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Case Thomas R. MillerK. William Chandler, a Memphis real estate appraiser, is alarmed at an increasingly prevalent practice — overstating the sales prices of new homes on official deed documents. Chandler and some others believe the reduced accuracy of ensuing appraisals is damaging, but many local builders and developers maintain that overstated prices can be justified. Source: North American Case Research Journal, Case Research Journal, Spring 1993, Vol. 13, Issue 2, Copyright 1992. Courses: Business Ethics; Real Estate Topics:
Case Robert P. Crowner Source: The Society for Case Research, Annual Advances 1997, Copyright 1998. Topics: Accounting; Business Ethics; Business and Society
Case Author(s): Oana Branzei; Kevin McKague Publication Date: 8/30/2007 Revision Date: 1/8/2009 Product Type: Case Ivey ID: 9B07M059 Geographic Setting: Global Industry Setting: Electric, Gas and Sanitary Services Size: Small Year of Event: 2006 Level of Difficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: Entrepreneurial Business Growth; Emerging Markets; Energy; Business and Society Major Disciplines: Entrepreneurship; General Management; International Product Description: The founder and executive director of E+Co faces the challenge of ten-fold growth and reviews the core parts of the company’s innovative business model, the changes in the energy markets around the world, and the rationale for local solutions to energy scarcity and inefficiency. Also presented is a set of entrepreneurial growth strategies that preserve the core of the model - i.e., simultaneously tackling energy poverty and energy waste, and bringing people up the energy ladder with locally suitable and affordable solutions. These strategies help consolidate and leverage E+Co‘s 12 years of experience and strong local presence through an innovative combination of complementary wedges.
Article Bowen, William G.; Bok, Derek; Burkhart, Glenda American institutions of higher learning have long played a disproportionate role in supplying leadership talent to the world’s business and professional organizations. New research by William Bowen and Derek Bok, former presidents of HBS Number: 99102 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 1/1/1999 Subjects: Affirmative action; African Americans; Business & society; Diversity; Higher education; Hispanic Americans; Human resources management; Mentors; Multiculturalism & pluralism; Recruitment
Background note Wolfe, J — University of Tulsa Poor, J — International Management Center, Budapest Distributor: ecch (www.ecch.com) Reference: 191-006-5 Language: English Category: Economics, Politics and Business Environment Data source: Published sources Product Year: 1991 Geo location: Hungary Industry: Entire nation Timing: Past decade Topics: Background information; Balance of payments; Business and society; Business environment; Capital markets; Conditions of employment; Cooperatives; Corporate culture; Currency; Decision theory; Economic analysis; Economic development; Employee attitude; Ent Abstract: Hungary has been at the forefront in implementing a market oriented economy within the former Socialist block. This case provides background information on the nature of the Hungarian economy in early 1990 and can be used to familiarize students with the past decision making environment managers faced in this Socialist country.
Case B: The Storm Intensifies Wendy Coleman, Malcolm S. SalterContinues discussion of Airbus vs. Boeing (A). This case is designed to foster discussion of international trade policy as it affects producers in the industry and to encourage firm managers to consider competitive strategies. A rewritten version of an earlier case by the same author. Source: Harvard Business School. Copyright 1988. Courses: Business and Society; International Business; International Trade Topics:
Case Rovenpor, Janet This timely case causes students to reflect on the ethics and impact of downloading and storing of copyright protected music available on the Internet onto one’s personal computer. Who “wins” and who ‘’loses‘' from music downloading? Students are called upon to propose possible courses of action and identify a workable solution to resolving the ethical and legal concerns? Publication Date: 2003 Geographic Setting: U.S. Industry Setting: Music Event Year Start: 1999 Event Year End: 2003 Courses: Business Policy; Business Ethics Course Sequence: Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Ethics; Business and Society Supplements: Teaching Note
Case Author(s): Mary M. Crossan; Ken Mark Ivey ID: 9B05M046 Publication Date: 8/2/2005 Revision Date: 4/15/2010 Product Type: Case Teaching Note: Teaching Note: 8B05M46 Geographic Setting: United States Size: Large Year of Event: 2005 Level of Difficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: None specified Major Disciplines: General Management; International Product Description: Apple Computer, Inc. has enjoyed tremendous market success with its digital music initiative consisting of software (iTunes), hardware (iPods and Shuffles) and content (iTunes Music Store). Highlighted is the development of the online music industry within the context of the overall music industry, the key players, such as the major record labels, Napster and the music industry association. Students will be able to conduct an industry analysis of the music industry and determine why Apple Computer has succeeded in profiting from digital music while others have failed.
Case Enright, Michael J.; Boden, Stephan; Smith, Benjamin After taking office, South Africa’s new president, Nelson Mandela, must decide whether to dismantle or support Armscor, South Africa‘s state-owned arms company, which has been a pillar of the apartheid regime. Complicating matters is the fact that the arms industry was South Africa's leading manufacturing exporter and a major employer. If Mandela chooses to support Armscor, the company must develop a strategy to obtain a much larger share of a rapidly declining world market. Teaching Purpose: Allows for discussion of military versus nonmilitary industries, employment versus ideology, national sources of competitive advantage, and international business strategy in strategic industries. HBS Number: 9-796-186 Type: Case (Library) Publication Date: 6/21/1996 Geographic Setting: South Africa Industry Setting: armaments Number of Employees: 70,000 Event Year Start: 1994 Event Year End: 1994 Subjects: Business & society; Government & business; International business; Military R&D; National competitiveness; South Africa Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (5-796-043), 16p, by Michael J. Enright, Patricia F. Wakeley
Case Sam McDowell and edited by Richard G. LinowesAsian Rattan (The Philippines) is a rattan furniture manufacturer that has just weathered a crippling strike by its labor union, which had simply demanded the legal minimum wage. The strike shut down the factory for 18 months, and now its general manager, the son of a prosperous, industrialist family, weighs whether or not to reopen the factory. Source: Institute of International Education and selected for use by Pinnacle Editorial Board. Copyright 1994. Courses: Business and Society; International Business; Small Business Topics:
Case Max Douglass In April 1988, BASF announced its intention to construct an automotive paint plant, but the proposal was met with controversy. The Terre Haute Environment Rights coalition filed suit in U.S. District Court to overturn the sale of land to BASF. BASF announced it was no longer interested in the location. This case raises several questions about social responsibility/responsiveness issues. Source: The Society for Case Research, Case Research Journal, Fall 1993, Vol. 1, Issue 1, Copyright 1993. Courses: Business and Society; Business Ethics; Business Policy/Strategy; Marketing Management; Public Relations Topics:
Case Author(s): Dees, J. Gregory; Remey, Christine C. Publication Date: 01/15/1993 Revision Date: 11/24/1997 Product Type: Case (Field) Product Description: In 1992, the Federal Reserve released a study of mortgage lending patterns in Boston. It concluded that even when credit factors were taken into account, black and Hispanic applicants experienced higher rejection rates. Richard Pollard, chairman of BayBank Boston, had to decide how to respond. Over the past three years he had led efforts in BayBank and the Massachusetts Bankers Association to address community concerns raised by earlier, less conclusive studies. Some innovative programs had been established through the association. The new study raised questions about whether existing programs would be adequate to address the problem. Teaching Purpose: Presents students with the challenge of responding constructively to social criticism. They must evaluate the charges and recommend a course of action that reflects ethical considerations, political realities, BayBank’s business strategy, and the role of the industry association. HBS Number: 9-393-095 Geographic Setting: Boston, MA Industry Setting: banking Company Size: large Number of Employees: 5,500 Gross Revenues: $1 billion revenues Event Year Start: 1989 Event Year End: 1992 Subjects: Bank management; Business & society; Community relations; Discrimination; Diversity; Ethics; Mortgages; Social enterprise Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (5-394-211), 10p, by Joseph L. Badaracco Jr., Jerry Useem
Case Author(s): Paine, Lynn Sharp Publication Date: 09/17/1998 Revision Date: 05/26/2004 Product Type: Case (Field) Product Description: Becton Dickinson’s Global One-Company Operations Group must decide on the company‘s global policy on gifts, gratuities, and business entertainment. A central issue is whether the policy should be established centrally and made uniform worldwide or whether it should be decided locally, depending on local circumstances and practices. The case contains numerous examples of troubling situations drawn from different regions of the world, as well as background information on growing anticorruption efforts worldwide. Teaching Purpose: To help students understand the ethical, legal, organizational, and strategic issues involved in establishing a worldwide corporate policy on gifts. HBS Number: 9-399-055 Geographic Setting: United States, Asia, Latin America, Middle East Industry Setting: medical and diagnostic devices Number of Employees: 19,000 Gross Revenues: $2.7 billion revenues Event Year Start: 1997 Event Year End: 1997 Subjects: Bribery; Business & society; Business etiquette; Conflicts of interest; Corporate culture; Ethics; International business; Medical supplies Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics Supplementary Materials: Supplement (Field), (9-399-044), 1p, by Lynn Sharp Paine; Supplement (Field), (9-399-045), 9p, by Lynn Sharp Paine; Supplement (Field), (9-399-105), 1p, by Lynn Sharp Paine; Supplement, (9-300-073), 2p, by Lynn Sharp Paine
Case Boyd, C — University of Saskatchewan Distributor: ecch (www.ecch.com) Reference: 392-056-1 Language: English Category: Strategy and General Management Data source: Published sources Product Year: 1992 Geo location: United States Industry: Food manufacturing Size: Large Timing: 1981-1985 Topics: Business and society; Corporate responsibility; Corporate culture; Ethics and values; Whistle-blowing; Advertising ethics; Strategy; Government regulation Abstract: This is the first of a two part case series (392-056-1 and 392-057-1). The Beech-Nut Nutrition cases describe how the 2nd largest US baby food manufacturer attempted to save costs by acquiring adulterated apple juice concentrate, essentially sugar water, and passing it off as pure apple juice for babies. The company was being pressured to produce profits by its owner, the Swiss food manufacturer, Nestle. Beech-Nut’s top two executives were eventually jailed for fraud. The Beech-Nut (A) case purposely conceals the full extent of the culpability of the senior executives in the procurement of fake juice. This allows discussion of a wide range of strategic and ethical issues. The (B) case reveals the extent of senior management‘s participation, and describes their brazen attempts to thwart the investigation of the scandal by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Case Boyd, C — University of Saskatchewan Distributor: ecch (www.ecch.com) Reference: 392-057-1 Language: English Category: Strategy and General Management Data source: Published sources Product Year: 1992 Geo location: United States Industry: Food manufacturing Size: Large Timing: 1981-1985 Topics: Business and society; Corporate responsibility; Corporate culture; Ethics and values; Whistle-blowing; Advertising ethics; Strategy; Government regulation Abstract: This is the second of a two part case series (392-056-1 and 392-057-1). The Beech-Nut Nutrition cases describe how the 2nd largest US baby food manufacturer attempted to save costs by acquiring adulterated apple juice concentrate, essentially sugar water, and passing it off as pure apple juice for babies. The company was being pressured to produce profits by its owner, the Swiss food manufacturer, Nestle. Beech-Nut’s top two executives were eventually jailed for fraud. The Beech-Nut (A) case purposely conceals the full extent of the culpability of the senior executives in the procurement of fake juice. This allows discussion of a wide range of strategic and ethical issues. The (B) case reveals the extent of senior management‘s participation, and describes their brazen attempts to thwart the investigation of the scandal by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Case Author(s): Tedlow, Richard S. Publication Date: 03/18/1983 Revision Date: 03/31/2008 Product Type: Case (Library) HBS Number: 383160 Geographic Setting: United States Subjects: Business & society; Business history; Ethics; Government policy; Political systems Academic Discipline: Business & government Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (384111), 8p, by Richard S. Tedlow Product Description: Discusses the value systems and their relationship to the conduct of business in 18th Century America. Also focuses on Benjamin Franklin, the preeminent colonial American, to examine how business was conducted in his era. Based on an earlier case by B.E. Supple.
Case Silverman, Murray & Lanphar, Tom An excellent case for discussing issues relating to strategy implementation and corporate social responsibility. The case presents a balanced picture of the potential benefits a company can gain from being socially responsible as well as the costs associated with undertaking socially responsible initiatives. What will the owners of the winery have to do to complete the Environmental Management System and to gain ISO 14001 certification? Are these projects worth the costs? What should their implementation plan be? Publication Date: 2003 Geographic Setting: California Industry Setting: Wine Event Year Start: 2000 Event Year End: 2003 Courses: Business Policy; Business Ethics Course Sequence: Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Ethics; Business and Society; Corporate Responsibility Supplements: Teaching Note/Video
Case Raymond M. Jones, Philip CooperThe case commences with a resume of the historical, economic, and financial evolution of the cigarette industry. Legal and regulatory aspects of the smoking and health issue are also discussed. Source: The Society for Case Research Annual Advances in Business Cases, Fall 1993, Vol. 1, Issue 1. Copyright 1993. Courses: Business Ethics; Business Policy/Strategy Topics:
Case Chiaramonte P This note on dealing with the media is an introduction to issues such as how the media operate; the making of a news story; understanding the journalist’s job; and how to deal with crisis information. Ivey Number: 9A92L002 Publication Date: 9/7/1992 Revision Date: 21/01/1999 Subjects: Business and Society, Crisis Management, Interviewing Skills, Management Communication Functional Area: Human Resource Management
Case Author(s): Farhoomand, Ali F.; Woo, Claudia, HL Publication Date: 06/22/2006 Product Type: Case (Field) Publisher: University of Hong Kong HBS Number: HKU581 Geographic Setting: China Subjects: Business & society; Business government relations; Corporate governance; Corruption; Country analysis; Developing countries; Ethics; Laws & regulations Academic Discipline: General management Product Description: Provides an overview of business corruption in China, placing it in a context that takes into account various political, economic, legal, and cultural elements. More specifically, it examines corporate ownership and structure in China, identifies sources of corruption, and analyses the impact of corruption on the country’s social and economic stability. Closes with a set of recommendations for countering business corruption in China.
Case Author(s): Oberholzer-Gee, Felix; Arena, Alexa Publication Date: 12/10/2005 Revision Date: 09/26/2007 Product Type: Case (Field) HBS Number: 9-706-442 Geographic Setting: Los Angeles, CA Industry Setting: Real estate developments; Real estate investment Event Year Start: 2003 Event Year End: 2003 Subjects: Business & government; Business & society; Decision making; Government & business; Investments; Partnerships; Private sector; Public sector; Risk assessment; Urban development; Venture capital Academic Discipline: Competitive strategy Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (5-707-546), 11p, by Felix Oberholzer-Gee Product Description: Basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson and K. Robert Turner, managing partner of Canyon Johnson Urban Fund (CJUF), raised $271.7 million for investments in urban real estate. The fund considered two projects, both located in Hollywood, CA. The first was located on Hollywood and Highland. Proposed by a reputable developer who wanted to restore Hollywood and Highland to its former glory, the development included a 640,000 square-foot retail complex, a hotel, and the Kodak Theatre, the future home of the Academy Awards. The second project was a mixed-use development, located on Sunset and Vine. This property had suffered a bad run of previous development attempts, and the community had been highly critical of past projects, feeling high rental prices would lock local residents and businesses out of the market. Hollywood and Highland or Sunset and Vine? Turner planned to make his decision soon. Details the economics of both projects.
Article Cutts, Robert L. Japan is organized in a fundamentally different way from the economies of the rest of the industrialized world. It is a nation girded by cartels and bound by keiretsu, or families of interrelated businesses, which would seem alien and even illegal in the United States. Pure cartels have great power over Japan’s markets. Even political parties operate like cartels. U.S. businesses cannot merely wait for the Japanese to accept fair trade policies as determined by governments of the West. They must be alert for opportunities to join keiretsu, use U.S. political muscle, and exploit any openings in Japan‘s closely knit business network. HBS Number: 92403 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 7/1/1992 Subjects: Business & society; Business conditions; Competition; International business; Japan Year New: 1992
Article Levinson, Marc Newsweek economics writer Marc Levinson reviews Lester C. Thurow’s book The Future of Capitalism: How Today‘s Economic Forces Shape Tomorrow's World and takes the author to task for once again using a U.S. presidential election as the occasion for making dire economic predictions. But although he thinks Thurow's gloom is unwarranted, he credits him with asking the right question: How do you confront the widening inequality of incomes and opportunities that intense competition brings? Thurow has adapted the theory of punctuated equilibrium in evolutionary biology to describe how a relatively stable economic environment can be disrupted overnight by a chaotic transformation. He points to today's global shift from the age of mass production to the age of brainpower and warns that, as the resulting gap between rich and poor widens, frustration will tax the resilience of democracy. HBS Number: 96504 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 9/1/1996 Subjects: Business & society; Economic policy; Government & business; Layoffs; National competitiveness; Public policy; Social change Year New: 1996
Case Conklin DW; Hunter T A major threat to the existence of the CAW is the trend towards outsourcing the production of components to non-unionized, hence lower-cost manufacturers, by the Big Three Automakers (GM, Ford and Chrysler). This trend is costing Canadian AutomobileWorkers Union (CAW) members their jobs. The typical retaliation is CAW strikes, and negotiating job security agreements. This short-term strategy in fact encourages the move to offshore production in order to remain competitive. The purpose of thecase is to discuss issues concerning the evolution of the Canadian economy from one which is manufacturing-based to one based on services, and to try to find answers to questions like: Can the CAW survive? Will the Big Three be producing cars inCanada in the 21st Century? Where else would they go? What are the concerns in moving production off-shore? What kind of strategy should the CAW follow to ensure its survival? How does Canadian automobile production relate to the global industry?How will governments impact the industry? Ivey Number: 9A98M018 Publication Date: 23/09/1998 Revision Date: 1/2/2000 Geographic Setting: Canada Industry Setting: Transportation Equipment Company Size: Large organization Event Year Start: 1996 Subjects: Labour Unions, Management in a Global Environment, Globalization, Business and Society Functional Area: General Management
Article Cooper, Michael R.; Morgan, Brian S.; Foley, Patricia Mortensen; Kaplan, Leon B. A survey, covering 25 years, shows that employees are increasingly dissatisfied with pay, supervision, and by lack of equitable treatment. Managers exhibit far greater satisfaction with working conditions than hourly employees do, which shows that a "hierarchy gap" exists. Most employees agree that their companies are declining as desirable places to work and that favorable pay fails to offset growing discontent. They say chances for advancement are poor and that improvement is unlikely. HBS Number: 79103 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 1/1/1979 Subjects: Business & society; Employee attitude; Job satisfaction; Social change; Values
Case Author(s): Paine, Lynn Sharp Publication Date: 08/09/2005 Revision Date: 05/31/2006 Product Type: Case (Field) Product Description: Describes the transformation of a formerly state-owned meat processing plant in Russia into a privately owned and operated food processing conglomerate under Russia’s economic reforms of the 1990s. Among the challenges the CEO, Igor Babaev, and his top management team must address is what to do when sales plummet as a result of false rumors that the company‘s meat products are being produced with tainted and potentially deadly meat. HBS Number: 9-306-021 Geographic Setting: Russia Industry Setting: Food processing industry Number of Employees: 6,000 Gross Revenues: $400 million revenues Event Year Start: 1997 Event Year End: 1998 Subjects: Brands; Business & government; Business & society; Competition; Culture; Emerging markets; Marketing management; Organizational development; Privatization; Transformations Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics Supplementary Materials: Supplement (Field), (9-399-120), 2p, by Lynn Sharp Paine, Harold F. Hogan Jr.
