In 1997 three students joined a protest against the electoral victory of Slobodan Milosevic's Serbian Socialist Party. Upon the protest's ultimate defeat, and Milosevic's return to power, the students vowed to continue the struggle for civic activism in Serbia. Their efforts manifested in the creation of the Centre for Civil Society Development PROTECTA, an NGO committed to promoting civic engagement throughout Serbia. Twelve years following the protests PROTECTA has a budget of half-a-million Euro, twenty full-time employees, and working relationships with major public and private international donors. The story is more impressive considering that this organizational growth took place during extreme political, economic, and social upheaval. This case offers students an opportunity to recount the rise of the organization under increasingly trying personal, political and professional circumstances, namely war and a repressive state. These circumstances call into question some potential ethical concerns regarding management in a hostile political environment. It also offers an opportunity for students to make a decision and plot strategy for the organization's future in areas such as leadership transition, core competencies, financial sustainability, and staffing. HKS Case Number 1924.0

Building Social Business (2010) is a book of 9 chapters written by 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus and published by Public Affairs/Perseus Books Group. The objective of social business is to create self-supporting, viable commercial enterprises that generate economic growth even as they produce goods and services that serve the poor. Yunus demonstrates how social business transforms lives, offers practical guidance for those who want to create social businesses of their own, and argues that public and corporate policies must adapt to make room for the social business model which, in his view, has the potential to reduce the negative fallout from free-market enterprise. Chapter 1 defines social business and its importance. The differences between social business and social enterprise are explained, and the significance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and charitable behavior is highlighted.

Building Social Business (2010) is a book of 9 chapters written by 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus and published by Public Affairs/Perseus Books Group. The objective of social business is to create self-supporting, viable commercial enterprises that generate economic growth even as they produce goods and services that serve the poor. Yunus demonstrates how social business transforms lives, offers practical guidance for those who want to create social businesses of their own, and argues that public and corporate policies must adapt to make room for the social business model which, in his view, has the potential to reduce the negative fallout from free-market enterprise. Chapter 2 discusses the birth of a social business focused on aiding the poor. Groupe Danone, famous worldwide for its yogurt, launches Grameen Danone, a pioneering social business selling products fortified with nutrients that Bangladeshi children lack.

Building Social Business (2010) is a book of 9 chapters written by 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus and published by Public Affairs/Perseus Books Group. The objective of social business is to create self-supporting, viable commercial enterprises that generate economic growth even as they produce goods and services that serve the poor. Yunus demonstrates how social business transforms lives, offers practical guidance for those who want to create social businesses of their own, and argues that public and corporate policies must adapt to make room for the social business model which, in his view, has the potential to reduce the negative fallout from free-market enterprise. Chapter 3 discusses how social businesses are created. To quote the author, "when you start a social business, you don't begin by looking for a business case that will generate maximum profits. Instead you pick a social problem you want to solve and then seek the business solution for it." Topics include starting with a personal passion, focusing on a specific goal, applying technology (including infrastructure) to human problems, and testing and modifying a social business model.

Building Social Business (2010) is a book of 9 chapters written by 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus and published by Public Affairs/Perseus Books Group. The objective of social business is to create self-supporting, viable commercial enterprises that generate economic growth even as they produce goods and services that serve the poor. Yunus demonstrates how social business transforms lives, offers practical guidance for those who want to create social businesses of their own, and argues that public and corporate policies must adapt to make room for the social business model which, in his view, has the potential to reduce the negative fallout from free-market enterprise. Chapter 4 discusses social business in healthcare. The author discusses the importance of healthcare initiatives in underdeveloped countries like Bangladesh. The author specifically examines the organization Cure2Children, in Pakistan, to describe methods that improve healthcare delivery in areas of extreme poverty.

Building Social Business (2010) is a book of 9 chapters written by 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus and published by Public Affairs/Perseus Books Group. The objective of social business is to create self-supporting, viable commercial enterprises that generate economic growth even as they produce goods and services that serve the poor. Yunus demonstrates how social business transforms lives, offers practical guidance for those who want to create social businesses of their own, and argues that public and corporate policies must adapt to make room for the social business model which, in his view, has the potential to reduce the negative fallout from free-market enterprise. Chapter 5 explains the process that shapes an idea into a legally and financially sound social business plan. The author discusses how to attract investors, compares the legal structures underlying for-profit and non-profit business models, and delineates structural alternatives for non-profits.

Building Social Business (2010) is a book of 9 chapters written by 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus and published by Public Affairs/Perseus Books Group. The objective of social business is to create self-supporting, viable commercial enterprises that generate economic growth even as they produce goods and services that serve the poor. Yunus demonstrates how social business transforms lives, offers practical guidance for those who want to create social businesses of their own, and argues that public and corporate policies must adapt to make room for the social business model which, in his view, has the potential to reduce the negative fallout from free-market enterprise. Chapter 6 shows how pragmatism, openness, and experimentation are used in Grameen Veolia Water, a social business devoted to providing safe drinking water for rural Bangladesh.

Building Social Business (2010) is a book of 9 chapters written by 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus and published by Public Affairs/Perseus Books Group. The objective of social business is to create self-supporting, viable commercial enterprises that generate economic growth even as they produce goods and services that serve the poor. Yunus demonstrates how social business transforms lives, offers practical guidance for those who want to create social businesses of their own, and argues that public and corporate policies must adapt to make room for the social business model which, in his view, has the potential to reduce the negative fallout from free-market enterprise. Chapter 7 applauds "social business thinkers" who create an intellectual infrastructure for exploring and extending the ideas behind social business. The author explains how the Yunus Centre, Grameen Creative Lab, and university centers examine social business concepts and opportunities.

