Knowledge at Wharton

Wharton Moneyball: Blending Analytics and Leadership in Major League Baseball Operations

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Sam Fuld, Vice President and General Manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, joins the Wharton Moneyball team to discuss his transition from MLB player to executive and how analytics, player development, and business strategy drive success. Cade, Eric and Shane also analyze recent the college basketball finals, NHL playoff races, and Masters Tournament storylines.

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This Week In Business: Inside Iran’s Payment Network and Global Sanctions Strategy

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Philip Nichols, Wharton Professor of Legal Studies & Business Ethics, explains how Iran has built a complex and adaptive banking and payments infrastructure under decades of sanctions while exploring its future in an evolving global financial system.

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Wharton Webinar Series: The Impact of AI in Sports

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:38:02 GMT

This Wharton webinar, featuring Eric Bradlow, Cade Massey, and Adi Weiner, examines how generative AI is reshaping sports analytics, improving efficiency, enhancing decision-making, and helping organizations evaluate tools while balancing data-driven insights with human judgment.

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This Week In Business: How Leaders Navigate Change, Scale Decisions, and Build Trust

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:14:27 GMT

Nancy Rothbard, Deputy Dean, Professor of Management at the Wharton School, and Co-Academic Director of the Owner-President-CEO Program, explains how leaders can navigate accelerating change by fostering clarity, managing emotional signals, delegating decision-making, and developing the next generation of leadership.

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Wharton Marketing Matters: Groov Founder Dan Cataldi on Reinventing Custom Orthotics

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Dan Cataldi, Founder of Groov, joins Barbara and Americus to explain how the company uses iPhone-based 3D scanning to create custom inserts, why proprietary data and speed matter for defensibility, and how brand identity and packaging help build long-term advantage.

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Wharton Moneyball: Inside KenPom - The Numbers Behind College Basketball

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Ken Pomeroy, college basketball statistician and founder of KenPom, joins Wharton Moneyball to break down tempo-free efficiency ratings, the four factors (shooting, turnovers, rebounding, and free throws), and how he evaluates prediction accuracy and calibration across a full season. Plus, Eric, Shane, and Adi discuss what caught their eye in sports — from World Baseball Classic odds and preseason workload questions to tennis dominance and what makes today’s stars so statistically extraordinary.

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Ripple Effect: Why Women's Networks Are Stronger During Crisis | Tiantian Yang

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT

When organizations face disruption, men and women respond differently to protect their professional networks. New research from Wharton reveals that women intensify their focus on existing relationships with other women during mergers and acquisitions, creating denser, more supportive networks.

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This Week In Business: Understanding Crypto Sentiment and Market Signals

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Dave Reibstein, Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School, explains how the school’s Cryptocurrency Confidence Index tracks U.S. consumer sentiment, explores links between confidence and price volatility, and examines the role of regulation and public perception in shaping the future of digital assets.

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Wharton Marketing Matters: Zillow's VP of Brand and Product Marketing, Beverly Jackson

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Beverly Jackson, Vice President of Brand and Product Marketing at Zillow, joins Barbara & Americus to explain how the company’s two-sided marketplace, consumer-first philosophy, and campaigns like “Someday Starts Today” leverage data, AI-driven tools, and brand storytelling to reduce uncertainty, build trust, and modernize the home buying and renting experience.

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Wharton Moneyball: Rethinking Tennis Strategy Through Data and Coachability

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Craig O'Shannessy, tennis strategist, analyst for multiple Grand Slams, and New York Times contributor, joins the show to discusses how data-driven decision-making, underused tactics like serve-and-volley, and coachability separate today’s champions from the rest of the field. Cade, Eric, and Shane also analyze Seattle’s defensive-driven win in Super Bowl LX, reassess quarterback ceilings under pressure, and connect those insights to Olympic tournament design and the role of randomness in elite sports outcomes.

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Ripple Effect: The State of Leadership in Uncertain Times | Mike Useem

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:00:00 GMT

In this Ripple Effect episode, Wharton management professor Mike Useem explains how leadership has evolved in recent years and how leaders can better handle economic uncertainty, social change, and innovation.

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Ripple Effect: Psychology of Love and Relationships in the Digital Age | Pinar Yildirim

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:00:00 GMT

In this Ripple Effect episode, Wharton marketing professor Pinar Yildirim explores what research reveals about modern romance, dating apps, and long-term relationship success in an era of digital connection.

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This Week In Business: Why Interest Rates Can’t Fix Deeper Economic Problems

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Patrick T. Harker, former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and current Wharton Professor of Operations, Information, and Decisions, draws on his experience to discuss why monetary policy has clear limits, the need for political follow-through on fiscal and workforce issues, and how investments in education, skilled trades, and digital innovation are essential for securing the nation’s long-term economic future.

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Wharton Marketing Matters: CEO of GrowthLoop, Chris O'Neill

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Chris O’Neill, CEO of GrowthLoop, joins Barbara and Americus to explore how compound marketing, agentic AI, and data-driven experimentation are redefining marketing workflows and customer experiences, using his insights from decades of leadership across technology, data, and brand-driven growth.

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Wharton Moneyball: When Analytics Meet Chaos in Football Playoffs

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Neil Payne, sports analytics writer and creator of a leading sports Substack, discusses playoff parity, coaching impact, home-field advantage, and how analytics can—and can’t—explain who ultimately wins in today’s NFL and college football postseason. Cade, Eric, Shane & Adi also analyze hockey plus-minus limitations, Grand Slam betting dominance, Baseball Hall of Fame probabilities, and how NIL deals and the transfer portal are transforming competitive balance in college football.

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This Week In Business Faculty Prediction Series: Assessing Inflation, Jobs, and Markets Heading Into 2026

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Jeremy Siegel, Wharton Emeritus Professor of Finance and Senior Economist at WisdomTree, shares his perspective on the state of the U.S. economy, analyzing recent rate cuts, inflation progress, employment data, tariff uncertainty, and what they could mean for markets and growth in 2026.

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Wharton Marketing Matters: Inside Time’s Best Inventions and Innovation Selection Process

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Emma Barker Bonomo, Editorial Director at Time, joins Barbara & Americus to discuss how the magazine curates its annual Best Inventions list, highlighting the criteria, trends, and global significance behind the most impactful innovations of the year.

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Wharton Marketing Matters: Best of 2025

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 09:00:00 GMT

This “Best of 2025” episode highlights insights from Shannon Shae Montoya, Global Head of B2B Marketing, Sponsorships, and Events at Yahoo; Toby Espinosa, Vice President of Ads at DoorDash; Adam Kornblum, Chief Creative Officer at L’Oréal; and Merill Hollander, founder of Fiametta, as they discuss how data-driven creativity, storytelling, and bold experimentation are shaping the future of marketing, retail media, beauty, and fine jewelry.

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Wharton Moneyball: Best of 2025

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 20:03:16 GMT

In this “Best of 2025” compilation, Cade Massey, Eric Bradlow, Shane Jensen, and Adi Wyner revisit top moments with Google Sports Trends Fanalyst Annanya Raghavan, NFL veteran and Athletes.org founder Brandon Copeland, bestselling baseball biographer Jane Leavy, and ESPN analyst Dean Oliver, showcasing their insights on search-driven fan engagement, athlete empowerment, the future of baseball, and analytics’ growing influence across the NBA.

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Ripple Effect: 2025 Ripple Rewind

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 09:00:00 GMT

In this special episode, listen to curated excerpts from this year’s Ripple Effect podcast, where Wharton professors discuss a range of trending business topics.

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This Week In Business: Rethinking ACA Tax Credits and the Future of Health Coverage

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Mark Pauly, Professor Emeritus of Healthcare Management at the Wharton School, examines Senator Bill Cassidy’s new health savings account–based proposal, evaluates its relationship to existing ACA tax credits, and offers broader insights into the persistent economic and political challenges of U.S. health care reform.

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Wharton Marketing Matters: Navigating Marketing Shifts Amid AI, Inflation, and Cultural Change

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Peter Adams, Senior Writer at Marketing Dive, joins Barbara Kahn to explore how economic bifurcation, evolving loyalty drivers, and rapid advances in AI are forcing marketers to rethink strategies, adapt to cultural moments, and navigate an increasingly complex industry landscape.

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Wharton Moneyball: How Analytics Are Redefining Playoff Predictions Across College and Pro Sports

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Eric Bradlow, Cade Massey, Shane Jensen, and Adi Wyner explore how advanced analytics are influencing modern sports—from reshaping baseball’s Gold Glove selections to refining NFL power rankings and playoff projections—while dissecting how the new 12-team College Football Playoff format heightens uncertainty and reshapes championship probabilities.

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Where AI Works: Start Small, Think Big – Making AI Stick

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Listen to a special episode from Where AI Works, a podcast hosted by Wharton faculty, sponsored by Accenture. The show dives into how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we live and work, with real-world stories and insights from leaders across industries.

In this episode, Wharton's Peter Cappelli is joined by Vivian Sun, senior director for data and AI at Jabil, one of the world’s largest manufacturing companies. Together, they explore how Jabil started small with computer vision to improve quality control, built early wins that inspired broader adoption, and transformed the way teams work alongside AI across the enterprise.

🎧 Search Where AI Works in your podcast app to discover more episodes, or click this link to follow along: Listen to more episodes

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Ripple Effect: What We Know About AI Fighting Corruption | Philip Nichols

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Wharton’s Philip Nichols explains why AI isn’t useful for combatting corruption, at least not yet. This Ripple Effect episode is part of the “Research Roundup” series.

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This Week in Business: NBA Gambling Scandal Highlights Integrity Risks in Sports Betting

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Rob DiGisi, Lecturer in Legal Studies and Business Ethics at the Wharton School, joins the show to discuss how recent gambling indictments involving NBA figures reveal the complex intersection of legality, ethics, and integrity in professional sports—and why issues like prop bets, player vulnerability, and federal cooperation continue to shape the future of regulated sports wagering.

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Wharton Marketing Matters: Amgen SVP of AI, Engineering and Data Science, Sean Bruich

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Sean Bruich, Senior Vice President of AI, Engineering and Data Science at Amgen, joins Barbara Kahn and Dr. Americus Reed, II to discuss how AI’s rapid evolution is transforming industries—not by replacing humans, but by creating new opportunities that blend human expertise with advanced technology to drive innovation and efficiency.

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Wharton Moneyball: Predicting Baseball’s Future—Inside the Zips Projection System

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Wharton's Eric Bradlow, Shane Jensen, and Adi Wyner debate Bill Belichick’s legacy in the post-Brady era, explore how analytics have reshaped baseball strategy, and speak with Dan Szymborski—Senior Writer at FanGraphs and creator of the ZiPS projection system—about forecasting player performance and team success in today’s evolving sports landscape. They also analyze the remarkable victory of 204th-ranked tennis player Valentin Vacherot in a Masters 1000 tournament, using insights from sports analytics and probability theory to uncover what his unexpected win reveals about talent, randomness, and ranking systems.

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Ripple Effect: Having It All | Corinne Low

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Wharton’s Corinne Low talks about her new book, Having It All: What Data Tells Us About Women’s Lives and Getting the Most Out of Yours. This Ripple Effect episode is part of the “Meet the Authors” series.

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This Week In Business: Balancing Optimism and Caution in Innovation and Business Strategy

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Cait Lamberton, Wharton School Vice Dean and Professor of Marketing, explains how businesses can balance enthusiasm for new technologies, such as AI, with historical lessons, market fundamentals, and strategic analysis to identify sustainable innovation and avoid costly missteps.

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Wharton Marketing Matters: Yahoo's Global Head of B2B Marketing, Sponsorships, and Events, Shannon Shae Montoya

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Shannon Shae Montoya, Global Head of B2B Marketing, Sponsorships, and Events at Yahoo, joins Barbara Kahn to explore how Yahoo leverages data, creativity, and nostalgia to craft experiential marketing campaigns that leave lasting impressions—revitalizing the brand for new generations and reinforcing its relevance across digital and physical spaces.

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Wharton Moneyball: Football Analytics, Probabilities, Priors, and Fourth-Down Decisions

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Brian Burke, Sports Data Scientist at ESPN, joins Cade Massey, Eric Bradlow, and Shane Jensen to share insights on building advanced football power ranking systems, the role of Bayesian models in balancing priors and new data, and how analytics informs game-day decisions like fourth-down calls and playoff predictions. Cade, Eric, and Shane also analyze standout performances and key narratives from NFL Week One, preview pivotal college football games, examine the growing dominance of Carlos Alcaraz over Jannik Sinner in men’s tennis, and highlight major offensive trends across Major League Baseball.

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Ripple Effect: Rethinking Retail | Barbara Kahn

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Wharton's Barbara Kahn, author of The Shopping Revolution: How Retailers Succeed in an Era of Endless Disruption, explains the latest trends in retail, how AI fits into the customer experience, and what's to come for brick-and-mortar. This Ripple Effect episode is part of the “Future of Retail” series.

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This Week In Business Back-to-School Series: Why Early Financial Literacy Matters for Every Generation

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 08:00:00 GMT

David Musto, Wharton Finance Professor and Director of the Stevens Center for Innovation in Finance, explores the importance of teaching financial literacy to students, the progress made in recent years, and why early education in personal finance is essential for preparing future citizens and voters.

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Where AI Works: From Pain Points to Productivity — Finding AI’s Real Value

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 08:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Wharton professor Serguei Netessine is joined by Tereza Nemessanyi, worldwide director of private equity and venture capital partnerships at Microsoft. Together, they discuss how companies are experimenting with AI to unlock value, why the biggest opportunities lie in high “cost-to-serve” pain points, and why rapid iteration is essential to success in this evolving space.

🎧 Search Where AI Works in your podcast app to discover more episodes, or click this link to follow along: Listen to more episodes

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Wharton Marketing Matters Highlight: Founder of Youth Logic | Wilson Sporting Goods Head of Global Brand Partnerships and Collaborations

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Highlights of Wharton Marketing Matters episodes featuring Connor Blakley, founder of Youth Logic, discussing the origins of his company, how to effectively reach Gen Z, and the missteps brands often make with this generation, and David Picioski, Head of Global Brand Partnerships and Collaborations at Wilson Sporting Goods Co., who shares insights on Wilson’s partnership with the NBA, relationships with players, the brand’s ambassadorship with Caitlin Clark, and the role of technology in product innovation.

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Wharton Moneyball: The State of Tennis & College Football Preview

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 08:00:00 GMT

ESPN staff writer Bill Connelly joins Cade Massey, Eric Bradlow and Shane Jensen to share his take on the men’s and women’s tennis tours, the emerging Sinner–Alcaraz rivalry, and the depth of talent in women’s tennis. Bill also dissects the 2025 college football landscape, sharing insights on conference strength, playoff expansion, coaching trajectories, and which teams have the best shot at this season’s national championship. Cade, Eric and Shane keep the conversation going, discussing recent golf highlights, including Justin Rose’s win and Ryder Cup implications, as well as emerging MLB storylines such as the Milwaukee Brewers’ dominance, surging offensive stats, and surprising betting odds for perennial favorites like the Dodgers.

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Ripple Effect: The Rise of Crypto | Campbell Harvey and Neha Narula

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Cryptocurrency has evolved from a niche experiment to a global financial force. But how did we get here? In this episode, professor Itay Goldstein is joined by Duke professor Campbell Harvey and Neha Narula, director of the MIT Media Lab’s Digital Currency Initiative, to explore the milestones that led to crypto’s rise, the forces that shaped its growth, and what the crypto landscape will evolve into.

This discussion is part of a special series in the Ripple Effect podcast called “Future of Finance: The Rise of Crypto and Digital Money.”

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This Week In Business: Understanding Dynamic Pricing in Today’s Inflationary Climate

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 08:00:00 GMT

John Zhang, Wharton Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy, discusses how firms use tariff-induced economic conditions to raise prices and explore dynamic pricing strategies, balancing profit motives with consumer perceptions and competition.

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Wharton Marketing Matters: Adobe's Chief Communications Officer, Stacy Martinet

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Adobe's Vice President of Marketing and Communications and Chief Communications Officer, Stacy Martinet, speaks with Barbara Kahn and Americus Reed about the company’s transformation from its PDF roots to a global leader in creativity and digital experience solutions, offering insight into Adobe’s strategic reinvention, generative AI integration, and data-driven consumer behavior research like its latest findings on Prime Day.

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Ripple Effect: Gen AI Workplace Revolution | Stefano Puntoni

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Generative AI promises productivity and cost-cutting gains, but it also has the potential to increase employee well-being. That’s why Wharton’s Stefano Puntoni wants companies to put their workers at the center of the AI conversation. This Ripple Effect episode is part of the “Research Spotlight” series.

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Wharton Moneyball: Using Data to Model NBA Performance with Seth Partnow

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 08:00:00 GMT

A highlight of Eric Bradlow, Shane Jensen, and Adi Wyner's conversation with Seth Partnow—Data Science Manager for the NBA at PENN Interactive, former Director of Basketball Research for the Milwaukee Bucks, and author of The Midrange Theory—discussing what NBA work at PENN Interactive entails, expectations for draft picks and predicting player performance, and how talent distribution across NBA teams is changing.

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Ripple Effect: Visual Marketing | Barbara Kahn and Zab Johnson

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Wharton’s Barbara Kahn and Elizabeth (Zab) Johnson talk about their book, Visual Marketing: A Practical Guide to the Science of Branding and Retailing. This Ripple Effect episode is part of the “Meet the Authors” series.

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Ripple Effect: Resolute Japan | Harbir Singh and Mike Useem

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Wharton management professors Harbir Singh and Mike Useem discuss their book Resolute Japan: The Leaders Forging a Corporate Resurgence, which explores how a new model of leadership has transformed Japan's top companies. This Ripple Effect episode is part of the “Meet the Authors” series.

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Are Bad Listeners Actually Bad at Listening?

Mon, 19 May 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Research from Wharton professor Rebecca (Becky) Schaumberg and PhD student Zhiying (Bella) Ren reveals how disagreement in a conversation is often mistaken for bad listening, regardless of how engaged the listener is. Schaumberg explains their findings.

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How AI Is Affecting Digital Marketing and Creative Industries w/ David Droga

Thu, 15 May 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Listen to a special episode from Where AI Works, a new podcast hosted by Wharton faculty, sponsored by Accenture. The show dives into how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we live and work, with real-world stories and insights from leaders across industries.

In this episode, host Kartik Hosanagar speaks with David Droga, founder of Droga5 and current CEO of Accenture Song, to explore how AI is transforming the worlds of marketing, advertising, and creative work. From shifting agency dynamics to the evolving role of human imagination, Droga offers an inside look at what the creative industries need to embrace — and question — as AI tools grow more powerful. Tune in to hear how one of the world’s top advertising leaders sees the future of creativity in the age of automation. Follow and listen to more of Where AI Works here.

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What Makes Virtual Influencers Effective?

Fri, 09 May 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Virtual influencers are more effective when paired with a companion, which makes them seem more human and trustworthy, according to research from Wharton's Jonah Berger, USC Marshall’s Giovanni Luca Cascio Rizzo, and LUISS Guido Carli University’s Francisco Villarroel Ordenes.

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Workplace Boundaries and Social Media | Nancy Rothbard

Tue, 06 May 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Wharton Deputy Dean Nancy Rothbard talks about how social media has changed office culture by giving colleagues a way to connect with each other outside of work. This Ripple Effect podcast episode is part of a series on “Wellness at Work.”

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Retirement and the Changing Workforce | Peter Cappelli

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Companies can benefit from the experience and flexibility of older workers, says Wharton’s Peter Cappelli. What will it take for employers to stop age discrimination and change their approach to retirement? This Ripple Effect episode is part of a series on “Navigating Retirement.”

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Focus on the Future: An Interview with PagerDuty’s Jennifer Tejada

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:05:10 GMT

Wharton vice dean for executive education Patti Williams talks with Jennifer Tejada, CEO of digital operations management firm PagerDuty, about the importance of having an “ownership mindset,” understanding your users, and preparing for big changes like the advent of AI.

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Women Moving Forward: Collected Insights

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 09:00:00 GMT

In this special episode, listen to curated excerpts from the Ripple Effect podcast on women’s leadership, workplace equity, and career advancement.

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Why Accountability Matters in AI Development and Governance

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Professor Kevin Werbach has spent his career at the crossroads of business, law, and emerging technology. He talks about his latest project, the Wharton Accountable AI Lab, to help guide responsible development and governance of artificial intelligence.

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Transformative Tech: Innovating for the Underserved | Valentina Assenova

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Management professor Valentina Assenova discusses why digital platforms, like mobile money platforms, are improving financial access around the world. This Ripple Effect podcast episode is part of a series on “Innovation” that was produced in cooperation with Mack Institute for Innovation Management.

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Detecting Bias in AI Image Generators

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Wharton marketing professor Kartik Hosanagar and doctoral candidate Pushkar Shukla talk about software they developed with other experts to identify and correct biases in AI text-to-image generators.

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Confidence in Cryptocurrency | David Reibstein and John Zhang (Part 2)

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 09:00:00 GMT

In this two-part episode from the Ripple Effect podcast, Wharton marketing professors assess the future of cryptocurrency ownership and whether scandals have damaged consumer trust.

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Confidence in Cryptocurrency | David Reibstein and John Zhang (Part 1)

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 15:00:42 GMT

In this two-part episode from the Ripple Effect podcast, Wharton marketing professors assess the growth of cryptocurrency so far and how consumer confidence can influence pricing.

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2024 Ripple Rewind (Part 2)

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 09:00:41 GMT

In this special two-part episode, listen to curated excerpts from this year’s Ripple Effect podcast, where Wharton professors discuss a range of trending business topics.

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2024 Ripple Rewind (Part 1)

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 09:00:04 GMT

In this special two-part episode, listen to curated excerpts from this year’s Ripple Effect podcast, where Wharton professors discuss a range of trending business topics.

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The Future of Financial Technology

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 14:00:21 GMT

Professor Itay Goldstein welcomes Alesia Haas, CFO of Coinbase, and Michelle Lai, board member of Electric Coin Co, to discuss the ongoing fintech revolution. They examine the transformative role of technology in finance, from blockchain innovations to the future of digital currencies, and provide insights into how FinTech is set to evolve in the coming years.

This discussion is part of a special series called “Future of Finance.”

