▁in ▁Harvard ' s ▁middle ▁management , ▁M . B . A ., ▁and ▁doctor al ▁programs . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁Harvard ▁Business ▁School ▁advis er ▁to ▁the ▁Nic ar agua - based ▁Central ▁American ▁Institute ▁of ▁Business ▁Administration . ▁He ▁subsequently ▁joined ▁the ▁staff ▁of ▁the ▁Harvard ▁Institute ▁for ▁International ▁Development , ▁where ▁he ▁head ed ▁a ▁Ford ▁Foundation - fund ed ▁project ▁to ▁strength en ▁the ▁organization ▁and ▁management ▁of ▁national ▁family ▁planning ▁programs . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁K orten ▁moved ▁to ▁S out heast ▁Asia , ▁where ▁he ▁lived ▁for ▁nearly ▁fifteen ▁years , ▁serving ▁as ▁a ▁Ford ▁Foundation ▁project ▁special ist ▁and , ▁later , ▁as ▁Asia ▁regional ▁advis er ▁on ▁development ▁management ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Agency ▁for ▁International ▁Development ▁( USA ID ), ▁which ▁involved ▁him ▁in ▁regular ▁travel s ▁to ▁Pakistan , ▁India , ▁Bang l adesh , ▁Sri ▁L anka , ▁Th ailand , ▁Indones ia , ▁and ▁the ▁Philippines . ▁ ▁K orten ▁has ▁written ▁that ▁he ▁became ▁dis en ch anted ▁with ▁the ▁official ▁aid ▁system ▁and ▁devoted ▁his ▁last ▁five ▁years ▁in ▁Asia ▁to ▁" working ▁with ▁leaders ▁of ▁Asian ▁non - g overn ment al ▁organizations ▁on ▁ident ifying ▁the ▁root ▁causes ▁of ▁development ▁failure ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁and ▁building ▁the ▁capacity ▁of ▁civil ▁society ▁organizations ▁to ▁function ▁as ▁strateg ic ▁catal yst s ▁of ▁national - ▁and ▁global - level ▁change ". ▁He ▁formed ▁the ▁view ▁that ▁the ▁pover