Center for Social Innovation

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Winter 2008

Corporations that violate human rights not only inflict suffering, but also hurt their bottom line. The authors suggest five principles that corporations can follow to improve their human rights footprint. —By Jenik Radon, Margo Tatgenhorst Drakos, & Tarek Farouk Maassarani

Corporate Social Responsibility, Government, Human Rights

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

The Responsibility Paradox

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Winter 2008

Multinational corporations are in a quandary: Stakeholders are imposing higher standards than ever, but businesses are confused about what their global social responsibilities actually are. —By Gerald F. Davis, Marina V.N. Whitman, & Mayer N. Zald

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Economic Development, Human Rights

What’s in Your Cup? On a Study Trip to Guatemala, Students Sample the Socioeconomics of Coffee

Blythe Yee, MBA '09, recalls a service learning trip she and her classmates took to examine the coffee market in Guatemala, where organic and Fair Trade coffee are becoming the future of the industry as more and more people look for sustainable and humane ways to enjoy their morning brew.

Resource: News Article

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Review: Blessed Unrest

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2007

The human spirit endures in grassroots activism, as Paul Hawken reveals.

Human Rights, Nonprofit Management

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Policing the Police

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2007

The traditional approach among human rights groups in Nigeria had been accusatory: publicize injustices or sue the government. But in January 1998, on the eve of democracy, an NGO called the CLEEN foundation set out to reform law enforcement from within. —By Catherine DiBenedetto

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Economic Development, Human Rights

Project Healthy Children: Making Nutrition Their Business

Project Healthy Children works with governments and manufacturers to bring fortified foods to people at risk.

Resource: News Article

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Increasing Companies' Safety & Gender Equity

A study of oil rigs shows that a different approach to male-dominated environments can change corporate culture.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Economic Development, Human Rights, Leadership

Why Do Women Not Always Realize Their Workforce Potential?

A researcher says at least part of the answer is that people are more than their potential.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Economic Development, Government, Human Rights

The Tough Math Behind Humanitarian Aid

A new study finds that a different approach to food-relief efforts in the developing world could save more lives.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Business, Human Rights

African American Women Are Moving Ahead Rapidly

In the United States today, two-thirds of African American college undergrads are women, and they are going on to excel in business, particularly in entrepreneurship, says visiting scholar Katherine Phillips.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Human Rights, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Research: The Emotions of Aid

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Summer 2011

“One death is a tragedy; 1 million is a statistic,” Joseph Stalin is supposed to have said. The more people we see suffering, the less we care.

Environment, Human Rights

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

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The Problem with Fair Trade Coffee

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Summer 2011

Fair Trade-certified coffee is growing in consumer familiarity and sales, but strict certification requirements are resulting in uneven economic advantages for coffee growers and lower quality coffee for consumers. By failing to address these problems, industry confidence in Fair Trade coffee is slipping.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

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More than Beans

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Sustainable Harvest grows a new supply chain.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

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Positive Distraction Workforce

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Habitat International has grown its bottom line using a largely disabled workforce.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

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Research: One Villager, One Vote

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Winter 2011

Direct participation by African villagers proves that process matters, even when outcomes don’t change.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

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Technology’s Positive Impact on Human Rights

The author details a Web that tells stories and exposes human injustice and trauma rather than gossip. She proposes this exposure will help drive the change that is needed.

Resource: Blog Post

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The Best Thing We Can Do for Nonprofits–and Ourselves

We must actively withhold support when we see the government acting in a way counter to our ideals and its own. Those of us who supported the President’s election because we share his basic principles and values should express that support by remaining independent and criticizing when necessary, rather than by becoming supplicants to or apologists for the people we put in office. That’s an idea relevant to each and all of us as citizens.

Resource: Blog Post

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Spinternet

The Internet has the potential to do a lot of good in the world, but we must not ignore the emerging strategies of negative influence.

Resource: Blog Post

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A Technology Revolution for Revolutions!

Internet tech tools are mobilizing collective action and revolutionizing ways to start a revolution.

Resource: Blog Post

Topic :

Health Care, Human Rights, Social Entrepreneurship

Causefest

A youth summit discusses online platforms as a means of catalyzing social change.

