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    Business HistoryRemove Business History →

    New research on business history from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including the development and growth of fair trade, development in emerging economies, and the stories behind historical entrepreneurs and business leaders.
    Page 1 of 66 Results →
    • 17 Jan 2023
    • Cold Call Podcast

    Nestlé’s KitKat Diplomacy: Neutrality vs. Shared Value

    Re: Geoffrey G. Jones

    In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, and multinational companies began pulling out of Russia, in response. At Switzerland-based Nestlé, chief executive Mark Schneider had a difficult decision to make. Nestlé had a long tradition of neutrality that enabled it to operate in countries regardless of their political systems and human rights policies. But more recently the company had embraced Michael Porter’s “shared value” paradigm, which argues that companies have a responsibility to improve the business community and the health of their communities. What should Schneider do? Professor Geoffrey Jones discusses the viability of the shared value concept and the social responsibility of transnational corporations today in the case, “Nestlé, Shared Value and Kit Kat Diplomacy.”

    • 05 Nov 2021
    • Op-Ed

    Is the Business World Finally Ready for the Wisdom of Shibusawa?

    by Geoffrey Jones and Rei Morimoto

    Legendary financier Eiichi Shibusawa advocated for business prosperity that would also benefit society. One hundred years after his death, his message is resonating with a new generation of leaders, say Geoffrey Jones and Rei Morimoto. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

    • 16 Feb 2021
    • Working Paper Summaries

    Bollywood, Skin Color, and Sexism: The Role of the Film Industry in Emboldening and Contesting Stereotypes in India after Independence

    by Sudev Sheth, Geoffrey Jones, and Morgan Spencer

    Analysis of interviews with Bollywood producers and actors shows the extent of biases in the film industry during the decades after India’s independence in 1947. Gender stereotyping has remained a noteworthy feature of films, and bias towards light skin has only intensified.

    • 25 Jan 2021
    • Book

    In a Nutshell, Why American Capitalism Succeeded

    by Sean Silverthorne

    Walter Friedman encapsulates four centuries of economic progress—from European merchants to Steve Jobs—in his efficient book, American Business History: A Very Short Introduction. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

    • 20 Aug 2020
    • Book

    From the Plow to the Pill: How Technology Shapes Our Lives

    by Dina Gerdeman

    Many technologies have upended long-held beliefs about love, sex, marriage, and reproduction, says Debora Spar in a new book, Work Mate Marry Love: How Machines Shape Our Human Destiny. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

    • 23 Apr 2020
    • Research & Ideas

    This Crisis Loan Program Preserved Jobs—and Made Money

    by Rachel Layne

    Following the 2008 financial crisis, France offered a business loan program that helped firms, employees, and even the government, says Boris Vallee. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

    • 19 Nov 2019
    • Cold Call Podcast

    Lessons from IBM in Nazi Germany

    Re: Geoffrey G. Jones

    Geoffrey Jones discusses his case study, "Thomas J. Watson, IBM and Nazi Germany," exploring the options and responsibilities of multinationals with investments in politically reprehensible regimes. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

    • 14 Nov 2019
    • Book

    Lifting the Lid on Turkey's Hidden Business History

    by Sean Silverthorne

    The business history of modern Turkey has been largely hidden from view, but a new book edited by Geoffrey Jones and Asli M. Colpan pulls back the covers. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

    • 06 Nov 2019
    • Working Paper Summaries

    Why Does Business Invest in Education in Emerging Markets? Why Does It Matter?

    by Valeria Giacomin, Geoffrey Jones, and Erica Salvaj

    Drawing on 110 interviews with business leaders as part of the Creating Emerging Markets project at Harvard Business School, this paper represents the first systematic attempt to identify and compare investment in education across emerging economies, specifically in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Turkey, and the Persian Gulf between the 1960s and the present day.

