business Leadership Coalitions." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 00-071, April 2000.
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Austin, James E. "Social Enterprise Series No. 6: The Collaboration Challenge: Making the Most of Strategic Alliances between Nonprofits and Corporations." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 99-063, December 1998.
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Austin, James E. "Social Enterprise Series No. 5: Partnering for Progress." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 99-051, October 1998.
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Austin, James E. "Social Enterprise Series No.4: Business Leadership Lessons from the Cleveland Turnaround." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 98-022, September 1997.
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Austin, James E. "Social Enterprise Series No.3: Corporate Community Service: Achieving Effective Engagement." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 98-021, September 1997.
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Austin, James E. "Social Enterprise Series No. 2: Making Business Sense of Community Service." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 98-020, September 1997.
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Austin, James E. "Social Enterprise Series No. 1: Business Leaders and Nonprofits." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 98-019, September 1997.
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Austin, James E. "Ben & Jerry's: Preserving Mission & Brand within Unilever (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 309-051, September 2008.
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In the months after Ben & Jerry's was acquired by Unilever, Ben & Jerry's head social mission faces challenges and opportunities unique in the company's history, including: how to manage employee morale; whether to include synthetic ingredients to meet consumer preferences; how to preserve the company's tradition of speaking out on public issues; and how to maintain the company's distinctive brand image. Also, depicts an innovative corporate governance model with an external board comprising former Ben & Jerry's executives to advise the new CEO on managing the company's distinctive brand and values.
The organics movement has certainly come a long way. From hippie farming communes and a scattering of natural food stores in the 1960s, organics outgrew its origins as a counterculture curiosity of the 1970s to become the fastest growing segment of the food industry in the 21st century. But 2006 sent shock waves through the organics industry. In April, the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, announced that it would double the number of organic food items sold in its 3,800 stores and in the additional 1,400 it still planned to build in the Untied States. The retailer also pledged to become a center of affordable "organics for everyone" and started by doubling its organic offerings in 2006 at 374 of its stores. Wal-Mart had already introduced its own "Great Value" brand of organic milk in 1,200 of its "supercenter" and was selling it for 10% less than Horizon Organic, the organic milk brand Wal-Mart had carried for three years. Wal-Mart's senior management had already told Wall Street analysts that its organic food would cost just 10% more than traditional groceries. Was Wal-Mart's move a tipping point for the organics industry by kindling broad consumer interest in organics in America's heartland? What would be the impact on the other players in the organics system?
In just a few years the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) made impressive progress toward its mission of promoting "environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests." By 2001, 25.5 million hectares of forests in 66 countries had been certified as meeting FSC's standards for sustainable forestry. With members in 59 countries, the FSC had managed to bring forestry's mainstream close to its viewpoint, with 80% of the industry recognizing the need for third-party certification. However, by mid-2002, the formula that had brought success to the organization as a small start-up was proving inadequate to sustain the healthy growth of a global, mature, multistakeholder organization. Its management and staff were finding themselves lacking critical skills to take the organization to the next level. Some of its governing structures were paralyzing it. Serious imbalances between supply and demand of certified wood were threatening to break the organization. Moreover, competing certification schemes backed by powerful business groups were moving swiftly to capitalize on those imbalances and displace FSC as the global standard of choice for certification. Finally, the organization also suffered from a chronic financial weakness. In that context, Heiko Liedeker, FSC's executive director, is compelled to rethink the organization.
Austin, James E., Herman B. Leonard, and James Quinn. "Timberland: Commerce and Justice (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 306-089, February 2006.
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Austin, James E., Allen S. Grossman, Robert B. Schwartz, and Jennifer Suesse. "Managing at Scale in the Long Beach Unified School District." Harvard Business School Publishing Case, 2006.
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Austin, James E., Allen Grossman, and Jennifer Suesse. "Managing at Scale in the Long Beach Unified School District, Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Publishing Teaching Note, 2006.