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The Regulatory Challenges of AI in Finance

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 14:00:58 GMT

Professor Itay Goldstein is joined by Tobias Adrian, financial counselor and director of the International Monetary Fund, to explore the regulatory challenges posed by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence in finance. The conversation delves into the emerging risks AI introduces to the financial sector, the steps regulatory bodies are taking to mitigate these risks, and the balance between innovation and stability in global financial markets.

This discussion is part of a special series called “Future of Finance.”

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New Phenomena in Behavioral and Social Investing

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 14:00:33 GMT

Professor Itay Goldstein interviews Bloomberg columnist Matt Levine to examine the GameStop and AMC stock saga and the powerful influence of social media on market events. The discussion highlights the role of behavioral finance in shaping investor actions and how social trends can disrupt financial markets on a global scale.

This discussion is part of a special series called “Future of Finance.”

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Charitable and Political Giving | Pinar Yildirim

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 09:00:02 GMT

Wharton’s Pinar Yildirim untangles the relationship between charitable and political giving, which are both on the rise. This Ripple Effect podcast episode is part of a series on “Charitable Giving.”

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The Future of Banking

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 14:00:45 GMT

Professor Itay Goldstein is joined by Hyun Song Shin, economic adviser and head of research at the Bank for International Settlements, and Loretta Mester, former President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Together, they explore the 2023 banking crisis, focusing on the collapse of Credit Suisse, Silicon Valley Bank, and other small to mid-level banks, while analyzing regulatory gaps and future protections for the banking system.

This discussion is part of a special series called “Future of Finance.”

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How to Prepare for Retirement and Live Your Best Life

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Wharton’s Stephanie Creary speaks to Teresa Amabile, emeritus professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, and Kathy Kram, emeritus professor of management and organizations at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, about how to prepare for retirement and other insights from their book Retiring: Creating a Life That Works for You.

This episode is part of the Leading Diversity at Work series.

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Elections and National Debt | Joao Gomes

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 08:00:21 GMT

In this year’s presidential election, both political parties are unwilling to tackle the burgeoning national debt. Wharton’s Joao Gomes warns that inaction is putting the country on a perilous economic path. This Ripple Effect podcast episode is part of the “Business of Elections" series.

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AI and Innovation

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 08:00:54 GMT

From crowdsourcing to search engines, emerging AI technologies are pivotal in fostering innovation and advancing progress across various sectors.

In this “AI Horizons” podcast episode, Kartik Hosanagar — Wharton professor of operations, information and decisions, and co-director of AI at Wharton — joins leading academics as they discuss how artificial intelligence is set to shape future developments.

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AI and the Workforce

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 08:00:16 GMT

When implemented effectively, generative artificial intelligence can enhance innovation among employees, relieve them from repetitive tasks, and bolster their communication skills. AI enables employees to maximize their potential in the workplace.

In this “AI Horizons” podcast episode, scholars from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, Temple University’s Fox School of Business, and Sichuan University’s Business School discuss what their research reveals about AI in the workplace.

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Why Influencers Should Pay Attention to Word Choice

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 16:00:33 GMT

The right word choice can help social media influencers increase engagement, according to research from Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger.

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AI and Machine Creativity

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 08:00:32 GMT

In this “AI Horizons” podcast episode, Wharton marketing professor Robert Meyer joins Dokyun Lee, an information systems professor at Boston University; Yannick Exner, a doctoral researcher in digital marketing at the Technical University of Munich; and Ankit Sisodia, a Purdue University marketing professor who specializes in the use of machine learning and AI for business applications, to offer glimpses into the profound ways in which AI is changing everything and to share their excitement for Apple Vision Pro.

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The Trick to Boosting Customer Referrals

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 16:00:00 GMT

Marketing professor Zhenling Jiang discusses her research paper, “Referral Contagion: Downstream Benefits of Customer Referrals,” and shares a simple intervention that can help companies gain more customers through referrals.

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AI and Wellbeing

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 08:00:44 GMT

Since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, Stack Overflow has seen a noticeable drop in daily visits, with traffic decreasing by 1 million — a 15% reduction within just four months. This trend underscores a growing preference for automated solutions, as users increasingly turn to AI for answers, reflecting a shift in how people seek information and interact socially.

In this “AI Horizons” podcast episode, Wharton marketing professor and AI at Wharton co-director Stefano Puntoni joins Gordon Burtch, information systems professor at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business; Julian De Freitas, a business administration professor and director of the Ethical Intelligence Lab at Harvard Business School; and Weiguang Wang, a computer and information systems professor at the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School to discuss the topic.

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What Is the Right Compensation for Student Athletes? | Ken Shropshire

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 08:00:26 GMT

Can student athletes profit off of their own name, image, and likeness (NIL)? Wharton’s Ken Shropshire weighs in on NIL and its impact on sports since a historic Supreme Court ruling brought it into the limelight in 2021. This Ripple Effect podcast episode is part of the "Back to School" series.

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How to Improve Work-life Balance for Caregiving Employees

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 08:00:28 GMT

Wharton’s Stephanie Creary speaks with Jennifer Andrews, head of equity and inclusion at Guardian, and Ellen Ernst Kossek, a distinguished professor of management at Purdue University’s Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. School of Business, about how companies can improve work-life balance for caregiving employees dealing with higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.

This episode is part of the Leading Diversity at Work series.

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What Does Your Writing Style Say About You?

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 08:00:24 GMT

Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger discusses his published study, “Topography of Thought,” which was co-authored with Olivier Toubia, business professor at Columbia Business School. The paper examines how someone's writing style can be indicative of their future success, and where generative AI might come into the picture.

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Stocks for the Long Run | Jeremy Siegel

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 08:00:36 GMT

Wharton finance professor emeritus Jeremy Siegel’s bestselling book, Stocks for the Long Run, was first released in 1994 and is now in its sixth edition. Siegel talks about what has changed in investment strategies, and what remains the same. This Ripple Effect podcast episode is part of a series called “Meet the Authors."

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How Can We Meet the AI Moment?

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 16:30:00 GMT

Eric Bradlow, the vice dean of Wharton’s new AI and Analytics Initiative, discusses how generative AI can be leveraged in education, companies, and society to enhance our lives — and why the first step to understanding AI is to simply start using it.

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Marketplace Dignity | Cait Lamberton

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 08:00:41 GMT

Wharton’s Cait Lamberton talks about her new book, Marketplace Dignity, which explains why customers want firms to treat them with respect and dignity above anything else. This episode is part of a series called “Meet the Authors" from the Ripple Effect podcast.

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How Can Minority Employees Be Authentic in a Corporate Workplace?

Tue, 21 May 2024 16:17:37 GMT

Wharton’s Stephanie Creary speaks with Dr. Ella F. Washington — organizational psychologist, practice professor at Georgetown University, and founder of Ellavate Solutions — on the indisputable value of DEI and how to be authentic at work while navigating corporate culture.

This episode is part of the Leading Diversity at Work series.

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The U.S. Housing Market Has Homeowners Stuck | Lu Liu

Tue, 07 May 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Wharton’s Lu Liu discusses what policy changes may be needed to break mortgage lock-in, which is restricting real estate inventory in the U.S. housing market. This Ripple Effect podcast episode is part of a series on “Real Estate.”

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How Financial Literacy Helps Underserved Students | David Musto

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 08:00:26 GMT

Wharton’s David Musto talks about Penn’s financial literacy course, which is being taught to high school students across the country. It’s just one of the programs at the Stevens Center to help younger people understand money and make better financial decisions. This Ripple Effect podcast episode is part of a series on “Financial Literacy.”

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Why Are Millennials Not Having Kids?

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 08:00:46 GMT

Wharton’s Stew Friedman talks about his book, Baby Bust: New Choices for Men and Women in Work and Family, which has been re-released for its 10th anniversary with a provocative new preface. This evidence-based book examines the changing attitudes millennials and younger generations have about raising children in a society that makes it increasingly difficult to do so.

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Your Career in Journalism Is Over. Now What?

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 09:00:24 GMT

Wharton management professor Amy Wrzesniewski studied the shrinking field of journalism to better understand how workers grapple with occupational instability and declining careers. Her co-authored paper, “Perceived Fixed or Flexible Meaning: Toward a Model of Meaning Fixedness and Navigating Occupational Instability,” appears in the journal Administrative Science Quarterly.

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Sponsorship vs. Professional Mentoring for Women Leaders | Nancy Rothbard

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 09:00:43 GMT

There’s a difference between a professional mentor and a sponsor, but women need both if they want help moving forward in their careers, explains Wharton Deputy Dean Nancy Rothbard. This Ripple Effect podcast episode is part of a series on “Women & Leadership."

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Can Diversity Initiatives Break Barriers in Entertainment?

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 09:00:17 GMT

Wharton Coalition for Equity and Opportunity's Faculty Director Kenneth L. Shropshire is joined by industry leaders Nzinga “Zing” Shaw, CEO of Attack the Glass, and sports and entertainment attorney Jaia Thomas to address pay equity and underrepresentation in entertainment.

They discuss their experiences in developing diversity initiatives, including targeted hiring practices, mentorship programs, and curating resume databases. Shah and Thomas offer insights on how to enhance visibility and opportunities for women, people of color, disabled communities, and LGBTQ+ professionals in sports and entertainment. This interview is part of a special 4-part series called “Opportunity Matters.”

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What Can We Do to Narrow the Wealth Gap?

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 09:00:00 GMT

Wharton professor Keith Weigelt and President and CEO of Castle Oak Securities L.P. David R. Jones join host Kenneth L. Shropshire, faculty director of Wharton’s Coalition for Equity and Opportunity, to talk about the inequities in finance and financial wellbeing.

They discuss the racial wealth gap, and the role of access, opportunity, and education. Learn about the solutions Wharton is pursuing to address these disparities, and how business leaders and financial institutions like Castle Oak can contribute to closing the wealth gap. This interview is part of a special 4-part series called “Opportunity Matters.”

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Is Making Extra Mortgage Payments Worthwhile? | Michael Roberts

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 19:39:23 GMT

Worried about your money? Wharton finance professor Michael Roberts is here to help with common-sense advice on mortgage debt, personal budgeting, and planning ahead. This Ripple Effect podcast episode is part of a series on getting a “Fresh Start" this new year.

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Want to Live a Meaningful Life? Be the Hero of Your Story

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 09:00:11 GMT

Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger’s latest co-authored research focuses on storytelling. His paper is titled, “Seeing Your Life’s Story as a Hero’s Journey Can Increase Meaning in Life.” It explains how people can find more well-being and resilience by reflecting on the important elements in their lives and connecting them to a coherent and compelling narrative.

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How Does Prioritizing Diversity Reshape the Business and Culture of Sports?

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 09:00:21 GMT

Kenneth L. Shropshire, faculty director for Wharton’s Coalition for Equity and Opportunity, delves into the world of sports alongside guests Xavier Gutierrez, the NHL's first Latino president and CEO, and Jonathan Beane, the NFL's senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer.

The conversation examines the unique role sports play in providing opportunities for underserved communities, and why women are more likely to foster a positive and inclusive work environment. They also address the diversity challenges in team ownership and highlight the ongoing efforts to increase opportunities for minorities in leadership roles within sports organizations. This interview is part of a special 4-part series called “Opportunity Matters.”

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How Does Your Financial Wellbeing Shape Your Health Outcomes?

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 09:00:33 GMT

Kenneth L. Shropshire, faculty director of Wharton’s Coalition for Equity and Opportunity, is joined by Wharton professor Guy David, Managing Director for Wharton’s Coalition for Equity and Opportunity Dr. Fareeda Griffith, and Head of TIAA Institute Surya Kolluri.

They unpack the intricate ways income and wealth inequality reverberate through health care and influence health outcomes. From examining the impact of social determinants to navigating innovation in technology and AI, the conversation explores how these factors can either uplift or exacerbate existing disparities for underserved communities. This interview is part of a special 4-part series called “Opportunity Matters.”

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2023 Ripple Rewind

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 18:00:00 GMT

In this special episode, listen to curated excerpts from this year’s Ripple Effect podcast, where Wharton professors discuss a range of trending business topics.

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Why ‘Covering’ Can Harm Diversity in the Workplace

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 09:00:07 GMT

Wharton’s Stephanie Creary speaks with two experts about why some employees feel the need to 'cover' aspects of their identity and how organizations can better support diversity in the workplace. She's joined by Kenji Yoshino -- a professor at NYU School of Law and faculty director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging -- and Joanne Stephane, executive director of Deloitte's DEI Institute™.

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How to Use AI in a Fair and Responsible Way

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 09:00:43 GMT

Wharton’s Stephanie Creary speaks with Dr. Broderick Turner -- a Virginia Tech marketing professor who also runs the school’s Technology, Race, and Prejudice (T.R.A.P.) Lab -- and Dr. Karim Ginena -- a social scientist and founder of RAI Audit -- on how to use AI while thinking critically about its flaws.

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How to Convince Someone Using This Simple Writing Tip

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 20:54:08 GMT

Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger’s latest research shows how a simple writing shift can make anyone more persuasive.

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Surviving the Attention Economy: How to Keep Audiences Engaged

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 17:31:55 GMT

New research from Wharton’s Jonah Berger shows how the right words can help captivate audiences and hold their attention.

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How Employers Can Support Women’s Reproductive Rights

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 17:41:29 GMT

It’s been a year since Roe v. Wade was overturned. In this episode of Leading Diversity at Work, experts tackle the sensitive subject of how companies handle the issue of abortion.

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Why Empathy in Health Care Matters

Tue, 23 May 2023 14:36:03 GMT

A new study co-authored by Wharton’s Ingrid Nembhard finds that patients who are treated with empathy have better health outcomes. She explains why empathy in health care delivery should become standard.

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Improving Accessibility in the Workplace – and in Space

Tue, 16 May 2023 16:11:25 GMT

Access the full transcript on Knowledge at Wharton.

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Diversity at Work: Why Inclusive Storytelling Matters

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 14:40:56 GMT

In this episode of Leading Diversity at Work, Wharton’s Stephanie Creary talks with two experts about inclusive storytelling and why it’s important for organizations to embrace diverse narratives.

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Lessons from the Silicon Valley Bank Collapse

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 19:09:23 GMT

Wharton finance professor Itamar Drechsler discusses what led to the collapse of SVB and the questions it raises for banks, depositors and regulators going forward.

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The Innovation Tournament Handbook: A Conversation with Christian Terwiesch and Karl Ulrich

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 19:28:02 GMT

Wharton professors Christian Terwiesch and Karl Ulrich discuss their new book, 'The Innovation Tournament Handbook,' a how-to manual for generating winning ideas and solutions in any organization.

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How the Medium Shapes the Message in Marketing

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 20:27:52 GMT

What is the best medium for communicating with consumers? It depends on the content, according to the latest research from Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger.

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The Brewing Backlash Over Rewards Programs

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 18:15:43 GMT

Customers are unhappy when their favorite retailers make it harder to earn rewards, as Starbucks, Dunkin’ and Best Buy have recently done. But firms have to walk a fine line between customer loyalty and profits, says Wharton’s Raghuram Iyengar.

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Will Salary Transparency Become Standard?

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 22:19:47 GMT

Wharton’s Matthew Bidwell thinks the slew of new salary transparency laws sweeping the nation will help advance pay equity, although it may not raise salaries overall.

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How National Politics Are Impacting DEI in the Workplace

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 18:10:05 GMT

In this episode of Leading Diversity at Work, Wharton’s Stephanie Creary leads a discussion on how major legal and policy decisions, including Florida’s Stop WOKE Act, are affecting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

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ChatGPT Passed an MBA Exam. What’s Next?

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 15:58:46 GMT

Wharton professor Christian Terwiesch analyzes ChatGPT's performance on his exam and why the controversial software has limitless potential to improve education, business, and a range of industries.

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Why Older Americans Regret Not Saving Early and Enough

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 19:06:38 GMT

Financial literacy and clarity will help fix retirement planning gaps, according to a study that delved into multiple dimensions of under-saving.

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Can the SEC Cut Down on Insider Trading?

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 20:23:33 GMT

The SEC is amending a specific rule in hopes to make insider trading more difficult for company executives. Wharton’s Dan Taylor explains how it works.

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Why Hybrid Work Will Reign in 2023

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 18:52:38 GMT

Wharton management professor Martine Haas says now that hybrid work has been around for a while, companies need to spend the next year figuring out what works best and refining their policies.

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How Divestiture Can Create Corporate Value

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 20:41:15 GMT

Divestiture is an important strategy for a company seeking healthy financial growth, one that is often overlooked. In her new book, Wharton’s Emilie Feldman explains why sometimes the best way to add value is through subtraction.

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What’s Ahead for the U.S. Housing Market?

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 16:04:52 GMT

After a year of rising mortgage rates and shortages in both supply and demand, the best option for prospective homebuyers and homeowners is to bide their time, says Wharton’s Susan Wachter.

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Why Online Shoppers Aren’t Falling for Exploding Deals

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 14:52:53 GMT

Time-limited sales are a marketing staple in retail stores, but those same scarcity tactics don’t work online to move products and increase profits. Wharton marketing professor Cait Lamberton explains why.

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The U.S. Economy Is Doing Just Fine -- For Now

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 19:54:58 GMT

Wharton management professor Iwan Barankay isn’t too worried about the possibility of a recession in America. Inflation, however, is still a threat.

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How Do Customers Feel About Algorithms?

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 15:06:10 GMT

Many managers worry that algorithms alienate those who would rather deal with a real person than a robot. New research from Wharton’s Stefano Puntoni looks at how the attitudes of customers are influenced by algorithmic versus human decision-making.

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Why Jeremy Siegel Is Cautiously Optimistic About 2023

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 21:20:24 GMT

The worst of inflation is over, the Federal Reserve may begin to pare the funds rate, and equities are undervalued, says the Wharton professor emeritus of finance.

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How Offering Choices Helps Boost Charitable Donations

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 15:19:11 GMT

Nonprofits and charitable organizations can increase contributions simply by offering multiple-choice options that signal to potential donors what is appropriate to give. Wharton’s Alice Moon shares the results of her latest study.

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What the FTX Collapse Means for the Cryptocurrency Market

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 19:32:45 GMT

Wharton’s Kevin Werbach speaks with Wharton Business Daily on SiriusXM about the fall of FTX and the need for better cryptocurrency regulation.

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Twitter and Free Speech: What Is Musk’s Plan?

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 16:04:31 GMT

Wharton’s Pinar Yildirim speaks with Wharton Business Daily on SiriusXM about how Elon Musk may handle content moderation on Twitter.

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Why Employee-owned Companies Are Better at Building Worker Wealth

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 22:06:41 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein talks to Corey Rosen, founder of the National Center for Employee Ownership, about how employee ownership plans are structured and why they yield great financial benefits for companies and workers alike.

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Greenhushing: Why Some Firms Keep Quiet About ESG

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 21:14:11 GMT

Worried about backlash, some companies don’t openly share the steps they may be taking to reduce their carbon footprint. Wharton’s Mirko Heinle explains this troubling trend of “greenhushing” and what it means for climate change.

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How Storytelling Can Offset Negative Effects of Discrimination

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 19:50:14 GMT

Wharton management professor Samir Nurmohamed talks about his latest paper, which finds that underdog self-narratives can help employees offset the negative psychological effects of prior discrimination and boost their confidence.

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Navigating Microaggressions at Work

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 15:10:25 GMT

Diversity at Work podcast, Wharton’s Stephanie Creary and two guest experts tackle the thorny issue of microaggressions.

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How to Get the Most from Your Customer Data

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 13:57:49 GMT

‘The Customer-Base Audit,’ co-authored by Wharton’s Peter Fader, argues that firms cannot make fully informed decisions without first understanding their customers’ buying behavior and the actual health of their customer base.

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‘Best Countries’ 2022: Who’s Number One?

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 17:04:33 GMT

Wharton marketing professor David Reibstein unveils his annual “Best Countries“ ranking and explains why Switzerland takes the top while the U.S. has never cracked first place.

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Can the Fed Fix the Contradiction in the Housing Market?

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 17:54:54 GMT

The Federal Reserve’s fiscal policy is meant to curb inflation, but it has a countervailing effect of squeezing an already tight real estate market, according to Wharton’s Susan Wachter. She explains why home prices likely won’t come down without significant unemployment.

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Do Vaccine Lotteries Work? Maybe

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 15:12:49 GMT

Wharton’s Katy Milkman shares the lessons learned from last year’s Philly Vax Sweepstakes, a Penn-funded project designed to evaluate ways of increasing COVID-19 vaccines in the city.

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Is Owning a Home Today Worth the Price?

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 13:48:30 GMT

Wharton real estate professor Benjamin Keys offers a bleak forecast for home buyers, despite mortgage interest rates rising above 6% for the first time since 2008.

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The Prepared Leader: A Conversation with Erika James and Lynn Perry Wooten

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 19:40:14 GMT

Wharton Dean Erika James and Simmons University President Lynn Perry Wooten discuss their new book, ’The Prepared Leader,’ and how they found the motivation and the staying power during the pandemic to write it.

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Why Managers Aren’t Worried About Quiet Quitting

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 19:18:23 GMT

Wharton’s Matthew Bidwell explains why employers have bigger things to worry about than employees who are quiet quitting, a phrase that describes doing the bare minimum at work.

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How Student Loan Forgiveness Will Transform College Financing

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 18:44:38 GMT

The proposed income-driven repayment program in the Biden Student Debt Relief Plan “could radically change how people finance college,” according to Kent Smetters, faculty director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model.

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Can the CDC Repair Its Reputation?

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 17:35:37 GMT

Wharton’s Ingrid Nembhard evaluates the Centers for Disease Control’s plan to reorganize the agency and regain public trust following two years of pandemic confusion.

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Hits and Misses of the Fed’s Inflation Strategy

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 17:41:46 GMT

Early actions by the Fed averted a financial crisis following the pandemic, but its later policies enabled an acceleration of inflation, according to Wharton’s Richard Herring.

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Why the Housing Market Is Not in Recession

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 17:16:39 GMT

Housing sales are falling in response to rising interest rates, but the real estate market is not in a recession, according to Wharton’s Fernando Ferreira. He explains why the persistent lack of supply will continue to put pressure on homebuyers.

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How the Inflation Reduction Act May Hurt Businesses

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 19:41:09 GMT

The proposed new taxes on share buybacks and book income are based on conceptual misunderstandings and will hurt investment, according to Wharton’s Jennifer Blouin.