Resource: Blog Post

Video/Audio : All | Audio | Video

Topic:

Healing Human Rights Abuses with Social Enterprise

Hagar was the biblical woman who became the victim of neglect and violence when she was cast out of the fold of Abraham and Sarah. In Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Vietnam, thousands of "Hagars" and their children suffer poverty, trafficking, and other human rights abuses. Janet Tafel, who was invited by the Center for Social Innovation at Stanford, discusses how her organization, Hagar USA, helps individuals restore their lives through holistic healing, community integration, and social entrepreneurship.

Resource: Audio

Topic:

Inside the Business of Modern Sex Slavery

A woman or child is trafficked for sexual exploitation every 60 seconds. In this audio lecture recorded at Stanford University, author Siddharth Kara, a former investment banker and executive, uses theoretical economics and business analysis to propose measures that could eradicate sex trafficking by undermining the profitability of the illegal activities associated with the crime.

Resource: Audio

Topic:

Economic Development, Human Rights, Nonprofit Management

Fostering Entrepreneurship in New Orleans

The Idea Village was launched in New Orleans by "five guys who wanted to change the world." The more modest goal of these entrepreneurs was to revitalize the city economically--a mission that became especially important when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. In this audio lecture, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Tim Williamson shares how his nonprofit has been helping rebuild the devastated city economically, and the progress inspired through a powerful network of talented individuals.

Resource: Audio

Topic:

Say What You Think, Then Take Action

San Francisco's young and charismatic mayor, Gavin Newsom, has suffered his share of punches for taking bold positions on controversial issues. In this Stanford Center for Social Innovation sponsored audio lecture, Newsom tells of the courage and persistence it takes to make real social change as a leader. He outlines progressive reforms in areas such as education, health care, and business, and reflects on the personal and professional price paid for supporting one particularly contentious issue: gay marriage.

Resource: Audio

Topic:

Economic Development, Healthcare, Human Rights

Scaling Up Health Care in Rwanda

AIDS, malaria, and maternal mortality are some of the chronic public health issues that plague Africa. Invited to Stanford, Paul Farmer talks about how his Boston-based organization, Partners In Health, is spending donor dollars to bring the lessons garnered from its work in Haiti to scale up health care services in war-torn Rwanda. As dicussed in this audio lecture, his organization seeks to fill the gap that exists between medical R&D and health care delivery so preventions and cures can be brought to more of the people who need them.

Resource: Audio

Topic:

Arts, Culture, and Religion, Human Rights, Leadership

Cory Booker's 2012 Commencement Address

Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, New Jersey, challenges Stanford graduates to be courageous, never lose faith and always work together during Stanford's 121st Commencement. He extolls lessons from his own father and grandfather through stories of hardship, hope, and humor. Booker encourages graduates to find and join their own "conspiracy of love" -- people who will help lift them up in times of need, provide a community and challenge them to go beyond what they think is possible.

Resource: Video

Topic:

Gloria Steinem: Ms. at 40 and the Future of Feminism

Stanford welcomes Gloria Steinem, co-founder and first editor of Ms. Magazine, in celebration of Ms.'s 40th anniversary. Steinem reflected on Ms. Magazine's role over forty years and looked ahead to what feminism may mean for future generations.

Resource: Video

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Gloria Steinem at Stanford: The Feminist Struggle Continues

Author and activist Gloria Steinem challenged a Stanford audience to fight social injustice with outrageous acts, and offered several targets in the struggle for equal rights.

Resource: Video

Topic:

Say What You Think Then Take Action

San Francisco's young and charismatic mayor, Gavin Newsom, has suffered his share of punches for taking bold positions on controversial issues. In this Stanford Center for Social Innovation-sponsored talk, Newsom tells of the courage and persistence it takes to make real social change as a leader.

Resource: Video

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment, Human Rights

Stanford's Guatemala Service Learning Trip, 2008-1

On a service learning trip to Guatemala, John Joseph, MBA '08, and classmates visited small producers right up to the Starbucks' organization, as well as NGOs like As Green As It Gets.