    • 03 Jul 2019
    • Cold Call Podcast

    The Controversial History of United Fruit

    Re: Geoffrey G. Jones

    Geoffrey Jones discusses the overthrow of President Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala in 1954 in a US-backed coup supporting United Fruit Company and a key landmark in the history of globalization. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

    • 27 May 2019
    • Working Paper Summaries

    Voting Trusts and Antitrust: Rethinking the Role of Shareholder Rights and Private Litigation in Public Regulation, 1880s to 1930s

    by Naomi R. Lamoreaux and Laura Phillips Sawyer

    Historically, judges were reluctant to intervene in corporations’ internal affairs and displayed a particular wariness of shareholders’ derivative suits. By the end of the 19th century, however, they had begun to revise their views and to see shareholders’ private actions as useful checks on economic concentration.

    • 15 May 2019
    • Research Event

    The Unconventional Capitalism That Shapes Business History

    by Geoffrey G. Jones

    Geoffrey G. Jones reports on a business history conference studying the many shades of capitalism around the world and through time. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

    • 14 Mar 2019
    • Cold Call Podcast

    How Helena Rubinstein Used Tall Tales to Turn Cosmetics into a Luxury Brand

    Re: Geoffrey G. Jones

    Professor Geoff Jones examines the career of Helena Rubinstein, one of the trailblazing female entrepreneurs of the 20th century. Using guile, brilliant branding, and more than a few falsehoods, Rubinstein lifted cosmetics from an accessory item for prostitutes to a great luxury product during the Great Depression. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

    • 13 Mar 2019
    • Working Paper Summaries

    The Consequences of Invention Secrecy: Evidence from the USPTO Patent Secrecy Program in World War II

    by Daniel P. Gross

    Information plays a critical role in technological progress, yet many inventors opt for trade secrecy to protect their intellectual property. This paper studies the myriad repercussions of concealing new inventions through the lens of a systematic and sweeping invention secrecy policy implemented by the USPTO during World War II.

    • 14 Feb 2019
    • Cold Call Podcast

    The Delicious History of Hershey's Chocolate

    Re: Nancy F. Koehn

    Milton Hershey, the candy king, pioneered chocolate treats for the masses. But he also built a controversial company town and what today is one of the richest schools in America. Nancy Koehn discusses Hershey's innovative life and vision. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

    • 04 Feb 2019
    • Book

    Green Businesses Are Incredibly Difficult to Make Profitable. Try It Anyway

    by Dina Gerdeman

    Making a business successful is a challenge in itself, but making a green business profitable is an even harder journey. For society's sake, entrepreneurs must be prepared to make that journey, says Geoffrey Jones. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

    • 07 Dec 2018
    • Working Paper Summaries

    Oral History and Writing the Business History of Emerging Markets

    by Geoffrey Jones and Rachael Comunale

    Oral history is a valuable resource to explore how businesses developed and functioned in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, regions with a growing share of global economic activity and the majority of the world’s population. While oral history is not uncritical, it provides openings for opinions, voices, and judgements on events on which there was often silence.

    • 20 Sep 2018
    • Cold Call Podcast

    Did Entrepreneur Ernesto Tornquist Help or Hurt Argentina?

    Re: Geoffrey G. Jones

    Geoffrey Jones examines the career of Ernesto Tornquist, a cosmopolitan financier considered to be the most significant entrepreneur in Argentina at the end of the 19th century. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

    • 19 Jun 2018
    • Research Event

    Has Environmental Sustainability Lost its Relevance?

    by Geoffrey G. Jones

    Companies have thought for decades about business-focused solutions to fix the deteriorating environment. But judging by continually rising waters and temperatures, we may need a rethink about what sustainability means, suggest participants at a recent conference at Harvard Business School. A report by co-organizer Geoffrey Jones. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

    • 21 May 2018
    • Working Paper Summaries

    Business, Governments, and Political Risk in South Asia and Latin America Since 1970

    by Geoffrey Jones and Rachael Comunale

    This study shows how perceptions of political risk by business leaders in emerging markets have differed between regions. For Latin Americans, macroeconomic and policy turbulence were the biggest sources of risk. For South Asians, excessive bureaucracy was the biggest source of risk. The study is based on a unique Harvard Business School oral history database.

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