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Will Onshore Computer Chips Fix the Supply Chain?

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 19:27:53 GMT

Billions in federal funding for computer chip manufacturing is a good start, says Wharton’s Morris Cohen, but may not be enough to help the U.S. overcome its East Asian competitors.

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Why Is Amazon Purchasing a Health Care Provider?

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 19:02:07 GMT

With health care accounting for nearly 20% of U.S. gross domestic product, Amazon’s latest acquisition of a primary care chain makes sense, says Wharton’s Harbir Singh.

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Have Electric Vehicle Sales Reached a Tipping Point in the U.S.?

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 18:35:40 GMT

Wharton’s John Paul MacDuffie says a combination of regulatory changes and financial incentives are guiding more Americans toward mass adoption of electric vehicles, factors that align with a new report from Bloomberg about EV sales.

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Investing in Refugee Entrepreneurs in East Africa

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 15:04:26 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein talks to Julienne Oyler, co-founder and CEO of the African Entrepreneur Collective, which helps micro, small, and medium businesses across East Africa.

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Why the Fed Is Walking an Inflation-Recession Tightrope

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 20:27:34 GMT

The U.S. Federal Reserve is trying to stabilize prices while avoiding a prolonged economic downturn, says Wharton’s Peter Conti-Brown.

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What Happens When Your Boss Sends You a Friend Request?

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 15:25:34 GMT

A new study co-authored by Wharton Deputy Dean Nancy Rothbard explores the dilemma of digital etiquette for employees who befriend co-workers and managers online.

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Inflation and Interest Rates: What’s Ahead?

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 19:12:21 GMT

U.S. inflation reached a new 40-year high in June. But if the current economic slowdown gathers pace, the Federal Reserve will likely be less aggressive with the next interest rate increase, according to Wharton experts.

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Corporate Good vs. Social Good: Can Investors Have Both?

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 16:11:14 GMT

In an episode of the “All Else Equal“ podcast series from Stanford Graduate School of Business, Wharton’s Jules van Binsbergen and Stanford’s Jonathan Berk discuss the strategies available to the social-minded investor, and why they are not clear-cut.

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Texas Fought Against ESG. Here’s What It Cost.

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 14:32:58 GMT

When states boycott financial institutions over their ESG policies, it can have a chilling and costly effect on competition in the bond market, according to a new paper from Wharton’s Daniel Garrett.

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Action, not Words: Creating Gender and Racial Equity at Work

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 17:15:17 GMT

Wharton’s Stephanie Creary talks to Tina Opie and Beth Livingston, two management professors who have written a new book on how to tear down the barriers that prevent women and marginalized groups from thriving in business.

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Why Corporate Greed Isn’t Driving Inflation

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 13:39:39 GMT

Wharton’s John Zhang dismisses the notion of “greedflation,” saying companies are right to raise prices to meet inflationary pressures created by factors beyond their control.

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How Responsible Research Can Tackle Society’s Toughest Challenges

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 19:31:23 GMT

Companies aren’t the only ones feeling pressure to meet environmental, social, and corporate governance metrics. Business schools are also working to ensure their coursework and research adhere to a higher standard of responsibility.

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Why Erasing Student Debt Won’t Fix the Problem

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 14:08:50 GMT

Wharton finance professor Michael Roberts finds fault with Biden’s proposal to cancel student loan debt for millions of borrowers, saying it won’t make much of a dent in the $1.7 trillion problem.

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How Companies and Capital Can Be Forces for Good

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 16:37:27 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein talks with philanthropist and author Jean Case, who was a senior executive at AOL before launching the Case Foundation, about finding purpose and reaching beyond your bubble.

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Is the Fed Going Too Far Beyond Its Mandate?

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 21:19:50 GMT

The Minneapolis Federal Reserve’s moves to shape state education policy have triggered a broader debate on central bank activism. Wharton’s Christina Parajon Skinner weighs in.

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What the Frequency of Your Pay Means for Financial Well-being

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 20:00:45 GMT

Paying employees daily has become a recruitment tool for companies in a tight labor market. But workers who access their wages on demand often develop a false sense of their own wealth and spend more, according to new research from Wharton’s Wendy De La Rosa.

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Why Have Taxes Soared?

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 16:43:53 GMT

U.S. households had unusually high financial income with the surge in equity prices in fiscal year 2021, a Penn Wharton Budget Model analysis found.

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How to Build a Better Relationship at the Bargaining Table

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 18:57:40 GMT

Successful negotiators are frequently seen as uncompromising winners, but driving a hard bargain can create more harm than good. In his latest paper, Wharton’s Maurice Schweitzer explains why negotiators need to think about the long-term relationship with their counterparts.

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Who Will Win the Fight for Spirit Airlines?

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 16:57:52 GMT

Wharton’s Emilie Feldman analyzes the turbulent battle over Spirit Airlines and explains why both Frontier and JetBlue want to take over the ultra-low-cost carrier.

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Can Electric Vehicles Revitalize American Manufacturing?

Tue, 31 May 2022 13:37:48 GMT

Hyundai’s investment in high-tech production facilities in the U.S. could fuel innovation and employment growth, says Wharton’s Lynn Wu.

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How to Hold Foreign Corporate Insiders Accountable

Mon, 30 May 2022 20:12:52 GMT

A Research paper co-authored by Wharton’s Daniel Taylor formed the basis for a bill in Congress that aims to level the ground on insider trading disclosures.

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Your Manager Is Leaving: What Does That Mean for Your Career?

Wed, 25 May 2022 14:33:17 GMT

A boss can be the most consequential person in an employee’s career. New research from Wharton’s Matthew Bidwell examines what happens to employee pay and promotion when that relationship is severed by turnover.

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Fighting Inflation: Why the Fed Needs to Be More Aggressive

Tue, 10 May 2022 19:06:24 GMT

Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel says that high inflation will last until 2024 and the Fed is playing catch-up with its late response.

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Are Retailers Losing Money on Loyalty Programs?

Mon, 09 May 2022 19:28:18 GMT

Inflation is forcing most consumers to make hard choices about which loyalty programs they want to pay for, so retailers had better get them right. Wharton’s Raghuram Iyengar offers advice based on new research.

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Why More Companies are Standing Up on Social Issues

Mon, 09 May 2022 19:27:01 GMT

From the war in Ukraine to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Florida, companies are increasingly speaking out on social issues. Wharton management professor Stephanie Creary explains why silence is no longer golden for firms.

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How Will Twitter Change?

Mon, 02 May 2022 19:54:20 GMT

Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter will undoubtedly reshape the company. But Wharton experts say Musk’s desire to unlock the platform’s free speech potential may not be a winning business strategy.

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Making the Business Case for ESG

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 17:20:35 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein talks with Wharton management professor Witold Henisz about how investors can evaluate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria and why they should deeply engage with firms if they want to effect change.

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Who Will Win the New Space Race?

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 20:35:54 GMT

The billionaire space race may seem like the ultimate self-indulgence for titans of industry, but Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson are taking risks that will result in rewards on a global scale. Wharton management professor Rahul Kapoor explains.

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Is This the End of Globalization?

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 19:51:05 GMT

The war in Ukraine has sparked doomsday predictions about the end of globalization, but Wharton’s Exequiel (Zeke) Hernandez says the dependencies countries have on each other are here to stay.

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Why Online Retailers Have a ‘Need for Speed’

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 19:03:56 GMT

A new study co-authored by Wharton’s Santiago Gallino has a clear message for online retailers: Clean up that slow-loading website or risk losing sales.

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The Benefits of the SEC’s Climate Disclosure Rule

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 14:34:51 GMT

The SEC wants publicly traded companies to disclose detailed information about their climate-risk activities. Wharton’s Witold Henisz explains why doing so could lead to significant changes for businesses, investors, and the planet.

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What Lies Ahead for the IPO Market?

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 18:31:14 GMT

Many macro factors and regulatory uncertainty lower IPO market sentiment, but a hugely successful offering could reignite it, says Wharton’s David Hsu.

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What Higher Mortgage Rates Mean for the Housing Market

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 09:57:00 GMT

Wharton‘s Benjamin Keys explains why higher mortgage interest rates are discouraging home buyers, but not for long.

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Why the U.S. Government Should Regulate Cryptocurrency

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 16:28:28 GMT

Wharton’s Kevin Werbach explains why the Biden administration’s executive order to develop a national policy on cryptocurrency is an important step forward.

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Investing with Impact: Becoming a ‘Responsible Steward’

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 19:24:36 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein talks to Liesel Pritzker Simmons, co-founder of Blue Haven Initiative, about her journey from child actor to a leader in impact investing.

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Dealing with Difficult Customers? How Gig Workers Push Back

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 19:14:11 GMT

When faced with difficult customers, gig workers engage in different resistance tactics to gain back some control over their jobs, according to new research from Wharton’s Lindsey Cameron.

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What Can Leaders Learn from Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy?

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 19:08:25 GMT

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has transformed into a masterful communicator and powerful leader during his nation’s crisis, according to Wharton’s Michael Useem.

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How Economic Sanctions Are Affecting Russia

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 12:46:50 GMT

Economic sanctions against Russia have cratered the ruble and caused product shortages. Massive job losses could be next, explains Wharton finance professor Nikolai Roussanov.

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Why Employee Wellness Programs Don’t Work

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 12:46:25 GMT

Company wellness programs are well intended, but they don’t result in cost savings because they aren’t tailored to help the most vulnerable employees, Wharton’s Iwan Barankay explains.

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The Labor Market Is Looking Up — for How Long?

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 12:43:53 GMT

Wharton management professor Matthew Bidwell is feeling optimistic about the U.S. labor market as unemployment trends down. But inflation remains ”the wild card,” he says.

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The Science of Blockbusters: What Makes a Good Story?

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 13:51:36 GMT

New research co-authored by Wharton’s Jonah Berger quantifies why some movies television shows and other stories are more successful than others.

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What’s Going to Happen to All Those Empty Office Buildings?

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 16:03:59 GMT

The demand for office space is unlikely to rebound to pre-COVID levels because workers want flexibility says Wharton real estate professor Joseph Gyourko.

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Scoring the Super Bowl Ads

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 13:28:09 GMT

Wharton marketing professor Patti Williams offers her take on this year’s Super Bowl ads.

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Can Amazon Prove It Has Style?

Mon, 14 Feb 2022 14:47:07 GMT

Amazon may have the Midas touch but will its effort to open a clothing store succeed? Wharton’s Santiago Gallino explains what the company must do to make Amazon Style work.

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How One Firm Has Baked Purpose into Its Business Model

Mon, 14 Feb 2022 12:08:20 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein talks to Roma McCaig senior vice president of impact and communications at Clif Bar & Company about living the company’s “five aspirations.”

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Why the U.S. Needs Better COVID Data Collection

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 09:57:07 GMT

The lack of centralized data systems in the U.S. is hampering the country’s ability to beat back the COVID-19 pandemic according to Wharton’s Adi Wyner.

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We’re Good at Motivating Others but What About Ourselves?

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 09:54:58 GMT

Wharton’s Angela Duckworth talks to Ayelet Fishbach author of the new book ’Get It Done ’ which offers a framework for setting and attaining goals.

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How Hospitals Can Harness the Power of Digital Transformation

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 10:33:51 GMT

Hospitals can do more to deploy technology in their operational decision-making improving conditions for workers and outcomes for patients says Wharton’s Hummy Song.

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The Challenge of Measuring Impact Performance

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 12:41:10 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein interviews Maoz (Michael) Brown head of research for the Wharton Social Impact Initiative about a study revealing some of the problems with measurement in impact investing.

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Will 2022 Be a Banner Year for Real Estate?

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 11:28:22 GMT

Low interest rates and work-from-home trends bode well this year for home building and prices but much depends on how the Federal Reserve responds to rising inflation says Wharton’s Susan Wachter.

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How Data Analytics Can Help Advance DEI

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 11:21:18 GMT

During a Leading Diversity@Wharton event Wharton’s Stephanie Creary spoke with experts about how increasing access to accurate data can help drive changes in DEI policies.

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How to Improve Your Time Management Skills

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 11:03:05 GMT

Daily planning can help employees feel in control and more engaged at work. But the best type of planning depends on their role and environment explains Wharton management professor Michael Parke.

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What’s Ahead for the U.S. Economy in 2022

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 14:16:17 GMT

Stock prices will keep climbing this year but slow their pace and interest rate increases are overdue says Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel.

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How Science Can Help You Keep Your Fitness Goal

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 15:36:43 GMT

Wharton’s Katy Milkman shares insights from a new megastudy on exercise that reveals the best ways to change behavior at scale.

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Falling Flat: Why Startups Need Hierarchical Structure

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 15:20:39 GMT

A new study from Wharton’s Saerom (Ronnie) Lee pushes back against the popular view that startups work best without a hierarchical management structure.

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How Interest Rates Will Temper Stock Values in 2022

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 11:15:28 GMT

Investors in 2022 will have a wider range of options beyond the stock market says Wharton’s Itay Goldstein.

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How to Accelerate the Pace of Social Change

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 09:12:52 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein interviews Cheryl Dorsey president of social impact talent spotter and global nonprofit Echoing Green about the power and potential of social innovation.

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For the Win: How Immigrant Employees Boost Performance

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 09:28:06 GMT

New research from Wharton’s Britta Glennon and Exequiel “Zeke” Hernandez shows how employing skilled immigrants can give organizations a competitive edge.

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How Consumers and Retailers Can Reduce Returns

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 16:58:04 GMT

Returns are costly for retailers and even more expensive for the planet when unwanted products end up in landfills. Wharton’s Gad Allon explains how innovating the reverse supply chain coupled with changing consumer attitudes can help.

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Will Lush’s Decision to Deactivate Social Media Pay Off?

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 16:56:32 GMT

Wharton marketing lecturer Annie Wilson looks at the pros and cons of the cosmetics firm’s bold move.

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Should Employers Rethink What They’re Offering Workers?

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 16:24:27 GMT

Wharton’s Peter Cappelli explains what we’re getting wrong about the Great Resignation how the pandemic has rewired worker preferences and why it’s time for employers to reconsider how they do things.

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Doing Capitalism Differently -- One Backpack at a Time

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 13:11:03 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein speaks with Davis Smith founder of sustainable outdoor gear brand Cotopaxi about his firm’s mission and how the business world can think differently about capitalism.

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The Breakup of GE and J&J: The End of the Conglomerate?

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 10:33:59 GMT

Wharton’s Emilie Feldman explains why spinoffs make sense for faltering conglomerates General Electric and Johnson & Johnson and why she expects to see more large companies engage in divestitures and acquisitions.

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Curbing Clutter: Why Do We Hold On to Things We Never Use?

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 10:12:08 GMT

Products often become clutter when consumers save them for special occasions that never arrive. Wharton’s Jonah Berger explains why marketers may want to avoid making items seem too special or exclusive.

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Driverless Deliveries: How Close Are We?

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 13:38:48 GMT

Wharton’s John Paul MacDuffie analyzes Walmart’s recent milestone of operating driverless delivery trucks on a commercial route.

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Holiday Holdup: Can We Solve Our Supply Chain Problems?

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 16:37:32 GMT

The disruptions to the global supply chain hold lessons for both companies and consumers say Wharton professors Santiago Gallino and Barbara Kahn.

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Into the Metaverse: Can Facebook Rebrand Itself?

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 15:12:18 GMT

Facebook’s name change to ”Meta” signals a lot more about the company than a simple rebrand. Wharton marketing professor Patti Williams breaks down the decision and its implications for the world’s largest social media network.

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How to Harness the Power of Belonging

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 11:44:43 GMT

Wharton’s Katy Milkman interviews New York University professor Jay Van Bavel about his new book ‘The Power of Us ’ which explores how group affiliations shape our identity and can influence performance and cooperation.

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This Checklist Can Make You a Better Leader

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 13:35:18 GMT

In the 10th anniversary edition of his book ‘The Leader’s Checklist ’ Wharton’s Michael Useem highlights 16 mission-critical principles to help leaders make good decisions in unpredictable and stressful environments.

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How Social Class Affects the Career Ladder

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 12:00:24 GMT

Wharton’s Stephanie Creary talks to University of Virginia professor Sean Martin and Deloitte’s Thalia Smith about how social class and upward mobility shape careers especially for people of color.

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How a Nonprofit Is Helping Women Reach Economic Parity

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 09:35:43 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein talks to Mary Ellen Iskenderian president and CEO of Women’s World Banking a nonprofit that is expanding financial inclusion for women.

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Is the Great Resignation Giving Rise to the Entrepreneur?

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 15:14:13 GMT

The Great Resignation is coinciding with record applications for new businesses. Wharton management professor Jacqueline “Jax” Kirtley looks at what this means for the labor market.

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Why U.S. Multinationals May Increase Profit-shifting

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 13:49:17 GMT

Tax reforms proposed as part of the budget reconciliation process would have important consequences for U.S. multinationals’ profit-shifting incentives and also their competitiveness according to an analysis by the Penn Wharton Budget Model.

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What Will It Take to Curb Insider Trading?

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 17:37:19 GMT

Wharton’s Daniel Taylor believes legislative changes are needed to get insider trading under control and reform Wall Street’s image.

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Facebook Whistleblower: Why It Takes a Village

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 12:09:49 GMT

Wharton management professor Samir Nurmohamed explains what compels whistleblowers like Facebook’s Frances Haugen to come forward in an organization.

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Are Teams Better Than Individuals at Getting Work Done?

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 10:53:15 GMT

Whether teams or individuals are better at accomplishing tasks depends on the complexity of the work according to a new study co-authored by Wharton’s Duncan Watts.

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Why the U.S. Housing Boom Isn’t a Bubble

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 10:21:10 GMT

Wharton’s Benjamin Keys explains why the red-hot U.S. real estate market isn’t a bubble that’s ready to burst. Home prices are likely to stay high for years to come.

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Bad Bosses: What’s Wrong with Labor Algorithms

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 16:55:46 GMT

Wharton’s Lindsey Cameron explains why algorithms that monitor worker productivity like the ones used by Amazon are a bad idea.

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How the Pandemic Accelerated the Social Impact Movement

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 12:56:31 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein talks with B Lab co-founder Bart Houlahan about the soaring interest in companies seeking “Certified B Corporation” status and what that means for the social impact movement.

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What’s the Future of the Office?

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 10:00:08 GMT

In a new book Wharton’s Peter Cappelli says the choices employees and employers must make about the future of work could be among the most important they face.

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How Language Boosts Customer Satisfaction

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 16:24:22 GMT

Using more concrete language can improve customer satisfaction according to new research from Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger.

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How Bankruptcy Bias Contributes to the Racial Wealth Gap

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 14:10:43 GMT

New research from Wharton’s Sasha Indarte shows the role that bias plays in bankruptcy and the racial wealth gap in the U.S.

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How to Increase Interest in Government Benefits

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 13:12:35 GMT

Americans would be more likely to claim billions in untapped federal aid if they felt psychological ownership over those benefits according to a new study from Wharton’s Wendy De La Rosa.

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The Fed Inflation and Interest Rates: What’s Ahead?

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 10:24:28 GMT

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell sent “three significant messages” on the U.S. economic outlook in his address last month in Jackson Hole Wyoming according to Wharton’s Christina Parajon Skinner.

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Culture Clash: A Lesson from the Theranos Case

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 16:36:49 GMT

As the trial against Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes continues in federal court Wharton’s Lawton R. Burns examines the prickly relationship between technology and health care.

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All the Feels: How Companies Can Benefit from Employees’ Emotions

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 12:14:26 GMT

Letting employees express their full range of emotions at work can result in better team-building and problem-solving according to new research from Wharton’s Michael Parke.

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Why Banks Need to Ramp Up Stress Tests

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 11:19:11 GMT

Inflation-driven higher interest rates will have varying effects on banks’ resilience says Wharton’s Itay Goldstein.

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What ’Jeopardy!’ Revealed About Hidden Hiring Bias

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 10:34:54 GMT

America’s beloved game show made the same mistake as many companies when it failed to widen the search for a new host says Wharton’s Corinne Low.

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Should U.S. Companies Stop Relying on China?

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 10:32:31 GMT

Wharton’s Gad Allon explains why companies should consider nearshoring to blunt the effects of supply chain issues in China.

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Would COVID-19 Vaccine Nudges Work?

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 14:34:57 GMT

Patients are more likely to get vaccinated when they receive text reminders that a shot is ready and waiting for them according to the results of a large field experiment.

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Belonging Influence and Prosperity: Investing in Asian American Communities

Thu, 26 Aug 2021 09:34:10 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein talks to Sonal Shah founder of The Asian American Foundation a new advocacy group that wants to increase visibility support and understanding for the third-largest demographic in the U.S.

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Protecting Your Mental Health at Work

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 12:18:06 GMT

As part of the Leading Diversity at Work series Wharton’s Stephanie Creary speaks with two experts about workplace well-being especially for employees of color facing the “double whammy” of the pandemic and heightened tensions around racial and social justice.

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What Will Give Electric Cars a Boost in the U.S.?

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 11:11:08 GMT

Wharton’s John Paul MacDuffie says building consumer confidence in electric vehicles will help the Biden administration succeed in its plan to cut gas-powered cars and emissions.

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How the $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Would Impact the Economy

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 21:14:38 GMT

Higher government debt will crowd out private capital and erode productivity leaving GDP unchanged a Penn Wharton Budget Model analysis shows.

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Should the Federal Government ‘Green’ Its Pension Plan?

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 17:30:41 GMT

Wharton’s Olivia S. Mitchell explains the reasons behind the federal government’s call to re-examine its pension investments in light of climate change.

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How Vaccine Mandates Are Helping Companies

Tue, 10 Aug 2021 14:35:25 GMT

Firms that mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for employees are protecting the workforce and mitigating loss says Wharton management professor Iwan Barankay.

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Why New Managers Need More Help

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 15:51:03 GMT

A new book offers practical guidance for first-time bosses who need help making the tough transition from employee to manager.

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Learning to Be a Better Leader

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 10:07:36 GMT

In his latest book ’The Edge ’ Wharton management professor Michael Useem profiles 10 chief executives and shares their strategies for sustained success.

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How One App Is Making Space for All Students in Higher Ed

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 10:01:47 GMT

InScribe is a business with a mission to help nontraditional college students. CEO Katy Kappler talks to Wharton’s Sandi Hunt about building a safety net for students to succeed.