Case Author(s): Nohria, Nitin; Mayo, Anthony J.; Otudeko, Foluke; Benson, Mark Publication Date: 12/21/2006 Revision Date: 01/11/2007 Product Type: Case (Library) HBS Number: 9-407-027 Geographic Setting: Africa; Nigeria Industry Setting: Lumber & wood; Manufacturing industries; Textile industry Event Year Start: 1920 Event Year End: 1990 Subjects: Business & society; Business history; Diversified companies; Emerging markets; Entrepreneurs; Leadership; Manufacturing Academic Discipline: Organizational behavior & leadership Product Description: Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola was an important contributor to Nigeria’s manufacturing sector, creating a multimillion-dollar conglomerate including three factories, a retail franchise, a cattle ranch, a 5,000-acre plantation, a sawmill, and an exporting business before the end of British colonial rule in 1960. Seizing business opportunities as he saw demand, Odutola moved between markets at every opportunity, creating companies servicing a diverse variety of needs. Odutola‘s keen, unwavering interest in improving the infrastructure of Nigeria allowed him to enjoy a successful career in business and politics, despite the vastly fluctuating political landscape of Nigeria. From British rule through civil war and subsequent coups and countercoups, Odutola remained a popular leader for his commitment to promoting Nigerian business ventures. Elevated to Prime Minister of his tribe — the Ijebu-Ode — in 1956, and later selected as the first President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Odutola campaigned for manufacturing interests and consulted with government officials about national fiscal policy. As a statesman and as a business leader, Odutola worked tirelessly to improve the infrastructure of his country.
Case Author(s): Litvak IA Publication Date: 2/6/2006 Product Type: Case Ivey ID: 9B06M013 Geographic Setting: Canada/China Industry Setting: Metal Mining Size: Large organization Year of Event: 2004 Level of Difficulty: Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: Business and Society; Politics; Government and Business; Ethical Issues Functional Area: General Management Product Description: The proposed takeover of Noranda Inc. (one of the biggest mineral players in the world) by the Chinese state owned entreprise, China Minmetals Corporation, was cause for Canadian government concern as it required some understanding about the workingsand objectives of state owned entreprises. There was particular concern around the labour issues and human rights violations in China, and the possible impact of these on the proposed takeover. Equally important, Canada ran a substantial risk ofsending the wrong message to the People’s Republic of China if it was to block such a takeover, and in some respects, to be seen as shutting its doors to one of the world‘s largest and most powerful emerging economies.
Case Austin, James E.; Strimling, Andrea L. 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. May be used with: (9-796-152) Cleveland Turnaround (B): Building on Progress—1989-96; (9-796-153) Cleveland Turnaround (C): Facts and Figures; (9-796-154) Cleveland Turnaround (D): Challenges for the Future. HBS Number: 9-796-151 Type: Case (Field) Publication Date: 4/29/1996 Revision Date: 11/30/1996 Geographic Setting: Cleveland, OH Event Year Start: 1978 Event Year End: 1988 Subjects: Business & society; Community relations; Local government; Social enterprise Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (5-798-029), 19p, by James E. Austin; Case Video, (9-797-501), 67 min, by James E. Austin, Andrea L. Strimling, Jaan Elias
Case Austin, James E.; Strimling, Andrea L. 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. May be used with: (9-796-151) Cleveland Turnaround (A): Responding to the Crisis—1978-88; (9-796-153) Cleveland Turnaround (C): Facts and Figures; (9-796-154) Cleveland Turnaround (D): Challenges for the Future. HBS Number: 9-796-152 Type: Case (Field) Publication Date: 4/29/1996 Revision Date: 4/1/1998 Geographic Setting: Cleveland, OH Event Year Start: 1989 Event Year End: 1996 Subjects: Business & society; Community relations; Local government; Social enterprise Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (5-798-029), 19p, by James E. Austin; Case Video, (9-797-501), 67 min, by James E. Austin, Andrea L. Strimling, Jaan Elias
Case Austin, James E.; Strimling, Andrea L. 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. May be used with: (9-796-151) Cleveland Turnaround (A): Responding to the Crisis—1978-88; (9-796-152) Cleveland Turnaround (B): Building on Progress--1989-96; (9-796-153) Cleveland Turnaround (C): Facts and Figures. HBS Number: 9-796-154 Type: Case (Field) Publication Date: 4/29/1996 Revision Date: 6/17/1996 Geographic Setting: Cleveland, OH Event Year Start: 1996 Event Year End: 1996 Subjects: Business & society; Community relations; Local government; Social enterprise Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (5-798-029), 19p, by James E. Austin; Case Video, (9-797-501), 67 min, by James E. Austin, Andrea L. Strimling, Jaan Elias
Article Author(s): Porter, Michael E.; Reinhardt, Forest L.; Schwartz, Peter; Esty, Daniel C.; Slater, Alyson; Bortz, Christina; Hoffman, Andrew J.; Schendler, Auden; Bakhshi, Vicki; Krajeski, Alexis; Roosevelt, Theodore, IV; LLewellyn, John; Correa, Maria Emilia; Way, Ma Publication Date: 10/01/2007 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: F0710A Subjects: Business & society; Business government relations; Competitive advantage; Corporate responsibility; Energy consumption; Environmental protection; Global economy; Greenhouse effect; Risk assessment; Risk management; Strategic planning; Strategic positioning Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics Product Description: Climate change will affect everything businesses do, as government efforts to mitigate carbon emissions cause their prices to rise steeply. This special edition of Forethought takes a hard-nosed look at the risks and opportunities of climate change. Michael E. Porter and Forest L. Reinhardt argue that the effects of climate change on companies’ operations are now so tangible and certain that the issue is best addressed with the tools of the strategist, not the philanthropist. Reinhardt also posits, in another article, that success in a carbon-constrained world will be determined by innovation and acumen, requiring companies to make bold moves. Peter Schwartz explains that firms that do business in vulnerable regions can advance their interests if they help those areas adapt to global warming. Daniel C. Esty notes increasing pressure on corporations to reduce emissions, predicting that companies that fail to do so will face grave consequences. Andrew J. Hoffman says that corporations need to know what regulatory issues are at stake — and where. Alyson Slater of Global Reporting Initiative discusses the challenges and benefits of voluntary disclosure. Auden Schendler cautions companies buying up renewable energy ce Source: Harvard
Article Author(s): Brugmann, Jeb; Prahalad, C. K. Publication Date: 02/01/2007 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R0702D Geographic Setting: Bangladesh; Colombia; Peru; Philippines Subjects: Corporate social responsibility; Economic development; Emerging markets; Global business; Microeconomics; Nongovernmental organizations Academic Discipline: Business & government Product Description: Moving beyond decades of mutual distrust and animosity, corporations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are learning to cooperate with each other. Realizing that their interests are converging, the two sides are working together to create innovative business models that are helping to grow new markets and accelerate the eradication of poverty. The path to convergence has proceeded in three stages. In the initial be- responsible stage, companies and NGOs, realizing that they had to coexist, started to look for ways to influence each other through joint social responsibility projects. This experience paved the way for the get-into-business stage, in which NGOs and companies sought to serve the poor by setting up successful businesses. In the process, NGOs learned business discipline from the private sector, while corporations gained an appreciation for the local knowledge, low-cost business models, and community-based marketing techniques that the NGOs have mastered. Increased success on both sides has laid the foundation for the cocreate-business stage, in which companies and NGOs become key parts of each other’s capacity to deliver value. When BP sought to market a duel-fuel portable stove in India, it set up one such cocreation system with three Indian NGOs. The system allowed BP to bring the innovative stove to a geographically dispersed market through myriad local distributors without incurring distribution costs so high that the product would become unaffordable. The company sold Source: Harvard
Article Author(s): Brugmann, Jeb; Prahalad, C. K. Publication Date: 02/01/2007 Product Type: HBR OnPoint Article HBS Number: 1829 Subjects: Business & society; Economic development; Global business; Multinational corporations; Nongovernmental organizations; Nonprofit sector; Social responsibility; Strategy formulation Academic Discipline: Business & government Product Description: Moving beyond decades of mutual distrust and animosity, corporations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are learning to cooperate with each other. Realizing that their interests are converging, the two sides are working together to create innovative business models that are helping to grow new markets and accelerate the eradication of poverty. The path to convergence has proceeded in three stages. In the initial be- responsible stage, companies and NGOs, realizing that they had to coexist, started to look for ways to influence each other through joint social responsibility projects. This experience paved the way for the get-into-business stage, in which NGOs and companies sought to serve the poor by setting up successful businesses. In the process, NGOs learned business discipline from the private sector, while corporations gained an appreciation for the local knowledge, low-cost business models, and community-based marketing techniques that the NGOs have mastered. Increased success on both sides has laid the foundation for the cocreate-business stage, in which companies and NGOs become key parts of each other’s capacity to deliver value. When BP sought to market a duel-fuel portable stove in India, it set up one such cocreation system with three Indian NGOs. The system allowed BP to bring the innovative stove to a geographically dispersed market through myriad local distributors without incurring distribution costs so high that the product would become unaffordable. The company sold its stoves profitably, the NGOs gained ac Source: Harvard
Article Fondation, Larry; Tufano, Peter; Walker, Patricia In all economies, financial systems perform a basic set of functions, which include the need to pool resources, to save and borrow, to make payments, and to collect information. And yet, in rich and poor communities, the ways in which HBS Number: 99404 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 7/1/1999 Subjects: Business & society; Credit; Financial services; Insurance; Investment management; Personal finance; Social change; Urban development
Case Thomas R. Miller; Irvin L. Tankersley Alice Borden, sales manager for Colonial Traditions, Inc., must take a recommendation to her new boss and general manager, Phil Rigby, about how to handle the complaint of disgruntled customer Fred Townsend. Townsend has alleged that four of the six pairs of custom window shutters for which he waited six weeks are the “wrong size”. However Rigby maintained that Townsend signed a sales contract that authorized the manufacture of the exact shutters he received, and the contract clearly specified that custom-made goods are not returnable for credit. Yet upon her investigation, Borden learned that a company employee apparently erred in preparing the sales order signed by the customer. Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 18, Issue 1-2 Subjects: Sales Contracts, Sales Management, Business and Society, Business Ethics, Customer Service, Total Quality
Case Anne T. Lawrence The board of directors and top management of Columbia/HCA Corporation faced tough decisions following initiation of a massive antifraud investigation by the federal government in July 1997. At the time, Columbia/HCA was the largest health care company in the United States, with 340 hospitals under ownership. The government probe focused on allegations that Columbia/HCA had systematically and criminally defrauded Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly and disabled. How did this happen, and what should the company do? Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 20, Issue 1 Subjects: Business and Society, Business Ethics, Government Regulation, Health Care
Article Author(s): Porter, Michael E.; Kramer, Mark R. Publication Date: 12/01/2002 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R0212D Subjects: Business & society; Competitive advantage; Corporate responsibility; Philanthropy; Public opinion; Strategic planning; Strategy implementation Academic Discipline: Competitive strategy Product Description: When it comes to philanthropy, executives increasingly see themselves as caught between critics demanding ever higher levels of “corporate social responsibility” and investors applying pressure to maximize short-term profits. Increasingly, philanthropy is used as a form of public relations or advertising, promoting a company’s image through high-profile sponsorships. But there is a more truly strategic way to think about philanthropy. Corporations can use their charitable efforts to improve their competitive context — the quality of the business environment in the locations where they operate. Using philanthropy to enhance competitive context aligns social and economic goals and improves a company‘s long-term business prospects. Addressing context enables a company not only to give money but also leverage its capabilities and relationships in support of charitable causes. Taking this new direction requires fundamental changes in the way companies approach their contribution programs. Adopting a context-focused approach requires a far more disciplined approach than is prevalent today. But it can make a company's philanthropic activities far more effective.
Article Author(s): Porter, Michael E.; Kramer, Mark R. Publication Date: 12/01/2002 Product Type: HBR OnPoint Article HBS Number: 242X Subjects: Business & society; Competitive advantage; Corporate responsibility; Philanthropy; Public opinion; Strategic planning; Strategy implementation Academic Discipline: Competitive strategy Product Description: When it comes to philanthropy, executives increasingly see themselves as caught between critics demanding ever higher levels of “corporate social responsibility” and investors applying pressure to maximize short-term profits. Increasingly, philanthropy is used as a form of public relations or advertising, promoting a company’s image through high-profile sponsorships. But there is a more truly strategic way to think about philanthropy. Corporations can use their charitable efforts to improve their competitive context — the quality of the business environment in the locations where they operate. Using philanthropy to enhance competitive context aligns social and economic goals and improves a company‘s long-term business prospects. Addressing context enables a company not only to give money but also leverage its capabilities and relationships in support of charitable causes. Taking this new direction requires fundamental changes in the way companies approach their contribution programs. Adopting a context-focused approach requires a far more disciplined approach than is prevalent today. But it can make a company's philanthropic activities far more effective.
Case Author(s): Paine, Lynn Sharp; Bettcher, Kim Eric Publication Date: 03/11/2004 Revision Date: 05/09/2006 Product Type: Note Product Description: The spate of corporate misdeeds revealed to the American public in 2001 to 2002 prompted corrective action in many quarters of the U.S. economy. The note summarizes some of the steps taken by lawmakers, regulators, law-enforcement officials, companies, investors, professional associations, and educators to restore public trust in U.S. capital markets and the U.S. system of corporate governance. May be used with: (9-305-025) The PCAOB (A). HBS Number: 9-304-091 Geographic Setting: United States Event Year Start: 2002 Event Year End: 2003 Subjects: Business & society; Corporate governance; Corporate responsibility; Ethics; Legal aspects of business; Legislation Academic Discipline: General management
Note Author(s): David W. Conklin Ivey ID: 9B09M065 Publication Date: 10/21/2009 Product Type: Note Teaching Note: 8B09M65 Geographic Setting: Global Industry Setting: Executive, Legislative & General Gov. Year of Event: 2009 Level of Difficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: International Business; Business and Society; Globalization Major Disciplines: General Management; International; Marketing Product Description: Many countries have become increasingly concerned with the subject of corruption, and managers today must deal with changes in ethical norms and laws. New laws and international agreements seek to create a worldwide shift towards the reduction of corruption, and so management responsibilities are continually evolving. Both Transparency International and the World Bank provide estimates of the relative pervasiveness of corruption in different countries. Yet this subject is ambiguous and complex, creating significant challenges for managers. Both Volkswagen and Siemens have recently experienced public criticism and legal prosecution over corruption issues, some relating to internal and inter-corporate relations. Some cultures appear to accept corrupt practices as part of normal business-government relations. In China, guanxi is widely seen as a requirement for business success with the establishment of personal relationships that include an ongoing exchange of gifts and personal favours. Some managers may argue that the giving of gifts is acceptable, that bribes to expedite decisions may be necessary, and that only certain types of bribes should be seen as inappropriate corruption. However, this perspective involves the difficulty of drawing a line to guide decisions of corporate employees, and for many managers it is now necessary to implement clear corporate guidelines in regard to what they consider to be corruption. In this context, some managers Source: Ivey
Case Author(s): Wong, Ka-fu; Chan, Chester; Stimson, Mark Publication Date: 08/28/2006 Product Type: Case (Field) Publisher: University of Hong Kong HBS Number: HKU586 Geographic Setting: China; Hong Kong Industry Setting: Petroleum industry Subjects: Alternative energy; Business & society; Business government relations; Petroleum; Pricing; Regulations; Subsidies Academic Discipline: Business & government Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (HKU587), 7p, by Ka-fu Wong, Chester Chan, Mark Stimson Product Description: Studies a Hong Kong government environmental mandate to replace the territory’s diesel-powered taxicab fleet with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)-powered vehicles. In order to encourage the transition, taxi owners were given cash grants to purchase new LPG vehicles and drivers were promised “cheap” fuel. In exchange for selling at or below capped prices, certain companies received “free” land to develop dedicated LPG filling stations. Other local filling stations sold LPG fuel alongside gasoline and diesel fuel, although at market prices. All stations in the territory were supplied by fuel imported from abroad.
Case Author(s): Lawrence, John J.; Haines, Doug; O’Neill, Michele Publication Date: 2006 Case Description: Rocky Mountain Fiberboard is in deep financial difficulty. Students are called upon to assess three options for reviving the company. Requires extensive financial analysis and number-crunching. Geographic Setting: Utah Industry Setting: Building Materials Courses: Business Policy/Business Ethics Course Sequence: Business Strategy/Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Event Year Start: 1999 Event Year End: 2002 Subjects: Business Policy; Market Positioning; Business and Society; Industry Analysis Supplements: Teaching Note Source: Thompson-Gamble-Strickland: Strategy: Winning in the Marketplace: Core Concepts, Analytical Tools, Cases, Second Edition
Case Author(s): Fratantuono, Michael J. Publication Date: 07/03/2007 Product Type: Case (Field) Publisher: University of Hong Kong HBS Number: HKU653 Geographic Setting: China Subjects: International business; Corporate strategy; Strategy formulation; Logistics; Social responsibility; Implementing strategy Academic Discipline: Competitive strategy Supplementary Materials: Case Teaching Note, (HKU654), 21p, by Michael J. Fratantuono Product Description: In June 2003, the governments of Hong Kong and the People’s Republic of China signed the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA). CEPA outlined terms for the liberalization of trade in goods and services and enabled firms incorporated in Hong Kong to establish wholly owned businesses on the mainland. One firm that benefited from the liberalization was the Crown Worldwide Group. Founded by Jim Thompson in 1965, and based in Hong Kong since 1970, Crown had evolved into the world‘s largest privately held company providing relocations and records management services, and had become a significant player in the field of logistics. By 2003, the company had a global network of offices and warehouses in more than 100 cities on six continents. Following the signing of CEPA, Crown formulated a plan for building state-of-the-art warehouse/office complexes on the mainland. The first was to be in Shanghai, to be followed by a second in Beijing, and then others in several more cities. Crown was successful in the first phase of implementing its strategy: by August 2006, Shanghai employees had been working out of the new facility for more than a year. Meanwhile, Crown had located a plot of land in Beijing and had completed site preparations — but progress on construction had stalled due to unexpected delays in project registration approval from Beijing authorities. The delay raised the question: How best to proceed? As he Source: Harvard
Case Author(s): Oana Branzei; Jan Dutkiewicz Publication Date: 6/30/2008 Product Type: Case (Field) Ivey ID: 9B08M047 Geographic Setting: Peru Industry Setting: Non-Profit Organizations; Agricultural Production - Crops; Agricultural Services Size: Small Year of Event: 2007 Level of Difficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: Entrepreneurial Business Growth; Emerging Markets; Business and Society; Agriculture Major Disciplines: Entrepreneurship; General Management; International Product Description: A consultant with CARE Enterprise Partners (CEP) is tasked to provide consulting for three social enterprises in different stages of development, each benefiting from CEP funding and support. CONASE - an oatmeal manufacturer selling to the government’s vaso de leche free breakfast program - asked for advice on strategic analysis and creative approaches to customer relations. Seviagro - a market linkage social enterprise aggregating produce from smallholder artichoke farmers for resale to a large processing and export company - requested support with cost analysis and accounting. Corporacion Solar - initially established as a buyer and reseller of spinach produced by Andean farmers but currently transitioning from a market linkage model to a hybrid model - was looking for assistance in reshaping its growth strategy to target major buyers in Lima with a more diversified product offering. The three for-profit social enterprises profiled in this case sample a new breed of locally-reliant, market-driven models, which could further Peru‘s rural development in mountainous regions like the Ancash province. Their success could be tremendously influential in charting a new approach to development in the Andes. Success here could also endorse CEP's pioneering approach to development around the world. But despite careful start-up planning and very promising triple-bottom line projecti Source: Ivey
Case Author(s): Spar, Debora; Bebenek, Chris Publication Date: 02/17/2006 Revision Date: 08/16/2006 Product Type: Case (Field) HBS Number: 9-706-040 Geographic Setting: Iceland Industry Setting: Biotechnology industry; Health care industry; Pharmaceutical industry Number of Employees: 400 Gross Revenues: $42 million revenues Event Year Start: 1996 Event Year End: 2006 Subjects: Activists; Business & society; Business models; Data bases; Ethics; Genetic engineering; Government policy; Information sharing; Patients; Politics Academic Discipline: Competitive strategy Product Description: In 1996, Kari Stefansson launched a new kind of biotechnology company and a whole new way of attacking diseases. Based in Iceland, his firm, deCODE Genetics, plans to identify the individual genetic markers that lead to society’s most prevalent diseases. To do so, it plans to create an unrivaled database of genetic and medical information, drawing on Iceland‘s unique genealogical records and patient information from a countrywide medical database. But when patient advocate groups form to oppose the plan, deCODE is forced to change its strategy.
