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Report

IMD Sustainability Report 2019

Challenging what is and inspiring what could be

84 pages

July 2020

PRINTABLE PDF – 51MB

IMD’s inaugural Sustainability Report highlights our approach and contributions to a sustainable future. Through innovative pedagogy, actionable research, unique partnerships and cross-sector dialogue, IMD is driven to develop responsible leaders who build successful businesses that also deliver a positive impact on society and our planet.

As an Advanced Signatory of the Principles for Responsible Management Education, we share in this report our progress both in the way we influence global leaders and in the way we adapt our own practices to contribute to a more sustainable world.

Over the two years the report covers, we continued to strengthen our contribution to sustainability through our world-class faculty, programs, advisory services, research, culture and operations.

Highlights include:

Updated purpose, sustainability policy, and materiality framework
New research chairs
Books published on sustainability-related topics
Award-winning cases on sustainability
Sustainability in Family Business Award launched
Future of Our Planet alumni event
Enterprise for Society Center – joint venture with UNIL and EPFL
Silver rating awarded by Ecovadis

IMD will continue to encourage and help leaders and organizations to integrate both social and environmental considerations in their decision-making and actions to build more sustainable economies around the world.

IMD Chairman Michel Demaré and IMD President Jean-Francois Manzoni

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Article

Optimizing omnichannel assortments and inventory provisions under the multichannel attraction model

Assortment optimization presents a complex challenge for retailers, as it depends on numerous decision factors. Changes in assortment can result in demand redistribution with multi-layered consequences. This complexity is even more pronounced for ...

General Management

By Andrey Vasilyev, Sebastian Maier and Ralf W. Seifert

in European Journal of Operational Research

August 2025, vol. 324, no. 3, pp. 799-813, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2025.01.035

Article

The anatomy of family business conflict

Understanding conflict in family businesses is a complex but essential study area for practitioners and academics. To enhance theoretical precision and provide practical insights, this article presents a comprehensive framework of family business ...

Customer Centricity Family Business

By Marco Mismetti, Barbara Del Bosco, Cristina Bettinelli and Alfredo De Massis

in Journal of Family Business Strategy

June 2025, vol. 16, no. 2, 100660, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2025.100660

Article

Boundary conditions for organizations in the Anthropocene: A review of the planetary boundaries framework 10 years on

We systematically review business research concerning the planetary boundaries framework: A natural science framework that identifies nine Earth system boundaries that govern the safe operating space for humanity. Ten years after the introduction ...

Sustainability

By Amanda Williams, Paolo Perego and Gail Whiteman

in Journal of Management Studies

June 2025, vol. 62, no.4, pp. 1811-1846, https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.13150

Article

Are you up for the challenge of a downturn? Here’s how to ensure you are

Is your team ready for tough times? Ask these 7 critical questions to assess resilience, redefine success, and lead through uncertainty with purpose.

Change Management Crisis Management Leadership Resilience Strategy

By Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg

in I by IMD

Article

AI’s great job shift will transform jobs and skills by 2030

The rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is unprecedented. Looking ahead at the job markets of 2030 and beyond, we can forecast the types of jobs and skills that may get automated. Alternatively, we can also see which ne...

Artificial Intelligence Disruption

By Michael R. Wade and Amit M. Joshi

in ccn.com

15 May 2025

Article

Algorithms and ecosystems: AI in biodiversity conservation

The rise of AI-assisted tools will make it easier for businesses to engage with the complexities of nature and its ecosystems and will open up new opportunities for nature-related businesses.

Sustainability Artificial Intelligence

By Adrian Dellecker

in I by IMD

15 May 2025

Case Study

Candles Killer: Lighting up the world at the bottom of the pyramid

Sustainability Customer Centricity Innovation Strategy

By Winter Nie and Yunfei Feng

Case Study

Governance at Theranos (A): A blindsided board

Board Business Ethics Leadership

By Anand Narasimhan and Shruti Bajpai

Article

Five Questions for Executives On Energy Transition

Should you lead or follow, move fast or slow, go it alone or seek partners? Here’s how to get the key decisions right when aiming for a sustainable transformation.

Sustainability

By Amanda Williams and Knut Bjarne Haanaes

in I by IMD

14 May 2025

Article

When Trade Walls Rise - Navigating Market Collapse

When trade barriers rise and key markets collapse, companies face tough strategic decisions. Lessons from Finnish industry offer a practical playbook for navigating exit under uncertainty.

Optimizing omnichannel assortments and inventory provisions under the multichannel attraction model

By Andrey Vasilyev Sebastian Maier and Ralf W. Seifert
in European Journal of Operational Research August 2025, vol. 324, no. 3, pp. 799-813, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2025.01.035

Summary

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General Management

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The anatomy of family business conflict

By Marco Mismetti Barbara Del Bosco Cristina Bettinelli and Alfredo De Massis
in Journal of Family Business Strategy June 2025, vol. 16, no. 2, 100660, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2025.100660

Summary

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Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Customer Centricity

Family Business

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Are you up for the challenge of a downturn? Here’s how to ensure you are

By Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg
in I by IMD

Summary

Is your team ready for tough times? Ask these 7 critical questions to assess resilience, redefine success, and lead through uncertainty with purpose.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Change Management

Crisis Management

Leadership

Resilience

Strategy

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AI’s great job shift will transform jobs and skills by 2030

By Michael R. Wade and Amit M. Joshi
in ccn.com 15 May 2025

Summary

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Artificial Intelligence

Disruption

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Candles Killer: Lighting up the world at the bottom of the pyramid

By Winter Nie and Yunfei Feng
Case reference: IMD-2661 ©2025

Summary

Shenzhen Power-Solution (SPS), founded in 2009 in China as an entrepreneurial venture, disrupted traditional lighting markets in African villages with its flagship product, Candles Killer. This solar lamp, priced under $5, replaces hazardous kerosene lamps and has an optimized design (9 components, water-bottle stands). The candles killer solar lamp addresses the critical need for affordable, safe and sustainable lighting for people at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP), a huge market that multinationals struggle to reach. By achieving both low cost and differentiation, SPS created a blue ocean market. The company has made remarkable progress in its mission to provide solar lighting to underserved communities: by 2023, it illuminated over 55 million people across 7.8 million households in 66 countries. Beyond social impact, SPS achieved environmental sustainability at scale, reducing cumulative carbon emissions by 6.7 million tons, the equivalent of planting 368 million evergreen trees. Candles Killer's success led SPS to expand its product line into a solar home system for phone charging and multi-bulb lighting. SPS also introduced Solar Media, a platform with pre-loaded content (medical tips, farming methods, education) to share vital knowledge in remote regions.

Reference IMD-2661

Organization Shenzhen Power-Solution

Industry Energy;Utilities, Electricity Supply;Consumer Goods, Consumer Electronics

Available Languages English

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Sustainability

Customer Centricity

Innovation

Strategy

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Governance at Theranos (A): A blindsided board

By Anand Narasimhan and Shruti Bajpai
Case reference: IMD-2667 ©2025

Summary

This is a riveting case about poor board governance at Theranos that fostered a culture of deception and led to the company's collapse and the criminal conviction of its celebrated founder, Elizabeth Holmes. Case A outlines the establishment and growth of Theranos, it's board expansion and the issues that led to the Wall Street Journal article that raised serious questions regarding the truth of the company's claims about its product.

Reference IMD-2667

Organization Theranos

Industry Manufacturing, Biotechnology

Available Languages English

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Related topics

Board

Business Ethics

Leadership

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