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How a New Wave of Retail Investors Is Redefining Stock Pricing

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 14:17:46 GMT

Small investors are reacting to both positive and negative earnings surprises by lifting stock prices a Wharton study of Robinhood trades reveals.

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How the Pandemic Has Exposed Racial Disparities in Health Care

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 12:22:30 GMT

A new study co-authored by Wharton’s David Asch finds Black patients are dying at higher rates from COVID-19 because of where they are hospitalized.

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How Companies Are Working to Curb Insider Trading

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 14:54:21 GMT

Companies are increasingly adopting measures to prevent insider trading abuses and the resulting legal and reputation risks a new study finds.

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Black Women Leaders: Navigating the Intersection of Gender and Race

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 10:14:13 GMT

Wharton’s Stephanie Creary talks to scholars Ella Bell Smith and Stella Nkomo about the re-issue of their seminal book that examines the vastly different experiences of Black and white women in corporate America.

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Mortgage Rates Are Low: Why Aren’t Minority Homeowners Refinancing?

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 10:04:18 GMT

Structural racism the pandemic and other economic barriers are stopping many Black and Hispanic homeowners from taking advantage of low interest rates says Wharton’s Benjamin Keys.

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High Prices and Long Wait Times: What’s Ahead for Uber and Lyft?

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 15:24:27 GMT

Ride-hailing companies are spending millions to recruit drivers who left during the pandemic but the downtime has prompted many gig workers to rethink their jobs says Wharton’s Gad Allon.

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How Data Science Can Make Hollywood More Diverse

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 13:56:32 GMT

Wharton’s Kartik Hosanagar has launched a startup that is using data science to help Hollywood create more inclusive content.

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Why Green Assets May Not Continue to Outperform

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 13:03:22 GMT

Investors lured by the strong performance of ESG funds may face future disappointment warns a new research paper co-authored by Wharton’s Luke Taylor.

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Will a Global Minimum Corporate Tax Work?

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 11:59:51 GMT

Coordination among countries will be critical to ensure that some don’t undercut the G7 nations’ proposed 15% minimum corporate tax say Wharton experts.

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The Robots Are Coming. Is Your Firm Ready?

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 16:33:15 GMT

Forget the dystopian vision of robots replacing humans at work. A new study co-authored by Wharton’s Lynn Wu shows how automation is increasing the demand for workers even though it’s driving down the need for managers.

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Why Engine No. 1’s Victory Is a Wake-up Call for ExxonMobil and Others

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 11:37:12 GMT

Companies that fail to convincingly address social or environmental risks face erosion of business valuation says Wharton’s Witold Henisz.

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How to Optimize Your Omnichannel Marketing Strategy

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 15:18:47 GMT

Wharton’s Raghuram Iyengar explains three major challenges to omnichannel marketing and what firms can do to overcome them.

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The Opportunities and Dangers of Decentralizing Finance

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 17:07:00 GMT

Decentralized finance -- or DeFi -- has experienced explosive growth in the past year. But in order for DeFi to fulfill its promise “now is the time to evaluate its benefits and dangers ” write Kevin Werbach and David Gogel.

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How to Bring Your Conscience to Work

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 10:42:03 GMT

Wharton professor G. Richard Shell’s latest book ’The Conscience Code ’ teaches employees and managers how to stand up for their values and create a more ethical workplace.

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What Will It Take to Close the Wealth Gap?

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 17:33:27 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein talks to John W. Rogers Jr. founder of Ariel Investments about what it will take to close the widening racial wealth gap in America.

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Innovate or Perish: What Businesses Should Learn from the Pandemic

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 17:01:47 GMT

Companies that foster a culture of experimentation are the most likely to survive a crisis because they’ve learned to be flexible according to Wharton’s Serguei Netessine.

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Inflation: What Lies Ahead?

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 11:35:25 GMT

The latest rise in the inflation rate to 4.2% for April has fueled expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates and tighten monetary policy – but that will depend on whether this is a temporary change says Wharton’s Itay Goldstein.

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From Facts to Fake News: How Information Gets Distorted

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 10:07:55 GMT

Information becomes biased and more negative as it’s retold from person to person according to new research from Wharton that sheds light on the dangers of distortion.

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The Power of Nudges: Maya Shankar on Changing People’s Minds

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 08:14:37 GMT

Wharton’s Katy Milkman talks to behavioral scientist Maya Shankar about her career which has taken her from the White House to her current role as senior director of behavioral economics at Google and about what it takes to change people’s minds.

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How Impact Investing Can Relieve the Rent Burden

Tue, 25 May 2021 10:25:57 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein talks to Bobby Turner founder and CEO of Turner Impact Capital about his investment model that’s creating more affordable rental housing across the U.S.

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Will COVID-19 Vaccination Incentives Work?

Mon, 24 May 2021 16:48:50 GMT

From free food to million-dollar lotteries there’s no shortage of incentives to entice Americans to take the COVID-19 vaccine. But Wharton’s Iwan Barankay says these efforts won’t increase vaccine uptake when socioeconomic barriers remain in the way.

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How Common Ownership of Startups Improves Innovation Efficiency

Tue, 18 May 2021 14:51:23 GMT

When venture capital firms own equity in competing startups they can improve innovation efficiency by withholding funding from those that are lagging a recent study co-authored by Wharton’s Luke Taylor shows.

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Will Biden’s American Families Plan Pay Off?

Tue, 11 May 2021 16:07:52 GMT

The American Families Plan would cost significantly more than the Biden administration’s estimate of $1.8 trillion according to a new analysis by the Penn Wharton Budget Model. But the plan’s proposals for free education would help to offset some of those costs in the long run.

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What Stops Digital Businesses from Succeeding Globally?

Tue, 11 May 2021 13:09:40 GMT

In an interview about his new book ‘The Platform Paradox ’ Mauro Guillén explains why digital platforms can dominate some markets while floundering in others.

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Do You Prefer Cats or Dogs? Why Self-expression Increases Giving

Mon, 10 May 2021 15:08:42 GMT

People donate more to charity and tip more when they are given a chance to express themselves through choices according to a new study co-authored by Wharton’s Jonah Berger.

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Creating Equity in COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Distribution

Tue, 04 May 2021 16:10:07 GMT

Wharton’s Stephanie Creary and Aline Gatignon talk with Penn Medicine’s Dr. Florencia Greer Polite and David Casey of CVS Health about COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and access in communities of color.

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How Foreign Work Visas Benefit the U.S. Economy

Tue, 04 May 2021 09:47:29 GMT

Foreign workers help boost the American economy by balancing labor supply and demand says Wharton management professor Britta Glennon.

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Want to Get Unstuck? How Science Can Help

Tue, 04 May 2021 09:43:39 GMT

Wharton’s Katy Milkman shares insights from her new book ’How to Change ’ which offers science-based strategies for creating lasting effective change.

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Why Regulation Won’t Harm Cryptocurrencies

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 14:35:43 GMT

Measures that protect investors and weed out bad actors will boost confidence in cryptocurrencies and help the industry to grow according to Wharton’s Brian Feinstein and Kevin Werbach.

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Pandemic Pivot: How Warby Parker Stayed Focused

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 13:22:08 GMT

Warby Parker co-founder David Gilboa talks to Wharton’s Katherine Klein about how the company stuck to its founding principles during the chaos created by the coronavirus pandemic.

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How Insider Trading Hides Behind a Barely Noticed Rule

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 14:04:03 GMT

A new study co-authored by Wharton’s Daniel Taylor finds evidence of insider trading abuses by company executives and urges tighter rules for disclosures and longer cooling-off periods.

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Why Canada Took the Top Spot on This Year’s ‘Best Countries’ List

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 12:21:32 GMT

Wharton’s David Reibstein explains why Canada the U.S. and South Korea pulled ahead while others fell behind in the 2021 Best Countries Report.

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Why Some Retailers Succeed Despite Big Disruptions

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 16:58:23 GMT

In an updated and expanded edition of her book ‘The Shopping Revolution ’ Wharton’s Barbara Kahn examines the retailers that have been most successful during the pandemic and in the face of other enormous changes in the industry.

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Want to Make Retail Customers Happy? Give Them a ‘Wow’ Experience

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 13:31:02 GMT

What defines a “wow” depends on the shopper and type of store but hassle-free customer support is at the top of the list according to a recent study from Wharton’s Baker Retailing Center and The Verde Group.

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Why Older Americans Are Taking on More Debt

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 11:02:37 GMT

A new study that finds older Americans are struggling with debt underscores the importance of financial literacy says Wharton’s Olivia S. Mitchell.

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Biden’s Infrastructure Plan: Who Are the Winners and Losers?

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 16:04:22 GMT

Spending on stronger infrastructure and higher taxes will crowd out private investment ultimately reducing GDP according to the Penn Wharton Budget Model.

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Who Is Shaping the Future of Autos – Tech Firms or Automakers?

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 14:59:33 GMT

Technology firms are the drivers of disruption across industries but things will play out differently for automobiles according to Wharton’s John Paul MacDuffie.

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Zoom Meetings Are Here to Stay: Can We Beat the Fatigue?

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 11:16:28 GMT

The struggle with Zoom fatigue is real. Wharton’s Iwan Barankay explains some of the unintended consequences of videoconferencing.

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Less Is More: Redefining the Luxury Goods Market

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 10:09:06 GMT

Conspicuous consumption is giving way to a new ethos called ”minimalist luxury.” Wharton’s Pinar Yildirim and Z. John Zhang explain how the makers of high-end goods can respond to this market trend.

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A ‘Small but Mighty’ VC Firm Invests in Equity

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 12:21:13 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein talks with Stefanie Thomas from Impact America Fund which has raised $55 million to invest in companies that benefit underserved communities.

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What Are the Long-term Costs of Virtual Schooling?

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 13:42:52 GMT

Black and low-income students face the highest reduction in lifetime earnings from school closures according to a report from the Penn Wharton Budget Model.

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Are You Ready for the Hybrid Workplace?

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 13:47:23 GMT

The post-pandemic hybrid workplace will create a power differential that needs to be managed carefully. Wharton’s Martine Haas explains how to minimize the risks.

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Why Teams Are the Key to Beating Burnout

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 11:29:31 GMT

Author Paula Davis talks about her new book from Wharton School Press ‘Beating Burnout at Work ’ and how teams and their leaders can create cultures that prevent burnout.

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How Can the Luxury Industry Become More Inclusive?

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 09:43:03 GMT

During a recent Leading Diversity@Wharton event Wharton’s Stephanie Creary spoke with two DEI experts from luxury firms about how the industry can truly commit to the principles of diversity equity and inclusion.

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Fintech Charters: What Does the Future Hold?

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 13:42:27 GMT

Allowing Big Tech and other large corporations to set up banks would fundamentally alter the banking landscape in the U.S. says Wharton’s David Zaring in an interview with Wharton Business Daily on SiriusXM.

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Moving the Middle: How to Get More People to Take Vaccines

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 13:45:50 GMT

A new study led by experts from Wharton and Penn offers practical suggestions to get those who are hesitant about vaccines off the fence.

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Think Twice Before Paying Off Your Mortgage Early

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 13:17:55 GMT

Wharton finance professor Michael R. Roberts explains why some homeowners should consider investing any extra money they have rather than using it to make additional mortgage payments.

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How Could the U.S. Vaccine Rollout Be Improved?

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 14:31:27 GMT

Centralization is key to streamlining the process and speeding up vaccination efforts says Wharton’s Gad Allon in an interview with Wharton Business Daily on SiriusXM.

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How Economic Recovery Hinges on the Vaccine Rollout

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 12:54:36 GMT

Doubling COVID-19 vaccine doses to 3 million a day could boost U.S. employment and GDP according to a Penn Wharton Budget Model analysis.

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Keeping Workers Safe: What Do the Numbers Say?

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 10:59:43 GMT

Essential workers have a 55% greater chance of contracting COVID-19 compared with nonessential workers according to a recent study by Independence Blue Cross and Penn.

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GameStop Fallout: Why Regulation Could Hurt Index Investing

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 15:23:08 GMT

Regulators looking to prevent stock price manipulation must not harm the price discovery process that indexers depend on says Wharton’s David Musto in an interview with Wharton Business Daily on SiriusXM.

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What’s Mine Is Ours: How Consumption Is Changing

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 12:09:51 GMT

Firms benefit when consumers feel they “own” a product. But in the sharing economy goods and services are becoming more experiential and impermanent. New research co-authored by Wharton’s Deborah Small explains this shift and offers marketing strategies to help preserve that feeling of “mine.”

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How Artificial Intelligence Can Slow the Spread of COVID-19

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 10:51:27 GMT

A new machine-learning approach to COVID-19 testing that was developed by Wharton’s Hamsa Bastani and other experts has produced encouraging results in Greece by identifying more asymptomatic infected travelers than what conventional random testing would have achieved.

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How Biases Influence CEOs Throughout Their Careers

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 13:53:08 GMT

CEOs often have a tailwind of strong performance and are expected to be more rational and objective than others. However they are equally vulnerable to biases according to new research co-authored by Wharton’s Marius Guenzel.

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Why Early 401(k) Withdrawals Are a Bad Idea

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 10:31:13 GMT

Policymakers are exploring every option to get money in the hands of people to help them cope during the pandemic. But premature penalty-free withdrawals from retirement accounts could prove too costly down the road says Wharton’s Olivia S. Mitchell.

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Beyond the Business Case for Diversity: What Leaders Must Do

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 16:38:41 GMT

Scholars David A. Thomas and Robin J. Ely talk with Wharton’s Katherine Klein about why the business case for diversity takes pressure off leaders to create a real culture of inclusion.

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Building Diversity into the Venture Capital Ecosystem

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 13:09:02 GMT

During a recent Leading Diversity@Wharton event Wharton’s Stephanie Creary spoke with venture capital experts about the funding gap faced by minority and female founders.

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Business Model Innovation Matters More Than Ever

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 17:09:53 GMT

A new book by Wharton’s Raphael (“Raffi”) Amit and Christoph Zott from IESE Business School guides business leaders on how to craft a winning business model innovation strategy for the long game of disruption.

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How COVID-19 Created a Health Care Backlog

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 16:49:58 GMT

A new study co-authored by Wharton’s Hummy Song found the number of mammograms declined sharply during the first few months of the pandemic creating a queue that still hasn’t cleared.

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How ‘Trading Frenzies’ Affect the Real Economy

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 15:34:34 GMT

Coordinated attacks on a stock could impair a firm’s ability to raise capital and lower its valuation says Wharton’s Itay Goldstein.

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‘Making Money Moral’: How New Collaborations Are Changing Capitalism

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 09:00:49 GMT

A new book from Wharton School Press explores a growing movement to unlock private-sector investments in new ways to solve global problems.

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Where Biden’s $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Plan Will Fall Short

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 18:13:14 GMT

The Biden relief package leaves little headroom for economic growth and job gains according to the Penn Wharton Budget Model.

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What’s Next for Jeff Bezos and Amazon?

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 12:44:02 GMT

CEO succession is routine in business but Amazon isn’t like other companies. Wharton’s Mike Useem and Barbara Kahn discuss the transition of Jeff Bezos.

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What Makes Some Ads More Shareable Than Others?

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 10:57:18 GMT

Millions tune into the NFL Super Bowl each year to watch the game’s entertaining advertisements. A new study co-authored by Wharton’s Jonah Berger shines light on the emotions that make people more likely to share what they see.

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What Wall Street’s ‘Short Squeeze’ Means for Investors and Regulators

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 15:33:05 GMT

Regulators have no clear options in controlling social media-led speculation in stock prices say Wharton experts.

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What Makes Songs Popular? It’s All About ‘You’

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 13:32:35 GMT

Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger explains why songs with the word “you” are more successful with consumers and what that could mean for other products.

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The Power of People: Why Philanthropy Requires More Than Money

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:10:57 GMT

Brigitte Hoyer Gosselink of Google.org talks with Wharton’s Katherine Klein about how the tech giant’s philanthropic arm leverages financial and human capital to help nonprofits around the world.

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Leading Diversity: How Firms Can Walk the Talk

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 16:02:44 GMT

As part of the Leading Diversity at Work series Wharton’s Stephanie Creary talks to IBM Global Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Carla Grant Pickens about the company’s efforts to create change both inside and outside the office.

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Will Biden’s $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Plan Work?

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 13:42:20 GMT

President-elect Joe Biden’s proposed stimulus package is comprehensive and will likely help to move the economy forward but direct payments could be better targeted to those in need say Wharton experts.

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How the U.S. Capitol Attack Is Changing Corporate Values

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 09:40:11 GMT

The violent storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6 was a “watershed moment” for corporations to reexamine their role in a democracy Wharton’s Michael Useem says in an interview with Wharton Business Daily on SiriusXM.

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Which Companies Are Winning in China?

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 09:29:27 GMT

In their book ’Winning in China ’ Wharton’s Lele Sang and Karl Ulrich explore the successes and failures of several well-known companies in their attempts to enter China’s market of 1.4 billion consumers.

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Will Parler Prevail in Its Antitrust Case Against Amazon?

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 14:05:07 GMT

Wharton’s Herbert Hovenkamp explains why far-right social media platform Parler faces an uphill court battle in proving that Amazon violated antitrust laws.

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Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Ask Sensitive Questions

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 13:27:41 GMT

New research co-authored by Wharton’s Maurice Schweitzer reveals that most people don’t really mind answering sensitive questions and asking them doesn’t leave a bad impression.

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How Diverse Boards Can Help Close the Wealth Gap

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 11:27:34 GMT

John W. Rogers Jr. founder of Ariel Investments talks with Wharton’s Stephanie Creary about his lifelong effort to get more people of color into boardrooms and key leadership roles.

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How Inclusion Helps Companies Succeed

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 15:30:55 GMT

During a recent Leading Diversity@Wharton event Wharton’s Stephanie Creary spoke with three authors whose books offer deep insights into diversity and inclusion in business.

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Why the Growth of Impact Investing Depends on Data

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 12:16:10 GMT

A lack of data has hampered knowledge of how and whether impact investors achieve their goals. Wharton’s Katherine Klein talks with Harvard’s Shawn Cole and Chicago Booth’s Robert Gertner about how their collaboration will change that.

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How Institutional Reforms Can Power Startups

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 10:56:03 GMT

Venture accelerators see higher numbers of quality startups in countries that lower entry growth and exit barriers according to new research by Wharton’s Valentina Assenova.

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Should Employers Make the COVID-19 Vaccine Mandatory?

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 17:16:10 GMT

Instead of mandating vaccination firms should remove any barriers to access and apply other forms of encouragement says Wharton’s Iwan Barankay.

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What Will It Take to Distribute the COVID-19 Vaccine?

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 13:51:15 GMT

The worldwide distribution of the first vaccines to fight COVID-19 will require unprecedented teamwork says Wharton’s Gad Allon.

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How Student Loan Forgiveness Could Increase Inequality

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 13:30:13 GMT

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s promise to forgive student debt might have the unintended consequence of worsening economic inequality according to new research co-authored by Wharton’s Sylvain Catherine.

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How Mentorship Opens the Path to Opportunity

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 14:00:30 GMT

Alan Bowser co-head of the Americas Region at Bridgewater Associates talks with Wharton’s Stephanie Creary about the importance of mentorship and making opportunities available to minorities in the workplace.

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The Omnichannel Dilemma: How Retailers Can Get It Right

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 12:38:00 GMT

New research from Wharton’s Santiago Gallino and Robert Rooderkerk of Erasmus University offers companies practical advice on how to develop new products that are ready to compete in an omnichannel world.

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Why Trump’s Visa Ban Cost Fortune 500 Firms $100 Billion

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 10:04:27 GMT

Eroded stock valuations reflect investor concerns that talent shortages hurt productivity and innovation says Wharton’s Britta Glennon who has co-authored a new research paper on the topic.

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Does the U.S. Need Universal Health Care?

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 09:22:47 GMT

Wharton’s Robert Hughes explains the moral and social benefits of universal health care and how such a system might look in the U.S.

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How to Be an Inclusive Leader

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 13:10:16 GMT

As part of the Leading Diversity@Wharton speaker series Dean Erika James and AT&T Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Corey Anthony spoke with Wharton’s Stephanie Creary about inclusive leadership in times of crisis.

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What Role Should Insurers Play in Covering Pandemic Business Losses?

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 10:10:55 GMT

For many small businesses such as restaurants the denial of insurance claims for COVID-19 losses spells bankruptcy and closure. Public-private partnerships could help provide a solution says Wharton’s Howard Kunreuther.

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COVID-19 and the Myth of Urban Flight

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 10:02:09 GMT

A small percentage of city dwellers are flocking to the suburbs during the coronavirus pandemic but that won’t reverse a 20-year trend toward urbanization in the U.S. according to Wharton’s Jessie Handbury.

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Jeremy Siegel: What’s Ahead for the Stock Market?

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 15:20:31 GMT

Encouraging news on a COVID-19 vaccine a good election outcome and strong liquidity are positive signs for the year ahead says Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel.

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What Will Persuade People to Take a Vaccine?

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 14:51:36 GMT

Behavioral scientists at Wharton and Penn are studying the best communication strategies that nudge people into getting vaccinated for the flu with implications for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Conscious Capitalism: Giving All Stakeholders a Seat at the Table

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 12:04:29 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein talks to Vital Farms investor Karl Khoury and CEO Russell Diez-Canseco about how stakeholders benefit from the ethical pursuit of profit.

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Gamification Is Changing How We Work -- and Succeed

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 12:41:19 GMT

From motivating employees to maintaining healthy habits games can help us achieve our goals in surprising ways say the authors of the revised and updated edition of ‘For the Win.’

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How Gaming Can Help Learners of All Ages

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 15:12:25 GMT

Wharton Interactive co-founders Sarah Toms and Ethan Mollick are creating the next generation of game-based learning experiences that democratize education and make lessons more memorable.

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If Pandemic Productivity Is Up Why Is Innovation Slowing Down?

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 14:18:14 GMT

The majority of employees working from home during the pandemic are just as productive but they aren’t collaborating as effectively as before according to a new study overseen by Wharton management professor Michael Parke.

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How the Biden Administration Could Tackle Climate Change

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 07:58:59 GMT

Rejoining the Paris Climate Accord will be a positive step but options for the new administration will be limited to regulatory tweaks without control of Congress says Wharton’s Brain Berkey.