Case James W. ClintonThis case portrays a local Salvation Army center and its operations. Sources and uses of funds, programs, clients, staff, and management all receive attention. How should the local level prioritize current resources and fund raising? An exceptional case for exploring a leading non-profit.Source: Submitted by author and selected for use by Pinnacle Editorial Board. Copyright 1990. Courses: Business and Society; Marketing; Not-for-Profit; Public Policy; Public Relations Topics: Business and Society; Business Policy/Strategy; Marketing; Nonprofit; Public Policy; Public Relations
Case Arthur A. Thompson, University of Alabama Publication Date: 2009 Geographic Setting: International Industry Setting: Manufacturing Event Year Start: 1992 Event Year End: 2008 Course Sequence: Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Business policy/strategy; Business ethics; Corporate responsibility; Business and society Supplements: Teaching Note Description: What can companies like Wal-Mart and Nike?both of which have programs to monitor supplier compliance with strict codes of conduct?do when they discover that some foreign suppliers are showing plant monitors falsified records, hiding the use of underage labor and other sweatshop practices, and concealing unsafe working conditions? Who has the strongest program for monitoring supplier compliance?Nike or Wal-Mart? How far should companies go to try to detect and prevent human rights abuses and sweatshop working conditions in supplier factories?
Case Author(s): Simons, Robert L.; Reinbergs, Indra A. Publication Date: 09/07/2001 Revision Date: 11/20/2001 Product Type: Case (Field) Product Description: Requires students to draw a new organization structure diagram for a rapidly evolving business. A/S DIENA is a newspaper publisher founded during Latvia’s 1990/91 struggle for independence from the USSR with a clear social mission to support democracy. With the help of Swedish investors, over the 1990s the entrepreneurial business survives the ups and downs of the transition economy to build a leading national newspaper. In 1997, seeking new sources of growth, A/S DIENA expands outside the Latvian capital to set up the Regional Press Group, a decentralized network of community newspapers emphasizing employee ownership and a separation of roles between editors and publishers. By 2001, however, the community newspaper market is shrinking, the Regional Press Group is not yet profitable, and a Western-style profit planning system is met with some resistance by former state employees. The decision point focuses on how to redesign the Regional Press Group and its interactions with the national newspaper and the other business units of A/S DIENA. HBS Number: 9-102-001 Geographic Setting: Riga, Latvia Industry Setting: newspaper/media Number of Employees: 1,300 Gross Revenues: $24 million revenues Event Year Start: 2001 Event Year End: 2001 Subjects: Accounting & control; Business & society; Decentralization; Eastern Europe; Newspapers; Organizational design; Organizational structure; Social enterprise Academic Discipline: Accounting & control Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (5-103-006), 21p, by Robert L. Simons, Indra A. Reinbergs
Article Author(s): Badaracco, Joseph L., Jr. Publication Date: 03/01/1998 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: 98201 Subjects: Business & society; Decision making; Ethics; Group dynamics; Management philosophy Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics Product Description: What is the difference between an ethical decision and what the author, Harvard Business School Professor Joseph Badaracco, Jr., calls a defining moment? An ethical decision typically involves choosing between two options: one we know to be right and another we know to be wrong. A defining moment challenges us in a deeper way by asking us to choose between two or more ideals in which we deeply believe. Such decisions rarely have one “correct” response. Taken cumulatively over many years, they form the basis of an individual’s character. Defining moments ask executives to dig below the busy surface of their lives and refocus on their core values and principles. Once uncovered, those values and principles renew their sense of purpose at the workplace and act as a springboard for shrewd, pragmatic, politically astute action. Three types of defining moments are particularly common in today‘s workplace. The first type is largely an issue of personal identity. The second type concerns groups as well as individuals. The third kind involves defining a company's role within society. By learning to identify each of those three situations, managers can learn to navigate right-versus-right decisions successfully. The author asks a series of practical questions that will help managers take time out to examine their values and then transform their beliefs into action. By engaging in this process of self-inquiry, managers will be gaining the tools to tackle their most elusive, challenging, and essential business dilemmas.
Article Nichols, Martha New Age entrepreneurs are redefining the way business is conducted, placing environmental and moral needs and job satisfaction at or near the top of the corporate mission. Today’s company is a place where managers encourage employees to do community work on office time and where everyone creates products that they themselves love. This view of work may seem overly idealistic to many, but New Age ideals are growing in popularity among today‘s workers whose futures seem increasingly uncertain in the wake of layoffs and restructurings. While the founders of companies like Tom's of Maine or The Body Shop believe they are making the world a better place, writers like Paul Hawken and Charles Handy have discovered a more pragmatic use of New Age ideals, as a way for business people to think about their organizations. HBS Number: 94206 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 3/1/1994 Subjects: Business & society; Entrepreneurship; Ethics; Leadership; Management philosophy; Values
Case Mark, Ken; Schneberger, Scott Is it ethical for DoubleClick to use its DART technology to track the browsing and purchasing habits of web users by name and address as they move from site to site and provide such profiling data to Internet advertisers? What do you think of DoubleClick’s newly instituted privacy policy? Is it just a dodge to satisfy critics? Has a 16-minute accompanying video on Internet privacy. Publication Date: 2001 Geographic Setting: New York Industry Setting: e-Commerce Event Year Start: 1999 Event Year End: 2000 Courses: Business Policy; Business Ethics Course Sequence: Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Business Policy; Business and Society; Ethics Supplementary Material: Teaching Note; Video
Case Ram Subramanian, Mary McKendallThe case examines the involvement of Dow Corning in the silicone gel breast implant market. Source: The Society for Case Research, Annual Advances in Business Cases, 1992, Fall 1993, Vol. 1, Issue 1. Copyright 1993. Courses: Business Ethics; Business Law and Legal Environment of Business Topics:
Case Author(s): Spar, Debora; Day, Adam Publication Date: 01/09/2006 Revision Date: 07/11/2006 Product Type: Case (Library) HBS Number: 9-706-033 Geographic Setting: Africa; Nigeria Industry Setting: Pharmaceutical industry Number of Employees: 44,000 Gross Revenues: $10 billion revenues Event Year Start: 1996 Event Year End: 1996 Subjects: Business & government; Business & society; Developing countries; Emerging markets; Ethics; Health care; International business; Risk Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics Supplementary Materials: Supplement (Library), (9-706-042), 3p, by Debora Spar, Adam Day Product Description: In 1996, a meningitis epidemic swept across Nigeria. Thousands of children were struck and, lacking appropriate medicine, were liable to die from the disease. Doctors at Pfizer had an antibiotic that could probably save most of these children’s lives. The drug was new, however, and had not yet undergone clinical trials with children. The company must decide whether to use the Nigerian outbreak as the site for a new and potentially risky trial.
Case Author(s): Spar, Debora; Day, Adam Publication Date: 03/03/2006 Revision Date: 07/10/2006 Product Type: Supplement (Library) HBS Number: 9-706-042
Subjects: Business & government; Business & society; Developing countries; Emerging markets; Ethics; Health care; International business; Risk Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics Product Description: An abstract is not available for this product. Must be used with: (9-706-033) Drug Testing in Nigeria (A).
Case Author(s): Oana Branzei; Kevin McKague Publication Date: 8/3/2007 Revision Date: 8/16/2007 Product Type: Case (Field) Ivey ID: 9B07M054 Industry Setting: Electric, Gas and Sanitary Services Size: Small Year of Event: 2006 Level of Difficulty: 4 — Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: Entrepreneurial business growth; Emerging markets; Energy; Business and society Major Disciplines: Entrepreneurship; General Management; International Product Description: This case describes E+Co’s approach to promoting clean energy entrepreneurship in developing countries and its current strategic challenge; how to scale up its business model to reach 100 million unserved or underserved people in the developing world by 2020. In the last 12 years E+Co was successful at demonstrating and validating an “enterprise centered model” which offered reliable access and improved energy efficiency to the poor in emerging economies. Its approach to bringing the poor up the modern energy ladder, one step at a time, was initiated in response to a challenging project for the Rockerfeller Foundation, marked by a radical departure from the top-down, large scale infrastructure projects sponsored by international institutions. So far, these models had left 2.5 million people trapped into the double bind of energy poverty and energy waste. E+Co‘s approach was working well; by September 2006 it had invested in 138 enterprises in 30 countries. These local entrepreneurs currently provided clean energy to more than three million people. The next issue was scaling it all up; however, this risked straining the resources of E+Co's global team of 38 employees and could change the services the company provided to local entrepreneurs. Tenfold expansion within these constraints required an innovative growth strategy. Supplemental case, E+Co: The Path to Scale (B), product 9B07M055, presents a set o Source: Ivey
Supplement Author(s): Oana Branzei; Kevin McKague Publication Date: 8/3/2007 Product Type: Supplement Ivey ID: 9B07M055 Geographic Setting: Global Industry Setting: Electric, Gas and Sanitary Services Size: Small Year of Event: 2006 Level of Difficulty: 4 — Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: Emerging markets; Entrepreneurial business growth; Energy; Business and society Major Disciplines: Entrepreneurship; General Management; International Product Description: This B case presents a conversation between E+Co’s co-founders and an employee in Latin America who had raised the tough question of scale at E+Co‘s 2006 annual retreat. One of the co-founders' response for getting E+Co 10 times more impactful in emerging economies was to adopt what he called a “strategy of wedges.” Also presented is a set of complementary strategies that together could help achieve steady local impact and rapid growth. The conversation also exposes some of the strategic experiments attempted by E+Co during the past 12 years that did not achieve the expected goals yet inspired new paths to scale. This is a supplement to E+Co: A Tipping Point for Clean Energy Entrepreneurship (A), product # 9B07M054.
Case Marion Armstrong, University of Alabama; Taylor Green, University of Alabama; A. J. Strickland, University of Alabama Publication Date: 2009 Geographic Setting: Industry Setting: Wine and Spirits Event Year Start: 1950 Event Year End: 2007 Course Sequence: Business Strategy; Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Business policy/strategy; Industry analysis; Ethics; Business and society; Corporate responsibility Supplements: Teaching Note Description: In 2007-2008, Gallo’s Thunderbird and Night Train brands were among the best-selling low priced fortified dessert wines. Dessert wines were highly controversial because of their alcohol content that could be as high as 20% (natural wines contained 8% to 12% alcohol by volume) and low prices (less than $3 per 750 ml bottle and $1 to $2 per 375 ml bottle) that were favored by skid row alcoholics, people with low incomes, and budget-constrained teenagers and college students. Critics of cheap fortified wines had tagged them “the most seriously abused drug in the country” and suggested that manufacturing and selling cheap, fortified wine was unethical, even bordering on criminal. Is it socially responsible for Gallo to produce and market such wines?
Case Meyer, Kathleen; Wattenberg, Laura; Somaya, Shilpi E. Rachel Hubka, general manager of a Chicago school bus company, has the opportunity to start her own bus business. The industry she will be entering is highly competitive, heavily regulated, and faces chronic labor shortages. Hubka hopes to tap a new labor pool and help her community by locating her business in an inner-city neighborhood that most business has abandoned. But this approach invites a new risk: relying on workers with marginal work experience. Teaching Purpose: Explores the unique challenges of operating in distressed urban neighborhoods, and techniques for motivating and developing the skills of entry-level workers. HBS Number: 9-996-047 Type: Case (Field) Publication Date: 2/1/1996 Geographic Setting: Chicago, IL Number of Employees: 140 Gross Revenues: $5 million revenues Event Year Start: 1989 Event Year End: 1995 Subjects: Business & society; Entrepreneurship; Ethics; Management styles; Small business; Social enterprise; Values Supplementary Materials: Supplement (Field), (9-996-048), 8p, by Kathleen Meyer, Laura Wattenberg, Shilpi Somaya; Teaching Note, (5-996-049), 3p, by Kathleen Meyer, Laura Wattenberg; Case Video, (9-996-550), 6 min, by Kathleen Meyer, Laura Wattenberg Publisher: Business Enterprise Trust
Case Meyer, Kathleen; Wattenberg, Laura; Somaya, Shilpi Supplements E. Rachel Hubka (A). Must be used with: (9-996-047) E. Rachel Hubka (A). HBS Number: 9-996-048 Type: Supplement (Field) Publication Date: 2/1/1996 Subjects: Business & society; Entrepreneurship; Ethics; Management styles; Small business; Social enterprise; Values Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (5-996-049), 3p, by Kathleen Meyer, Laura Wattenberg; Case Video, (9-996-550), 6 min, by Kathleen Meyer, Laura Wattenberg Publisher: Business Enterprise Trust
Article Editors In "What Is Business’s Social Compact?," HBR Reprint #94102, Bernard Avishai examines the nature of businesses‘s social responsibility in a competitive environment that has superseded Adam Smith's division of labor. The nature of work has undergone, and continues to undergo, a fundamental transformation. In this new economy, learning organizations must become teaching organizations as well. Does business have an obligation not only to train its current employees but also to educate the workforce of the future? In this issue's Perspectives section, nine experts consider Avishai's argument and examine the role of business in education. HBS Number: 94208 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 3/1/1994 Subjects: Business & society; Corporate responsibility; Employee training; Higher education
Case John B. Goodman, David PalmerThe European Communities reached a turning point when their twelve member states agreed to remove all barriers to the free movement of goods, services capital, and people by 1992. This case explores the origins of the 1992 program, its major features, and its implications. Source: Harvard Business School. Copyright 1989. Courses: Business and Society; International Trade Topics:
Case Wolfe, Joseph In 1992 on Prime Time Live, Food Lion Supermarkets were exposed for gross negligence in food handling with the help of hidden cameras. In response Food Lion’s stock prices fell and they filed a lawsuit against ABC claiming the methods used in their investigative reports, edited out any of the proper behavior by employees. This case centers on Food Lion Supermarket‘s claims and tries to answer their assertion that they were “set up.” Publication Date: 1994 Geographic Setting: U.S. Industry Setting: Grocery Event Year Start: 1992 Event Year End: 1992 Courses: Business Policy; Business Ethics Course Sequence: Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Business Policy; Ethics; Business and Society Supplementary Material: Teaching Note
Case Author(s): Austin, James E.; Reficco, Ezequiel Publication Date: 11/19/2002 Revision Date: 05/30/2006 Product Type: Case (Field) HBS Number: 9-303-047 Geographic Setting: Global Industry Setting: Forestry & logging Gross Revenues: $3.5 million revenues Event Year Start: 2002 Event Year End: 2002 Subjects: Business & society; Environmental protection; Nonprofit sector; Social change; Social enterprise Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (5-306-114), 11p, by James E. Austin, Ezequiel Reficco Product Description: 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 t Source: Harvard
Case James W. ClintonThis case analyzes the leadership strategies of FreeStore/FoodBank, an entrepreneurial nonprofit organization that provides services, food, and products to low-income residents in the Cincinnati area. Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Fall 1992, Vol. 12, Issue 3. Copyright 1992. Courses: Business and Society; Business Policy/Strategy; Marketing Management; Not-for-Profit; Public Policy Topics:
Case Paine, Lynn Sharp; Nakamura, Tomoya In the summer of 1997, a consultant at Japan’s Funai Consulting Co. Ltd., must decide how to respond to a client‘s proposal to offer "open pricing" (based on willingness to pay) to customers unable to pay the standard price for the client's product. The client, Akita Komachi Farmer's Association, markets rice and rice products to consumers and is facing increasing international competition with the opening of Japan's rice market. The case presents Funai Consulting's unusual business philosophy, which was developed by its founder and 1997 Chairman Yukio Funai. Mixing "new science" with both Japanese and Western concepts, Funai's approach is based on the goal of mutual prosperity rather than dominance in competition. Teaching purpose: To develop decision-making skills; and to develop understanding of a management and business philosophy rooted in Japanese culture. HBS Number: 9-398-017 Type: Case (Field) Publication Date: 1/7/1998 Revision Date: 5/6/1999 Geographic Setting: Japan Industry Setting: consulting Number of Employees: 280 Gross Revenues: $45 million revenues Event Year Start: 1997 Event Year End: 1997 Subjects: Business & society; Consulting; Ethics; Japan; Management philosophy; Pricing Supplementary Materials: Supplement (Field), (9-398-093), 3p, by Lynn Sharp Paine, Tomoya Nakamura
Case Author(s): Conklin DW; Bryant MJ; Cadieux D Publication Date: 8/12/2005 Product Type: Case Ivey ID: 9B05M047 Industry Setting: Health Services Size: Large organization Year of Event: 2005 Level of Difficulty: Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: General Management; Business and Society; International Business; Globalization Functional Area: General Management Product Description: Several new developments were threatening the success of Big Pharma. The patents on well-known blockbusters were reaching expiry, and generic manufacturers were eagerly waiting to produce lower-priced copies. Throughout the world, governments were taking a more active role in determining the prices at which drugs could be sold. The expansion of government insurance programs was adding to the complexity of the marketing challenges. Another change involved a shift towards direct-to-customeradvertising, including the proliferation of information on the Internet, in addition to the traditional process of sales visits to family doctors. Research funding had doubled since 1991, but the number of new drugs emerging each year had fallen byhalf. The research and development process was also changing dramatically. Whereas blockbuster drugs had been developed as general treatments for common conditions, it was becoming increasingly apparent that not all patients reacted in the sameways to these drugs, and some - although a very small percentage - suffered serious side effects. This reality was expected to lead to the creation of a much larger number of niche drugs, each one targeted at a narrower group of patients. Relatedto this development was the growth of biopharma in which new biotech companies were creating drugs that could attack specific cells. Some analysts felt that Big Pharma was in a peculiar predicament in that profits were still very large, and thisserved as a barrier to necessary changes in str Source: Ivey
Case Paul O’Sullivan and edited by Richard G. LinowesThe firm processes shrimp and sole purchased from contractors and gathered by its own trawlers off the coast of Gambia. It then sells them in frozen form to Belgium, the Canary Islands, and the local tourist industry. The quality of shrimp has been quite uneven recently, and this deeply concerns its overseas distributors. For several years the company has been losing money, and now it faces cash flow difficulties. Source: Institute of International Education and selected for use by Pinnacle Editorial Board. Copyright 1994. Courses: Business and Society; International Business; Operations Management; Small Business Topics:
Case Fairlee E. WinfieldThis case focuses on Mike Enfield, General Manager of the General Dynamics operation on the Navajo Nation at Fort Defiance, Arizona, as he tries to extend the lease for another 20 years. Enfield has spent more than a year in this delicate process. He wonders, “Is it worth it?” Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Spring 1993, Vol. 13, Issue 2, Copyright 1992. Courses: Business Ethics; Human Resources Topics:
Case Rae AndreThis case provides opportunities to discuss such issues as why managers need to think strategically, getting tough versus enhancing participation, and the stresses a new manager faces in an ambiguous role. Source: Society for Case Research, Business Case Journal, Summer 1994, Vol. 2, Issue 1. Copyright 1994. Courses: Business and Society; Management Topics:
Case M. Jill Austin, Middle Tennessee State University Mary Lynn Reed, Middle Tennessee State University Approximately 7,000 people die of food poisoning each year in the U.S. making food-borne illness a significant health problem. The USDA currently conducts inspections at slaughterhouses and tests for the presence of pathogens,disease, and other foreign matter in meat and poultry. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Dan Glickman has been actively involved in lobbying for new legislation to improve meat and poultry safety. Source: The Society for Case Research, Annual Advances 1998,Publication Date: 2000
Case Reinhardt, Forest; Packard, Kimberly O’Neill Scientists predict rising temperatures, changes in climate systems, and significant disruption of economic activity due to the buildup of carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse" gases in the atmosphere. Global climate change presents bus HBS Number: 9-798-076 Type: Case (Library) Publication Date: 4/3/1998 Revision Date: 1/28/1999 Geographic Setting: Global Event Year Start: 1997 Event Year End: 1997 Subjects: Business & society; Economic analysis; Economic development; Environmental protection; International relations; International trade; Negotiations; Pollution Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (5-799-109), 28p, by Forest Reinhardt
Case Reinhardt, Forest; Packard, Kimberly O’Neill Contains supplemental data on eight nations—Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, and the United States--for use in simulated negotiations. May be used with: (9-798-076) Global Climate Change (A); (9-700-106) Global Climate Change and BP Amoco. HBS Number: 9-798-087 Type: Case (Library) Publication Date: 4/3/1998 Revision Date: 1/6/1999 Geographic Setting: Global Event Year Start: 1997 Event Year End: 1997 Subjects: Business & society; Economic analysis; Economic development; Environmental protection; International relations; International trade; Negotiations; Pollution Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (5-799-109), 28p, by Forest Reinhardt
Case Author(s): Reinhardt, Forest ; Hyman, Mikell Publication Date: 10/02/2007 Revision Date: 10/20/2009 Product Type: Case (Field) Publisher: Harvard Business School HBS Number: 708026 Geographic Setting: United Kingdom Number of Employees: 96,000 Gross Revenue: $269.5 billion revenues Event Year Start: 2007 Event Year End: 2007 Subjects: Energy; Change management; Corporate strategy; Business & government; Social responsibility; Climate change Academic Discipline: Competitive strategy Product Description: Following the sudden resignation of Sir John Browne, Tony Hayward, BP CEO, must decide how global climate change management will figure into BP’s corporate strategy. Climate change management was a major part of BP‘s strategy under Browne: In 1997 Browne broke from his colleagues, publicly declaring that global climate change was a serious problem and pledging BP to play a significant role in the search for solutions. BP successfully reduced its own carbon emissions, and championed cap-and-trade style regulation over taxation or command-and-control. Despite this progress, as the climate issue gains in political prominence and the Kyoto Protocol nears expiration, Hayward must consider what actions to take in BP's business strategy and in the political arena to manage ongoing climate risk.