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When Jeffrey Swartz became the third generation in his family to lead the Timberland Co., he made community involvement an integral part of the company's strategy. Under Swartz's leadership, Timberland formed a close partnership with City Year, the national corps of young adults engaged in community service events, established a community enterprise division to schedule community service events, and gave each employee 32 hours of annual paid leave to participate in service work. As a result of these initiatives, Swartz believed the idea of community service at Timberland had gone beyond traditional notions of philanthropy or cause-related marketing to become a central feature of the company and brand's identity. However, in 1995, the spectacular sales growth Timberland enjoyed during the first years of Jeffrey Swartz's tenure as COO leveled off. The company reported its first loss and initiated significant restructuring. The tough times prompted some observers to question Timberland's continued commitment to community service. An abridged version of a case.
When Jeffrey Swartz became the third generation in his family to lead the Timberland Co., he pursued a strategy in which commerce and justice were "inextricably linked." Community involvement, environmental management, and global labor standards became not addenda to the commercial strategy, but integral parts of it. Spanning more than 10 years of Swartz's innovative leadership, this case presents a well-developed, value-centric business in which management faces two emerging challenges: how to measure the impact of its social justice activities and how to export its values-based strategy abroad. Focuses on strategic management of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program. The development of Timberland's innovative commerce and justice strategy sheds light on ways in which strategic alignment can provide energy, synergy, and resources critical to developing a successful CSR program within a for-profit company.
James E. Austin, Jane Wei-Skillern and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld
After leading the Peninsula Community Foundation (PCF) through a period of tremendous growth, its president, Sterling Speirn, is facing the prospect of a decline in the foundation's asset base for the first time in the foundation's history. In addition, the fact that financial service companies had made recent inroads in the market for administering donor-advised funds in recent years, an area that had been a key source for growth for community foundations for the last few decades, compelled Speirn to evaluate PCF's positioning in the market and to consider potential collaboration opportunities with these companies.
Austin, James E., Jane Wei-Skillern, and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld. "Peninsula Community Foundation." Harvard Business School Case 304-015, August 2003. (Revised December 2004.)
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Nestle Alimentana S.A. -- Infant Formula (Abridged) TN." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 590-120, June 1990. (Revised June 2004.)
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Austin, James E., and Diana Barrett. "Monsanto: Technology Cooperation and Small Holder Farmer Projects (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 304-108, May 2004.
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Starbucks, the world's leading specialty coffee company, developed a strategic alliance with Conservation International, a major international environmental nonprofit organization. The purpose of the alliance was to promote coffee-growing practices of small farms that would protect endangered habitats. The collaboration emerged from the company's corporate social responsibility policies and its coffee procurement strategy. The initial project was in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas and resulted in the incorporation of shade-grown coffee into the Starbucks product line, providing an attractive alternative market for the farmer cooperatives at a time when coffee producers were in economic crisis due to plummeting world prices. Simultaneously, the company had to deal with growing pressures from nonprofit organizations in the Fair Trade movement, demanding higher prices for farmers. Starbucks was reviewing the future of its alliance with Conservation International and its new coffee procurement guidelines aimed at promoting environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable coffee production. The nature of the industry puts the case in the global context from both the supply and demand sides.
Austin, James E., Jane Wei-Skillern, and Alexis Lefort. "Peninsula Community Foundation (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 304-103, April 2004.
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Austin, James E., Jane Wei-Skillern, and Alexis Lefort. "Starbucks and Conservation International." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 304-100, March 2004.
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In fall 2003, Mexico's agriculture sector was facing a crisis brought on largely by a surge in cheap U.S. imports resulting from NAFTA and inaccessible and/or expensive terms of credit for Mexican agricultural producers. It was getting harder for Mexican producers to compete, and many were leaving farming for the city. Francisco Mere, director of FIRA, a second-tier development bank, was in the process of developing and implementing a new strategy that would more effectively and efficiently reinvigorate the Mexican agricultural system.
In mid-2003, as the 10-year anniversary of Harvard Business School's Social Enterprise Initiative approached, the group's faculty and staff decided to analyze its past performance and to formulate its future strategy.