Building Social Business (2010) is a book of 9 chapters written by 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus and published by Public Affairs/Perseus Books Group. The objective of social business is to create self-supporting, viable commercial enterprises that generate economic growth even as they produce goods and services that serve the poor. Yunus demonstrates how social business transforms lives, offers practical guidance for those who want to create social businesses of their own, and argues that public and corporate policies must adapt to make room for the social business model which, in his view, has the potential to reduce the negative fallout from free-market enterprise. Chapter 8 presents additional examples in abbreviated form, to demonstrate the variety of initiatives emerging around the world. The author offers glimpses of the future in selected stories of other individuals and institutions that are creating social businesses. Among the institutions involved are BASF, Intel, Pfizer, GE Healthcare, and The Mayo Clinic.

Building Social Business (2010) is a book of 9 chapters written by 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus and published by Public Affairs/Perseus Books Group. The objective of social business is to create self-supporting, viable commercial enterprises that generate economic growth even as they produce goods and services that serve the poor. Yunus demonstrates how social business transforms lives, offers practical guidance for those who want to create social businesses of their own, and argues that public and corporate policies must adapt to make room for the social business model which, in his view, has the potential to reduce the negative fallout from free-market enterprise. Chapter 9, the book's final chapter, argues that capitalism has made our world "lopsided," with poverty left untreated. Yunus asks the reader to join him in envisioning the answer to the question "What would the world be like without poverty?"

India has millions of kirana (small stores) but modern retail outlets are emerging. The case illustrates the challenges confronting the shop owner of Shiny Provision Store, a kirana in the suburbs of Bangalore, India. A customer, who is a market researcher, decides to explore how a small retailer in the food and groceries business can survive in an environment that is getting increasingly sophisticated in terms of professional techniques being applied to modern retailing. Data on retail images of small shops and modern outlets as well as lifestyle information on consumers is presented.

Created by hedge fund and financial managers, the Robin Hood Foundation fights poverty through grants to nonprofit organizations. As the global financial crisis continues to impact the poor disproportionately, the Foundation needs to ensure that its funds are being spent on the most effective poverty-fighting programs. The organization's senior vice president, Michael Weinstein, has developed a benefit-cost (BC) approach to analyze the performance of program grants. How effective is the method? Is funding programs with the highest BC ratios a good way to fight poverty? In three or five years, how will Robin Hood know whether it is succeeding?

This case focuses on customer lifetime value analysis and how this analysis, when paired with previous experience with consumer promotions, can guide thinking in developing the best strategies and tactics for entering new markets. Specializing in local organic meat and produce, Retail Relay has developed a new business model for on-line grocery shopping and delivery. Having succeeded in the small market of Charlottesville, Virginia, it is considering expanding to other, larger markets.

This brief background note provides an explanation and examples of biomimicry as an approach that provides insights into the innovative design of products and corporate strategy framing. Biomimicry uses nature's laws and successful strategies to inform commercial innovation.

This note provides background on a new certification process for B Corporations that enables companies to assess, compare, and protect the sustainability practices they integrate into corporate strategy. B Corporation status explicitly acknowledges stakeholder strategies and helps companies preserve triple bottom line accountability when and if they are sold/acquired.

The case illustrates the opportunities, challenges, and trade-offs involved in the design, evolution, and institutionalization of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate sustainability (CS) within the Tata Group - an India-based indigenous multinational enterprise (MNE) with a unique 140-year-old commitment to the community as the key stakeholder of business. Despite the 2008-2009 global recession, the Tata Group topped the economic value creation charts. In 2008-2009, the Group had grossed US$70.8 billion in revenues; 64.7% of the Group's revenues were now coming from outside India. Its 96 independent companies spanned seven sectors: information systems and communications, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products, and chemicals. Economic turbulence had put a break on social and environmental investing for many other companies but renewed Tata Group's commitment: the Group had recently revised its charitable giving, adopted a group-wide climate change policy, and separated its mandatory and voluntary initiatives. The case deals with the intricate connections between the Group's profitability and competitiveness on the one hand and its long-standing tradition of social responsibility on the other. It explores value creation, leadership, ethics, and sustainable development on the backdrop of rapid internationalizations and shifting stakeholders' expectations for corporate social responsibility.

This case continues the story begun in "Pfizer: A Letter From The Chairman" (HBS No. 9-110-003), revealing the letter Chairman and CEO Jeff Kindler wrote for the 2008 Annual Report.

This case presents the logic and execution underlying the launch of Data.gov, an instantiation of President Obama's initiative for transparency and open government. The process used by Vivek Kundra, the federal CIO, and his team to rapidly develop the website and to make available high-value data sets for reuse is highlighted. The case recounts Kundra's experience at the state and local government levels in developing open data initiatives and the application of that experience to the federal government. The case demonstrates the benefits of making government data available in terms of both engaged citizens and the potential for new innovations from the private sector. Potential drawbacks of open access including security and privacy issues are illustrated. Issues related to the role of government in releasing data and the balance between accountability and private-sector innovation are explored.      

This note provides a comprehensive research guide for real estate students, professionals, and executives. It includes lists of real estate industry trade organizations, publicly available research resources, books, and journals relevant to a wide range of financial and operational careers in real estate.

The Salty Snacks case is a data analysis exercise using Excel. The case uses real data from a consumer goods panel. It presents the student with a table of purchase duplications for a set of salty snack brands, and the student's task is to identify the competitive structure of the market, that is, which brands compete more intensely with each other. The task is similar to what brand managers in consumer goods companies face on a regular basis. The case provides excellent skill development in Excel, is instructive about how to analyze competition and informs students about an empirical generalization in marketing: the Duplication of Purchase Law.