Case Author(s): Reinhardt, Forest Publication Date: 04/07/2000 Revision Date: 02/28/2001 Product Type: Case (Field) Product Description: BP Amoco is the world’s third largest oil firm. Its CEO, Sir John Browne, broke with his industry colleagues in 1997 when he publicly declared that global climate change was a serious problem and pledged BP to play a significant role in the search for solutions. The company has committed itself to voluntary cutbacks of carbon dioxide, the main gas held responsible for global climate change. Browne and his fellow executives believe that their approach makes sense not just from the perspective of social responsibility but from a hard-headed business standpoint. This case provides the information necessary to evaluate this belief. Teaching Purpose: To understand the effects of a significant public good issue on corporate strategy and operations. May be used with: (9-798-076) Global Climate Change (A); (9-798-087) Global Climate Change (B): Country Notes for International Negotiation; (9-702-075) Global Climate Change After Marrakech (A). HBS Number: 9-700-106 Geographic Setting: Global Industry Setting: energy Gross Revenues: $84 billion revenues Event Year Start: 1997 Event Year End: 2000 Subjects: Business government relations; Business & society; Energy; Environmental protection; Petroleum; Strategy formulation Academic Discipline: Business & government
Case Author(s): Conklin DW; Cadieux D Publication Date: 1/13/2006 Product Type: Case Ivey ID: 9B06M008 Geographic Setting: Canada Industry Setting: Transportation Equipment Year of Event: 2005 Level of Difficulty: Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: Business and Society; General Management; Globalization; International Business Functional Area: General Management Product Description: For many decades, the automobile industry had played a major role in Canada’s economy. A large portion of Canadian jobs depended on the auto industry, both directly and indirectly. However, by 2005, Canada faced serious globalization threats.Analysts were stating that in the future the number of automobile-related jobs in Canada would depend upon the international competitiveness of Canadian plants. To continue to increase wages would raise Canadian production costs so far above thelevels in Mexico, China and other emerging nations, that the assemblers would shift production to low-cost jurisdictions. Meanwhile, the Big Three were losing market share to their non-union competitors, especially Toyota and Honda.
Case Author(s): David W. Conklin; Danielle Cadieux Ivey ID: 9B10M008 Publication Date: 1/20/2010 Product Type: Case (Library) Teaching Note: 8B10M08 Geographic Setting: Global Industry Setting: Banking; Credit Agencies other than Banks Year of Event: 2007-2010 Level of Difficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: Business and society; Government regulation; Government and business; Financial institutions Major Disciplines: Finance; General Management Product Description: A recession in the U.S. economy began at the end of 2007. Concerns deepened as an epic financial crisis shattered business and consumer confidence. By the fall of 2008, the United States was in the midst of the worst recession since the 1930s, and major financial institutions were on the verge of bankruptcy. The financial crisis and recession spread around the world. Many saw a risk that the global financial system might collapse, perhaps precipitating a repetition of the lengthy economic devastation of the 1930s depression. Governments reacted by creating huge stimulus packages that greatly increased national deficits and debts, and by loosening monetary policies with interest rates close to zero and huge expansions of the money supply. In their efforts to save the financial system, governments also offered bail-out packages to banks, including loans, guarantees and equity. By the fall of 2009, the crisis had stabilized, and the appearance of "green shoots" gave promise of recovery. By 2010, it was possible to put the financial crisis in perspective, and to raise questions about the causes and consequences. Of particular concern was whether new regulations might be needed to prevent a recurrence, and whether some of the tighter regulations should be international in scope. A related concern was whether such regulations should be applied to non-bank financial institutions as well as banks. Gover Source: Ivey
Case Paine, Lynn Sharp; Hogan, Harold F., Jr. Fola Adeola, the CEO of Nigeria’s Guaranty Trust Bank and one of its founders in 1991, is considering what should be done to maintain the bank‘s original vision and vitality in the face of its rapid growth and success in the marketplace. Known for its high ethical standards, the bank is planning to expand inside and outside Nigeria. Among Adeola's concerns is what to do about employees' insistence on underpaying their personal income taxes—a practice he regards as inconsistent with the bank's mission of being a role model for society. Teaching Purpose: To explore the culture and value system of a successful and responsible enterprise operating in Nigeria, a country plagued with high levels of corruption. A rewritten version of an earlier case. HBS Number: 9-399-110 Type: Case (Field) Publication Date: 2/8/1999 Revision Date: 4/19/1999 Geographic Setting: Africa/Nigeria Industry Setting: banking Number of Employees: 600 Gross Revenues: $200 million revenues Event Year Start: 1996 Event Year End: 1998 Subjects: Africa; Banking; Business & society; Business conditions; Corporate culture; Corporate responsibility; Developing countries; Ethics; Legal aspects of business; Organizational development Supplementary Materials: Supplement (Field), (9-399-116), 6p, by Lynn Sharp Paine, Harold F. Hogan Jr.; Supplement (Field), (9-399-112), 3p, by Lynn Sharp Paine, Harold F. Hogan Jr.; Supplement (Field), (9-399-111), 3p, by Lynn Sharp Paine, Harold F. Hogan Jr.
Case Gary R. Wells, William E. Stratton Source: The Society for Case Research, Annual Advances 1997, Copyright 1998. Topics: Business and Society; Organizational Behavior
Case Todd E. Himstead, Andrew Libuser, N. Craig SmithIn December 1993, Wal-Mart CEO learned that the store was being sued for negligence as a result of a handgun sale to a mentally ill man who brutally murdered his parents. In the same month, there were also two fatal shootings on Wal-Mart properties. Wal-Mart had a history of refusing to sell “morally questionable products.” It also had a reputation for listening to its customers. Should Wal-Mart continue marketing handguns? Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Vol. 16, Issues 1 & 2, Winter/Spring 1996. Copyright 1997. Courses: Business and Society; Business Ethics; Marketing Topics:
Case Author(s): Nohria, Nitin; Mayo, Anthony J.; Wilcox, Logan Publication Date: 01/31/2007 Product Type: Case (Library) HBS Number: 9-407-076 Geographic Setting: New York Industry Setting: Publishing industry Gross Revenues: $520 million revenues Event Year Start: 1930 Event Year End: 1960 Subjects: Business & society; Business history; Entrepreneurship; Leadership; Media relations; Public opinion; Social issues Academic Discipline: Entrepreneurship Product Description: Henry Luce, founder of the publishing company which produced Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, created the largest media company in the world by the mid-20th century. Luce’s flagship magazine, Time, was able to gross over $20 million in sales during its first decade of publication and over $400 million by the time Luce retired in 1964. Entering the emerging market of magazine journalism early in the 1930s, Luce was able to cover some of the largest political and social events of the 20th century, including Charles Lindbergh‘s flight, World War II, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. Combining his unique journalistic ethos and his engaging creative writing style, Luce's magazines often resonated with readers, allowing him to quickly trump competitors such as Newsweek, Forbes, The New Yorker, Esquire, and National Geographic. Yet Luce was also criticized for occasionally using his imaginative style to inject his opinion into stories, going beyond the purview of journalists. Contemporaries complained that Luce was cultivating “middlebrow” cultural tastes instead of striving for journalistic excellence. Nevertheless, Luce's media empire continues to endure into the 21st century, shaping public discourse and influencing public opinion.
Case Author(s): Nohria, Nitin; Mayo, Anthony J.; Wilcox, Logan Publication Date: 01/31/2007 Revision Date: 05/22/2008 Product Type: Case (Library) HBS Number: 407076 Geographic Setting: New York Industry Setting: Publishing industry Gross Revenues: $520 million revenues Event Year Start: 1930 Event Year End: 1960 Subjects: Business & society; Business history; Entrepreneurship; Leadership; Media relations; Public opinion; Social issues Academic Discipline: Entrepreneurship Product Description: Henry Luce, founder of the publishing company which produced Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, created the largest media company in the world by the mid-20th century. Luce’s flagship magazine, Time, was able to gross over $20 million in sales during its first decade of publication and over $400 million by the time Luce retired in 1964. Entering the emerging market of magazine journalism early in the 1930s, Luce was able to cover some of the largest political and social events of the 20th century, including Charles Lindbergh‘s flight, World War II, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. Combining his unique journalistic ethos and his engaging creative writing style, Luce's magazines often resonated with readers, allowing him to quickly trump competitors such as Newsweek, Forbes, The New Yorker, Esquire, and National Geographic. Yet Luce was also criticized for occasionally using his imaginative style to inject his opinion into stories, going beyond the purview of journalists. Contemporaries complained that Luce was cultivating “middlebrow” cultural tastes instead of striving for journalistic excellence. Nevertheless, Luce's media empire continues to endure into the 21st century, shaping public discourse and influencing public opinion.
Case A Roger M. Atherton, Jr., Dennis M. CritesThis case provides a description of HP, its objectives, and the industry specific problems caused by rapid growth in 1972-1973. The primary focus is on the company’s response to these problems and the related issues of strategy, structure, and operating policies. Source: Submitted by author and selected for use by Pinnacle Editorial Board. Copyright 1980. Courses: Business Policy/Strategy; Organizational Behavior; Technology Topics:
Case Jan Willem Bol, David W. RosenthalHoechst-Roussel Management must decide whether to introduce RU 486 to the U.S. Market. The drug, a contraceptive/abortifacient, offers a significant business opportunity, but it goes against the company’s stated policy of not marketing such drugs. RU 486 has been widely tested in Europe, but political and social issues present a hostile environment in the U.S. Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Winter 1993, Vol. 13, Issue 1.Copyright 1993. Courses: Business Ethics; Business Policy/Strategy; Marketing Management; Public Policy Topics:
Case Leonard, Nancy H.; Steenberg, Larry R.; Howard, Deborah A.; Mullins, Terry W. Looks at Hooter’s Restaurants‘ legal defense and grassroots campaign to justify its hiring practices that have come under attack by the EEOC and have brought about civil litigation against the company. Publication Date: 1998 Geographic Setting: U.S. Industry Setting: Restaurants Event Year Start: 1993 Event Year End: 1995 Courses: Business Policy; Business Ethics; Entrepreneurship Course Sequence: Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Business Policy; Ethics; Business and Society; Corporate Responsibility; Human Resources Management Supplementary Material: Teaching Note
Case Chi Anyansi-Archibong, Betty L. Brewer, Isaiah O. UgboroThe September 3, 1991 fire was started by a hydraulic leak onto a deep fryer. Twenty-five workers died. Another fifty-six were injured and evacuation was further hampered by padlocked doors and blocked exits. There was only one fire extinguisher in the whole plant. Source: Submitted by authors and selected by Pinnacle II Editorial Board. Copyright 1996. Courses: Business and Society ; Business Ethics; Business Policy/Strategy; Organizational Behavior Topics:
Article Author(s): Harrison, Ann; Scorse, Jason Publication Date: 02/01/2006 Product Type: Article Publisher: California Management Review HBS Number: CMR335 Geographic Setting: Indonesia Subjects: Activists; Business & society; Collective bargaining; Externalities; Labor law; Social responsibility Academic Discipline: Business & government Product Description: Many claim that international labor standards are a remedy to address poor working conditions and low wages in developing countries. Others have argued that efforts to impose a “living wage” or improve working conditions in developing countries can lead to higher labor costs, which could in turn hurt the very workers these movements seek to protect by relegating these workers to even worse jobs or no jobs at all. Many labor rights activists have turned to public relations campaigns and boycotts that target multinational companies to pressure them to improve the conditions of their workers. In the 1990s, Indonesia — home to dozens of Nike, Reebok, and Adidas subcontractors — was a primary target for these activists. At the same time, the Indonesian government — prompted by the U.S. government — greatly increased its minimum wage. These two different interventions led to a doubling of wages for unskilled workers in Indonesia. Although the minimum wage increases did lead to employment losses, this article reports on a study that shows that employment remained steady in textiles and apparel, indicating that anti-sweatshop activism in Indonesia was a “win-win” situation.
