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
Corporate Actions as Moral Issues
- 2024 |
- Working Paper |
- Faculty Research
Transitioning from Responsible and Reactive to Deeply Responsible and Proactive International Business
- January–March 2025 |
- Article |
- Critical Perspectives on International Business
Untapped Global: Financing Africa’s Missing Middle
- January 2025 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
Negotiating a Legacy at Sustainable Harvest (A)
- January 2025 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
PayJoy: Finance for the Next Billion
- January 2025 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
A Tiger in The Tank: Exxon Sues Investors
- January 2025 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
Shifting Winds: DEI in Corporate America
- January 2025 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
Core Innovation Capital: Investing in Fintech for Good
- December 2024 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
Balancing Returns and Responsibilities at Raya Partners
- December 2024 (Revised January 2025) |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
How Robust Is Your Climate Governance?
- November–December 2024 |
- Article |
- Harvard Business Review
To better understand how climate issues are being handled in the boardroom and to determine what good climate governance looks like in practice, the authors interviewed 20 directors who hold leadership positions on the boards of S&P 500 companies. Drawing from those interviews and other research, they identify eight hallmarks of meaningful climate oversight. For example, “the board is knowledgeable about the company’s climate profile,” “the board has the expertise needed for effective climate oversight,” and “the board can articulate the company’s climate positioning and strategy.”
The authors also offer their perspective on the set of issues associated with each hallmark that corporate leaders must grapple with as they decide how to incorporate climate issues into their company’s governance.
Climate concerns are here to stay, and climate governance will increasingly be seen as a core element of good governance.