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How Misinformation Hurts Democracy

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 13:35:18 GMT

While overtly fake news generated by bogus websites can be dangerous there’s greater harm in subtle misinformation that spreads through mainstream media according to new research.

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Startups Are Finding the Sweet Spot in a Downturn

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 12:14:32 GMT

Small business formation is booming during this pandemic but startups need buffers against a second or third wave of the virus says Wharton’s Ethan Mollick.

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Why Mispricing the Risks of Sea Level Rise Could Prove Costly

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 10:09:00 GMT

A lead-lag pattern between home sales volumes and prices is delaying a day of reckoning for homeowners in Florida’s coastal communities a Wharton study warns.

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Neuroscience Can Help You Become a Better Leader

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 12:59:51 GMT

Not everyone is a born leader but a new book by Wharton’s Michael Platt says that neuroscience can provide the tools to become one.

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How Incubators Help Entrepreneurs Succeed

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 16:14:54 GMT

Research by Wharton’s Valentina Assenova shows that disadvantaged entrepreneurs can grow their companies significantly in terms of revenue and employment by working with incubators.

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Bridging Social Justice and the Financial Markets

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 15:26:30 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein talks to Adasina founder and CEO Rachel Robasciotti about her firm’s mission to change the planet through more ethical investing.

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Will Consumers Spend or Save This Holiday Season?

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:04:40 GMT

Retail sales will see modest growth over a holiday season marked by the uneven spending habits of consumers affected by the pandemic according to experts.

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How Data Science Can Win the Debate on Police Reform

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 10:57:29 GMT

Rooting out racial bias in law enforcement starts with better data according to Wharton’s Dean Knox and Princeton’s Jonathan Mummolo. Their research is bringing hard science to the emotional debate on police reform.

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When Should Schools Reopen?

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 09:15:23 GMT

A Penn Wharton Budget Model analysis provides policymakers with a framework to weigh the cost of COVID-19 infections in a community against students’ loss of future income due to lower quality education.

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Making Good Decisions: A Toolkit

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 11:38:57 GMT

Wharton’s Katy Milkman talks with author Annie Duke about her new book that provides tools for readers who want to make smart decisions in any situation.

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How to Get Voters Off the Fence? With a Soft Touch

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 10:04:57 GMT

Whether it’s marketing a product or winning an election change agents never succeed by forcing their beliefs on others says Wharton’s Jonah Berger.

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What Drives Household Bankruptcy?

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 14:44:46 GMT

New research by Wharton’s Sasha Indarte suggests that people file for bankruptcy not because of what they gain in debt relief but because they lack cash on hand.

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Why Low Interest Rates Hurt Retirees

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 09:43:48 GMT

Lower returns on investments could mean that retirees save less dip into retirement funds or collect Social Security benefits earlier than planned says Wharton’s Olivia S. Mitchell.

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Disaster Relief: Why the Poor Need Higher Priority

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 14:34:50 GMT

Current federal policies are inadequate for the most vulnerable communities when disasters strike. Wharton’s Carolyn Kousky explains why prioritizing low-income families is key to disaster recovery.

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How Gender Lens Investing Is Gaining Ground

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 11:54:24 GMT

A new report from the Wharton Social Impact Initiative and Catalyst at Large finds a dramatic increase in gender lens investing over the last few years a strong indication that the financial sector is working to balance a legacy of lopsided investments.

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How the Pandemic Is Affecting Working Mothers

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 10:34:43 GMT

A high number of working mothers are leaving their jobs during the pandemic which is exacerbating gender inequality. Solving the problem starts with better policies to support them Wharton’s Janice Bellace says.

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How Retailers Can Salvage Customer Loyalty

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 15:50:51 GMT

Shoppers are losing patience with retailers during the pandemic according to a new study that finds significant dissatisfaction with both in-store and online purchases. Wharton’s Tom Robertson explains how retailers can win them back.

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Three Steps for Creating a More Equitable Workplace

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 11:23:50 GMT

As part of the Leading Diversity at Work series Wharton’s Stephanie Creary talks with Kwasi Mitchell of Deloitte Consulting about how executives middle managers and employees can contribute to diversity and inclusion initiatives.

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COVID Crisis: Balancing Health Care and Economic Policy

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 08:35:06 GMT

The pandemic has disproportionately hurt weaker segments of society. Wharton’s Guy David discusses why that needs to be addressed.

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Can Election Polls Be Trusted?

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:33:03 GMT

Predictive analytics are invaluable in business but they have proven faulty in politics. Wharton’s Abraham (Adi) Wyner shares three reasons why election poll results don’t always match the outcome especially in presidential races.

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A Breakdown of the Biden Policy Platform: Five Key Takeaways

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 16:02:18 GMT

A Penn Wharton Budget Model analysis of U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden’s policy platform finds that his proposals would increase spending over the next decade by $5.37 trillion but in the long run would reduce the federal debt and boost GDP.

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Rebranding the NFL: How the League Shifted Its Message on Racial Justice

Fri, 11 Sep 2020 16:21:37 GMT

In a stark turnabout the NFL is now embracing the same goals of social justice and racial equality that cost quarterback Colin Kaepernick his football career. Experts explain the change and why other brands should follow suit.

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What Will the World Look Like in 2030?

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 09:49:58 GMT

Big economic technological and demographic changes are coming and the pandemic is accelerating many of them Wharton’s Mauro Guillen says in his new book.

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Getting the Job Done: How Immigrants Expand the U.S. Economy

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 09:40:23 GMT

Immigrant workers put pressure on the U.S. labor supply but foreign-born entrepreneurs also create jobs that increase labor demand according to new research co-authored by Wharton’s Daniel Kim.

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Why Is the Stock Market So Strong When the Economy Is Weak?

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 19:51:00 GMT

High-performing stocks don’t reflect the economic woes stemming from the pandemic and the Fed has played a role in keeping prices high explains Wharton’s Itay Goldstein.

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Coping with non-COVID Patients: An Operations Management Model

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 12:41:20 GMT

Wharton’s Hummy Song and a group of health care experts created a four-point strategy for hospitals straining under the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Can Tesla Maintain Its Momentum?

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 17:02:25 GMT

If the company can scale its output and fend off competition from established automakers the answer is yes according to Wharton’s Rahul Kapoor.

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Advancing Economic Justice: How the Ford Foundation Is Investing in Diversity

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 13:26:25 GMT

Roy Swan of the Ford Foundation talks to Wharton’s Katherine Klein about how his organization is using its endowment to help reduce racial disparities in investing.

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How Social Media Is Shaping Political Campaigns

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 16:31:27 GMT

Political newcomers can leverage social media to raise money and gain recognition which could help them compete against incumbents according to new research co-authored by Wharton’s Pinar Yildirim.

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Why Inclusion Starts in the C-suite

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 16:07:50 GMT

As part of the Leading Diversity at Work series Wharton’s Stephanie Creary talks with global diversity expert Gwen Houston about why senior executives must lead inclusion efforts.

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The High Cost of Returns: Should Retailers Rethink Their Policies?

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 16:28:08 GMT

Easy returns are great for shoppers but they are becoming a bigger financial liability for stores. New research co-authored by Wharton’s Thomas S. Robertson explains why it’s time for retailers to rethink their liberal return policies.

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Too Much of a Good Thing? The Perils of Overconfidence

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 13:35:57 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Milkman talks with Don Moore from the University of California Berkeley about his new book ’Perfectly Confident’ and what happens when our confidence level doesn’t match up with reality.

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Investing in ‘Rockstars’: How One Fund Is Building Businesses with Women of Color

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 13:27:30 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Klein speaks with Gayle Jennings-O’Byrne and Pialy Aditya who are using their early-stage investment fund to boost tech startups owned by women of color.

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Leading Diversity: Why Listening and Learning Come Before Strategy

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 11:01:47 GMT

As part of a new series called “Leading Diversity at Work ” Wharton’s Stephanie Creary and global diversity expert Rohini Anand discuss what it takes to create an inclusive culture.

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Forget the Myths: How Entrepreneurs Can Succeed in Real Life

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 09:00:14 GMT

Wharton’s Ethan Mollick talks about his new book ’The Unicorn’s Shadow’ and the myths that hold entrepreneurs back.

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What Poker Can Teach Us about Making the World a Better Place

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 15:59:35 GMT

Wharton’s Katherine Milkman talks with psychologist Maria Konnikova about her new book ‘The Biggest Bluff ’ and how we can make decisions in an environment in which we have very little control.

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Why Nurturing Talent Will Help Companies Survive the Pandemic

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 14:45:19 GMT

Great leaders develop talent on a continuous basis according to Tuck School of Business professor Sydney Finkelstein. In a conversation with Wharton’s Peter Cappelli he explains why that’s more important than ever.

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Do Long Waiting Times for Voting Put Democracy on the Line?

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 19:12:59 GMT

Research by Wharton’s Gerard Cachon explores how the principles of operations management can help explain voter behavior and strengthen democracy.

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Navigating a Crisis: Why Company Culture Is Key

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 12:24:52 GMT

Amway CEO Milind Pant discusses the importance of “leading from the heart” and the lessons he’s learned during the coronavirus pandemic.

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How COVID-19 Is Changing the Way Global Firms Communicate

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 10:37:17 GMT

Lori Ryerkerk chairman president and CEO at Celanese recently spoke with Wharton’s Peter Cappelli about how the pandemic is reshaping her company’s culture and her own leadership style.

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Crashing U.S. Auto Sales: Can the Industry Recover?

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 09:39:27 GMT

Vehicle sales in the United States have fallen to levels not seen since the Great Recession a decade ago. As the economy begins to open up again the industry’s recovery will depend on a number of factors according to Wharton’s John Paul MacDuffie.

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Why ‘Growing the Pie’ Can Help Firms Deliver Purpose and Profit

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 13:48:01 GMT

Growth in investors’ fortunes does not necessarily have to be at the expense of other stakeholders according to a new book by London Business School professor Alex Edmans.

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How the Pandemic Can Lead to a More Sustainable Future

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 14:20:34 GMT

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic policymakers have a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to lead the way towards a low-carbon future says Lord Greg Barker executive chairman of En+ Group and former member of U.K. Parliament.

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How an ‘Employees First’ Pandemic Response Pays Off

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 13:41:17 GMT

When the coronavirus pandemic began PriceSmart CEO Sherry Bahrambeygui reset the company’s culture and found more productive ways to get things done. In a recent conversation with Wharton’s Mike Useem she shared what she has learned.

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Pulling Through the Pandemic: Advice for Entrepreneurs

Tue, 26 May 2020 09:39:25 GMT

Wharton’s Karl Ulrich offers guidance for entrepreneurs trying to make it to the other side of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Why Consumers Are Willing to Share Personal Information on Smartphones

Tue, 26 May 2020 09:21:13 GMT

New Wharton research explores why consumers are more willing to share personal information when communicating on a smartphone compared with a computer.

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Will the Pandemic Cause Food Shortages?

Tue, 19 May 2020 14:31:51 GMT

What’s behind the continually bare shelves at grocery stores in some U.S. cities? Wharton experts explain how the crisis has caused supply chain disruptions.

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Pandemic Playbook: What Health Care Leaders Can Learn from Management Research

Tue, 12 May 2020 09:16:35 GMT

Wharton’s Lawton R. Burns and Ingrid Nembhard have co-authored a five-point strategy guide for health care leaders during these uncertain times.

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Help Where It’s Needed: How Grass Roots Organizations Are Making a Difference

Fri, 08 May 2020 10:23:59 GMT

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic volunteer organizations like Off Their Plate are making an impact on several fronts.

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Working from Home: Navigating the Pandemic’s New Normal

Mon, 04 May 2020 11:19:17 GMT

The COVID-19 crisis has forced millions of employees to work from home. Wharton’s Nancy Rothbard offers suggestions for how workers and employers can adjust to the new reality.

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Earth Day 2020: COVID-19 Reminds Us Why Science Matters

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 10:09:38 GMT

Fifty years ago the first Earth Day was inspired by a scientist. The pandemic teaches us to seek refuge in science again writes Wharton’s Eric W. Orts.

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When Cash Is Tight Should You Borrow from Retirement Savings?

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 14:02:54 GMT

Explore all options before tapping your retirement account -- even in the midst of an economic downturn like the one we are facing Wharton experts advise.

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What Contributes Most to Consumer Financial Distress?

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 21:46:37 GMT

New research coauthored by Wharton’s Benjamin Keys looks at the roles geographic location and individual characteristics play in the financial struggles of consumers.

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When Will the Jobs Return?

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 12:15:28 GMT

Industries such as leisure and hospitality might bounce back sooner than others but lower demand suggests more layoffs could be on the way say experts at Wharton.

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What the COVID-19 Curve Can Teach Us about Climate Change

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 10:19:25 GMT

Much like flattening the curve on COVID-19 the world must act now to lessen the cumulative effects of climate change says Wharton’s Howard Kunreuther.

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Are U.S. Banks Strong Enough to Weather the Downturn?

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 13:58:21 GMT

As banks process relief loans regulatory latitude and bad debts could prove to be their undoing warns Wharton’s David Zaring.

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How the Pandemic Could Affect Income Inequality

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 15:09:53 GMT

Wharton’s Benjamin Lockwood offers insight about how the $2.2 trillion federal stimulus package could change the economy when the United States emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.

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Will the $2.2 Trillion Coronavirus Aid Package Be Enough?

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 08:44:40 GMT

Economic recovery in the U.S. will be slow and require continued relief beyond the current measures according to experts at Wharton.

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Triage in a Pandemic: Can AI Help Ration Access to Care?

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 16:29:29 GMT

As demand soars during the COVID-19 pandemic shortages of ventilators and ICU beds are forcing doctors to make tough choices about who should get priority in access to care. Can artificial intelligence help guide the process? Gregory P. Shea Krzysztof “Kris” Laudanski and Cassie A. Solomon discuss this complex question.

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How Far Could the Fed Go in Responding to COVID-19?

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 22:02:10 GMT

The Federal Reserve has shown agility and speed in its attempts to protect the U.S. economy in the wake of the pandemic but it would do well to steer clear of a policy-making role say experts.

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Coronavirus and Supply Chain Disruption: What Firms Can Learn

Tue, 17 Mar 2020 14:17:46 GMT

From diversified sourcing to inventory buffers Wharton experts weigh various risk-mitigation strategies businesses could employ to prevent disruptions like those we have seen during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Why the ‘Rothification’ of 401(k)s Would Hurt Retirees

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 11:48:46 GMT

New research co-authored by Wharton’s Olivia S. Mitchell shows that taxing 401(k) contributions instead of taxing payouts -- similar to the way Roth IRAs work -- could backfire.

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Stock Shock: What Lies Ahead for Global Markets?

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 14:24:42 GMT

As the double whammy of the coronavirus crisis and an oil price war roils global markets what should investors do? Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel and Moody’s Mark Zandi offer their insights.

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Coronavirus: How Emotional Contagion Exacts a Toll

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 10:56:04 GMT

Wharton’s Sigal Barsade explains how to stop emotional contagion which often spreads during major events such as the coronavirus outbreak.

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What Parents Can Learn about Leadership

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 10:00:52 GMT

A new book co-authored by Wharton’s Stewart Friedman aims to empower parents with leadership best practices.

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The Lobster Mac ’n’ Cheese Mystery: Why Brands Mix High with Low

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 16:48:23 GMT

From designer street wear to lobster macaroni and cheese mixing high-end products with low-end elements is a big trend in marketing. New research coauthored by Wharton’s Jonah Berger examines why that’s happening and what it means for brands.

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Coronavirus Disaster: Why Firms Should Lead the Recovery

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 12:39:15 GMT

Firms can play a critical role in the recovery from natural disasters by leveraging their core competencies say Wharton’s Michael Useem and Tyler Wry and Luis Ballesteros of George Washington University.

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How Undisclosed SEC Investigations Lead to Insider Trading

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 16:20:45 GMT

Based on data on every formal SEC investigation between 2000 and 2017 research by Wharton’s Daniel Taylor and his co-authors shows that investors lose when companies keep information about investigations under wraps.

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Changing Communities: How to Bring Fairness into Finance

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 09:42:28 GMT

Georgetown University’s Beeck Center has developed a framework with metrics to enable equitable investments in distressed communities.

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Will India’s Budget Help Turn Around Its Economy?

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 17:25:53 GMT

India’s economy is in dire straits -- but the latest Union Budget did little to address problems of slow growth and unemployment according to experts.

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Why Omni-channel Personalization Is the Future of Marketing

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 13:15:37 GMT

Rajesh Jain founder of Netcore Solutions says companies must focus on finding and keeping their best customers.

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Why Don’t Women Promote Themselves?

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 13:47:46 GMT

New research from Wharton’s Judd Kessler and Harvard’s Christine Exley finds a striking gender gap in self-promotion with women consistently underplaying their accomplishments at work.

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PGIM’s David Hunt: Why Investment Firms Need a Meritocratic Culture

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 18:01:09 GMT

In most investment firms important decisions are made by senior leaders. But it is more effective to have managers closer to the ground make these calls says David Hunt president and CEO of PGIM.

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Does Testosterone Reduce Cognitive Empathy? Research Says No

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 11:15:50 GMT

New research co-authored by Wharton’s Gideon Nave challenges a decade-old theory about a potential cause for autism by showing that administering testosterone doesn’t affect cognitive empathy.

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Can Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All Plan Work?

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 16:01:47 GMT

The plan would improve health and longevity in the U.S. but its impact on GDP would depend on how it’s financed according to a new analysis from the Penn Wharton Budget Model.

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Al Shirawi Group’s Mohan Valrani: ‘In Gratitude You Will Find Peace’

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 19:09:31 GMT

Mohan Valrani cofounder of the Al Shirawi Group one of the largest private conglomerates in the UAE looks back on his career and shares the lessons he feels matter most.

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‘Best Countries’ 2020: Which Nations Ranked Highest -- and Why?

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 09:30:17 GMT

The annual ranking of the world’s best countries offers keen insight into global branding. Wharton’s David Reibstein discusses which nations came out on top – and which are the ones to watch.

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How to Recession-proof Your Retirement

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 09:22:47 GMT

Pay down debt defer big expenses invest prudently and consider cutting the cable cord Wharton experts advise.

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How the Fortunes of a Small Number of Firms Can Drive Recessions

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 10:55:27 GMT

The fortunes of a small set of firms hold powerful pointers to the health of the industries they represent and also the broader economy according to new Wharton research.

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Why Social Enterprises Must Use Data to Drive Outcomes

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 09:12:29 GMT

Funders of educational and social initiatives want to see measurable results says Cicero Group’s Trent Kaufman.

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Can Universal Basic Income Work?

Fri, 17 Jan 2020 16:36:32 GMT

Are guaranteed payments to every citizen a solution to the widening wealth gap or a detriment to the long-term health of the economy? A pilot program in Stockton California is aiming to find some answers.

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What’s Ahead for the U.S. Housing Market in 2020?

Fri, 17 Jan 2020 09:32:37 GMT

Low interest rates and rising demand from millennials should bolster the market in the year ahead even while housing supply continues to run short say experts.

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How Superstition Triggers Stock Price Volatility

Tue, 14 Jan 2020 11:31:25 GMT

Superstition-driven investment behavior is often responsible for the high volatility in stock prices according to new Wharton research.

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The Downside of QE: What Central Banks Should Do Differently

Tue, 14 Jan 2020 09:09:56 GMT

The Fed and other central bankers need to revisit quantitative easing strategies to achieve a broad-based impact and incentivize business investments according to new Wharton research.

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Hard Negotiations: Why a Softer Approach Yields Better Outcomes

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 12:57:52 GMT

Using strong-arm negotiation tactics may get you a good deal but doing so could also harm your long-term working relationship with the other party leaving you worse off according to Wharton research.

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How the Digital Era Is Nudging Universities to Adopt a B2B Model

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 10:26:06 GMT

The traditional education ecosystem needs a mindset change to prepare for the new imperative of lifelong learning says Infosys President Ravi Kumar.

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What Investors Need to Watch for in 2020

Tue, 07 Jan 2020 11:56:45 GMT

Reduced central bank liquidity injections higher asset prices and increased volatility are some of the risks investors face in the year ahead according to Allianz’s Mohamed El-Erian and Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel.

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India’s Economy: When Will the Elephant Dance?

Fri, 03 Jan 2020 17:03:09 GMT

India’s economic engine is sputtering. The Modi government needs to focus single-mindedly on getting the economy back on track says Duvvuri Subbarao former governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

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Why Self-awareness Is the Key to More Effective Team Discussions

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 15:38:57 GMT

New Wharton research shows that when people are trying to solve problems the most effective team discussions happen when participants know what they know – and what they don’t.

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Is Elizabeth Warren’s Wealth Tax Proposal Too Optimistic?

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 14:39:30 GMT

U.S. presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren’s plan to tax the ultra-rich could raise much less revenue than projected while also depressing GDP and wages according to a Penn Wharton Budget Model study.

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When It Comes to Advice It’s Better to Give Than Receive

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 14:14:56 GMT

New research by Wharton’s Behavior Change for Good Initiative shows that while offering advice benefits the receiver it also boosts the giver’s self-confidence.

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What’s the Link Between Mortgage Refinancing and Recessions?

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 04:02:38 GMT

Looking back 30 years research co-authored by Wharton’s Nikolai Roussanov finds a cyclical pattern of refinancing prior to recessionary periods.

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Sustaining Sustainability: How Small Actions Make a Big Difference

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 16:46:34 GMT

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability need to be strategic in order to benefit firms and society says C. B. Bhattacharya author of ’Small Actions Big Difference.’

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What Will You Need to Retire with Safety and Security?

Tue, 10 Dec 2019 13:22:33 GMT

Wade Pfau author of ’Safety-First Retirement Planning ’ suggests focusing on four Ls -- lifestyle longevity legacy and liquidity.

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Is Free Shipping Sustainable for Retailers?

Tue, 10 Dec 2019 04:10:33 GMT

Free shipping is great for shoppers but it’s becoming an increasingly significant cost for online sellers. Wharton’s Barbara Kahn and Ron Berman discuss the free-shipping conundrum faced by retailers large and small.

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Equal Health Care for All: A Philosopher’s Answer to a Political Question

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 17:13:12 GMT

An ethically sound health care system requires limits on the private sector says Wharton’s Robert Hughes.