Resource: Video

Topic:

Healthcare, Human Rights

California's Stem Cell Initiative

In the 2004 general election, California voters approved Proposition 71 by a vote of 59 percent. The initiative established a $3 billion bond measure to create the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and fund stem cell research in the state of California. In this panel discussion, Prop 71 key players address the entrepreneurial challenges they have faced while pushing for a controversial, dramatic policy change.

Resource: Audio

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Development, Human Rights

International Coffee Markets - Panel Discussion

Over 125 million people rely on coffee for their livelihood. What are Starbucks and the Fair Trade certification doing to help them out of the coffee crisis? This panel describes the mechanics of the global coffee crisis and explores strategies to address sustainability issues.

Resource: Video

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility

In the past few years, several international reporting standards have emerged. But are they actually changing corporate behavior? This panel explores the effectiveness of current efforts to improve and monitor labor conditions abroad.

Resource: Video

Case Studies : All | Academic Cases

No Results Found

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Monitoring Factories Around the Globe: The Fair Labor Association and the Worker Rights Consortium

Two nonprofits, the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC), were created in 1999 and 2000, respectively, to monitor factories around the world for sweatshop-related infractions. The two organizations had similar goals, but very different histories, strategies, and ways of operating. Their shared history has been controversial and tumultuous.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Dr. Frances Conley (A): The Resignation, (B): The Return

In 1991, Frances Conley, the first female, tenured full professor of neurosurgery in the United States, resigned from her position at Stanford Medical School over the appointment of a new department chair who was known for sexual harassment. As she becomes thrust into the media limelight, she wonders what she should do next.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Economic Development, Human Rights, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Global Fund for Women

The CEO of the Global Fund for Women, an organization that seeds and supports women’s rights groups, must examine how to guide the fund’s growth without having it lose its connections with donors and grantees. She also wonders how the fund could do better at assessing grant outcomes and sharing success stories.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Human Rights, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

The September 11th Fund

The September 11th Fund was created to support the short- and long-term needs of the people and communities affected by the World Trade Center tragedy. Many foundation leaders evaluated the difficult lessons learned in interacting with the media, and wondered how they could better use communication strategies to demonstrate their accountability.

Resource: Academic Case

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Mobil in Aceh, Indonesia (A) & (B)

In 1998, the chief executive of Mobil in Indonesia considered how he should respond to allegations that Mobil had been complicit in human rights abuses. The cases reflect on the challenges of managing operations in a place like Aceh.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Environment, Human Rights

The World Trade Organization and the Seattle Talks

In 1999, the World Trade Organization talks in Seattle were sidelined by people protesting against the organization and issues of free trade. The case describes the nature of the protests, and the WTO’s dispute resolution process.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Gordon Biersch Vignettes

The case offers a view into day-to-day management issues faced by entrepreneurs managing a growing business. The focus is the Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, which had to address a sexual harassment lawsuit and other ethical dilemmas.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Monitoring Factories Around the Globe: The Fair Labor Association and the Worker Rights Consortium

Two nonprofits, the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC), were created in 1999 and 2000, respectively, to monitor factories around the world for sweatshop-related infractions. The two organizations had similar goals, but very different histories, strategies, and ways of operating. Their shared history has been controversial and tumultuous.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Dr. Frances Conley (A): The Resignation, (B): The Return

In 1991, Frances Conley, the first female, tenured full professor of neurosurgery in the United States, resigned from her position at Stanford Medical School over the appointment of a new department chair who was known for sexual harassment. As she becomes thrust into the media limelight, she wonders what she should do next.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Economic Development, Human Rights, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Global Fund for Women

The CEO of the Global Fund for Women, an organization that seeds and supports women’s rights groups, must examine how to guide the fund’s growth without having it lose its connections with donors and grantees. She also wonders how the fund could do better at assessing grant outcomes and sharing success stories.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Human Rights, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

The September 11th Fund

The September 11th Fund was created to support the short- and long-term needs of the people and communities affected by the World Trade Center tragedy. Many foundation leaders evaluated the difficult lessons learned in interacting with the media, and wondered how they could better use communication strategies to demonstrate their accountability.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Mobil in Aceh, Indonesia (A) & (B)

In 1998, the chief executive of Mobil in Indonesia considered how he should respond to allegations that Mobil had been complicit in human rights abuses. The cases reflect on the challenges of managing operations in a place like Aceh.