In an effort to combat trachoma, a major eye disease, the Clark Foundation entered into a partnership with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. After a successful pilot project, a joint initiative was established (the Trachoma initiative) that has as its goal to eradicate the disease by working with other partners in a range of countries.
Describes the challenges faced by a group of HBS students as they create a foundation. Given surplus funds generated by the student-run newspaper, The Harbus leadership decides to find a meaningful use for the excess cash. Profiles both the entrepreneurial process used to establish the foundation and the challenges involved in deciding to whom to award grants. The group of protagonists face several decisions: 1) a controversial funding decision, 2) review and assessment of the foundation's strategy and process for grant solicitation and evaluation, and 3) the role of a student investment club in managing the foundation's portfolio.
Austin, James E., and Linda Carrigan. "Harbus Foundation, The." Harvard Business School Case 399-031, August 1998. (Revised October 2002.)
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KaBOOM! is a nonprofit organization developing playgrounds in partnership with corporations and communities. It has grown since 1995 to a national organization that has built 338 playgrounds in partnerships with over 40 companies. This case deals with the nature of strategic alliances with corporations and poses choices for shifting strategies. These include emphasizing advocacy and public education and enabling communities to build playgrounds themselves. Further complicating the strategy was growing competition from nonprofits and for-profits engaged in playground development.
As the leading plant technology company in the global food system, how can Monsanto share this technology with small-sale producers and not-for-profit researchers and institutions?
Since the spring of 2001, AOL, Cisco, and Yahoo! had collaborated on ways to improve the effectiveness of using the Internet to benefit society. Each company considered itself strongly committed to philanthropy, making significant charitable donations, and fostering a variety of active community outreach programs. Yet, executives at the three firms recognized the potentially larger impact that a joint effort could have on the greater public good. Overcoming a multitude of barriers to such intercompany cooperation, the firms decided to create Network for Good, a charity portal that individuals and nonprofit agencies in the e-philanthropy space could use to facilitate donations, volunteering, and citizen advocacy.
The mission of the nonprofit Jumpstart for Young Children was to address the problem of school readiness of low-income family preschoolers. It had been growing significantly, and to achieve its projected expansion would require major increases in funding. After considerable debate, it decided to create a for-profit subsidiary: a Web-based company disseminating the educational materials used in the Jumpstart program. The effort entailed raising private venture capital and recruiting a new management team. After a year, management was assessing the start-up experience and deliberating on its future strategy.
In early 2001, Charitableway, an ePhilanthropy application service provider that enabled the collection of charitable donations online; faced major strategic decisions relating to its alliance with United Way of America to foster workplace giving online. One of the best capitalized dot-coms operating in the new ePhilanthropy sector and a pioneer in the workplace giving segment, it nonetheless, faced a series of challenges that threatened its success and even survival.
Austin, James E. "Timberland and Community Involvement TN." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 398-165, May 1998. (Revised August 2001.)
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The Timberland Co., a manufacturer and retailer of footwear, outdoor apparel, and accessories, committed itself to instituting and communicating a core set of values to its employees, stockholders, and consumers. The system of beliefs emphasized community service. Central to this commitment was an alliance with the national youth community service organization City Year. Over the years, Timberland and City Year developed a close alliance that both sides contended constituted "a new paradigm" for the interaction between a for-profit business and a nonprofit organization. This case discusses Timberland's commitments to beliefs and service in light of disappointing financial results for the company and subsequent layoffs during the 1995 fiscal year. Introduces the idea of a corporate strategy for community involvement, allowing the instructor to raise questions about the choice of activities and partners, the breadth of projects and the source of motivation for such a strategy. Also allows discussion of the role of beliefs and of community service in the context of a company that has pioneered a distinct approach to these concepts.
Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC) is a $74 million nonprofit social enterprise that combats poverty by helping community development organizations build affordable housing and create economic development opportunities through public-private partnerships. Poses a dilemma for the CEO: whether to grow geographically or programmatically. Presents the history of the organization and the many challenges facing urban and rural community groups, such as how to improve educational opportunities for their citizens. Also describes how LISC funds its operations, including the syndication of low-income housing tax credits, foundations, and private partnerships.