Case Joe G. ThomasThe options for disposing solid waste (not producing it, reusing or recycling it, burning it, or burying it) are discussed. Data are presented to allow evaluations of the pros and cons of each method and discussions of the waste management situation in the U.S. Source: The Society for Case Research, Annual Advances in Business Cases, Fall 1994. Copyright 1995. Courses: Business Policy/Strategy Topics:
Case Ronald StiffA project manager for a consulting firm specializing in health care in developing countries is responsible for developing a program for UNICEF to reduce illness and death from diarrheal disease in Zambia. The three-year program must consider the education of both parents and health care providers, along with the nation’s culture and infrastructure and options for supply, packaging, and distribution of oral rehydration salts. 1994 Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Spring 1994, Vol. 14, Issue 2. Courses: Business and Society; Healthcare; Not-for-Profit Topics:
Article Prowse, Michael America, a nation once celebrated for its irrepressible optimism, now appears to be obsessed by "declinism"—the idea that something is fundamentally wrong with the U.S. economy, and until it is fixed, America will neither compete effectively in global markets nor provide an adequate standard of living for its citizens. The real challenge facing American society is not reversing economic decline; it is addressing the social implications of the new economy--in particular, how to reinvent America’s double commitment to economic opportunity and social equality. Ironically, too great a preoccupation with decline may keep American society from getting on with the job. HBS Number: 92410 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 7/1/1992 Subjects: Business & society; Business conditions; Economic policy; Social change Year New: 1992
Article Carr, Albert Z. Business, like poker, is often a game of strategic bluffs. The worlds of private and business life are separate and demand separate codes of ethics. The pressure to deceive is felt everywhere in business and deceptions are ethically justifiable. If public opinion and legal authorities raise a clamor, industry will create and enforce its own code to avoid government regulation. Blatantly unethical practices only serve to spoil the consumer environment in the long run. Aggression and competition are built into our society and business provides a useful outlet for them. The individual is pressured in many of these instances and must subordinate his feelings to carry out the objective. Departing from the strict truth and the golden rule is part of the strategy of business. HBS Number: 68102 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 1/1/1968 Subjects: Business & society; Ethics
Article Wever, Kirsten S.; Allen, Christopher S. Most American managers have a hard time making sense of Germany. It has a fraction of the resources and less than one-third the population of the United States. Labor costs are higher, paid vacations are at least three times as long, a HBS Number: 92509 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 9/1/1992 Subjects: Business & society; Country analysis; Germany; International business; Labor relations Year New: 1992
Case Gary R. Wells, Idaho State University William E. Stratton, Idaho State University A newly hired bank economist forms comfortable working relationships with superiors and co-workers with one exception, a highly competent programmer analyst. The economist resolves this problem by communicating with him through detailed memoranda. The bank president has stated “The programmer has to go,” but has indicated he may be open to suggestions. The economist’s superior, a vice president, asks the economist to provide some ideas. An epilogue to the case discloses that the programmer was, in fact, fired and the bank had difficulty finding a replacement, eventually hiring a person who was less competent. The economist lost efficiency in completing his work and wondered what more he might have done to manage the situation. Source: The Society for Case Research, Annual Advances 1998,Publication Date: 2000
Topics: Technology; Organizational Behavior; Business and Society; Human Resources
Case Robert P. Crowner, Eastern Michigan University An employee of Airdiner backed a utility truck into a Northern Airlines airplane. Northern classified the incident as a routine accident and assumed financial responsibility for the damage. Joan Barnett, the Manager of the St. Louis Human Resource Department at Airdiner learned that the accident could have been drug related. She is undecided whether to tell Northern or at least conduct an internal investigation. Source: The Society for Case Research, Annual Advances 1998,Publication Date: 2000
Topics: Business and Society; Human Resources; Business Ethics
Case Arthur SharplinManville Corporation used bankruptcy law to manage thousands of lawsuits resulting from its decades as the world’s largest producer of asbestos. As the firm prepares to emerge from bankruptcy in the form of two new corporations whose assets would be shielded from legal claims, Manville‘s young, charismatic CEO prepares to set forth its final policy toward asbestos health victims. Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Winter 1993, Vol. 13, Issue 1. Copyright 1993. Courses: Business and Society; Business Ethics; Business Policy/Strategy Topics:
Case Anne T. LawrenceJohnson Controls, a leading manufacturer of automotive batteries, decided to exclude fertile women from production jobs because of possible hazards of lead exposure to the fetus. The employees’ union filed a lawsuit, claiming the company‘s policy of protective exclusion from the workplace discriminates against women. Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Winter 1993, Volume 13, Issue 1. Copyright 1993. Courses: Business and Society; Business Ethics; Organizational Behavior Topics:
Case Timothy W. EdlundJonathan Ward decides whether to intervene in the treatment of his colleague, Peter Roberts. Roberts and seven other engineers are assigned to a site about 900 miles away for 5-6 months. No provision was made for Roberts to return home during the project; the others are returning home every 2-3 weeks at company expense. The supervisor assures Ward that this is in accordance with a confidential company policy. Ward ponders what action to take. Source: The Society for Case Research, Business Case Journal, Fall, 1994, Vol. 2, Issue 1, Copyright 1994. Courses: Business and Society; Business Ethics Topics:
Case Author(s): Nohria, Nitin; Mayo, Anthony J.; Rennella, Mark Publication Date: 01/10/2006 Revision Date: 07/25/2007 Product Type: Case (Library) HBS Number: 9-406-086 Geographic Setting: Asia; Europe; South America; United States Industry Setting: Airline industry Event Year Start: 1920 Event Year End: 1978 Subjects: Business & society; Business failures; Business history; Decision making; Entrepreneurship; Government & business; Independent business owners; Leadership; Power & influence; Strategy; Sustainability Academic Discipline: Organizational behavior & leadership Product Description: A fascination with flight and a forceful personality helped to create a market for air travel and shape the modern airline industry. Masterfully wielding his power and influence, Juan Trippe built Pan American Airways by combining bold moves and blind ambition. Across decades of sweeping cultural and technological change, his tenacity and cunning played a lead role in defining the arc of the aviation industry not only in the United States, but around the world. By studying the opportunities he exploited and the outcomes of his decisions within their historical context, a nuanced understanding of leadership, strategy, and sustainability emerges.
Case Meyer, Kathleen; Bollier, David Entrepreneur Judy Wicks has built The White Dog Cafe from a carry-out muffin shop into a full-service restaurant. But she has ambitions to provide her diverse clientele with more than an acclaimed dining experience. She also wants to incorporate broader community concerns into her restaurant’s operations. How can she meld her social values with her business objectives? Teaching Purpose: Explores how managers‘ personal values and philosophies can be of strategic business value, and demonstrates the growth that can come from redefining the boundaries of a traditional business category. May be used with: (9-996-040) Judy Wicks (B). HBS Number: 9-996-039 Type: Case (Field) Publication Date: 3/1/1996 Geographic Setting: Philadelphia, PA Number of Employees: 200 Gross Revenues: $4 million revenues Event Year Start: 1984 Event Year End: 1995 Subjects: Business & society; Cross cultural relations; Entrepreneurship; Ethics; Marketing strategy; Restaurants; Social enterprise Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (5-996-041), 4p, by Kathleen Meyer, David Bollier; Case Video, (9-996-542), 5 min, by Kathleen Meyer, David Bollier Publisher: Business Enterprise Trust
Case Meyer, Kathleen; Bollier, David Entrepreneur Judy Wicks has built The White Dog Cafe from a carry-out muffin shop into a full-service restaurant. But she has ambitions to provide her diverse clientele with more than an acclaimed dining experience. She also wants to incorporate broader community concerns into her restaurant’s operations. How can she meld her social values with her business objectives? Teaching Purpose: Explores how managers‘ personal values and philosophies can be of strategic business value, and demonstrates the growth that can come from redefining the boundaries of a traditional business category. May be used with: (9-996-039) Judy Wicks (A). HBS Number: 9-996-040 Type: Case (Field) Publication Date: 3/1/1996 Geographic Setting: Philadelphia, PA Number of Employees: 200 Gross Revenues: $4 million revenues Event Year Start: 1984 Event Year End: 1995 Subjects: Business & society; Cross cultural relations; Entrepreneurship; Ethics; Marketing strategy; Restaurants; Social enterprise Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (5-996-041), 4p, by Kathleen Meyer, David Bollier; Case Video, (9-996-542), 5 min, by Kathleen Meyer, David Bollier Publisher: Business Enterprise Trust
Case Rafal Slaski and edited by Richard G. Linowes Keita produces vinegar, bleach, soap, plastic pipes and other plastic items for consumer and government use. Recently the company has been suffering because smuggled goods undercut its products in the marketplace and, as a result, some workers have been laid off. Despite these financial problems, the company is simultaneously considering adding a new soap production line, expanding its bleach production capability, and purchasing a used German cotton gin to begin manufacturing absorbent cotton products. Source: Institute of International Education and selected for use by Pinnacle Editorial Board. Copyright 1994. Courses: Business and Society; Entrepreneurship; Finance; International Business; Small Business Topics:
Case Kenneth F. Harling, Alan DeRooKenhar Products, Inc., a Canadian company selling most of its output in the United States, is a world leader in the manufacture of steel fork arms. Kenhar’s major U.S. competitor, Dyson and Sons, has asked the U.S. International Trade Commission to impose a temporary tariff of 35 percent on imported forks. Bill Harrison, Kenhar president, must decide how to respond. Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Winter 1993, Volume 13, Issue 1. Copyright 1993. Courses: Business and Society; Business Policy/Strategy; International Business; Operations Management Topics:
Case Murray Silverman, Tom Thomas, both of San Francisco State University Description: Kimpton is launching a companywide social responsibility initiative for its group of 39 hotels called “EarthCare.” There were two basic ground rules for the EarthCare rollout: All actions taken by individual hotels had to stay within the current budget for operations and capital improvements, and they could not adversely affect customer perceptions or satisfaction. Does Kimpton’s EarthCare program make good strategic and financial sense? Can the challenges of implementing the EarthCare program be overcome? Publication Date: 2007 Geographic Setting: U.S. Industry Setting: Hospitality Event Year Start: 1981 Event Year End: 2005 Courses: Business Policy; Business Ethics Course Sequence: Business Strategy; Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Ethics; Business and Society; Corporate Responsibility; Business Ethics Supplements: Teaching Note
Case Author(s): Thompson, A.A., Jr. & Shaw, Amit Publication Date: 2006 Case Description: This freshly updated case explores KKD’s vertical integration strategy for exploiting the craze over its hot, sugar-glazed doughnuts and the company‘s sudden crash in 2004. In its weakened state, what can KKD do to mount a comeback or is recovery unlikely? And what about the accounting irregularities — did management resort to unethical behavior in trying to meet quarterly sales and earnings expectations of investors? Geographic Setting: U.S. Industry Setting: Restaurants Courses: Business Policy/Marketing Course Sequence: Business Strategy/Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Event Year Start: 1992 Event Year End: 2005 Subjects: Business Policy; Industry Analysis; Retail Stores; Marketing Strategy; Business and Society; Business Ethics Supplements: Teaching Note Source: Thompson-Gamble-Strickland: Strategy: Winning in the Marketplace: Core Concepts, Analytical Tools, Cases, Second Edition
Case Arthur A. Thompson, The University of Alabama, Amit J. Shah, Frostburg State University Description: This freshly updated case calls for students to explore how a company firing on all cylinders can go so wrong so quickly. Besieged with declining doughnut sales, failing franchises, and problems with false and misleading financial statements over the past 20 months, can the company be salvaged? Is a turnaround possible? How does a company with a tarnished reputation put the luster back on its product and reignite rapid growth? Accompanying video available. Publication Date: 2007 Geographic Setting: U.S. Industry Setting: Restaurant Event Year Start: 1992 Event Year End: 2006 Courses: Business Policy; Marketing Course Sequence: Business Strategy; Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Business Policy; Industry Analysis; Retail Stores; Marketing Strategy; Business and Society; Business Ethics Supplements: Teaching Note; Video
Case George S. Vozikis, Timothy S. MecsonThis case focuses on a nonprofit regional rehabilitation hospital. It is one of the few facilities in the country to provide a broad continuum of services from acute care to job training. The case provides an industry overview, a brief look at competition, information on the organization, its marketing efforts, operations, human resources policies, and financial information. Source: Submitted by author and selected for use by Pinnacle Editorial Board. Copyright 1994. Courses: Business and Society; Human Resources; Not-for-Profit Topics:
Case Gamble, John E. A company with numerous awards for being socially responsible and community-spirited stumbles in the marketplace, prompting it to close 11 of 22 plants and lay off a third of its work force — actions that have severe economic repercussions in the small towns where plant closings are scheduled. Publication Date: 2000 Geographic Setting: U.S. Industry Setting: Apparel Event Year Start: 1984 Event Year End: 1999 Courses: Business Policy; Marketing Course Sequence: Business Strategy; Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Business Policy; Ethics; Business and Society; Corporate Governance; Marketing Strategy Supplementary Material: Teaching Note
Case Ingols, Cynthia A.; Mueller, James L. Addresses the new opportunities and challenges in design and marketing to customers who are elderly or have disabilities. A product manager learns that Leviton’s wall switches are favored over less expensive competitive products by hom HBS Number: 9-996-063 Type: Case (Field) Publication Date: 04/02/1997 Geographic Setting: United States Industry Setting: electrical products Event Year Start: 1992 Event Year End: 1995 Subjects: Business & society; Consumer marketing; Electric industries; Marketing strategy; Product design; Product development; Product management Supplementary Materials: Supplement (Field), (9-996-064), 2p, by Cynthia A. Ingols, James L. Mueller; Teaching Note, (5-996-065), 6p, by Cynthia A. Ingols, James L. Mueller Publisher: Design Management Institute
Case Edwin C. Leonard, Sherry Hockemeyer Closing Liberty’s plant in Auburn arose during a board of directors‘ meeting. Liberty is experiencing a decline in orders, fierce competition, and overcapacity in certain areas. Revenues are down, while operating expenses have increased. Various cost-reduction strategies have already been imposed; now plant-closing issues must be discussed. The board is debating the issues and expects to make a final decision in three weeks. Source: The Society for Case Research, Annual Advances in Business Cases, Fall 1994, Vol. 2, Issue 1. Copyright 1994. Courses: Business and Society Topics:
Case Author(s): Spar, Debora; Bartlett, Nicholas Publication Date: 06/13/2002 Revision Date: 11/30/2005 Product Type: Case (Library) Product Description: In the final years of the 20th century, the world was hit by a plague of epidemic proportions — AIDS, a life-threatening disease that remained stubbornly immune to any cure or vaccine. In the developed nations of the West, AIDS was slowly brought under control through a combination of education, prevention, and cutting-edge medicines. But in the developing world, where health care expenditures were often paltry, AIDS continued to rampage. By the year 2000, 25 million people in Africa alone were infected with the disease. Millions had already died. Nearly all of the medicines that treated AIDS had been developed — at great expense — by the major western pharmaceutical firms. These medicines were expensive to produce and often difficult to administer. They demanded levels of income and structures of distribution that often were sorely lacking in the developing world. Increasingly, activist groups were demanding that the pharmaceutical companies respond to the AIDS epidemic with drastic measures, giving their drugs away for free or abandoning the patent rights that had long protected their intellectual property. The pharmaceutical firms needed to respond to their critics. The question was, how? May be used with: (9-703-005) Phase Two: The Pharmaceutical Industry Responds to AIDS. HBS Number: 9-702-049 Geographic Setting: Africa Industry Setting: Pharmaceutical industry Event Year Start: 1996 Event Year End: 2002 Subjects: Activists; AIDS; Business & society; Health care; Intellectual property; International business Academic Discipline: Business & government Supplementary Materials: Teaching Note, (5-703-047), 11p, by Debora Spar
Case David Osgood and edited by Richard G. LinowesLobatse Clay Works (Botswana) is a joint venture between the Botswana Development Corp. and an American brickmaking company, Interkiln. Shortly after starting production, the local partner and major customer was beset with corruption charges for offering kickbacks in the construction bidding process. The resulting fall-off of orders throws into question the economic viability of the entire joint venture. Source: Institute of International Education and selected for use by Pinnacle Editorial Board. Copyright 1994. Courses: Business and Society; International Business; Small Business Topics:
Case Robert Spagnola, Douglas Allen, David EschenLogging operations, the Northwest’s leading business, are depleting the forest‘s rich environment and endangering the ecology, including the Spotted Owl. Balancing the interests of all stakeholder groups is a difficult, if not impossible task, and is a challenge that business leaders must tackle in the course of their day-to-day activities. Source: The Society for Case Research, Business Case Journal, Fall 1993, Vol. 1, Copyright 1993. Courses: Business and Society; Business Ethics; Business Policy/Strategy; International Management; Public Policy Topics:
Case James W. Clinton This case provides insight into the culture and operations of a fifty-year-old firm that remains and industry leader. Longs built its success on a firmly decentralized culture but with increasing competition and technology, the firm needs to centralize. Can they afford to forgo the economics of scale possible through more centralized operations with the newer available technologies?. Suggested accompanying case: The Drugstore Industry in 1989. Source: Submitted by author and selected for use by Pinnacle Editorial Board. Copyright 1989. Topics: Business and Society; Family Business; Industry Analysis; Organizational Culture
Case Robert Letovsky; Jan Johnson In 1997, a coalition of environemental groups, led by Greenpeace, began a public pressure campaign against the British Columbia forestry industry, led by MacMillan Bloedel, Inc., over clear-cutting logging in the old-growth rainforests of the province. The campaign started with acts of civil disobedience aimed at disrupting logging operations and protests at various locations throughout Europe. The second element of the environmentalists’ campaign was an international boycott of all B.C. forest products produced with logs harvested through clear-cutting. As this dispute was unfolding, MacMillan Bloedel faced several other economic and regulatory challeneges. In an attempt to arrive at an accomodation with the environmental groups, MB CEO Tom Stephens announced major changes in the company‘s forestry practices in June 1998. However, as 1998 drew to a close, MB found itself in an almost impossible situation: Environmental groups continued to press for a boycott of old-growth forest products by consumers and corporate buyers in North America and Europe. Meanwhile, due to factors beyond its control, MB was unable to obtain certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), one of the key demands that environementalists held out as a condition for ending the boycott. Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 22, Issue 1 Subjects: Business and Society; Sustainable Development; Nongovernmental Organizations; Environmental Issues
Case Robert Carter and edited by Richard G. LinowesThis case focuses on the efforts of an Indian software consulting firm to win its first client in Nepal, a new financial institution. The software firm and the finance company each contemplate their respective positions as they sit down to negotiate for information system services. Source: Institute of International Education and selected for use by Pinnacle Editorial Board. Copyright 1994. Courses: Accounting Information Systems; Business and Society; Finance; International Business; Small Business Topics:
Article Mintzberg, Henry The collapse of communism has led many in the West to declare that capitalism has triumphed. But Henry Mintzberg, professor of management at McGill University and INSEAD, says that this idea is overly simplistic. He argues further that the push for government to become more like business ignores both the value of the alternative forms of ownership we have in the West—including cooperative and nonprofit organizations--and the purpose of balance in our societies. A business model for managing government would treat its constituents as customers in an arm’s-length trading relationship. But we are not merely customers of our government; we are also subjects (who have obligations), citizens (who have rights), and clients (who have complex needs). Thus we need a wide range of management models for providing public services. HBS Number: 96306 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 5/1/1996 Subjects: Business & society; Government & business; Privatization; Public administration; Social enterprise Year New: 1996
Case John Kilpatrick, Gamewell Gantt, George Johnson Source: The Society for Case Research, Annual Advances 1997, Copyright 1998. Topics: Business Ethics; Business and Society
Case William Naumes, Michelle Wilson, Sherry WaltersAs the tax season ends, Michael Morrison hears that a competitor is soliciting audit and tax work at significant price reductions. The competitor is his associate, Stephen Adams, who has voiced dissatisfaction with his income. Rather than waiting to hear about his hoped-for partnership, Adams has mailed a business announcement and comparative price list to all the firm’s clients. The partners must respond. They wonder how Adams‘ actions fit with the standards and ethics of the profession. Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Winter 1995, Vol. 15, Issue 1. Copyright 1995. Courses: Accounting; Business Ethics; Human Resources Topics:
Case Lisa Johnson, The University of Puget Sound Description: Monsanto has a staff of 75 people with a budget of $10 million that aggressively pursue a policy of suing farmers who, either deliberately or inadvertently, are believed to be infringing on Monsanto’s patents for genetically engineered seeds. Is Monsanto using ethically questionable tactics? Is Monsanto endangering its image and reputation? Is there a better way for Monsanto to achieve its objective of preventing unfair use of its seed products? Publication Date: 2007 Geographic Setting: Canada Industry Setting: Agriculture Event Year Start: 2000 Event Year End: 2005 Courses: Business Policy; Business Ethics Course Sequence: Business Strategy; Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Ethics; Business and Society; Corporate Responsibility; Business Ethics Supplements: Teaching Note; Video
Case A Case A: David B. Yoffie, John J. ColemanCase B: David B. Yoffie, John J. Coleman, David DobrowskiIn 1981, Motorola was reevaluating its strategy towards Japan due to increased Japanese competition at home. How it should respond and with what kind of organization were the central questions confronting management. The Supplement updates Case A for 1982. Case B updates Case A and the Supplement. A rewrite of two earlier supplements. Source: Harvard Business School. Copyright 1987 (A), 1989 (B) . Courses: Business and Society; International Trade Topics:
Case Biren, Beatrix Exploding use of file-sharing technology and online music distribution is shaking the foundations of the entire music industry. Students are challenged to assess the impact of a new disruptive technology on the industry value chain and the strategies and positions of major industry participants. Illustrates how solid industry and competitive analysis can be used to predict future industry direction. Great student interest and has accompanying video. Publication Date: 2001 Geographic Setting: International Industry Setting: e-Commerce Event Year Start: 1997 Event Year End: 2000 Courses: Business Policy; e-Commerce; Business Ethics Course Sequence: e-Commerce; Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Business Policy; Electronic Commerce; Ethics; Business and Society Supplementary Material: Teaching Note; Video
Article Mintzberg, Henry Henry Mintzberg, a professor of management at McGill University in Canada and at INSEAD in France, takes aim at the hype surrounding management fads and gurus and dares to suggest that the emperor has no clothes. In order to rile all who care about management and get them thinking creatively, he presents ten contrarian observations on such topics as the meanness of leanness, the folly of CEOs who fancy themselves strategists, the disempowering that so-called empowerment creates, the myopia of purely financial measures, and the inadequacy of M.B.A. programs. HBS Number: 96407 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 7/1/96 Subjects: Business & society; Leadership; Management philosophy; Organizational management; Organizational structure; Participatory management
Case Author(s): Saul Klein; Albert Wocke Ivey ID: 9B09M005 Publication Date: 5/22/2009 Revision Date: 6/2/2010 Product Type: Case (Field) Teaching Note: 8B09M05 Geographic Setting: South Africa Industry Setting: Health Services Size: Large Year of Event: 2007 Level of Difficulty: 5 — MBA/Postgraduate Subjects: Business and society; Global strategy; Emerging markets; Hospitals Major Disciplines: Entrepreneurship; General Management; International Product Description: In 2008, the acquisition of the General Healthcare Group (GHG) in the United Kingdom had propelled Netcare Limited (Netcare) from a predominantly South African operation into one of the largest private hospital groups in the world. One of Netcare’s key long-term goals was to deliver innovative, quality health-care solutions to patients in every continent. Recent South African parliamentary legislation had introduced the potential for regulated pricing and collective bargaining in medical centres, which could change the industry structure and possibly affect Netcare‘s strategy. As acquisition at home would be increasingly subject to stringent scrutiny from competition regulators, Netcare wondered what the impact of global acquisition would have on executing its strategy. What lessons could be learned from the GHG acquisition, how could those lessons be leveraged for further international growth, and what continent would be best suited to expansion? The case illustrates the international expansion strategies of Netcare, and illustrates the challenges of operating in an emerging market. The ability to overcome these challenges is the basis of a competitive advantage when entering developed markets.