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Can Uber Overcome Its Regulatory Obstacles?

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 14:07:41 GMT

Uber’s latest skirmish with London regulators which cost the company its license to operate in one of its most lucrative markets is the result of a flawed culture Wharton experts say.

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Mismatch: Why Workers Don’t Stay After an Acquisition

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 16:55:37 GMT

New research from Wharton’s Daniel Kim shows that employees of acquired companies are more likely to leave the merged firm than regular hires with similar resumes.

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Who Is Responsible for Biased and Intrusive Algorithms?

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 16:54:50 GMT

Machine learning algorithms don’t have a moral character. We need to know how to specify what we want say Michael Kearns and Aaron Roth co-authors of ’The Ethical Algorithm.’

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How We Can Put Civility Back into Civic Engagement

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 13:49:53 GMT

A new publication from Penn’s Center for High Impact Philanthropy offers a framework for strengthening democracy in an effort to reverse some troubling trends.

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Why Fintech Is Disrupting Traditional Banking

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 13:36:47 GMT

Fintechs are experiencing high growth as they target the pain points that customers experience with traditional banks according to BankMobile co-founder Luvleen Sidhu.

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Want Better Forecasting? Silence the Noise

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 12:15:13 GMT

Scholars have long focused on the effects of bias on the accuracy of predictions. But new research by Wharton’s Barbara Mellers and INSEAD’s Ville Satopӓӓ found that noise is a much bigger factor than expected.

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Machine Programming: What Lies Ahead?

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 16:01:57 GMT

Machine programming -- software that creates its own software -- is at an inflection point. It may redefine many industries says Intel’s Justin Gottschlich.

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The Next Legal Challenge: Getting Law Firms to Use Analytics

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 11:31:18 GMT

Lawyers are reluctant to use big data and predictive analytics partly because of the risk-averse nature of the legal field. But attorney Dave Walton and Wharton’s Raghuram Iyengar say the benefits are worth it.

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A Middle-class Tax Cut: Weighing the Costs and Benefits

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 13:27:54 GMT

Trump’s “Tax Cuts 2.0” would swell the federal debt but the U.S. economy would see both short- and long-term gains according to an analysis by the Penn Wharton Budget Model.

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Do Foreign Firms Thrive in Immigrant Enclaves? O Da!

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 14:59:28 GMT

New research coauthored by Wharton’s Exequiel (Zeke) Hernandez looks at why and under what circumstances foreign firms boost their performance when they move into areas inhabited by immigrants from their home countries.

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Why Ridesharing Reaps Unexpected Benefits

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 14:52:22 GMT

Ridesharing can be more than just transportation. Research co-authored by Wharton’s Lindsey Cameron reveals unexpected social and cultural benefits from what happens inside the car.

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Why Older Entrepreneurs Have the Edge

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 10:24:30 GMT

Research co-authored by Wharton’s Daniel Kim busts the popular myth that the most successful startups are founded by whiz kids.

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Medicare for All: Would It Work? And Who Would Pay?

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 10:19:33 GMT

Standardized health plans and a centralized clearinghouse would substantially ease the path for Medicare for All says Obamacare advisor and Penn professor Zeke Emanuel.

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Workplace Romance: Did McDonald’s Make the Right Call?

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 15:09:43 GMT

The recent firing of McDonald’s chief executive Steve Easterbrook over a workplace romance highlights a growing intolerance for inappropriate behavior that used to be overlooked.

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In the Digital Age How Companies Can Go from Vulnerable to Vigilant

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 17:05:04 GMT

Wharton’s George Day and co-author Paul Schoemaker discuss their new book on how companies can safeguard themselves against disruption in the digital age.

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Has the Sharing Economy Disrupted Marketing? Not Quite…

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 15:02:25 GMT

A new paper by Wharton’s Cait Lamberton offers guidance for marketers who must transform traditional practices and beliefs to fit the modern sharing economy.

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How Immigrant Entrepreneurs Pave the Way for Foreign VC Investments

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 12:24:24 GMT

Armed with knowledge and connections in their native countries first-generation immigrants help open the door for venture capitalists to make investments abroad according to new research coauthored by Wharton’s Exequiel Hernandez.

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Can India’s Economy Return to High Growth?

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 12:13:12 GMT

Gaurav Dalmia chairman of Dalmia Group Holdings a holding company for business and financial assets spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about the Indian economy opportunities and risks in private equity and his leadership journey.

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Why Digital Transformations Fail -- and How to Fix That

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 11:58:27 GMT

Author Tony Saldanha offers five steps for businesses that want to transition to digital but don’t know how.

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Untapped Opportunities: How Is Impact Investing Poised to Grow?

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 16:06:43 GMT

Tomorrow’s generations expect sustainability goals to be integral to investing and huge opportunities await impact investors say experts.

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Why Tax Changes Are Hurting the Housing Market

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 13:31:40 GMT

U.S. home prices are falling as the market absorbs the 2017 Tax Act changes. Meanwhile other factors are hampering the housing market and point to a potential recession ahead experts say.

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The Real Policy Wonks: How Economists Reshaped America

Thu, 17 Oct 2019 11:02:00 GMT

A new book from journalist Binyamin Appelbaum shows how economists evolved from overlooked number-crunchers to powerful influencers who reshaped American policy.

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Power Rankings: How the World Bank Influences Regulatory Policy

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 14:31:22 GMT

New research examines the influence of the World Bank’s ease of doing business indicator which affects policy through bureaucratic international and domestic political channels.

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Will Walmart’s Health Care Gamble Pay Off?

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 15:01:52 GMT

With its new suburban Atlanta health clinic Walmart is making a risky move into the provision of primary care services. Two experts discuss whether the strategy will benefit the company and its customers.

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Finding Your Voice: Why Confidence Is Key to Persuasion

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 12:08:05 GMT

Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger’s latest research on persuasive language puts some science behind the notion that it’s not what you say it’s how you say it.

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What Will the Airbus-Boeing Subsidy Dispute Mean for Consumers?

Mon, 14 Oct 2019 15:06:51 GMT

Subsidies and global supply chains are integral to making aircraft. But consumers will eventually pay in the fallout between Airbus and Boeing experts say.

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Fashion Fail: Where Did Forever 21 Go Wrong?

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 14:37:45 GMT

Three big mistakes led to Forever 21’s bankruptcy filing and could imperil the fast-fashion chain’s future experts say.

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All You Need Is Love: The Case for Bringing Greater Passion to Work

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 14:22:42 GMT

Workers have been conditioned to check their feelings at the door but love makes for better business all around says the author of a new book.

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GE’s Pension Freeze: Will It Help -- or Hurt?

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 13:13:01 GMT

GE’s move trims employee benefits and could depress morale as the company consolidates -- and struggles to find a sustainable new business model note Wharton experts.

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What’s Pushing China’s Tech Sector So Far Ahead?

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 15:53:09 GMT

Journalist and author Rebecca Fannin dives into what is behind China’s surging dominance in technology from social media to 5G.

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How Cost Management Needs to ‘Save to Transform’

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 14:10:15 GMT

Cost management in the digital age is about more than reducing costs or driving growth. It must be part of a larger transformation process that also includes digital technologies.

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Removing Human Bias from Predictive Modeling

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 13:55:56 GMT

Algorithms are supposed to be neutral but they are packed with the same biases built into the data used to create them. Wharton statistics professor James Johndrow has developed a method to remove those biases.

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Why the U.S. Needs a New Vision for Affordable Housing

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 13:32:13 GMT

With rents at all-time highs and house prices out of reach for many the squeeze is on to find affordable homes. A recent Wharton Public Policy Initiative brief looks at possible solutions.

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Why Good People Still Can’t Get Jobs

Fri, 04 Oct 2019 16:38:06 GMT

If employers are grumbling that they can’t find qualified applicants for vacancies they only have themselves to blame says Wharton management professor Peter Cappelli.

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The Opioid Crisis: Policy Solutions That Could Make an Impact

Fri, 04 Oct 2019 14:45:50 GMT

Relaxing some laws changing the kinds of treatments for which payers reimburse and lifting the stigma around opioid addiction would go a long way in addressing the epidemic experts say.

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What the Spider-Man Deal Means for Sony and Disney

Fri, 04 Oct 2019 10:46:00 GMT

Spider-Man will be staying in the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- for now. What will the Sony-Disney deal mean for the two companies and Spider-Man fans?

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Will a New California Law Level the Playing Field for College Athletes?

Thu, 03 Oct 2019 14:16:31 GMT

A new California law that allows for monetary compensation for student-athletes could spur a wave of changes to the status quo though experts expect the NCAA to be slow to adapt.

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Pull up a Chair: How Ethan Allen’s CEO Helped Build a Furniture Empire

Thu, 03 Oct 2019 11:03:20 GMT

Farooq Kathwari shares his remarkable life’s journey which has taken him from the politically divided region of Kashmir to Wall Street to the C-suite at Ethan Allen.

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Rough Ride: Looking Inside the Tumultuous Rise of Uber

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 14:28:39 GMT

In a new book New York Times reporter Mike Isaac chronicles the meteoric rise of Uber and the ultimate downfall of its hard-charging founder Travis Kalanick.

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How Will Israel’s Election Results Affect Its Economy?

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 15:09:49 GMT

Zvi Eckstein dean of the Tiomkin School of Economics at IDC Herzliya and a visiting professor at Wharton shares his insights on what lies ahead for the Israeli economy.

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How High Performers Can Boost Overall Team Productivity

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 13:31:00 GMT

New Wharton research finds that productivity increases when strong restaurant servers are paired with weaker ones with implications for how firms should approach teamwork.

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What Smart Manufacturers Know About Bundling Products and Services

Mon, 30 Sep 2019 17:06:37 GMT

Jeff Kavanaugh head of the Infosys Knowledge Institute explains why manufacturers are moving toward a more service-style strategy to build a longer relationship with consumers.

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Mindfulness at Work: A Little Bit Goes a Long Way

Mon, 30 Sep 2019 15:46:36 GMT

Mindfulness practiced just a few minutes each day makes employees more helpful and productive according to new Wharton research.

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Why a 1968 Paper Still Influences Modern Asset Management

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 16:25:30 GMT

A landmark 1968 paper discovered the relationship between earnings data and stock prices revolutionizing Wall Street forever. This year the paper’s authors received Wharton’s annual Jacobs Levy Prize.

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Why Kindness Is the Key to Improved Well-being

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 12:08:17 GMT

Can kindness love and a strong sense of community actually make you healthier and happier? Research says yes according to author Kelli Harding.

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Why More Working Families Are Turning to Public Health Insurance

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 16:23:41 GMT

The spiraling cost of health care is pushing more working families with employer-sponsored insurance to cover their kids through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program according to a recent study from the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania.

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Uncovering the ’Hidden Figures’ of Venture Capital in Silicon Valley

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 14:50:18 GMT

Author and journalist Julian Guthrie writes about the stories of four exceptional women VCs in her new book.

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Why More Rate Cuts Could Help Prevent a U.S. Recession

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 15:29:30 GMT

Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel interviews St. Louis Fed President James Bullard on monetary policy economic growth the inverted yield curve the repo rate spike and more.

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How One VC Cuts Through the Fintech Hype

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 15:06:35 GMT

Blockchain is overhyped cryptocurrencies are not feasible and cybersecurity is the biggest threat society faces according to QED’s Amias Gerety.

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The Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Case: What’s at Stake

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 16:23:42 GMT

Purdue Pharma has been accused of fueling the opioid epidemic with overly aggressive marketing practices for its OxyContin brand. What would a proposed settlement mean for the company and for opioid victims?

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How Restricting Skilled Immigration Could Spur Offshoring

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 16:07:28 GMT

When American companies were restricted from offering H1-B visas for highly skilled foreign workers they worked around the policy change by offshoring jobs according to research by Wharton’s Britta Glennon.

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Why a California Law Could Impact the Future of the Gig Economy

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 16:33:33 GMT

Experts say a new law expected to go into effect in California could transform a number of industries that reduce costs by relying on independent contractors.

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The GM Strike: What Are the Mounting Costs?

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 15:12:56 GMT

Striking GM workers are seeking to win back concessions the UAW made to the automaker during the Great Recession. But it will be tough for the two sides to come together experts said.

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Hate Broccoli? Why Your DNA Might Be to Blame

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 13:31:40 GMT

Why does one person love broccoli but another hate it? Your DNA has something to do with it according to a new book by Indiana University professor Bill Sullivan.

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Why Being a Celebrity Is Big Business

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 11:34:06 GMT

In her new book Columbia University professor Sharon Marcus traces the history of celebrity culture and shows how the biggest stars stay relevant by learning how to manipulate the media of their day.

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The Dangers of Vaping: Making the Case for Tighter Regulation

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 10:58:19 GMT

New research from Penn Medicine shows that just one instance of non-nicotine vaping stresses blood vessels highlighting the need for more regulation of the sector.

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Are Negative Interest Rates on the Way in the U.S.?

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 14:43:13 GMT

The U.S. could be headed for negative interest rate territory. Experts from Wharton and Michigan State University discuss the implications for the U.S. economy.

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How Data Analytics Can Drive Innovation

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 12:01:43 GMT

New Wharton research examines whether decentralized or centralized organizations are better at using data analytics to innovate.

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Curbing Climate Change: 30 Solutions That Could Make an Impact

Mon, 16 Sep 2019 16:22:43 GMT

A new report by experts at the University of Pennsylvania offers solution-oriented proposals for tackling climate change at the federal state and local levels.

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Responding to Natural Disasters: Is There a Better Way?

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 14:12:34 GMT

What can governments and non-governmental organizations do to better prepare for and aid countries in the recovery from devastating storms? The heads of two NGOs weigh in.

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What Will It Take to Rescue Argentina’s Economy?

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 14:48:18 GMT

If he wins in October presidential hopeful Alberto Fernandez is best positioned to introduce long-term economic reforms in Argentina say experts.

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Why Most Leadership Skills Are Learned

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 15:37:26 GMT

Former Aetna CEO Ron Williams draws on his years of management experience to offer leadership advice in his new book.

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Is Your Company Socially Responsible?

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 11:50:42 GMT

Corporate social responsibility is taking center stage as consumers care more about which firms they patronize. Experts Toby Usnik and Daniel Korschun explain why companies not on board will be left behind.

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Amazon’s Shipping Challenges: Will Out-of-the-box Solutions Work?

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 11:46:58 GMT

Torn between unsustainable delivery costs and its strategy of wooing customers with low prices Amazon will need to rethink its business model to ensure continued growth say experts.

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The Climate Change Debate: Will New Proposals Provide Any Solutions?

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 15:12:58 GMT

Wharton experts discuss climate change proposals from the 2020 presidential candidates.

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Can the ‘Supercharged’ Consumer Save Retail?

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 14:54:13 GMT

Digital retailers can reap significant financial benefits from opening physical stores according to new research from Wharton and Harvard.

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Why the We Company Looks Like the Me Company

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 14:38:52 GMT

Any analysis of WeWork’s potential IPO should begin by examining the management and governance structure and how that may impact the company writes Wharton’s David Erickson in this opinion piece.

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Can Cybercriminals Be Stopped?

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 09:27:15 GMT

A new book by journalist and cybersecurity expert Kate Fazzini reveals the true nature of cybercriminals beyond the headlines.

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Can Artificial Intelligence Help Answer HR’s Toughest Questions?

Fri, 30 Aug 2019 12:59:51 GMT

New research from Wharton’s Peter Cappelli and Prasanna Tambe points out the promise and pitfalls of using artificial intelligence in human resources where algorithms can’t easily replace human decision-making.

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What Entrepreneurs Need to Know About VCs

Thu, 29 Aug 2019 10:26:45 GMT

In his best-selling book Scott Kupor former entrepreneur and now managing partner at VC firm Andreessen Horowitz offers advice on how founders can understand and engage with VCs.

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Growth Leaders vs. Laggards: What Makes the Difference?

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 16:49:40 GMT

Companies that are growth drivers are able to attract nurture and retain so-called innovation talent which they support through a work-systems model say Wharton’s George Day and Gregory Shea.

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Data as Currency: What Value Are You Getting?

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 13:10:40 GMT

In the data-as-currency world generators of data get practically nothing says MX Technologies’ Jane Barratt.

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Bye Bye Barneys? Why Luxury Is the Latest Retail Casualty

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 13:04:44 GMT

Rising commercial rents and the demise of the department store model pose an existential threat to Barneys and other icons of high-end retail.

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How Can Hospitals Best Manage the Uneven Flow of Patients?

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 14:05:56 GMT

Wharton’s Hummy Song examines the common hospital practice of capacity pooling and whether it’s the best way to manage the mismatch between the number of patients and available beds.

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What Will It Take for Uber to Become Profitable?

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 13:30:23 GMT

Uber needs to ensure that its core business of ride-hailing is profitable before diversifying into areas like bike rentals say experts.

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Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel: Prepare for a Slowdown Not a Recession

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 12:58:29 GMT

While many investors are concerned that the next recession is on the horizon Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel says a slowdown is more likely in the short term.

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Is the U.S. Economy Solid? Ask the Philadelphia Fed’s Patrick Harker

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 11:58:41 GMT

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia president Patrick Harker discusses interest rate policies recession fears and whether central banks are ready to introduce a stablecoin cyrptocurrency among other issues.

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Why ’Radical Self-inquiry’ Can Create a Thriving Workplace

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 12:28:50 GMT

Leaders should stop focusing on output and achievement alone and work on building the maturity required to lift up others not just themselves notes the author of a new book.

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Finding the Value in IPOs: Why Customer Behavior Holds the Key

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 13:50:42 GMT

Wharton’s Peter Fader and Emory’s Dan McCarthy explain why customer-based corporate valuation is a novel -- and very accurate -- way of determining a firm’s worth.

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How Organizational Culture Shapes Digital Transformation

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 16:22:08 GMT

Navigating the balance between culture and technology is one of the toughest challenges of digital transformation according to Nik Puri senior vice president of global IT at FedEx and Dan Alig CIO at Wharton computing and information technology.

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The T-Mobile-Sprint Merger: Can Dish Network Help Make It Happen?

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 15:51:03 GMT

Years in the making the T-Mobile-Sprint merger finally looks set to move ahead – provided the two telecom firms can help to establish a new wireless competitor: Dish Network.

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What Are the Long-term Costs of the China-U.S. Trade War?

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 14:45:21 GMT

An escalating trade war with China will lead to dire results for the U.S. according to long-term analysis by the Penn Wharton Budget Model. Consumers and businesses alike will feel the impact experts say.

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Marketing the Cosmic Crisp: Will Consumers Bite?

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 12:29:16 GMT

Cosmic Crisp a new apple variety more than 20 years in the making is hitting stores this fall -- but getting produce to stand apart from similar offerings is not a simple task marketing experts say.

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U.S. Economy: Is a Long Shallow Recession on the Way?

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:17:43 GMT

Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel and David Rosenberg of Gluskin Sheff expect the Fed to cut interest rates in the coming year as the latest GDP report reveals some troubling trends. But they disagree on whether the slowdown will lead to a recession.

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Internal Control Audits: Why an SEC Proposal Could Hurt More Than It Helps

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 10:37:26 GMT

The SEC has proposed exempting smaller firms from independent audits to verify internal controls. But that could increase accounting scandals and volatility according to research by Wharton’s Daniel Taylor.

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Want to Become a Dynamic Learner? Here’s How to Do It

Fri, 02 Aug 2019 16:17:33 GMT

A new book by University of North Carolina professor Bradley Staats outlines how to become a dynamic learner which he says is key to staying ahead in a rapidly changing world.

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How Blockchain Will Redefine Supply Chain Management

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 12:41:07 GMT

Blockchain can transform supply chain management by automating relationships and building trust notes BCG’s Stefan Gstettner. But it’s not always the best technology for boosting supply chain efficiency.

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Equifax Deal: Credit Agencies Must Change How They Manage Data

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 09:04:27 GMT

The Equifax settlement sheds light on the new challenges that the digital era and the advance of shadow banking pose for legislators regulators and consumers.

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How Feelings and Friendship Factor Into Startup Success (and Failure)

Thu, 25 Jul 2019 13:11:49 GMT

A new study from Wharton and City University of London looks at the roles that feelings and friendships play in entrepreneurial ventures especially when the prospects for success dim.

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Tofu or Takeout: Why Eating Healthy Is So Hard

Thu, 25 Jul 2019 11:17:47 GMT

Poor nutrition and obesity are setting records globally despite abundant healthy choices at restaurants and grocery stores. In her new book food writer Bee Wilson looks at the paradox of the modern diet.

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Follow the (Dirty) Money

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 14:52:59 GMT

A new book from investigative journalist Oliver Bullough paints a bleak picture of rampant corruption showing how the world’s rich and powerful conspire to stay that way.

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Will Christine Lagarde Have Room to Run As the ECB’s Next President?

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 13:59:09 GMT

Chirstine Lagarde is a shoo-in to become the next president of the European Central Bank. But will a straitjacket of low-to-negative interest rates give her any room to maneuver?

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From Nurse to CEO: One Entrepreneur’s Journey

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 12:45:10 GMT

Shelley Boyce recounts how she turned a failing grade for a marketing plan into MedRisk a multimillion-dollar company that provides managed physical medicine for the workers’ compensation industry.

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Will Amazon’s Plan to ‘Upskill’ Its Employees Pay Off?

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 13:58:17 GMT

Amazon has announced a $700 million plan to retrain employees who will be automated out of jobs. While it’s a laudable goal the company also needs to address other critical personnel issues experts say.

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What’s Really Behind China’s Falling GDP

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 14:07:19 GMT

China’s second-quarter economic growth hit a 27-year low. But it’s not because of the trade war say experts from Wharton and Stanford.

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Fight to Win: How a Judo Champion Built Resilience

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 14:08:24 GMT

Ranking judo champion Peter Paltchik exemplifies what it means to overcome adversity and push beyond limits – a lesson that is inspiring to business leaders as well as athletes.

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Why Major Brands Are Becoming More Size Inclusive

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 15:51:12 GMT

Experts say the recent boom in plus-size clothing offerings is the result of financial and social pressure that is pushing manufacturers to scramble for a share of this $21 billion market.

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Remembering the Dark Side of the Space Race

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 16:45:04 GMT

The world reacted with wonder when Americans sent the first astronauts to moon 50 years ago this week. But there was a dark side to the space race says author Fraser MacDonald.