The board of directors of a rural health clinic fires its executive director. The case elaborates the evolution and progress of the clinic under this director during a period of growth and a changing health care environment. Factors contributing to and questioning the firing decision are described.
The social enterprise Corposol has become the largest lender to microentrepreneurs in Colombia. Its rapid growth and diversification into other services and geographical areas has created organizational and resource strains.
The case series focuses on Merck's drug donation program and then raises new issues facing management about what to do about HIV/AIDS in Africa given the company's development of a new therapy. Describes collaboration among many parties including the Gates Foundation, other pharmaceutical companies, and the government of Botswana.
The case series focuses on Merck's drug donation program and then raises new issues facing management about what to do about HIV/AIDS in Africa given the company's development of a new therapy. Describes collaboration among many parties including the Gates Foundation, other pharmaceutical companies, and the government of Botswana.
Describes the evolution of Women's World Banking, an international microfinance nonprofit promoting financial access for poor women. Explores the organization's development of different types of networks to achieve its mission.
The Mexican Foundation for Rural Development (MFRD) is a nonprofit network of 32 rural development centers servicing low-income farm families. Management plans to expand its operation dramatically, forming 10,000 rural cooperatives in ten years. It faces major issues related to implementing this strategy.
Allen S. Grossman, James E. Austin, Myra M. Hart and Sharon Peyus
Documents the creation of a national before and after-school day care program aimed at bridging the gap between school and parents' work schedules. This high-growth, for-profit social enterprise organization operated in what was historically the domain of nonprofit or government sectors. Tensions emerge 1) pressure to grow and the need to maintain quality, 2) pursuit of a noble mission and a desire to create personal wealth, 3) creation of a national organization and a local program delivery capability, and 4) meeting investor expectations while maintaining the purity of the programs.
Grossman, Allen S., James E. Austin, Myra M. Hart, and Sharon Peyus. "Explore, Inc." Harvard Business School Case 300-011, September 1999. (Revised November 1999.)
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The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Teachers Network (GLSTN), which aims to create respect for all within schools regardless of sexual orientation, faces significant challenges stemming from its rapid growth into a 30-chapter national organization. Issues include headquarters-chapter relations, financial sustainability, leadership, and governance.
Austin, James E., Willis M. Emmons III, and David Maue. "GLSTN 1996." Harvard Business School Case 797-038, September 1996. (Revised November 1999.)
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This 32-year-old nonprofit organization has dedicated itself to the care and social development of abandoned street children in Mexico. Examines the organization's efforts to achieve financial sustainability, particularly through earned income activities on its farm. Includes color exhibits.
Austin, James E., Wendy Bermudez, and Gustavo Escobar. "IPODERAC." Harvard Business School Case 399-016, July 1998. (Revised October 1999.)
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Describes the creation and evolution of this food marketing corporation. All its after-tax profits are donated to charity by Paul Newman, the distinguished actor and social entrepreneur. The company has grown into a $100 million enterprise and donated cumulatively $89 million to charities. It faces major competitive and organizational challenges. Includes color exhibits.
Share Our Strength, a successful anti-hunger nonprofit organization, created a for-profit subsidiary--Community Wealth Ventures (CWV)--to provide advisory services to companies and nonprofits on collaboration. Management is reviewing CWV's start-up experience.
As part of Cleveland's turnaround, Cleveland Tomorrow creates new investment funds to stimulate new business development. This development is designed to earn a profit and bring new benefits to the community. Part of the HBS Social Enterprise Video Series on Business Leadership in the Social Sector (BLSS).
Traces the Cleveland community's efforts to move the city from economic, social, and political crisis in the late 1970s into revitalization and progress in the 1980s and 1990s. Special attention is given to the role of business leaders and the public-private partnership. This case covers the 1989-96 period and initiatives in housing, education, and physical development.
James E. Austin, Roberto Gutierrez, Marc Labie and Enrique Ogliastri
Finansol, created to provide loans to micro-entrepreneurs, encountered considerable difficulties after rapidly growing to become the biggest micro-enterprise lender in Colombia. Major restructuring was required to rescue it.