Case Hendry, J — Cambridge Judge Business School Fujikawa, T — Cambridge Judge Business School Distributor: ecch (www.ecch.com) Reference: 300-069-1 Language: English Category: Strategy and General Management Data source: Published sources Product Year: 2000 Geo location: Asia Industry: Footwear Size: Multi-national Timing: 1993-1998 Topics: Business ethics; Business and society; International business; International sourcing Abstract: This case reviews the criticisms that have been made of Nike on ethical grounds as a result of the employment practices of its South East Asian subcontractors, and Nike’s response to them, and sets these in the context of Nike‘s competitive environment. Comparisons are drawn with Reebok, Nike's main competitor, which has encountered similar ethical problems but has received much less public criticism.
Case Morris, Rebecca J.; Lawrence, Anne T. Does Nike have a responsibility to set and enforce standards for wages and working conditions of those employed by companies that have contracts to make Nike’s products? There‘s an accompanying 11-mimute video showing labor abuses in Chinese factories and Nike CEO Phil Knight responding to charges. Publication Date: 2001 Geographic Setting: Oregon Industry Setting: Consumer Goods Event Year Start: 2000 Event Year End: 2000 Courses: Business Policy; Business Ethics Course Sequence: Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Business Policy; Business and Society; Ethics Supplementary Material: Teaching Note; Video
Case Joe G. ThomasThe case opens with the fire at the Imperial Foods plant which killed 25 people; the plant had never been inspected in its eleven-year history. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is responsible for enforcing safety and health regulations in the six million establishments in the U.S. OSHA’s staff, down almost 25%, must prioritize inspections. Some businesses, such as Imperial Foods, are rarely inspected. Few people are concerned about this situation until there is a disaster. Source: The Society for Case Research, Annual Advances in Business Cases, Fall 1993, Vol. 1, Issue 1. Copyright 1993. Courses: Business Ethics; Business Policy/Strategy; Healthcare Topics:
Case Anne T. Lawrence Odwalla, Inc., a leading producer of fresh fruit and vegetable-based beverages in the Western United States and Canada, was faced with a crisis in October 1996 when it learned that an outbreak of E. coli poisoning had apparently been caused by its unpasteurized apple juice products. How should Odwalla executives respond to the outbreak? What steps should the the company take to rebuild its reputation and its brand? How should it respond to the possibility of increased government regulation of the fresh juice industry? Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 1 Subjects: Business Ethics, Business and Society, Public Relations, Public Affairs Management
Case Sherry Hockemeyer, Indiana-Purdue University at Fort Wayne The homeowners of Green Valley, Arizona, a retirement community 22 miles south of Tucson in southern Arizona, are meeting to consider forming an Improvement District that would further study and possibly negotiate a purchase of Green Valley Water Company from the developer. Although many financial statements have been distributed to the residents in an effort to illustrate the advisability of taking this action, most residents are uncertain about what to do. Typical characteristics of these retired homeowners are that they are unfamiliar with the actual operations of a water utility and the accounting statements that reflect those operations, they are unwilling to pay increased water rates if that would be the result of a change in ownership, and they are concerned about personal liability if they become owners of a water utility that might become unprofitable in the future. Most homeowners moved to this area from communities where quality water was the responsibility of a governmental body and all they had to do was turn on the faucets. They wanted benefits such as low water rates and quality water with no risk or worry. Unfortunately the matters being brought to their attention were not ones with which they had any familiarity. Privatization of water and other utilities is a subject that an increasing number of communities are considering. Source: The Society for Case Research, Annual Advances 1998,Publication Date: 2000
Topics: Regulation; Public Ownership; Business and Society
Article Author(s): Zadek, Simon Publication Date: 12/01/2004 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R0412J Industry Setting: Apparel industry; Consumer products Subjects: Apparel; Business & society; Corporate image; Corporate responsibility; Ethics; Global business; International trade; Labor markets; Social issues; Social responsibility; Sports Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics Product Description: Nike’s tagline, “Just do it,” is an inspirational call to action for the millions who wear the company‘s athletic gear. But in terms of corporate responsibility, Nike didn't always follow its own advice. In the 1990s, protesters railed against sweatshop conditions at some of its overseas suppliers and made Nike the global poster child for corporate ethical fecklessness. The intense pressure that activists exerted on the athletic apparel giant forced it to take a long, hard look at corporate responsibility — sooner than it might have otherwise. In this article, Simon Zadek, CEO of the U.K.-based institute AccountAbility, describes the bumpy route Nike has traveled to get to a better ethical place, one that cultivates and champions responsible business practices. Organizations learn in unique ways, Zadek contends, but they inevitably pass through five stages of corporate responsibility, from defensive (“It's not our fault”) to compliant (“We'll do only what we have to”) to managerial (“It's the business”) to strategic (“It gives us a competitive edge”) and, finally, to civil (“We need to make sure everybody does it”). He details Nike's arduous trek through these stages. As he outlines this evolution, Zadek offers valuable insights to executives grappling with the challenge of managing responsible business practices. Beyond just getting their own houses in order, the author argues, companies need to stay ab Source: Harvard
Article Author(s): Zadek, Simon Publication Date: 12/01/2006 Product Type: HBR OnPoint Article HBS Number: 1682 Subjects: Apparel; Business & society; Corporate responsibility; Ethics; Global business; International trade; Labor markets; Social issues; Social responsibility; Sports Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics Product Description: Nike’s tagline, “Just do it,” is an inspirational call to action for the millions who wear the company‘s athletic gear. But in terms of corporate responsibility, Nike didn't always follow its own advice. In the 1990s, protesters railed against sweatshop conditions at some of its overseas suppliers and made Nike the global poster child for corporate ethical fecklessness. The intense pressure that activists exerted on the athletic apparel giant forced it to take a long, hard look at corporate responsibility — sooner than it might have otherwise. In this article, Simon Zadek, CEO of the U.K.-based institute AccountAbility, describes the bumpy route Nike has traveled to get to a better ethical place, one that cultivates and champions responsible business practices. Organizations learn in unique ways, Zadek contends, but they inevitably pass through five stages of corporate responsibility, from defensive (“It's not our fault”) to compliant (“We'll do only what we have to”) to managerial (“It's the business”) to strategic (“It gives us a competitive edge”) and, finally, to civil (“We need to make sure everybody does it”). He details Nike's arduous trek through these stages. As he outlines this evolution, Zadek offers valuable insights to executives grappling with the challenge of managing responsible business practices. Beyond just getting their own houses in order, the author argues, companies need to stay abreast of the public's evolving ideas about corporate roles and responsibilities. Organizations t Source: Harvard
Case Author(s): Seijts G; Sider M Publication Date: 7/15/2005 Product Type: Case Ivey ID: 9B05C016 Geographic Setting: United States Industry Setting: Eating and Drinking Places Size: Large organization Year of Event: 2005 Level of Difficulty: Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: Management Communication; Ethical Issues; Business and Society; Conflict Resolution Functional Area: Human Resource Management Product Description: This is a supplement to PETA’s Kentucky Fried Cruelty, Inc. Campaign, product 9B03C045. PETA escalated its tactics to pressure Kentucky Fried Chicken to implement stronger animal welfare guidelines. KFC was once again embarrassed worldwide when aninvestigation for PETA captured video of chickens being kicked and stomped on by workers at a processing plant that the company used. The footage provided new ammunition for PETA to increase the pressure on KFC to make significant changes, includingprotesting of KFC executives at their homes and encouraging celebrities to organize a boycott of KFC. Both PETA and KFC testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee presenting their sides of the story. One had to wonder whether the campaignunleashed by PETA had gained enough momentum to pressure the decision-makers at Kentucky Fried Chicken into making meaningful changes in its animal welfare practices, and if so, how the conflicts between KFC and PETA could ever by resolved, givenboth the increasing escalation and philosophical differences between the two organizations.
Article Porter, Michael E.; Kramer, Mark R. During the past two decades, the number of charitable foundations in the United States has doubled while the value of their assets has increased more than 1,100%. As new wealth continues to pour into foundations, the authors take a tim HBS Number: 99610 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 11/1/1999 Subjects: Business & society; Charities; Nonprofit organizations; Nonprofit sector; Philanthropy; Social enterprise; Strategy formulation; Strategy implementation
Case W. Kent Moore, Phyllis G. HollandThe case provides background information on the cigarette industry, the marketing of cigarettes to underdeveloped countries, particularly in the Pacific Rim, and on the evolution of health warning labels. Source: The Society for Case Research, Business Case Journal, Fall 1993, Vol. 1, Issue 1. Copyright 1993. Courses: Business and Society; Business Ethics; Business Policy/Strategy; International Marketing Topics:
Supplement Author(s): David W. Conklin; Danielle Cadieux Ivey ID: 9B07M040 Publication Date: 5/1/2007 Product Type: Supplement Teaching Note: 8B07M40 Geographic Setting: Trinidad Industry Setting: Oil & Gas Extraction Year of Event: 2006 Level of Difficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: Sustainable Development; International Business; Government Regulation; Business and Society Major Disciplines: General Management; International Product Description: By 2006, the Point Lisas Industrial Estate (PLIPDECO) consisted of approximately 44 industrial sites on 1,000 hectares of land. Some in Trinidad advocated the creation of additional estates as well as expansion into business like aluminum, which required a great deal of energy. The government of Trinidad had continued a menu of tax exemptions and incentives, and substantial additional foreign investments were expected. Meanwhile, Hugo Chavez had become President of Venezuela and had instituted a socialist, anti-American regime that was seizing assets and rewriting contracts with foreign investors. Trinidad looked like a favourable investment site compared with Venezuela. However, not all was happiness. The businesses involved with PLIPDECO needed relatively few employees. Some in Trinidad referred to this reality as the "curse of oil."
Case John A. Seeger, Marie RockInner City, Inc. trains “hard core” unemployed people by hiring them to produce subassemblies for Polaroid Corporation. Due to changing economic conditions Inner City’s labor pool has dried up. Bill Skelley, General Manager Inner City, Inc., now ponders the future. Source: Submitted by author and selected for use by Pinnacle Editorial Board. Copyright 1988. Courses: Business and Society; Business Policy/Strategy; Human Resources; Operations Management; Organizational Behavior Topics:
Case Author(s): Conklin DW; Cadieux D Publication Date: 6/14/2005 Product Type: Case Ivey ID: 9B05M041 Geographic Setting: United States Industry Setting: Executive, Legislative & General Gov. Year of Event: 2005 Level of Difficulty: Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: General Management; Government and Business; Government Regulation; Business and Society Functional Area: General Management Product Description: As George W. Bush entered his second term as president, he had implemented a number of important pieces of his political agenda. In the beginning, it was thought that Bush’s political agenda would be good for business, however; many analysts feltthe policies hurt economy, devalued the U.S. dollar and jeopardized international economic relations. In his first term he implemented major tax cuts and dealt with international trade issues. In his second term, he was focusing on social security reforms, new energy policies and tort reforms; however, within the Republican Party there were a number of distinct groups, each with its own agenda. There was only one policy they all agreed on, reducing tax rates, but the tax cuts implemented in2001 had created annual deficits and threatened to destabilize the country. Whether Bush‘s policies would really be good for U.S. business was hotly debated.
Case Author(s): Diermeier, Daniel; Thaker, Shail Publication Date: 01/01/2006 Product Type: Case (Field) HBS Number: KEL062 Geographic Setting: Global; United States Industry Setting: Government & regulatory; Tobacco industry Subjects: Business & society; Crisis management; Health; Public policy; Regulations Academic Discipline: Business & government Product Description: Describes the history of the tobacco industry and its emergence as an extremely effective marketer and non-market strategist. After years of success, both publicly and politically, the leaders of the tobacco industry are faced with mounting political pressure and the financial threat of litigation from class-action lawsuits. The leaders face an industry-wide strategic decision of whether to acquiesce to government demands in exchange for immunity, focus on judicial success, or develop a new course of action.
Case Lawrence, A T Publisher: Babson College Distributor: ecch (www.ecch.com) Reference: BAB118 Language: English Category: Ethics and Social Responsibility Data source: Published sources Product Year: 2005 Version Date: 17 February 2005 Topics: Conflicts of interest; Ethics; Health care; Management of crises; Business and society; Business-government relations; Corporate governance; Corporate responsibility; Government policy; Hospital administration; Medical supplies; Non-profit organisations; Abstract: This is the second of a two-case series (BAB117 and BAB118). Was Premier Inc, a hospital group purchasing organisation (GPO), guilty of ethical conflicts of interest? Premier was a GPO for more than 200 affiliated not-for-profit hospitals and health care systems in the United States. A series of investigative articles in The New York Times, beginning in March 2002, charged Premier with multiple conflicts of interest. Among its allegations, the newspaper argued that seller-paid fees, investments by Premier and its executives in vendors, and investments by vendors in Premier-sponsored equity funds, research institutes, and conferences all biased the selection process for medical products and services. As a result, Premier did not always choose items of the best quality or value for its affiliated hospitals. Moreover, The Times charged, new products - particularly those developed by small firms - were effectively locked out, suppressing medical innovation and hurting patient care. Richard A Norling, Chief Executive Officer, and other top executives of Premier faced the difficult task of formulating an effective response to the charges raised by The New York Times. The (B) case is an epilogue to the (A) case. It describes Premier’s decision to hire an independent ethics consultant, the process it established to direct his work, and the major recommendations made by the consult Source: ecch
Case Jan ZahrlyVice-President Laura Smith learns from Helen, a PESO board member, that Helen and a paid staff member of the nonprofit organization are involved in a homosexual relationship. Seeing a potential conflict of interest, Laura wants Helen to resign from the board. Helen refuses and insists that her relationship remain secret. Laura must choose between breaking the confidence or remaining silent and tolerating the possible conflict of interest. Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Winter 1995, Vol. 15, Issue 1. Copyright 1995. Courses: Business and Society; Business Ethics Topics:
Article Chapman, Tom Greater Southeast Community Hospital is located in the center of one of Washington, D.C.’s most troubled and isolated neighborhoods. Like so many inner-city hospitals, it serves a population struggling with high rates of poverty, crime HBS Number: 92602 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 11/1/1992 Subjects: Business & society; Community relations; Health; Health services; Hospital administration; Nonprofit organizations
Case Author(s): Shackel D; Mark K Publication Date: 8/12/2005 Product Type: Case Ivey ID: 9B05C013 Geographic Setting: Canada Industry Setting: Business Services Year of Event: 2004 Level of Difficulty: Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: Ethical Issues; New Economy; Privacy Issues; Business and Society Functional Area: Human Resource Management Product Description: The chief information officer of Regent Street Bank is trying to weighing the merits of installing word recognition software at Regent. In light of recent financial scandals, a compliance tool like word recognition software would enable Regent toelectronically monitor transactions between employees and clients. From a business standpoint, the ability to reduce the risk of illegal activities would reassure stakeholders in the bank: employees, clients and investors. Besides, Regent’s emailpolicy, available to all employees, clearly stipulated that electronic mail systems provided by Regent are its property and that the bank reserves the right to access, monitor and archive all email messages without prior notice.On the other hand, what if the word recognition software flagged a personal email message, resulting in his or her direct manager finding out about a private situation? After all, Regent‘s email policy did allow employees to use email for personalreasons. More importantly, how should the CIO consider the potential ethical issues, such as privacy.
Case Author(s): Dees, J. Gregory Publication Date: 04/16/1996 Revision Date: 12/03/2008 Product Type: Note HBS Number: 396344 Subjects: Business & society; Business government relations; Corporate responsibility; Ethics; Social enterprise Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics Product Description: Broadly defines the concept of market failure and explores options for responding to it. It pays particular attention to the role of business leaders in addressing market deficiencies.