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A Giant Leap for Mankind? Virgin Galactic Revs Up Space Tourism

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 14:24:40 GMT

By going public Virgin Galactic will be able to tap the capital it needs to fuel its engines for the space tourism race.

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Dysfunctional Justice: What’s Wrong with the U.S. Legal System

Fri, 12 Jul 2019 16:29:06 GMT

Litigator-turned-venture capitalist Bruce Cannon Gibney is sharply critical of the American legal system and explains in his new book why the concept of “justice for all” falls far short.

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Keeping the Lights On: Why Are U.S. Hospitals Closing?

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 18:45:08 GMT

Many U.S. medical facilities are closing and consolidating as their expenses far outpace revenues. Experts say it’s a symptom of the disease plaguing the American health care system.

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The ACA Battle: Why It’s Just Heating Up

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 15:07:47 GMT

The debate on health insurance is poised to head not just to the Supreme Court but also to become a hot election issue according to experts.

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How Sustainable ETFs Let Small Investors Make A Difference

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 12:00:45 GMT

Sustainable ETFs are on the rise and could move impact investing into the mainstream say experts.

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How the U.S. Can Regain Its Manufacturing Edge

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 14:25:45 GMT

With advanced technologies likely to automate almost 60% of factory tasks manufacturing in low-cost countries may no longer offer a competitive advantage says Boston Consulting Group’s Justin Rose.

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From Mustang to Minivan: How Lee Iacocca Changed the Auto Industry

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 15:10:25 GMT

The former head of Chrysler and Ford who died last week at 94 will be remembered as a leader who fought through adversity and revolutionized the concept of the “celebrity CEO.”

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Don’t Underestimate Generalists: They Bring Value to Your Team

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 14:53:01 GMT

The traditional path to success has emphasized excelling in a single discipline or field rather than being a generalist. But writer David Epstein is challenging that wisdom contending that it’s sometimes better to be a jack of all trades.

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Raghuram Rajan: How Markets and the State Betray Communities

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 12:41:13 GMT

Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel interviews Raghuram Rajan of the University of Chicago about his new book on the dangerous weakness of communities -- the foundation for markets and democracy -- as well as India China and a host of other topics.

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Why Monetary Policy Affects the Financial System and the Economy

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 14:55:04 GMT

Recent research from Wharton’s Itamar Drechsler examines bank deposits as a form of monetary policy.

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Want a Job in the Future? Be a Student for Life

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 12:49:05 GMT

New digital technologies will destroy many jobs and also create new ones. To survive everyone will need to keep learning says Infosys president Ravi Kumar.

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Will Price Transparency in Health Care Lower Costs or Backfire?

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 11:34:07 GMT

So far attempts at transparency in health care fees have not shifted consumer behavior – and too much pricing information could be counterproductive experts say.

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How to End Partisan Gerrymandering: Get the Public Involved

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 09:22:29 GMT

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to take on partisan gerrymandering Wharton’s Steven Kimbrough offers solutions for how to more fairly define the boundaries of voting districts.

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Trademarking Profanity: Will the U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Unleash Heck?

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 16:59:41 GMT

In a win for business owners and free speech advocates the Supreme Court has ruled that a fashion designer can trademark a logo deemed profane by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

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Impact Investing’s ’Third Phase’: What New Challenges Lie Ahead?

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 14:30:39 GMT

Antony Bugg-Levine who helped coin the term “impact investing ” and Durreen Shahnaz of social stock exchange IIX explore ways to take the movement forward.

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How States Can Help Police Mortgage-lending Practices

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 13:47:01 GMT

A legal mechanism called judicial foreclosure can help states fill the policy gap left by the federal government’s pullback from regulatory enforcement of mortgage lenders says Wharton’s Brian Feinstein.

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Will Facebook’s Libra Bring Cryptocurrency into the Mainstream?

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 12:43:10 GMT

Facebook’s announcement of its new cryptocurrency has drawn thumbs up from Wall Street but calls for tough scrutiny from those in the sector.

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How a Small Change Can Help Fix the Health Care System

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 14:25:42 GMT

New research from Wharton’s Ashley Swanson shows that preferred pharmacy networks result in a 1% decrease in Medicare Part D drug costs -- and that could add up.

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Sold to the Highest Bidder: Why Sotheby’s Is Going Private

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 13:47:06 GMT

The sale of Sotheby’s will ultimately benefit the firm and it underscores the increasing importance of new markets online sales and AI in the art auction business experts say.

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The Science of Breakthroughs: What Holds Some Ideas Back?

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 10:41:23 GMT

New Wharton research looks at the spread of breakthroughs in the life sciences offering new insights on why some ideas take off and others fade away.

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Trade War Casualty: Why the Days of Cheap Chinese Goods Are Over

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 14:39:02 GMT

Hundreds of businesses are calling on President Trump to cancel his threat to increase tariffs on Chinese goods. Regardless of the outcome an ongoing trade war will result in permanent adjustments of supply chains and prices experts say.

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How Localization Can Help Overcome Extreme Poverty

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 14:16:29 GMT

The World Bank Group’s Mahmoud Mohieldin believes innovative financing and partnerships are needed to meet the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals.

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Who Can Stop Facebook? Limiting the Power of Social Media

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 14:07:44 GMT

In his new book early Facebook investor Roger McNamee sounds the alarm about the platform’s growing economic and political power and offers suggestions for stopping it.

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Accidental Leaders: How Eight U.S. Vice Presidents Changed History

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 13:21:05 GMT

A new book tells the stories of eight American vice presidents who ascended to the highest office by accident and how their leadership influenced history.

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Is Your Team Culturally Competent?

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 11:08:04 GMT

In his new book series consultant Dean Foster offers practical advice for companies on how to gain cultural competency in a global marketplace.

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What’s the Next Chapter for Barnes & Noble?

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 14:09:27 GMT

A hedge fund wants to buy the bookstore chain for $683 million including debt. Will the deal work? Experts from Wharton and elsewhere share their insights.

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Life and Debt Question: Are Bank Loans More Pricey Than Bonds?

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 12:29:03 GMT

In his latest research Wharton’s Michael Schwert uses a novel data set to examine the pricing of bank loans relative to capital market debt.

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Opioid Settlements: Why Insys Is the Tip of the Iceberg

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 11:28:31 GMT

Drug manufacturers who face large settlements from the opioid crisis could follow the Insys example and file for bankruptcy protection experts say.

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Why Automakers Are Driving for Uniform Fuel Efficiency Standards

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 16:16:54 GMT

Having more than one fuel efficiency standard in the U.S. puts automakers in a bad position in terms of planning investments and adopting new technologies. Is there a middle ground that will work for regulators and auto companies alike?

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How Gender Equality Can Help Build Sustainable Peace

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 14:44:48 GMT

Impact investing in conflict-affected regions delivers greater returns when women are empowered say experts.

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How to Curb Workplace Incivility

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 12:27:32 GMT

Penn Medicine’s new Campaign for Professionalism is designed to curb workplace incivility through a clear code of conduct and an open channel of communication for employees.

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Can Wearables Convince Patients to Be More Proactive?

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 12:02:12 GMT

Johnson & Johnson has partnered with Apple to research whether the tech company’s smartwatch can be used to help with early detection of atrial fibrillation a dangerous heart condition.

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When and How Entrepreneurs Pivot

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 12:45:51 GMT

Wharton’s Jacqueline Kirtley studied seven early-stage firms in the energy and cleantech sector to learn how strategic changes actually play out in the startup world.

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Regulating Big Tech: Is a Day of Reckoning Coming?

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 12:31:35 GMT

Big Tech firms like Facebook Amazon and Google have unorthodox business models and the law has to catch up to protect consumers and small businesses say experts.

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Private Mortgage Insurance Protection: Are We Any Safer Today?

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 14:30:54 GMT

Wharton’s Benjamin Keys looks at why systems to protect taxpayers from the mortgage market losses suffered in the financial crisis are still not strong enough.

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Common Ground: Finding Transatlantic Solutions For Data Security

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 05:32:38 GMT

In a new book two Georgetown University professors look at the growing collaboration between the U.S. and Europe to solve data security and privacy challenges.

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Game-changer to Digital Dustbin: Why iTunes Is Shutting Down

Fri, 07 Jun 2019 17:57:04 GMT

The demise of the once-dominant music platform is a sign that Apple which formerly led the pack in the sector has lost its edge.

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How You Can Use Conflict to Build a Better Team

Thu, 06 Jun 2019 12:28:16 GMT

In her new book psychologist and business strategist Liane Davey extols the virtues of office conflict and explains how to use friction as a force for good.

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How to Reduce the Ballooning U.S. Debt -- With Bipartisan Support

Tue, 04 Jun 2019 13:09:18 GMT

Reducing the $22 trillion U.S. debt is critical to the nation’s future but politics have been a hindrance. Brookings’ William Gale has a plan that might be able to get bipartisan support.

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Managerial Contractors: Does the Freedom Outweigh the Downsides?

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 12:33:15 GMT

In their latest research Wharton’s Matthew Bidwell and Tracy Anderson explore the benefits and drawbacks of contractors taking on managerial roles.

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Using Public-private Partnerships to Tackle Extreme Poverty

Fri, 31 May 2019 16:26:09 GMT

Early experiences in Asia and Africa show that finding a voice for development issues in corporate strategies is a precursor to raising money say experts.

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Anger at Work: How Negative Emotions Cloud Judgment

Fri, 31 May 2019 13:02:11 GMT

New Wharton research reveals that angry people often lose the ability to see problems from another point of view. This can hamper efforts to resolve conflict.

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How to Jumpstart U.S. Innovation and Job Creation

Fri, 31 May 2019 12:48:48 GMT

R&D properly coordinated among businesses universities and government is a powerful force for innovation and job creation notes this new book co-authored by former IMF chief economist Simon Johnson.

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How Financial Regulators Can Better Protect Consumers

Thu, 30 May 2019 23:01:17 GMT

Richard Cordray the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s first director describes the state of consumer protection today and what should be done to strengthen it.

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Why Manufacturers Should Embrace Digitization

Thu, 30 May 2019 12:07:54 GMT

Digitizing operations brings big advantages to manufacturers and will become the de facto way of competing says Jonathan Van Wyck of the Boston Consulting Group.

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Health Care’s Compassion Crisis: Caring Makes a Difference

Wed, 29 May 2019 16:29:01 GMT

There is clear evidence in biomedical literature that compassion drives better outcomes for patients doctors and business notes author and physician Stephen Trzeciak.

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Under Modi 2.0 Will India Embrace Tough Economic Reforms?

Tue, 28 May 2019 14:53:20 GMT

Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies won India’s elections by a landslide last week. Will the Modi government use this “second chance” to strengthen India’s economy?

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Fighting for Truth: Defending the First Amendment on the Front Line

Tue, 28 May 2019 12:36:23 GMT

In the era of fake news an independent press is more important than ever. That’s the message in a new book by David McCraw deputy general counsel for The New York Times.

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Sin and Soda: Can We Tax Our Way to Healthier Behavior?

Fri, 24 May 2019 14:37:46 GMT

New Wharton research analyzes the results of a tax on sugary beverages to determine the optimal rate.

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Why the Fed Has a Hidden Influence on Foreign Affairs

Fri, 24 May 2019 13:55:49 GMT

The Fed is largely seen as a domestic institution but it quietly holds enormous sway on foreign affairs. Two Wharton professors ask: Should Congress have some input?

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How Philadelphia’s Barnes Foundation Is Leveraging Analytics

Thu, 23 May 2019 13:33:45 GMT

Data is becoming increasingly key to decision-making at arts institutions like the Barnes but it must be part of a strategy that stays true to the history of the organization says CFO/COO Margaret Zminda.

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Lessons from an ’Old Entrepreneur’ on Running a Tech Startup

Thu, 23 May 2019 13:27:22 GMT

Veteran executive Charles Morgan was ready to retire when he unexpectedly had to take over a tech startup. He shares the lessons he’s learned as an ”old entrepreneur ” in his new book.

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Life Hacks from Marcus Aurelius: How Stoicism Can Help Us

Thu, 23 May 2019 11:03:34 GMT

Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius practiced Stoicism and author Donald Robertson notes how it could help us better manage personal and business affairs.

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Collusion over Drug Prices: Will Generic Manufacturers Pay?

Mon, 20 May 2019 15:00:00 GMT

A lawsuit alleging that 20 generic drug makers colluded to fix prices reveals how existing market-based competitive mechanisms fail to protect consumers.

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For the Win: Using Connected Strategies to Gain a Competitive Advantage

Mon, 20 May 2019 13:52:34 GMT

In their new book Wharton’s Nicolaj Siggelkow and Christian Terwiesch explain how a “connected strategy” helps businesses create more value for themselves and their customers.

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Is Amazon Getting Too Big?

Mon, 20 May 2019 09:38:37 GMT

Amazon’s runaway growth has prompted questions about whether it has become a massive monopoly that is unfairly edging out smaller competitors.

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Late Bloomers: Why Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Thu, 16 May 2019 12:23:59 GMT

Journalist and self-described late bloomer Rich Karlgaard rejects societal pressure to achieve success at an early age saying there’s plenty of scientific evidence that many people find their talents later in life.

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Empowering the Developing World One Bicycle at a Time

Thu, 16 May 2019 11:52:20 GMT

World Bicycle Relief a nonprofit organization that builds and distributes bicycles in rural areas of the developing world is the 2019 winner of the Lipman Prize.

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Does Diversity Training Really Work?

Wed, 15 May 2019 16:23:33 GMT

New research from Wharton examines whether online diversity training really changes the behaviors and attitudes of employees.

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The 2019 Wharton Startup Challenge: Finding a Way to Cool India More Efficiently

Wed, 15 May 2019 13:28:28 GMT

The winner of the 2019 Wharton Startup Challenge is Aerate a venture that wants to reduce the devastating effects of climate change by building a more energy efficient air conditioner.

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With Losses Galore Is Uber a Good Stock Investment?

Tue, 14 May 2019 15:05:19 GMT

Uber’s debut as a public company has been awkward at best but the bigger question is how well it will fare in the long run.

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Have Stock Buybacks Gone Too Far?

Tue, 14 May 2019 14:59:03 GMT

Fueled by the lower corporate tax rate share buybacks among S&P 500 companies shot to a fourth consecutive record in the last quarter of 2018. Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel and William Lazonick of the University of Massachusetts look at the impact.

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U.S.-China Tariffs: Is There an End in Sight?

Tue, 14 May 2019 13:45:13 GMT

The sudden escalation of the trade conflict between the U.S. and China could lead to disruptive permanent shifts in trade and global supply chains.

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Why Central Banks Are Taking on Climate Change

Tue, 14 May 2019 11:46:52 GMT

Thirty-four central banks signed on to a statement warning that climate change is a significant financial risk to the global economy. Experts explain why they are taking a stand.

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Trademarking Offensive Terms: Can Social Good Come from Bad Words?

Fri, 10 May 2019 16:12:30 GMT

The issue of trademarking offensive terms is being visited for the second time in two years by the U.S. Supreme Court. Is it possible for slurs to be reclaimed as a point of pride and inclusion?

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How Inclusive Capitalism Can Empower the Underprivileged

Thu, 09 May 2019 14:31:46 GMT

Firmenich CEO Gilbert Ghostine discusses how his company is developing business solutions to address the needs of low-income consumers in emerging markets.

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China’s Electric Vehicle Market: A Storm of Competition Is Coming

Thu, 09 May 2019 13:20:33 GMT

China is the world’s biggest market for electric vehicles -- and conditions are ripe for a shakeout experts say.

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White Hot: How Silver Forged the World’s Economy

Wed, 08 May 2019 14:52:41 GMT

New York University professor William Silber’s new book focuses on the leading role that silver has played in economics history and culture.

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User-generated Content: The Medium Impacts the Message

Tue, 07 May 2019 12:57:46 GMT

When we write reviews send tweets or create other online content the type of device we use matters according to new Wharton research.

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How Modern Monarchies Are Evolving

Mon, 06 May 2019 12:51:25 GMT

With the arrival of a new royal baby in the U.K. it’s a good time to look at the changing state of the modern monarchy says Wharton’s Mauro Guillen.

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Escaping the Rat Race: Why We Are Always Running Out of Time

Mon, 06 May 2019 11:24:39 GMT

Trying to balance the competing demands of work family finances technology and self-care has left Americans perpetually pressed for time -- is there any way to get off the treadmill?

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Gig Economy Protections: Did the EU Get It Right?

Mon, 06 May 2019 09:33:20 GMT

Protections for non-permanent workers laid out by the European Parliament are a move in the right direction -- but countries outside the EU will observe carefully before adopting them.

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What Slows Urban Mobility in India -- and How to Fix It

Fri, 03 May 2019 11:36:35 GMT

Like many countries India’s largest cities are congested. But congestion pricing won’t work because mobility is affected by other factors besides vehicle traffic according to Wharton research.

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Can Annuities Help Grow Your Retirement Nest Egg?

Thu, 02 May 2019 12:56:42 GMT

New research from Wharton professor Olivia Mitchell looks at how annuities can help secure enough retirement income when the products are included in pension plan menus.

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Becoming the Best: Excellent Customer Service Always Wins

Thu, 02 May 2019 11:17:29 GMT

If you build a customer-centric business the money will come. That’s the message in a new book by Horst Schulze co-founder of luxury hotel chain The Ritz-Carlton.

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How Cash-strapped Millennials Can Take Control of Their Finances

Wed, 01 May 2019 18:22:51 GMT

Broke Millennial author Erin Lowry takes the intimidation out of investing and offers practical financial advice for her peers.

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China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Why the Price Is Too High

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 15:09:17 GMT

As it enters its latest phase China’s Belt and Road initiative is facing pushback by partner countries that fear it could lead to unsustainable debt.

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How Big Data Can Inform Investment Decisions

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 12:29:19 GMT

Investors and managers need more than just reams of information to make good decisions -- they need to know which data are important and how to use them Wharton research finds.

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Is Global Consumer Confidence Peaking?

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 08:08:14 GMT

Consumers are mostly happy with their jobs and personal finances but many remain cautious about spending say experts at The Conference Board.

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The Promise and Pitfalls of 5G: Will It Kill Cable?

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 12:45:43 GMT

Expectations are riding high for the next generation of wireless technology but is 5G ready to compete with wired broadband networks?

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Preventing the Next Housing Crisis

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 13:10:06 GMT

Overly loose mortgage standards are not exactly making a comeback but some loans today are close to regulatory guardrails. New Wharton research offers a tool that can help regulators know when things may be going too far.

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Can Algorithms Diagnose Disease Better Than Doctors?

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 15:28:01 GMT

AI holds great promise for medical advancements. Researchers discuss how algorithms can be used boost patient outcomes.

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How Can Sri Lanka Recover?

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 14:32:59 GMT

Following the Easter Sunday bombings Sri Lanka must unite all forces to reclaim its hard-won peace of the past decade say experts.

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Incompetent Male Leaders: The Case for Talent Over Gender

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 14:08:01 GMT

In his new book Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic the chief talent scientist at Manpower Group examines myths about masculine management and explains why we need to value competence over confidence.

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Why India’s Jet Airways Lost Its Wings

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 12:28:33 GMT

The suspension of flights by Jet Airways is another casualty of price wars and flawed business models. Experts discuss how Jet could recast its model to fly again.

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What We Can Learn from the Fisher-Price Rock ’n Play Recall

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 14:29:37 GMT

The controversy surrounding Fisher-Price’s Rock ’n Play Sleeper shines a light on the need to balance corporate growth with safety -- and also where regulators went wrong.

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Why Oil Markets Are Changing

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 13:21:14 GMT

Summertime gasoline price increases are normal but today’s oil markets are undergoing fundamental change according to experts.

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Want to Build a Smart City? Here Are Some Strategies That Work

Fri, 19 Apr 2019 15:11:35 GMT

Collaborative platforms sustainability public-private partnerships and data analytics are critical for developing smart and inclusive cities notes TCS’s Seeta Hariharan.

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Beyond Clicks: Getting the Most out of Big Data

Fri, 19 Apr 2019 11:41:17 GMT

Recent Wharton research aims to help companies navigate the complicated waters of Big Data by offering a better way to use predictive analytics.

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Why Trust Is the Gold Standard in Developing Countries

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 14:55:25 GMT

Developing world entrepreneurs face a big disadvantage compared with Western counterparts – a generalized lack of trust. A new book explains why conventional strategies don’t work where mistrust is rampant.

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Is the World Economy Headed for a Fall?

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 13:20:04 GMT

It’s not just the latest IMF forecast causing concern. Many straws in the wind point to tougher times ahead experts say.

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Banking on the Future of Cryptocurrencies

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 12:14:32 GMT

Cryptocurrencies will one day be used everywhere predicts Litecoin creator Charlie Lee.

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Whither the McMansion? Why Millennials Aren’t Buying

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 10:48:03 GMT

Across the country baby boomers who own large suburban homes are looking to downsize but are finding it hard to attract younger buyers. However shifts in mortgage rates and other factors could soon change that.

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Don’t Panic: The Digital Revolution Isn’t as Unusual as You Think

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 16:27:27 GMT

Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s new book puts the digital revolution into historical context placing it along a timeline of other disruptive transformations.

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Why Toyota Is Betting on Hybrid Technology

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 15:14:08 GMT

Toyota announced it will offer other automakers free licenses to its patents on vehicle electrification especially hybrid vehicles. Is it a smart move?

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Do Corporate Audits Lead to Insider Trading?

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 13:37:18 GMT

Wharton research looks at whether corporate insiders trade more around the audit report date -- and what it means.

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The Doctor Is in: What HIPAA Compliance Means for Amazon

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 17:41:29 GMT

Amazon’s move into health care with HIPAA compliance for virtual assistant Alexa raises questions about what the tech giant plans to do with patient data.

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Is the Fed’s Independence on the Line?

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 16:42:49 GMT

President Trump’s backing of two nominees for the Federal Reserve Board is raising questions about the importance of the central bank’s nonpartisan image.

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What CEOs Can Learn from Roman Emperors

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 15:55:25 GMT

From marketing to management modern business leaders can learn a lot from ancient Roman emperors according to a new book.

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Unlocking the Creative Value of Inefficiency

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 12:22:36 GMT

Too much efficiency -- such as that provided by computers and algorithms -- can turn off creativity and innovation according to a new book.