Austin, James E., Roberto Gutierrez, Marc Labie, and Enrique Ogliastri. "Finansol." Harvard Business School Case 398-071, November 1997. (Revised February 1998.)
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Oxfam America, a nongovernmental organization providing grant assistance to organizations fighting hunger, poverty, and their causes, was engaged in a new strategy formulation process, led by its new president.
Austin, James E. "Cleveland Turnaround, The: Case and Video TN." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 798-029, September 1997. (Revised November 1997.)
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James E. Austin, Paul Barese, Stephanie L. Woerner and Elaine V. Backman
In February 1995, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the largest civil rights organization in the United States, was in the midst of a crisis. The executive director had been fired due to financial improprieties amid charges of sexual harassment. Immediately thereafter the board chairman came under fire as well. In a very close vote, Myrlie Evers-Williams, a long-standing board member, was elected the new board chair. She found herself leading an organization with severely diminished credibility and support, precarious finances, and a fractured board of directors. The case raises issues regarding board oversight, governance structure, and crisis leadership in a nonprofit setting.
Austin, James E., Paul Barese, Stephanie L. Woerner, and Elaine V. Backman. "NAACP, The ." Harvard Business School Case 398-039, October 1997. (Revised November 1997.)
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Consists of three separate parts. Part 1, The Cleveland Turnaround, describes Cleveland's decline until its bankruptcy in 1978. This is followed by the remedial actions taken by community leaders, starting with the election of a new mayor, the formation of new community organizations such as Cleveland Tomorrow, a grouping of CEOs focusing on the economic revitalization of the community, and the Cleveland Roundtable, a grouping aimed at achieving greater racial harmony. The community's actions in the areas of economic development, downtown development, and inner-city housing and commercial development are described. Leaders talk about the central role played in the turnaround by their "public-private partnership." Part 2, Challenges for the Future, provides short comments by a cross-section of leaders about what they perceive to be significant challenges still facing the city as it moves into the 21st century. Part 3, Lessons on Leadership and Community Building, consists of a collection of remarks by a variety of public and private leaders about the lessons of the Cleveland turnaround.
Traces the Cleveland community's efforts to move the city from economic, social, and political crisis in the late 1970s into revitalization and progress in the 1980s and 1990s. Special attention is given to the role of business leaders and the public-private partnership. This case covers the 1978-88 period of responding to the crisis and focuses particularly on the formation of Cleveland Tomorrow, a CEO-only group focused on community development.
Traces the Cleveland community's efforts to move the city from economic, social, and political crisis in the late 1970s into revitalization and progress in the 1980s and 1990s. Special attention is given to the role of business leaders and the public-private partnership. This note provides faces and figures for the 1970-95 period to supplement the analysis.
Traces the Cleveland community's efforts to move the city from economic, social, and political crisis in the late 1970s into revitalization and progress in the 1980s and 1990s. Special attention is given to the role of business leaders and the public-private partnership. This case delineates challenges facing the community as it moves into the 21st Century.
Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Bribery and Extortion in International Business TN." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 395-009, September 1994.
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In an effort to capitalize on the entrepreneurial opportunity presented by the Brazilian government's trade liberalization, a Panamanian automobile trading company launched a business of importing the Russian made Lada cars into Brazil. The company confronts a complex political and economic environment and strong competition from the existing automobile producers. Presents the business challenges and opportunities accompanying trade liberalization. Reveals the competitive dynamics in environments undergoing economic transformation.
Provides guidance for the preparation of teaching notes. Sets forth the rationale for teaching notes, what they should contain and why, and how they can be prepared. Based on the experiences of Harvard Business School faculty.
The Colombian Cut Flower Exporting Association faces several problems concerning local government regulations and import restrictions from the U.S. government. The Colombian Export Promotion Agency also faces decisions as to its policy stance toward the industry.
