Other work
Business has long been viewed as purely profit-driven, but history reveals a different reality.
From Quaker businesses pioneering responsible capitalism to 19th-century social entrepreneurs addressing inequality, the book traces the evolution of ethical business practices, including the rise of B Corps and sustainable enterprises.
History of green entrepreneurship
Exploring the challenges and successes of businesses prioritizing environmental sustainability.
Business Ethics & Responsibility
Work that examines the history and development of environmentally responsible business models across industries and countries.
Emerging Markets, Education & Economic Development
Research on how businesses and governments interact in emerging economies, particularly in shaping industries like education and entrepreneurship.
My latest publications on green business and ethics
Colpan, Asli M., and Geoffrey Jones, eds.
Business, Ethics and Institutions: The Evolution of Turkish Capitalism in Global Perspectives.
New York: Routledge, 2020.Jones, Geoffrey.
Varieties of Green Business: Industries, Nations and Time.
Jones, Geoffrey.
Profits and Sustainability: A History of Green Entrepreneurship.
New York: Oxford University Press, 2017.Valeria Giacomin and Geoffrey Jones
Drivers of Philanthropic Foundations in Emerging Markets: Family, Values and Spirituality.
Peer-Reviewed Articles
This section features a selection of academic articles on corporate responsibility, business practices in emerging markets, historical studies on sustainability, and much more.
Drivers of Philanthropic Foundations in Emerging Markets: Family, Values and Spirituality.
Valeria Giacomin and Geoffrey Jones
This article examines the ethics and motivations of philanthropic foundations in emerging markets, highlighting their distinct characteristics compared to those in developed countries. Based on 70 oral history interviews across 18 countries, the study finds that most foundations are driven by “spiritual philanthropy”.
Deep responsibility, SDGs, and Asia: a historical perspective. Asian Bus Manage (2025).
Geoffrey Jones
Asia was the home of many of the most advanced concepts of business responsibility for society. They included India business leaders influenced by the religions of the subcontinent, such as J.N. Tata, and Shibusawa Eiichi in Japan, who re-imagined Confucianism as a theory of business responsibility.
Oral history and business history in emerging markets
Geoffrey Jones
This note describes the motivation, structure, and use of the Creating Emerging Markets (CEM) oral histo-ry-based project at the Harvard Business School. The project consists of lengthy interviews with business leaders from emerging markets.
Deep Responsibility and Irresponsibility in the Beauty Industry.” Entreprises et histoire
Geoffrey Jones
This article employs the concept of deep responsibility to assess the social responsibility of the beauty industry over time. The article shows how the beauty industry has done more harm than good within the communities it addresses.
Deeply Responsible Business, A Global History of Values-Driven Leadership
Offers an invaluable historical perspective on business responsibility from the 1800s Quaker capitalism to Modern B-Corps
Published by Harvard University Press