Case Author(s): Dees, J. Gregory Publication Date: 04/16/1996 Product Type: Note Product Description: Broadly defines the concept of market failure and explores options for responding to it. It pays particular attention to the role of business leaders in addressing market deficiencies. Teaching Purpose: Provides a vocabulary and a framework for discussing market failures and the role of business in society. HBS Number: 9-396-344 Subjects: Business government relations; Business & society; Corporate responsibility; Ethics; Social enterprise Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics
Case Author(s): Kessler, Daniel; Emerson, Jed; Tuan, Melinda T.; Dutton, Lauren Publication Date: 10/01/1998 Product Type: Case (Field) Publisher: Stanford University Product Description: Roberts Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) transformed its philanthropic practice into a social venture capital practice in 1997 with a portfolio of nonprofit enterprises in the San Francisco Bay Area. This case presents REDF’s analysis of the changing needs of the nonprofit marketplace. HBS Number: E45 Geographic Setting: San Francisco, CA Industry Setting: Securities & investing Gross Revenues: $10 million fund Event Year Start: 1997 Event Year End: 1998 Subjects: Business & society; Entrepreneurship; Financing; Return on investment; Social enterprise; Venture capital Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics
Case Sudhir K. Chawla, Mary F. SmithTo reverse a declining trend in their demand accounts, Security National Bank must develop a marketing plan to increase the number of checking accounts and their market share. 1987 Source: Submitted by author and selected for use by Pinnacle Editorial Board. Courses: Business and Society; Marketing; Money and Banking; New Product Development Topics:
Case Author(s): Robert Klassen; Arif Merchant Publication Date: 12/15/2006 Revision Date: 9/5/2007 Product Type: Case Ivey ID: 9B06M097 Geographic Setting: Canada Industry Setting: Electric, Gas and Sanitary Services Size: Small Year of Event: 2004 Level of Difficulty: 4 — Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: Business development; Sustainable development; Energy; Business and society Major Disciplines: Entrepreneurship; General Management Product Description: As a small retailer of green energy, Selectpower was at a critical point in its growth. The chief executive officer (CEO) was developing a cohesive strategy for the firm’s multiple business units. Revenues were expected to increase significantly in the coming year; however; limited resources also were forcing the CEO to make some tough decisions about two important investment opportunities: its growing wind-derived electricity business; or the nascent geothermal business. Both options offered clear environmental benefits to customers, although the strategic value and immediate financial return to Selectpower were less clear. The CEO was also not certain to what extent Selectpower‘s strategy should emphasize environmental objectives relative to traditional financial metrics. Finally, evolving customer expectations, fluctuating energy prices, and changing government regulations further complicated planning.
Case Hendry, J — Cambridge Judge Business School Distributor: ecch (www.ecch.com) Reference: 300-070-1 Language: English Category: Strategy and General Management Data source: Published sources Product Year: 2000 Geo location: Africa Industry: Oil Size: Multi-national Timing: 1992-1998 Topics: Business ethics; Business and society; International business Abstract: This case reviews the public controversy surrounding Shell’s operations in Nigeria in the 1990s. It details the accusations made against the company on ethical and environmental grounds and the response of the company to those accusations. The particular interest of the case, apart from the high public profile of the events described, is that it concerns a company whose managers see themselves as having relatively high ethical standards. The case forces students to address not only the problem of what has gone wrong but also a much more difficult one of what managers can do about it.
Case Robert W. Service Source: The Society for Case Research, Annual Advances 1997, Copyright 1998. Topics: Business Ethics; Business Policy/Strategy; Business and Society; Small Business
Case Paine, Lynn Sharp; Hogan, Harold F., Jr. Describes the effort to transform an old-style Argentine construction and engineering company into a customer-focused manager of public services and infrastructure projects. A key theme is transforming the culture and values of the organization and its workforce. Focuses on a decision the Sideco management team faces when customers of its newly acquired and privatized water and sewer company neglect to pay their bills. Teaching Purpose: To illustrate one company’s approach to cultural transformation and to examine the cultural profile of an Argentine company in transition. HBS Number: 9-398-081 Type: Case (Field) Publication Date: 1/5/98 Revision Date: 2/19/98 Geographic Setting: Argentina Industry Setting: public services management Number of Employees: 6,000 Gross Revenues: $350 million revenues Event Year Start: 1994 Event Year End: 1996 Subjects: Business & society; Corporate culture; Ethics; Government & business; Organizational change; Organizational structure; South America Supplementary Materials: Supplement (Field), (9-398-082), 2p, by Lynn Sharp Paine, Harold F. Hogan Jr.; Supplement (Field), (9-398-083), 13p, by Lynn Sharp Paine, Harold F. Hogan Jr.
Case Shrader, Charles B.; Rallis, Stephen A.; Twenter, Joan L. A company made famous by Tom Peters runs into a series of ethical problems that tarnish the firm’s reputation. Why haven‘t the problems affected what customers think about shopping at the company's store? Is management taking the appropriate corrective action? Publication Date: 1998 Geographic Setting: Connecticut Industry Setting: Retailing Event Year Start: 1968 Event Year End: 1996 Courses: Business Policy; Business Ethics; Entrepreneurship Course Sequence: Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Business Policy; Ethics; Business and Society Supplementary Material: Teaching Note
Article Author(s): Porter, Michael E.; Kramer, Mark R. Publication Date: 02/01/2007 Product Type: HBR OnPoint Article HBS Number: 1680 Subjects: Business & society; Competitive advantage; Corporate responsibility; Philanthropy; Public opinion; Social responsibility; Strategic planning Academic Discipline: Competitive strategy Product Description: Governments, activists, and the media have become adept at holding companies to account for the social consequences of their actions. In response, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has emerged as an inescapable priority for business leaders in every country. Frequently, though, CSR efforts are counterproductive, for two reasons. First, they pit business against society, when in reality the two are interdependent. Second, they pressure companies to think of corporate social responsibility in generic ways instead of in the way most appropriate to their individual strategies. The fact is, the prevailing approaches to CSR are so disconnected from strategy as to obscure many great opportunities for companies to benefit society. What a terrible waste. If corporations were to analyze their opportunities for social responsibility using the same frameworks that guide their core business choices, they would discover, as Whole Foods Market, Toyota, and Volvo have done, that CSR can be much more than a cost, a constraint, or a charitable deed — it can be a potent source of innovation and competitive advantage. In this article, Michael Porter and Mark Kramer propose a fundamentally new way to look at the relationship between business and society that does not treat corporate growth and social welfare as a zero-sum game. They introduce a framework that individual companies can use to identify the social consequences of their actions; to discover opportunities to benefit society and themselves by strengthening the competitive context in which they operate; to determine w Source: Harvard
Article Author(s): Porter, Michael E.; Kramer, Mark R. Publication Date: 12/01/2006 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R0612D Geographic Setting: Africa; India Subjects: Activism; Business & society; Competitive advantage; Competitive strategy; Corporate social responsibility; Global business; McKinsey Award winners; Philanthropy; Public opinion; Reputations; Stakeholders; Strategy implementation; Sustainability Academic Discipline: Competitive strategy Product Description: Governments, activists, and the media have become adept at holding companies to account for the social consequences of their actions. In response, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has emerged as an inescapable priority for business leaders in every country. Frequently, though, CSR efforts are counterproductive, for two reasons. First, they pit business against society, when in reality the two are interdependent. Second, they pressure companies to think of corporate social responsibility in generic ways instead of in the way most appropriate to their individual strategies. The fact is, the prevailing approaches to CSR are so disconnected from strategy as to obscure many great opportunities for companies to benefit society. What a terrible waste. If corporations were to analyze their opportunities for social responsibility using the same frameworks that guide their core business choices, they would discover, as Whole Foods Market, Toyota, and Volvo have done, that CSR can be much more than a cost, a constraint, or a charitable deed — it can be a potent source of innovation and competitive advantage. In this article, Michael Porter and Mark Kramer propose a fundamentally new way to look at the relationship between business and society that does not treat corporate growth and social welfare as a zero-sum game. They introduce a framework that individual companies can use to identify the social conse Source: Harvard
Case David White and edited by Richard G. LinowesSurya is a relatively new silk manufacturer founded by a U.S. expatriate. However, it has just been denied the opportunity to purchase a government-owned facility because the sale to the private sector might jeopardize official development funding from the South Korean government. A bribe might change the official’s mind. Source: Institute of International Education and selected for use by Pinnacle Editorial Board. Copyright 1994. Courses: Business and Society; International Business; Operations Management; Small Business Topics:
Case A Author(s): Forbes, Ted Darden ID: UVA-BC-0124 Published: 4/22/1997 Copyright Year: 1997 Subject Area: Accounting and Control Keywords: crisis management, business and society, community relations, management communication, discrimination, ethics, diversity in the U.S. workplace, discrimination, racial Teaching Note: UVA-BC-0124TN Abstract: This series of cases (see also the B [BC-0125], C [BC-0126], and D [BC-0127] cases) is designed to explore how companies react to a crisis. Students are encouraged to explore possible reactions as a racial-discrimination problem comes to light. Each case provides plot twists and additional information, forcing students to assess and reassess their plans.
Case D Author(s): Forbes, Ted Darden ID: UVA-BC-0127 Published: 4/22/1997 Copyright Year: 1997 Subject Area: Management Communication Keywords: crisis management, business and society, management communication, ethics, diversity in the U. S. workplace, discrimination, racial Teaching Note: UVA-BC-0124TN Abstract: This series of cases (see also the A [BC-0124], B [BC-0125], and C [BC-0126] cases) is designed to explore how companies react to a crisis. Students are encouraged to explore possible reactions as a racial-discrimination problem comes to light. Each case provides plot twists and additional information, forcing students to assess and reassess their plans.
Case Beer L Textron Ltd. is a family-owned manufacturer of cotton and sponge fabricated items. The company wants to expand its business with an offshore manufacturing enterprise that will fit with the company’s policy of caring for their employees and providingquality products. The company is looking at two options: a guaranteed outsourcing purchase agreement or a joint venture. After several meetings with offshore alliance candidates the vice-president of the company must analyse the cross-culturaldifferences to established corporate guidelines of global ethics and social responsibility that the company can use in their negotiations with a foreign manufacturing firm. Ivey Number: 9B01M070 Publication Date: 28/03/2002 Geographic Setting: China Industry Setting: Apparel and other Finished Products Company Size: Medium organization Event Year Start: 2000 Subjects: Ethical Issues, Business and Society, Developing Countries, International Business Functional Area: General Management
Case Patricia P. McDougallThis case provides a bird’s-eye view of the metamorphosis that occurred after the highly regulated airline industry was deregulated. This resulted in fierce competition within the industry. Many firms did not survive the competition, others went on acquisition/merger sprees. The result was a distinct move toward an oligopolistic market dominated by a few megacarriers. Source: Submitted by author and selected for use by Pinnacle Editorial Board. Copyright 1988. Courses: Business and Society; Business Policy/Strategy Topics:
Case Spar, Debora; La Mure, Lane In 1996, Unocal Corp. joined forces with the French Total company to construct an ambitious natural gas pipeline from the Andaman Sea across the southern tip of Burma and into Thailand. At an estimated cost of $1.2 billion, the pipelin HBS Number: 9-798-078 Type: Case (Library) Publication Date: 2/25/1998 Revision Date: 3/3/2000 Geographic Setting: Burma Industry Setting: oil Number of Employees: 7,000 Gross Revenues: $8 billion revenues Event Year Start: 1994 Event Year End: 1998 Subjects: Activists; Business & society; Energy; Ethics; Foreign investment; Natural gas; Political risk; Southeast Asia
Case Paine, Lynn Sharp; Hogan, Harold F., Jr. Describes the transformation of a formerly state-owned meat processing plant in Russia into a privately-owned and operated food processing conglomerate under Russia’s economic reforms of the 1990s. The CEO, Igor Babaev, and his top management team must decide what to do when sales plummet as a result of false rumors that the company‘s meat products are being produced with tainted and potentially deadly meat. Teaching Purpose: Allows students to explore the challenges of cultural transformation for a Russian enterprise seeking to compete effectively in a global economy. HBS Number: 9-399-119 Type: Case (Field) Publication Date: 2/10/1999 Revision Date: 10/20/1999 Geographic Setting: Russia Industry Setting: food processing Number of Employees: 6,000 Gross Revenues: $400 million revenues Event Year Start: 1997 Event Year End: 1998 Subjects: Brands; Business & society; Competition; Emerging markets; Food processing industry; Marketing management; Organizational development; Privatization; Russia Supplementary Materials: Supplement (Field), (9-399-120), 2p, by Lynn Sharp Paine, Harold F. Hogan Jr.; Supplement (Field), (9-300-051), 4p, by Lynn Sharp Paine, Harold F. Hogan Jr.
Case Lawrence, Anne T. The focus of this case is Enron’s dramatic implosion and rapid demise from respected industry leader to total disgrace and alleged criminal and unethical actions on the part of senior executives. The case contains a discussion of Enron‘s history, a description of its business model, and the transactions that led to the accounting scandals that eventually led to the company's demise. Perfect for an emphasis on the links between strategy and business ethics. Publication Date: 2004 Geographic Setting: U.S. Industry Setting: Energy Event Year Start: 1985 Event Year End: 2001 Courses: Business Policy; Business Ethics Course Sequence: Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Business Policy; Ethics; Executive Compensation; Business and Society Supplementary Material: Teaching Note; Video
Case Schuppisser, S — Executive MBA Universitat Zurich Distributor: ecch (www.ecch.com) Reference: 301-055-1 Language: English Category: Strategy and General Management Data source: Field research Product Year: 2001 Geo location: Switzerland Industry: Telecommunications Timing: 1999 Topics: Corporate social performance; Non-market strategies; Stakeholder management; Issue management; Business and society Abstract: This is the third of a three-case series (301-053-1 to 301-055-1). Five months after starting service in the wireless cellular telephony market, diAx mobile AG was confronted with increasing resistance against its efforts to build up and increase the coverage of its wireless mobile network. In many locations citizens, local communities and municipal authorities refused to accept wireless base stations and antennas in their vicinity because they either wanted to protect the beauty of the landscape from ugly antennas or were afraid of negative health effects assumingly caused by their electro-magnetic radiation. The case can be used to analyse and discuss viable strategies a wireless telephony service provider can choose to address non-market challenges in its core business.
Case Author(s): Woo, Claudia; Peattie, Ken Publication Date: 04/09/2008 Product Type: Case Publisher: University of Hong Kong HBS Number: HKU741 Geographic Setting: Malaysia Subjects: Influence; Stories & storytelling; Corporate image; Cross cultural relations; Corporate governance; Governance; Codes of conduct; Codes of ethics; Ethics; Social enterprise; Marketing; Stakeholders; Business & society; Corporate responsibility; Corporate social responsibility; Externalities; Social responsibility Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics Product Description: As a home-grown compact car maker in Malaysia, Perodua has integrated social messages into its corporate advertisements since 1999, seeking to enlighten the local audience about various social issues and values. With the growing concern of corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) globally, company advertising with a social dimension (“CASD”) seemed to be an effective way for Perodua to portray its good corporate citizen image. However, the impact of the ads on direct and tangible returns in the form of sales was hard to determine. Since 2005, trade liberalization in South-East Asia resulted in reduced government protection for Malaysia’s indigenous automotive industry and there was more emphasis on corporate differentiation strategies. In response to the escalating competitiveness and the increasing interest in CSR, Perodua‘s corporate leaders and its management had to rethink how corporate advertisements emphasizing social aspects could sustain the company's profitability and reputation in the long run. Besides, controversies easily arose when social issues such as race-related topics were not handled with sensitivity, given the diverse cultural context of Malaysia. Set in the context of an industry characterized by intensifying competitiveness and in a multicultural environment in which the social impact o Source: Harvard
Article Roach, Stephen S. The U.S. economy has been on the upswing for more than four years. Inflation is low, corporate profits are up, and the stock market has risen beyond anyone’s dreams. Such changes are the by-product of the wrenching restructuring underg HBS Number: 96609 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 11/1/1996 Subjects: Business & society; Capital investments; Economic analysis; Economic policy; Layoffs; Productivity; Restructuring; Technological change Year New: 1996
Case Arthur SharplinAn update of the classic case by a leading case author. This case highlights the impact of management values, beliefs, and philosophy on strategy implementation at Lincoln Electric Company, the world’s largest maker of arc-welding products. Source: Submitted by authors and selected for use by Pinnacle Editorial Board. Copyright 1982, Revised 1989. Courses: Business and Society; Business Ethics; Business Policy/Strategy; International Management; Public Policy Topics:
Article De Geus, Arie P. What can explain the longevity gap between a company that survives for centuries—the Swedish company Stora, for example, which is more than 700 years old--and the average corporation, which does not last 20 years? A team at Royal Dutch/Shell Group explored that question. Arie de Geus, a retired Shell executive, writes about the team’s findings and describes what he calls living companies--organizations that have beaten the high mortality rate of the average corporation. HBS Number: 97203 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 3/1/97 Subjects: Business & society; Business policy; Corporate culture; Corporate governance; Corporate responsibility; Growth management; Management of change; Succession planning
Case Thompson, J L — University of Huddersfield Distributor: ecch (www.ecch.com) Reference: 391-045-1 Language: English Category: Strategy and General Management Data source: Field research Product Year: 1991 Geo location: Britain Industry: Leisure Timing: 1990-1991 Topics: Business and society; Business objectives; Corporate culture; Environmental issues; Marketing of services; Non-profit organisations; Property management; Strategy Abstract: This short case study explains the work, the objectives and the performance of The National Trust, and concludes with an examination of the Trust in relation to the Environment-Values-Resources model.