Resource: Academic Case

Research Papers : All

Topics:

Feminist Theory and Critical Theory: Unexplored Synergies

Although both feminist theory and critical theory focus on social and economic inequalities, and both have an agenda of promoting system change, these fields of inquiry have developed separately and seldom draw on each other's work. This paper argues that synergies between these two fields could, and should, be explored.

Resource: Research Paper

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Protest and Policymaking: Explaining Fluctuation in Congressional Attention to Rights Issues, 1960-1986

The authors reexamine the relationship between protest and policy change at the agenda-setting stage of policymaking. They find that protest, issue legitimacy, and issue competition account for variation in the number of congressional hearings granted to rights issues.

Resource: Research Paper

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Government, Human Rights

Reputation When Threats and Transfers Are Available

The authors present a model where a long-run player uses money transfers and threats to influence the decisions of a sequence of short-run players. The model is useful for the debate around judicial corruption.

Resource: Research Paper

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Racial Stereotypes Can Be Unconscious but Reversible

Negative stereotypes about various racial groups bombard us every day in the mass media and deposit their residue deep into our minds, often without our realizing it, says Brian Lowery.

Resource: Research Paper

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Women and Power: Conformity, Resistance, and Disorganized Co-Action

The paper examines micro-processes that undermine the formal power of high-ranking women in a male-dominated organization. It shows how the capacity of these women to reduce systemic causes of gender inequality is therefore more limited than it might appear.

Resource: Research Paper

Courses : All

Topic :

The Quest for Happiness Exploring the Psychology of Human Fulfillment: OB 552

In this seminar, we explore the nature of human happiness from psychological perspectives, and how such knowledge can be applied in personal and business contexts. To illustrate the ideas discussed, we examine in detail a number of fascinating individuals, including Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Oprah Winfrey, venture capitalist Tom Perkins, Steven Spielberg, Martha Stewart, and the Nobel physicist Richard Feynman.

Resource: MBA Course

Topic :

Women in Organizations: OB 387

This course focuses on women's working experiences in managerial and professional positions in business and some nonprofit organizations. Using business cases, small group work, videos, lectures, and class discussions, we examine a wide variety of career-related gender issues.

Resource: MBA Course

Topic :

Entrepreneurship from the Perspective of Women: STRAMGT 508

This seminar will showcase successful women entrepreneurs and the challenges they encountered on the paths to success such as finding funding, dealing with different communication styles, and balancing work and lifestyle.

Seminar participants will study mini-cases, engage in panel discussions and hear from experienced entrepreneurs.

Resource: MBA Course

Innovators : All

Topic :

Arts, Culture, and Religion, Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Development, Education, Human Rights, Social Entrepreneurship

An interview with Dave DeForest-Stalls (EPNL '07)

Dave DeForest-Stalls wants to help kids stay out of gangs. He's providing mentorship and hip ways to keep youth on the straight and narrow.

Resource: CSI Affiliates

Topic :

Economic Development, Human Rights, Nonprofit Management, Social Entrepreneurship

An interview with Federico Lozano (MBA '09)

Federico Lozano is working to alleviate poverty by connecting poor, semi-skilled laborers from the developing world with jobs in the developed world.

Resource: Fellow

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Development, Education, Human Rights, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing, Social Entrepreneurship

An interview with Daniel Grossman

Daniel Grossman's Wild Planet creates toys that parents love as much as kids. His aim is to inspire learning and inventiveness.

Resource: Alumni

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A Technology Revolution for Revolutions!

Internet tech tools are mobilizing collective action and revolutionizing ways to start a revolution.

Resource: Blog Post

Topic :

Causefest

A youth summit discusses online platforms as a means of catalyzing social change.

Resource: Blog Post

Topic :

An Unconscionable Business

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Winter 2009

SEX TRAFFICKING: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery by Siddharth Kara Review by Holly Burkhalter

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Dropping the Ball

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2008

Why the Soccer Ball Project—one of the world’s first multistakeholder efforts to stop abuses of labor rights—is failing to protect workers in Pakistan. —By Anthony Ewing

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

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