Population Services International (PSI) was a not-for-profit agency founded to disseminate family planning information and to market birth control products, primarily in less developed countries seeking to curb their population explosions. In 1976, PSI concluded an agreement with the government of Bangladesh to conduct a social marketing program, with the objective of using modern marketing techniques to sell subsidized contraceptives through commercial outlets. Seven years later, three PSI managers were meeting at PSI's Washington, D.C. headquarters to discuss 1984-86 marketing strategy for two products: Raja condoms and Maya birth control pills. Of particular concern was the fact that the marketing approach that had proven extremely successful for Raja was yielding poor sales results for Maya. The PSI managers needed to devise an action plan for improving Maya sales.
Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "John Deere, S.A. (Mexico) (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 590-117, June 1991.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Thai Farmers Bank (A) (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 190-201, June 1990. (Revised February 1991.)
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "International Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 290-060, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Countertrade and Merban Corp. (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-194, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A. (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-205, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Ashamu Holdings Ltd. (B) (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 590-119, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Evans Food Corp. (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 690-036, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Standard Fruit Co. in Nicaragua (A) (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-199, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Pandol Brothers, Inc. and Nicaragua (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-200, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Leather Industry in India (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-201, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Cut Flower Industry in Colombia (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-203, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Daidong Mould & Injection Co. (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-204, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Colgate-Palmolive in Mexico (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-190, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Compania Telefonica Mexicana S.A. (CTM) (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-191, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Citibank in Zaire (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-192, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Population Services International: The Social Marketing Project in Bangladesh (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 590-118, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Rio Bravo Electricos, General Motors Corp. (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 690-082, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Mexico and the Microcomputers (A) (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-187, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Dow Indonesia (A) (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-188, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Packages Ltd. (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-189, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "State Timber Corp. of Sri Lanka (A) (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-198, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "NIKE in China (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-186, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc. (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-195, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Enterprise Development, Inc. (A) (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-196, June 1990.
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Austin, James E., and Tomas Otto Kohn. "Industrias del Maiz S.A. (Abridged), Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 390-197, June 1990.
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The new vice president of infant and dietetic products of Nestle Alimentana S.A. has to make recommendations on the company's marketing programs for its infant formulas in developing countries. The U.S. subsidiary is currently the target of a consumer boycott because of the company's current and historical marketing programs. Introduces the question of using Western marketing techniques in the Third World, the problems of distributor control, and potential product misuse because of consumer poverty and ignorance. Provides a summary of the industry's evolution and a chronology of the controversy. Recommended: "Family Planning, Infant Mortality and Malnutrition," by E. Haubold, Swiss Review of World Affairs, March 1979.
Austin, James E., Dennis J. Encarnation III, and Louis T. Wells Jr. "Dow Indonesia (B2)." Harvard Business School Case 386-033, July 1985. (Revised January 1990.)
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Austin, James E., Dennis J. Encarnation III, and Louis T. Wells Jr. "Dow Indonesia (B1)." Harvard Business School Case 386-032, July 1985. (Revised February 1986.)
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Austin, James E., Dennis J. Encarnation III, and Louis T. Wells Jr. "Dow Indonesia (A)." Harvard Business School Case 386-031, July 1985. (Revised February 1986.)
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Austin, James E. "Nutrition Intervention: Scope and Limits." Lecture at the International Congress of Nutrition, New York, January 01, 1981.
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Austin, James E. "Evaluation Research Priorities for Federal Nutrition Programs." Paper presented at the National Food and Agriculture Outlook Conference, Washington, DC, November 15, 1978.
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Austin, James E. "La Modernizacion de la Produccion y los Ajustes en el Sistema de Mercadea: El Caso de la Industria Arrocera Nicaraguense." Paper presented at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture Seminar on Latin American Rice Policies, October 01, 1971.
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Austin, James E., George Th. Kastner, and Maria Teresa Tello. "La Venezuela Agrícola: Mitos Y Realidades." Papeles de trabajo IESA, Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración (IESA), Caracas, January 1985.
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The Digital Initiative is a cross-unit venture that unites scholars and practitioners to explore and impact the transformation of business in today’s digital, networked, and media-rich environment.
