James E. Austin

Dr. Austin is the Eliot I. Snider and Family Professor of Business Administration Emeritus at the Harvard Business School. Previously he held the John G. McLean Professorship and the Richard Chapman Professorship. He has been a member of the Harvard University faculty since 1972. He was the Co-Founder and Chair of the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative. Prof. Austin has been the author, co-author, or editor of 16 books. He has taught courses on Entrepreneurship in the Social Sector, Governance of Nonprofit Organizations, Management in Developing Countries, Agribusiness, Business Ethics, International Business, Business-Government Relations, Marketing, Nutrition Policy, and Case Method Teaching. In addition to Harvard, Dr. Austin has taught and advised managers, government officials, and graduate students throughout the world.

He earned his Doctor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration from Harvard University with Distinction; Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Michigan with High Distinction, and was elected to Beta Gamma Sigma. Dr. Austin has been the author or editor of 16 books, dozens of articles, and over a hundred case studies on business and nonprofit organizations. His prior research focused primarily on management problems in developing countries, agribusiness, and nutrition policy. His current research deals with social enterprises with emphasis on the creation, management, and governance of nonprofit organizations, and on the role of business leaders and corporations in the social sector.