Mobile health (mHealth) is the practice of medical and public health, supported by devices such as mobile phones and PDAs, for health services and information. This project (in-process) will evaluate mHealth applications designed to improve last mile healthcare delivery in emerging economies. Research partners: Stanford Medical School and the GSB’s Global Management Immersion Experience (GMIX) program.

MHV is a new business that plans to grow 10 million hazelnut trees in plantations throughout eastern Bhutan. This case study will provide an overview of MHV’s approach to bringing income generation to thousands of Bhutanese, establishing international management practices in the country, and rehabilitating degraded mountain slopes to prevent landslides and provide a sustainable source of firewood to local farmers. Research partner: Mountain Hazelnut Venture. Details

Riders for Health (Riders) is an innovative social enterprise focused on providing reliable and cost-efficient transportation solutions for health workers who are reaching out to rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. The Stanford Graduate School of Business is partnering with Riders over a five-year period to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of contracting out vehicle fleet management as an approach to strengthening the performance of health delivery organizations. Research partners: Riders for Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Stanford School of Engineering, the Stanford School of Medicine, and the GSB’s Global Management Immersion Experience (GMIX) program. Details

This presentation is an overview of supply chain best practices that can improve health access and delivery in emerging economies. Details

When a company seeks to evaluate its impact on society, there are two lenses that can be used: the company can consider the impact of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) function by appraising its financial and in-kind contributions or it can consider the social impact of its primary business operations in addition to CSR. This paper presents case studies and best practices to illustrate the vision of the integrated approach. Developed in partnership with SAP and AMR Research. Details

Supply chain managers face a rapidly evolving and often bewildering array of competing standards, approaches and regulations. They require practical approaches to quantifying greenhouse gas emissions, both for voluntary disclosure and management as well as and to meet emerging reporting requirements and regulations. This research summarizes the emerging best practices for quantifying and managing greenhouse gas emissions associated with corporate supply chain activities. Research partners: Stanford School of Engineering and Walmart.com. Details

As part of its long-term strategic commitment to accelerate economic development in previously excluded markets, in 2009 SAP launched a program leveraging microfinance, education, and technology to improve income of women Shea nut farmers in Ghana. This case study examines program progress over its first 18 months and recommends specific program improvements using a value chain development framework. Research partner: SAP. Details

This article, published in the Center for Social Innovation Newsletter (Spring 2008, Vol. 4), summarizes a Forum-sponsored white paper that addresses trends in the development of socially and environmentally responsible supply chains with respect to the production of organic, transitional and sustainable cotton. Details

With the best of intentions, companies experiment with isolated efforts to improve sustainability—only to encounter a long string of unanticipated consequences, often in the form of financial, social, or environmental costs. That's partly because most firms respond in a piecemeal way to pressure from customers, shareholders, boards, employees, governments, and NGOs. In this groundbreaking research published in Harvard Business Review, Professor Hau Lee shows that it's much more effective to take a holistic approach to sustainability and make broader structural changes. The article examines the specific strategy adopted by Hong Kong–based Esquel, one of the world’s leading producers of premium cotton shirts, in reinventing its supply chain and manufacturing processes to tackle the challenges of scale. Details

This research highlights innovative logistics best practices that can improve material, information, and financial flows in emerging economies. Research partner: Riders for Health. Details

In a world of globalization and outsourcing, environmental legislation became a main driver for doing eco-design. Eco-innovation and green money are concepts to create marketing advantages and differentiation from their competitors, transforming a legislative handicap into financial benefits and societal recognition. This research introduces Life cycle Environmental Value Chain Analysis (LC-EVCA) and Environmental Worth Analysis (EWA) to identify the stakeholders implementing environmental improvement programs and the value relationships among them. Details

Riders for Health had won international acclaim for its novel approach to maintaining health transport vehicles in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet the organization was having trouble scaling its services at its first site: Gambia. Here is how the organization won both government support and private funding for its latest innovation. Details

Hewlett-Packard's Supply Chain Social and Environmental Responsibility (SER) program  has evolved steadily in recent  years. Today, it’s not only  about complying with labor, environmental, and health and standards, but also about helping suppliers make continuous improvements and building capabilities to make long-lasting changes. Here’s a closer look at HP’s SER journey toward a more responsible supply chain.

• Read the article courtesy of Supply Chain Management Review