Case Author(s): Dees, J. Gregory; Elias, Jaan Publication Date: 06/10/1997 Product Type: Note Product Description: What is the appropriate role for business to play in a capitalist society? In analyzing responses to this question, this note distinguishes two separate dimensions. The first involves the distinctive objective of business as a social institution. Considers the pros and cons of profit maximization as well as alternatives to profit maximization such as putting the customer or the employee first, stakeholder theory, and the corporation as a public service entity. Then considers a second dimension, the appropriate moral constraints on business’s pursuit of its objectives. On this dimension, the note considers minimal strategic compliance, libertarian structures against force or fraud, the law, social norms, and independent standards of moral behavior. Teaching Purpose: To introduce the reader to a range of views without arguing for any given position. Extensive references are offered to facilitate further research. HBS Number: 9-897-012 Subjects: Business government relations; Business & society; Corporate responsibility; Economic analysis; Ethics; Social enterprise Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics
Case Grier, Sonya; Briley, Donnel A. Examines the situation facing a group of representatives from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors attempting to increase the diversity of business school faculties. Focuses on the issues faced in mid-1994 by the KPMG Peat Marwic HBS Number: M292A Type: Case (Field) Publication Date: 06/01/1997 Geographic Setting: Unspecified Industry Setting: nonprofit Event Year Start: 1993 Event Year End: 1997 Subjects: Business & society; Communication strategy; Diversity; Faculty & students; Higher education; Marketing implementation; Marketing mixes; Marketing planning; Marketing strategy; Nonprofit marketing; Social change Supplementary Materials: Supplement (Field), (M292B), 5p, by Sonya Grier, Donnel A. Briley; Teaching Note, (M292T), 25p, by Sonya Grier, Donnel A. Briley Publisher: Stanford University
Case Charles A. Nichols IIIThe case raises issues of corporate responsibility, business/government relations, and stakeholder analysis. Source: Harvard Business School. Copyright 1988. Courses: Business and Society; Business Ethics Topics:
Case Gamewell Gantt, George A. Johnson, John KilpatrickEd Smith, manager of the Snowflake Potato Division, was confronted by a major problem for his division. A primary competitor developed a patented process that has led to a major improvement in its instant mashed potato product. This improvement will jeopardize the competing Snowflake product which is a significant contributor to the division’s profits. Ed must decide whether he will authorize his division to infringe upon the competitor‘s patent and, thus protect the division's market position, or whether he will act in an ethical and legal fashion which will cause the division to suffer significant adverse economic consequences. Source: The Society for Case Research, Annual Advances in Business Cases 1995. Copyright 1996. Courses: Business and Society; Business Ethics; Business Law and Legal Environment of Business; Business Policy/Strategy Topics:
Note Author(s): David W. Conklin; Danielle Cadieux Ivey ID: 9B09M045 Publication Date: 6/26/2009 Product Type: Note Teaching Note: 8B09M45 Geographic Setting: United States Industry Setting: Public Finance, Tax & Monetary Policy Size: Not Applicable Year of Event: 2009 Level of Difficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: Business and Society; Government Regulation; Globalization Major Disciplines: General Management Product Description: For 200 years, there were substantial differences among U.S. regions in per capita incomes and economic growth. Each region had a distinct set of economic activities and, to a major degree, the differences in regional economic performance were linked to the differences in economic structure. Individual states experienced periods of expansion and contraction as the basic business activities dominating their economy expanded and contracted. These changes led to significant migration of people and businesses among regions and to a gradual narrowing, since the 1930s, of regional disparities. Over the period of 1990 to 2007, the United States experienced outstanding economic success. Many analysts expressed the view that this economic success rested on consistently high productivity growth. The public philosophy supported low taxes and low government expenditure for health, education and welfare, with a heavy reliance on the need for each individual to succeed on one’s own. In the second half of the 20th century, a general recognition developed that knowledge has a major impact on economic growth, and that increasingly intense international competition is based upon knowledge and innovation. Each nation, as well as each region within a nation, has a distinct "innovation system." At the forefront has been the United States. By the fall of 2008, it was clear that the United States had entered a major financial and economic crisis, Source: Ivey
Article Galbraith, John Kenneth John Kenneth Galbraith, economist and author of The Affluent Society, reviews Robert H. Frank and Philip J. Cook’s book The Winner-Take-All Society. Frank and Cook, professors at Cornell and Duke universities, study markets in which the winner‘s rewards far outstrip those of the other contestants. Galbraith takes exception to the authors' notion that the workings of sports markets are broadly applicable to all aspects of U.S. economic life. Sometimes it's apt, sometimes it isn't. Galbraith warns. "No wheat grower, no dentist, no housepainter has a dominant position in his industry," he maintains. Still, Galbraith does agree with the authors' conclusion that a winner-take-all mentality can misallocate economic resources, resulting in grave inequalities in the distribution of income. HBS Number: 95603 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 11/1/1995 Subjects: Business & society; Competition; Game theory; Market share
Case Boyd, C — University of Saskatchewan Distributor: ecch (www.ecch.com) Reference: 390-039-1 Language: English Category: Strategy and General Management Data source: Published sources Product Year: 1990 Geo location: UK, Belgium Industry: Shipping and transport Size: Medium-large Timing: 1987-1990 Topics: Business and society; Corporate culture; Corporate responsibility; Corporate strategy; Ethics and values; Personal values; Policy; Social responsibility; Strategy Abstract: On 6th March 1987 the Herald of Free Enterprise, the pride of the Townsend Thoresen ferry fleet, sank outside the Belgian port of Zeebrugge with the loss of 188 lives. The ship had sailed with its bow doors open. This case provides a remarkable and chilling insight into the management of a firm experiencing a catastrophic disaster, utilising extracts from the judicial report of the investigation of the sinking. The (A) case generates discussion on the degree to which managers and directors should be held responsible for the disaster, and raises wider issues such as the competitive pressures on the ferry industry caused by the Channel Tunnel, and the compromise between efficiency and safety implicit in the design of roll-on/ roll-off ferries. The (B) case raises the controversial issue of criminal prosecutions, and the degree to which the law should play a role in the definition of ethical corporate behaviour. This case is in widespread use in North America as a classic strategy/social responsibility case. It is part of a series which includes a (B) case 390-040-1 and a teaching note 390-040-8.
Case Boyd, C — University of Saskatchewan Distributor: ecch (www.ecch.com) Reference: 390-040-1 Language: English Category: Strategy and General Management Data source: Published sources Product Year: 1990 Geo location: UK, Belgium Industry: Shipping Size: Medium-large Timing: 1987 Topics: Business and society; Corporate culture; Corporate responsibility; Corporate strategy; Ethics and values; Personal values; Policy; Social responsibility; Strategy Abstract: On 6th March 1987 the Herald of Free Enterprise, the pride of the Townsend Thoresen ferry fleet, sank outside the Belgian port of Zeebrugge with the loss of 188 lives. The ship had sailed with its bow doors open. This case provides a remarkable and chilling insight into the management of a firm experiencing a catastrophic disaster, utilising extracts from the judicial report of the investigation of the sinking. The (B) case raises the controversial issue of criminal prosecutions, and the degree to which the law should play a role in the definition of ethical corporate behaviour. This case is in widespread use in North America as a classic strategy/ social responsibility case and may be read with the (A) case (390-039-1).
Case Badaracco, Joseph L., Jr.; Useem, Jerry Beginning in 1992, "Beavis and Butt-head," an animated series on MTV about two uncivilized teen-aged misfits, became both a runaway popular sensation and the symbol of a heated national debate about violent and inappropriate programming on television. Especially after the show was blamed for inspiring a five-year-old to set a fire that killed his younger sister, the controversy posed difficult decisions both for MTV’s parent company, Viacom, and for advertisers, including some of America‘s biggest. Teaching Purpose: To examine corporations' ethical responsibilities in governing media content, in the context of First Amendment rights versus the social consequences of programming. HBS Number: 9-395-053 Type: Case (Library) Publication Date: 9/14/1994 Revision Date: 1/15/1997 Geographic Setting: United States Industry Setting: television Gross Revenues: $2 billion revenues Event Year Start: 1992 Event Year End: 1994 Subjects: Advertising media; Business & society; Corporate responsibility; Entertainment industry; Ethics; Regulated industries Supplementary Materials: Supplement (Library), (9-396-341), 1p, by Joseph L. Badaracco Jr., Jerry Useem
Article Handy, Charles Society is entering a period of discontinuous change where traditional societal and organizational assumptions are no longer necessarily true. The assumptions which will underlie any new approach to management of organizations are: contractual organizations are most efficient, labor is an asset, and organizations are communities. The new assumptions combined with possibilities inherent in the new electronic technology have implications for society as a whole: people will determine more freely how and when they work; new contractual workers will perform much of the marginal work in society; change will not come from existing institutions but from new ones that will bypass their predecessors. HBS Number: 80105 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 1/1/1980 Subjects: Business & society; Management of change; Organizational change; Organizational development; Social change
Article Freeman, Richard B. From all points on the political map come the message that something is wrong with the U.S. economy. Indeed, income inequality has jumped in the past two decades in almost every category: college graduates have gained in comparison with high school graduates, older workers in comparison with younger ones, professionals in comparison with laborers. The list goes on. Economist Richard Freeman fears that the United States may be developing an apartheid economy, one in which the well-off are blind to the concerns of the poor. The debate is joined by five leaders from a variety of fields. HBS Number: 96503 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 9/1/1996 Subjects: Business & society; Economic policy; Government & business; Job satisfaction; Labor relations; Public policy Year New: 1996
Case Author(s): Gwendolyn Toro; Julia Sagebien; Victor Quinones Ivey ID: 9B10M018 Publication Date: 5/5/2010 Product Type: Case (Field) Teaching Note: Teaching Note: 8B10M18 Geographic Setting: Puerto Rico Size: Medium Year of Event: 2008 Level of Difficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: Corruption; Stakeholder analysis; Conflict resolution; Government and business; Ethical issues; Business and society Major Disciplines: Entrepreneurship; General Management; International Product Description: The case centres on the many controversies surrounding the Paseo Caribe real estate development project in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. The project developers had to contend with large demonstrations, civil disobedience, government intervention, legal proceedings and costly delays as a result of allegations that there had been multiple irregularities in the permit-granting processes and that the project had been built on public domain lands. The fact that Paseo Caribe was located in San Juan’s prime tourist and convention area, as well as in a historically and culturally important zone, added significance and visibility to the debates. Jose Antonio Moreno, president of the Puerto Rico Architects and Landscape Architects Association, is reflecting on the lessons learned by industry participants, as well as on ways the association can encourage industry actors to handle conflict in a less confrontational manner. The case illustrates the downside of not managing stakeholder relations proactively or effectively.
Teaching Note Author(s): Gwendolyn Toro; Julia Sagebien; Victor Quinones Ivey ID: 8B10M18 Publication Date: 5/5/2010 Product Type: Teaching Note Geographic Setting: Puerto Rico Size: Medium Year of Event: 2008 Level of Difficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA Subjects: Corruption; Stakeholder analysis; Conflict resolution; Government and business; Ethical issues; Business and society Major Disciplines: Entrepreneurship; General Management; International Product Description: The case centres on the many controversies surrounding the Paseo Caribe real estate development project in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. The project developers had to contend with large demonstrations, civil disobedience, government intervention, legal proceedings and costly delays as a result of allegations that there had been multiple irregularities in the permit-granting processes and that the project had been built on public domain lands. The fact that Paseo Caribe was located in San Juan’s prime tourist and convention area, as well as in a historically and culturally important zone, added significance and visibility to the debates. Jose Antonio Moreno, president of the Puerto Rico Architects and Landscape Architects Association, is reflecting on the lessons learned by industry participants, as well as on ways the association can encourage industry actors to handle conflict in a less confrontational manner. The case illustrates the downside of not managing stakeholder relations proactively or effectively.
Case Anne T. Lawrence; Howard Tolley, Jr. Unocal, a global energy company based in California, entered into a joint venture with the military government of Burma (Myanmar) to build a natural gas pipleline across that country’s southern panhandle. The Burmese government agreed to provide security for the project. Human rights organizations charged that the government used brute force to clear the pipleine area, relocating villages and terrorizing the civilian population, and forcibly conscripted local people to clear land and build roads for the project. Although Unocal did not engage in these acts directly, the company‘s critics felt that as the government's business partner, it shared moral responsibility. For its part, Unocal denied that it had done anything wrong and , in fact, argued that the company's presence had benefited Burma and its citizens. Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 22, Issue 2 Subjects: Business Ethics; Business and Society; Human Rights; International Business; Asia
Case Edward L. Felton, Jr., Robert W. Service Source: The Society for Case Research, Annual Advances 1997, Copyright 1998. Topics: Business Ethics; Business Policy/Strategy; Business and Society; Organizational Behavior
Case Meyer, Kathleen; Bollier, David; Somaya, Shilpi In 1989, Vermont National Bank launches the Socially Responsible Banking (SRB) Fund, the first major program to enable conventional banking customers to earmark their deposits for social investing. The fund is an instant success with c HBS Number: 9-996-035 Type: Case (Field) Publication Date: 02/01/1996 Geographic Setting: Vermont Event Year Start: 1989 Event Year End: 1995 Subjects: Banking; Business & society; Consumer marketing; Ethics; Financial services; Marketing strategy; Social enterprise Supplementary Materials: Supplement (Field), (9-996-036), 6p, by Kathleen Meyer, David Bollier, Shilpi Somaya; Teaching Note, (5-996-037), 5p, by Kathleen Meyer, David Bollier; Case Video, (9-996-538), 5 min, by Kathleen Meyer, David Bollier Publisher: Business Enterprise Trust
Cases A and B Mary Anne WatsonBrad Eckert, a professor at a midwestern university, wondered whether to fight the charges. Clearly, he had never harassed Vicki Collins, although her accusations were being taken quite seriously by the administration. He had advised her to come back for the MBA program. He was delighted when Vicki was assigned as a graduate assistant to himself and his wife. Maybe it had been a mistake to suggest she drop her new boyfriend. Now Vicki had left school and was demanding her tuition back and full payment of her graduate stipend. Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Vol. 15, Issue 2, Spring 1995. Copyright 1995. Courses: Business and Society; Human Resources; Organizational Behavior Topics:
Article Kimmel, Michael S. A new organization man has emerged, one who wants to be an involved father with no loss of income, prestige, and corporate support - and no diminished sense of manhood. But since many companies still deem dedication to career the sole marker of professional success, this new man may believe he has to hide his participation at home. Not surprisingly, the compromises made by the new organization man bear a striking resemblance to those of the new organization women. And just as many senior managers now recognize that they’ll lose their most ambitious women if they don‘t develop strategies to accommodate family needs, corporations may also lose their best and brightest men if they don't address the needs of the 1990s man. HBS Number: 93606 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 11/1/1993 Subjects: Business & society; Careers & career planning; Families & family life; Personnel policies; Social change; Values
Article Author(s): Packard, Kimberly O’Neill; Reinhardt, Forest Publication Date: 07/01/2000 Product Type: Harvard Business Review Article HBS Number: R00409 Subjects: Business & society; Business government relations; Energy consumption; Environmental protection; Globalization; Risk assessment; Risk management Academic Discipline: Business & government Product Description: Thanks to the development of the Kyoto Protocol — an international plan to limit carbon dioxide and other so-called greenhouse gases in the atmosphere — global warming is beginning to assume a prominent position on the agendas of business executives. Although weather patterns aren‘t going to change overnight, new regulations designed to curb climate change may themselves disrupt the flow of business. Faced with such a complex problem, however, many executives have wondered where to begin. A sensible way to start is by taking a close look at the risks — and the inevitable opportunities — associated with shifts in the weather, potential regulatory changes, and the battle over public opinion. Forward-looking companies in a range of industries, from energy to insurance to automobiles, are already seeking ways to mitigate the effects of the weather on their operations, shape any regulatory regime that governments may devise, and inform the public about their efforts to reduce the problems associated with climate change. Companies that calculate the risks and opportunities effectively — as they would for any other part of the business — will be able to make wise investments that allow them to survive the coming storms.
Article Avishai, Bernard Today’s managers feel that a once clear separation between public and private sectors has broken down. Specifically, managers are spending heavily on education and training and wondering if this is their responsibility. In answering th HBS Number: 94102 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 1/1/1994 Subjects: Business & society; Corporate responsibility; Employee training; Higher education; Social enterprise
Article Levinson, Harry "In my role, I’m the guy who catches it all. I can‘t seem to get people to stand still and listen, and I can't continue to take all the hostility. I don't know how much longer I can last in this job." The executive who speaks these words is one of several who describe their feelings of burnout in this article, first published in May/June 1981. Anyone can feel overwhelmed by the challenges posed by complex organizations and the need to deal with conflicting personalities, says psychologist Harry Levinson. In this article, he suggests ways in which top management can help prevent burnout. In his retrospective commentary, Levinson notes that although burnout is as prevalent today as it was 15 years ago, the assumption underlying his article—that top management can play a role in preventing burnout--now feels outdated. Why? Because we are living in an age of self-reliance. HBS Number: 96406 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 7/1/1996 Subjects: Business & society; Careers & career planning; Corporate culture; Executives; HBR Classics; Performance effectiveness; Working conditions
Case Hosmer, LaRue T. The case revolves around whether WFNB did anything illegal or unethical in financing the sale of dish antennas to low-income families in rural Alabama at a 22% interest rate. Consumers ended up paying $2,040 for a $400 product that could be installed in about an hour. Publication Date: 2004 Geographic Setting: U.S. Industry Setting: Finance Event Year Start: 1995 Event Year End: 1999 Courses: Business Policy; Business Ethics Course Sequence: Ethics, Strategy, and Social Responsibility Subjects: Ethics; Business and Society; Corporate Responsibility Supplementary Material: Teaching Note
Article Gellerman, Saul W. How can usually honest, intelligent, compassionate human beings act in ways that are callous, duplicitous, dishonest, and wrongheaded? Unethical behavior is found everywhere, and ambitious managers facing murky borderlands between right and wrong sometimes cross over the line. Their decisions ruin people’s lives, destroy institutions, and give business as a whole a bad name. But executives can establish effective guidelines to ensure their corporations‘ survival. There are practical solutions to the rationalizations that give way to unethical behavior. HBS Number: 86402 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 7/1/1986 Subjects: Business & society; Business policy; Ethics; Management philosophy
Article Shapiro, Carl The e-commerce explosion is turning the Internet, once a freewheeling medium of individual expression, into a sphere of intense corporate activity. Companies are shaping cyberspace to make electronic transactions more secure and consum HBS Number: R00310 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 5/1/2000 Subjects: Business & society; Electronic commerce; Intellectual property; Internet; Legal aspects of business; Politics; Right of privacy; Technological change
Article McFarlan, F. Warren Contrary to popular perception, business people can be benevolent. For instance, one recent study notes that four-fifths of all Harvard Business School graduates are involved with nonprofits, with more than half of those serving on boa HBS Number: 99608 Type: Harvard Business Review Article Publication Date: 11/1/1999 Subjects: Board of directors; Business & society; Corporate governance; Hospital administration; Management styles; Nonprofit organizations; Nonprofit sector; Social enterprise
Case Author(s): Nuttavuthisit, Krittinee Publication Date: 01/01/2008 Product Type: Case Publisher: Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern Univ. HBS Number: KEL352 Geographic Setting: Thailand Industry Setting: Accommodation & food services Subjects: Business & society; Community development; Entrepreneurship; Externalities; Social programs; Social responsibility; Strategic objectives; Strategic positioning; Top-down goal setting Academic Discipline: Social enterprise & ethics Product Description: The tsunami of December 2004 caused widespread devastation in the southern part of Thailand. After the tragedy, the Yaowawit School Kapong was founded with the aims to provide education and living support to needy children. This public welfare boarding school has been completely funded by partners and donors from all over the world via the Children’s World Academy Foundation. However, a major question looms: For how long can the school continue to financially rely on charitable help? Because of this challenge, from the beginning the school‘s projects have been created to offer a practical education for the children and also generate income to cover the costs of running the school. One of these projects is the Yaowawit Lodge, which was developed to serve as the essential income-generating unit and to provide children with practical training in the hospitality business, the most promising job opportunity in this part of Thailand. Because of its unique character as a for-profit unit within a non-profit organization, Yaowawit Lodge must find ways to target niche customers, position itself in the market, and deliver marketing strategies accordingly. Additional challenges it faces include the location, which is far from the popular tourist areas; market perceptions concerning the combination of a primary school and a hotel; and the child labor issue. Learning objective: (1) To Source: Harvard
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