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How the Law Can Boost Recession Recovery

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 15:33:18 GMT

Move over monetary and fiscal policy. A new book -- Law and Macroeconomics: Legal Remedies to Recessions -- aims to create a new way to reverse economic downturns.

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Is the EU’s New Copyright Directive Too Complex to Work?

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 14:18:34 GMT

The EU wants to help content creators and publishers gain more money and rights but its new directive could hurt platforms and the overall online ecosystem.

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The IPO Market Heats Up: What Investors Need to Know

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 13:52:34 GMT

Pricing models scalability and regulatory restraints are top issues of concern as tech firms line up their IPOs.

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Will AI Save Journalism -- or Kill It?

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 10:16:03 GMT

Many of the largest and most reputable news outlets in the world are using or dabbling in AI to expand their coverage. But as journalism robots proliferate concern about their impact is growing.

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Why the U.K. Auto Industry Is Stalling Over Brexit Risks

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 16:46:24 GMT

A no-deal Brexit could force more layoffs plant closures and relocations among U.K. automakers say experts.

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Searching for the Soul of Russia Under Putin

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 15:22:31 GMT

A new book from Nina Khrushcheva (Nikita Krushev’s great granddaughter) and Jeffrey Tayler takes readers on an eye-opening tour of Russia under President Vladimir Putin.

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WOW Bows Out: Lessons from the Downfall of a Budget Airline

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 14:13:16 GMT

A faulty business model rising oil prices and competitive pressure all contributed to the demise of Iceland’s WOW Air according to experts.

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Design for All: Why Inclusion Matters in Business

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 10:55:31 GMT

In her new book inclusive design expert Kat Holmes explains why the most effective business models and products are the ones that benefit the greatest variety of people.

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Lump-sum Pension Payments: Who Are the Winners and Losers?

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 14:09:14 GMT

Private corporations will cheer the U.S. Treasury department’s move on lump-sum pension payments but policy makers must weigh its impact on retirees and taxpayers.

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Can Shaq Save the Papa John’s Brand?

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 13:42:09 GMT

Experts think Papa John’s is playing to win by hiring NBA legend and entrepreneur Shaquille O’Neal as its first African-American board member and brand ambassador.

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It’s a Dangerous Job – but Does Someone Have to Do It?

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 17:27:25 GMT

Paying people more to do a physically dangerous job doesn’t absolve companies of the ethical question of whether it is permissible to expose employees to risk a new Wharton paper argues.

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Tackling California’s Affordable Housing Crisis

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 09:57:11 GMT

California’s lack of affordable housing has reached a breaking point in cities like San Francisco. Experts from Wharton and the University of San Francisco discuss why the problem extends beyond the state.

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How Digital Technology Is Transforming Cost Management

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 11:52:16 GMT

Digital technologies do more than cut costs. They can also drive strategic growth says Wharton’s Christopher Ittner.

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Can India Solve Its Food Paradox?

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 15:09:08 GMT

With policies that encourage innovation India could avoid becoming a food importer again says economist Ashok Gulati.

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How Gender and Racial Biases Are Hurting Economics

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 15:06:29 GMT

A survey released by the American Economic Association reveals a disturbingly high level of gender and racial biases in the field.

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How Companies Are Increasing Neurodiversity in the Workplace

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 14:53:26 GMT

Companies are slowly increasing their efforts to employ adults with autism but doing so requires training preparation and support. Two experts discuss the benefits of neurodiversity in the workplace.

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What’s Really Driving Disruption (It’s Not Technology)

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 12:47:30 GMT

It’s not technology that drives disruption but rather customer behavior says Harvard professor Thales Teixeira in his new book.

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Why Emotional Blind Spots Can Hurt Your Finances

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 12:16:58 GMT

Emotional blind spots lead to common mistakes in managing your money according to a new book by former Wall Street trader and current CBS News analyst Jill Schlesinger.

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Why Breaking Up Big Tech Could Do More Harm Than Good

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 14:44:27 GMT

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren has solidified her party’s growing disenchantment with Big Tech by proposing to break up Amazon Google and Facebook -- but doing so could result in unintended consequences experts say.

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Who Made That Decision: You or an Algorithm?

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 13:15:02 GMT

Algorithms now make lots of decisions but they have their own biases writes Wharton’s Kartik Hosanagar in his new book.

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Using a Company’s Own Words to Assess Its Risks

Fri, 22 Mar 2019 17:44:47 GMT

Using a text-based approach to assess a company’s risks by analyzing its own disclosures yields surprising results according to new Wharton research.

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Exhausted by Scandal: ‘Dieselgate’ Continues to Haunt Volkswagen

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 14:44:36 GMT

The SEC is after the German automaker’s CEO for allegedly defrauding bondholders by not coming clean on its emissions “defeat device.”

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Can Amazon Reinvent the Traditional Supermarket?

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 14:11:06 GMT

Amazon’s new grocery stores are expected to merge bricks-and-mortar and online experiences then power it with data analytics. Will it work?

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Elon Musk’s SEC Drama: Has He Gone Too Far?

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 11:28:46 GMT

Elon Musk’s confrontational behavior with the SEC and seemingly erratic decision making elsewhere are distracting from his core vision for Tesla say Wharton’s John Paul MacDuffie and Charles Elson of the University of Delaware.

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Balancing Act: One Entrepreneur’s Journey with Social Enterprise

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 16:54:43 GMT

Entrepreneur Mpho Sekwele discusses how her background and years in the retail sector have influenced the way she runs her startup ventures.

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The 737 Max Crash: What’s the Fallout for Boeing?

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 13:37:47 GMT

Last week’s fatal crash of a Boeing 737 Max aircraft -- the second in five months -- is impacting the company on multiple fronts. How quickly can it recover?

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The College Cheating Scandal: The Biggest Victim Is Public Confidence

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 15:46:36 GMT

The “Varsity Blues” scandal uncovered by the U.S. Department of Justice shines a harsh light on the entitlement and systemic racism that pervades the college admissions process.

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U.S. Debt: Is It the Calm Before the Storm?

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 12:20:06 GMT

The U.S. national debt has crossed $22 trillion -- the highest ever. Addressing the problem now rather than delaying the inevitable would be the best approach to keeping the economy strong experts say.

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Can Nuclear Energy Save the Planet?

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 15:08:04 GMT

Authors Joshua Goldstein and Staffan Qvist say switching to nuclear and renewable energy is the most feasible path forward for humans to slow down climate change.

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The Next Silicon Valley? Why Toronto Is a Contender

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 14:36:18 GMT

Toronto has quietly become the world’s fastest-growing destination for technology jobs. But to truly become Silicon Valley North policymakers and tech companies must address certain gaps experts say.

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Big Data’s Biggest Challenge: How to Avoid Getting Lost in the Weeds

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 11:00:09 GMT

Evite CEO Victor Cho and Wharton marketing professor Raghuram Iyengar discuss how firms can optimize their use of data without getting lost in the weeds – or losing sight of the customer.

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How Businesses Are Testing the Limits of Free Speech

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 14:34:40 GMT

Recent Wharton research examines how commercial cases coming before the U.S. Supreme Court are challenging and potentially recalibrating the boundaries of free speech.

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How Globalization and Robotics Speed Up Job Losses

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 12:04:56 GMT

The twin trends of globalization and robotics could lead to an unprecedented disruption that would displace workers at the fastest pace in history according to a new book.

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Fintech: What’s Real and What’s Hype

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 15:17:14 GMT

Fintech has the potential to completely reshape the finance industry. A new research initiative aims to clarify where the actual promise lies.

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Why Congress Might Relax Physician Anti-kickback Rules

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 13:22:07 GMT

Wharton’s Mark Pauly and Genevieve Kanter a professor at Penn’s medical school discuss potential changes to the rules on preventing physician kick-backs.

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Can Kraft Heinz Catch Up with Its Changing Market?

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 11:11:56 GMT

Following a $12.6 billion loss for 2018 Kraft Heinz needs to recast its product portfolio in ways that reflect the general shift towards healthier foods experts say.

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Show Me the Money: Does Going Cashless Hurt Financial Inclusion?

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 10:58:56 GMT

The challenges of going cashless in the U.S. -- as evidenced by Philadelphia’s recent ban on such establishments -- expose a need to create more and better entry points to the digital economy for underserved populations.

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Can Humans Reconnect in an Age of Isolation?

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 15:00:06 GMT

In his book digital theorist Douglas Rushkoff explains how people can use technology to reconnect with each other rather than allowing it to isolate them.

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Why Venture Capital Likes Modular Farming

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 14:58:28 GMT

Modular farming which often involves growing crops indoors is becoming more than just a goal for social impact organizations interested in sustainability. It’s becoming a big business increasingly backed by venture capitalists and private equity.

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How Business Leaders Can Navigate the Unknown -- and Thrive

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 13:10:03 GMT

In her new book former Amazon executive Julie Benezet offers four key principles to help business leaders navigate uncertainty.

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Goodbye Greeters: Can Walmart Calm Its Latest Controversy?

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 13:01:29 GMT

Walmart’s recent rethinking of its “people greeter” position had the effect of excluding elderly workers and those with disabilities. Now the company is scrambling to do damage control.

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The Brexit Endgame: Will the U.K. Avoid Chaos?

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 14:18:19 GMT

Experts discuss whether last-minute negotiations can help the U.K. avoid a disorderly exit from the European Union.

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When Tax Strategies Are Problematic for Firms – and Investors

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 13:34:12 GMT

New Wharton research finds that aggressive tax planning by accounting agencies can lead to a lack of transparency in firms’ financial reporting.

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Drug Price Déjà Vu: Will the Latest Effort to Lower Costs Succeed?

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 17:21:50 GMT

Government intervention could work where market mechanisms have failed to keep prescription drug prices affordable – but policymakers will have a tough time cutting through the finger-pointing from all sides experts say.

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Beyond Tariffs: What’s Preventing a U.S.-China Trade Agreement?

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 14:47:11 GMT

If China flagrantly violates IP rights the U.S. is guilty of bypassing WTO channels. The two must agree on a framework and enforce laws say experts.

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Farewell to the A380: Why It Became a Drag for Airbus

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 11:19:53 GMT

Wrong calls on market size and shifts in demand patterns along with an inflexible design limited the runway for the world’s largest passenger airliner.

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The Good the Bad and the Ugly: How to Plan for a Driverless Future

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 14:40:49 GMT

Just like 120 years ago when the first cars transformed the U.S. driverless cars will force radical change too. The results could be positive – or positively terrible -- depending on choices made today.

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Less Fluff More Stuff: The Science of Productive Meetings

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 12:29:42 GMT

Office meetings have a checkered reputation in terms of productivity. But the author of a new book argues that management science can make meetings a valuable asset.

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Can Venezuela Recover from Its Crisis?

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 15:18:52 GMT

There are viable nonviolent ways of resolving Venezuela’s grave economic and political issues experts say.

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Mortgage Rates Are Down – but Is the Housing Market Looking Up?

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 14:31:42 GMT

Mortgage rates recently fell for the third consecutive week but the housing market is awash in uncertainty as unconventional mortgages rise and Washington debates the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

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How Activist Investor-led Divesting Pushes Up Valuations

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 13:16:49 GMT

New research from Wharton’s Emilie Feldman shows that when it comes to divestitures activists push for changes that most often create shareholder value.

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Could Universal Health Care Work in the U.S.?

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 15:09:35 GMT

Bernie Sanders’ announcement that he is running for president in 2020 has turned the spotlight on his “Medicare for All” proposal. It could work in theory experts say -- but the devil is in the details.

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Oscars Economics: Does Winning Mean a Windfall?

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 13:27:34 GMT

Winning an Oscar is a great honor for a film actor or director. But can the financial benefits be measured?

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Changing the Game: How Data Analytics Is Upending Baseball

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 12:45:07 GMT

Deal sizes and tenures in baseball signings are at the receiving end of a stronger focus on how the stats add up say experts.

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How to Get the Best Results from Big Data Analysis

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 15:28:59 GMT

A good model can yield good analysis from big data. But the best analysis takes multiple models says author Scott E. Page.

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Finding Fulfillment in a Success-Driven World

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 11:00:08 GMT

A new book explains why personal fulfillment rather than the relentless pursuit of success leads to happiness in the workplace.

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Why Amazon’s New York HQ2 Deal Failed to Deliver

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 16:39:13 GMT

Amazon’s decision on Valentine’s Day to break up with New York -- chosen as one of two sites for its second headquarters -- is a story of missteps on both sides.

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The Green New Deal: What It Can Do and What It Can’t

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 12:28:58 GMT

The Green New Deal includes the right steps to combat climate change experts say but implementing it will require several tough tradeoffs.

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Is a Subprime Auto Loan Crisis Brewing?

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 16:29:53 GMT

A record seven million Americans are at least 90 days late on their auto loan payments. What does that mean for the broader economy?

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Gucci’s Misstep: Why a More Diverse Fashion Industry Is the Answer

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 12:26:12 GMT

Gucci’s release of a sweater resembling blackface is the latest controversy renewing calls for greater diversity in the fashion industry.

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How Climate Change Is Killing Coffee

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 14:29:04 GMT

Experts explain how worldwide coffee production is threatened by climate change and what the industry is doing about it.

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The Power of Thought: How Critical Thinking Can Help Your Business

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 12:05:11 GMT

A new book explains how conscious and unconscious dynamics drive most of our thinking -- and how to gain better control of those processes.

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Retail’s Big Mistake: Slashing Payroll Cuts into Profits

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 11:38:15 GMT

New Wharton research shows why it pays for retailers to staff stores with the right number of well-trained employees.

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How Silicon Valley Made Work More Stressful

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 12:53:41 GMT

Journalist and author Dan Lyons explains how Silicon Valley’s work culture has seeped into other industries making employees more stressed than ever.

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Why a 70% Top Tax Rate Will Miss Its Mark

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 13:27:54 GMT

U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made news last year by suggesting that the top marginal tax rate be raised to 70%. But analysis by the Penn Wharton Budget Model and others is casting doubt on whether it would work.

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How Cloud Platforms Can Enhance Digital Experiences

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 12:13:31 GMT

Cloud platforms enable companies to offer enhanced digital experiences to users without needing to invest in on-premises technology according to experts from Wharton and SAP.

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Reusable Packaging from Big Brands: Will Consumers Buy In?

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 12:00:11 GMT

A new service is partnering with major brands to offer popular consumer products in reusable packaging. Will it be a tipping point in convincing people to go green?

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Nation Branding: Which Countries Ranked Highest This Year?

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 09:33:14 GMT

Cleanliness safety and progressive business environments are a boon to nations’ brands while untrustworthy politics and poor quality products hold others back according to a new report.

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Still a Girl’s Best Friend: How Ethical Diamonds Are Changing the Industry

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 16:07:01 GMT

The diamond industry is responding to consumer demand for ethically sourced stones that are conflict-free. Three experts explain how greater transparency is benefiting both buyers and sellers.

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Using Blockchain: A Strategic Roadmap for Companies

Thu, 07 Feb 2019 14:23:33 GMT

Saikat Chaudhuri from Wharton’s Mack Institute discusses the promise and potential pitfalls of implementing the blockchain.

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Is Reddit the Most Influential Site on the Internet?

Thu, 07 Feb 2019 13:22:57 GMT

A new book by journalist Christine Lagorio-Chafkin traces the history of Reddit from its humble beginnings to one of the most powerful social media sites.

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What’s Behind JPMorgan Chase’s Big Bet on Artificial Intelligence?

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 12:35:57 GMT

AI will help financial institutions expand banking penetration worldwide launch new products and engage with customers more deeply says Apoorv Saxena global head of AI at JPMorgan Chase.

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Being a Mindful Leader: Lessons from Neuroscience

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 12:25:18 GMT

The principles of neuroscience can make leaders more mindful which results in better decision-making according to a new book.

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How the Fed’s Wait-and-see Stance Helps the Markets

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 15:41:42 GMT

Last week the Federal Reserve announced it would adopt a more patient stance on interest rates after raising them at a regular clip since December 2015.

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Why This Year’s Super Bowl Ads Were ’Meh’

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 15:37:46 GMT

Wharton marketing professors Americus Reed and Patti Williams analyze the 2019 Super Bowl commercials saying most were lackluster and devoid of the kind of creative edginess seen in years past.

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Will #MeToo Move Forward in 2019?

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 12:37:54 GMT

The #MeToo movement reached full bloom last year but will it wither and die in 2019? Experts predict the push for gender equality will continue.

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Are Weaker Fuel Economy Standards Based on Faulty Logic?

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 11:58:56 GMT

A new study coauthored by Wharton’s Arthur van Benthem contends that the Trump Administration’s proposal to roll back fuel economy standards is based on unsound reasoning.

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Here Today Gone Tomorrow: Why Workplace Ghosting Is on the Rise

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 13:08:27 GMT

The practice of “ghosting” companies -- leaving a job or the application process unexpectedly while cutting off contact – is becoming increasingly common and it raises questions about professional etiquette and power.

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’The Davos of Value Change’: Some New Topics Take Center Stage

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 12:56:55 GMT

Passionate pleas from unlikely voices were the hallmarks of the World Economic Forum’s latest meeting.

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How Big Companies Can Innovate Like Small Startups

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 14:07:36 GMT

Big corporations can innovate just as successfully as small startups if they strike the right balance of strategy systems and culture according to a new book by Harvard’s Gary Pisano.

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The U.S. Auto Industry in 2019: Twists Turns and Bumps Ahead

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 15:22:09 GMT

Automakers booked surprisingly robust new vehicle sales in 2018. But bumps in the road await them this year experts say.

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Is There Really Wisdom in the Crowd?

Mon, 28 Jan 2019 21:03:49 GMT

New Wharton research says that a better way to crowdsource ideas is to avoid the most popular answer to a question and select the “surprisingly popular” one.

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The Real Estate Outlook for 2019: Waiting for Millennials?

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 15:11:50 GMT

Rising home prices driven by low supply and higher costs are choking U.S. housing demand but millennials and affordable markets could offer some respite.

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Did Gillette Miss the Mark with Its Toxic Masculinity Ad?

Thu, 24 Jan 2019 13:24:46 GMT

Despite the backlash to Gillette’s controversial “toxic masculinity” ad experts say the brand is tackling social issues in a smart way.

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Wisdom at Work: Why the Modern Elder Is Relevant

Thu, 24 Jan 2019 10:56:33 GMT

Airbnb executive Chip Conley whose boss is two decades younger discusses the benefits of having an intergenerational workforce in his new book.

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Can a Carbon Tax Help Curb Climate Change?

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 18:10:45 GMT

Taxing companies that produce carbon emissions is a tough sell but U.S. Sen. Chris Coons argues that doing so could help the environment as well as the economy.

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How Digital Technology Ushers in a New Entertainment Golden Age

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:55:31 GMT

In his book University of Minnesota professor Joel Waldfogel explains how digital technology is ushering in a new golden age of entertainment -- with better choices and at lower costs for consumers.

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Latin America in 2019: Will Political Upheaval Stall Growth?

Tue, 22 Jan 2019 14:49:18 GMT

Following elections several Latin American leaders are charged with finding ways to solve economic problems they have inherited or made worse through poor governance. How will they fare in 2019?

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How Pattern-based Thinking Gives Companies an Edge

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 11:54:50 GMT

Glimpses of today’s new business models are found in the patterns of the most successful companies of yore according to Wharton’s Eric K. Clemons.

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Dwindling Brexit Options: What’s the Path Ahead?

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 15:28:53 GMT

A no-deal Brexit has investors rattled because it could disrupt supply chains and cause economic and political chaos warn experts.

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Farewell John Bogle: A Tribute to the Father of Indexing

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 14:14:38 GMT

John Bogle the plain-spoken founder of mutual fund giant Vanguard passed away this week at age 89.

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Why Social Media Is the New Weapon in Modern Warfare

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 10:41:55 GMT

Authors Peter Singer and Emerson Brooking explain how social media has emerged as a surprising -- and effective -- tool in modern warfare in their new book.

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Retail Resurrection: A Rosy Outlook for 2019?

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 15:41:54 GMT

Buoyed by a strong economy and low unemployment 2018 holiday retail sales were the best in six years. What’s in store for this year?

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What Changes Will the EU See in 2019?

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 15:05:13 GMT

In the year ahead the European Union faces challenges on multiple fronts: Brexit internal leadership trade populism migrants and more say experts.

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Could the Government Shutdown Affect IPOs?

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 11:55:20 GMT

The now record-length government shutdown is hampering the SEC and causing a delay in firms’ planned initial public offerings. The impact isn’t substantial yet -- but it could grow if the impasse continues.

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Risks the Banking Industry Faces in 2019

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 11:48:34 GMT

The Federal Reserve’s moves towards stronger oversight and a similar push by House Democrats bode well for the banking industry experts say.

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Why the Blockchain Ushers in a New Form of Trust

Mon, 14 Jan 2019 16:42:30 GMT

Blockchain is one of the biggest buzzwords in technology today but confusion exists about what it is exactly. Wharton’s Kevin Werbach provides clarity in his new book.

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The ACA in 2019: Will It Face a Reckoning?

Fri, 11 Jan 2019 15:47:54 GMT

Tweaking the Affordable Care Act is the best way forward although the concept of “fairness” defies an easy definition say Wharton experts.

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Preparing for Disasters in 2019: How Can Risks Be Mitigated?

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 16:03:39 GMT

With natural disasters predicted to intensify in the coming years because of climate change how should communities prepare themselves? Three experts weigh in.

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How Data-driven Strategies Can Improve Impact Investing Outcomes

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 09:09:07 GMT

Data science is making inroads into the world of impact investing helping program designers and beneficiaries achieve closer alignment between their goals and strategies.

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What’s Ahead for the Stock Market in 2019

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 15:55:45 GMT

The U.S. stock market ended 2018 skimming bear market territory. Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel and Gad Allon look at what’s on the horizon for 2019.

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Apple’s Troubles in China Predict Problems for Other U.S. Firms

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 14:27:46 GMT

CEO Tim Cook has blamed China’s slowing economy for an expected sales shortfall but that is just part of the story writes Wharton’s Kartik Hosanagar in this opinion piece.

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China’s Economy in 2019: Is a Reality Check in Store?

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 14:03:31 GMT

The ongoing trade war with the U.S. slowing consumer demand and other factors are tempering expectations about the country’s economic growth this year.

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How Introverts Can Learn to Network Effectively

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 12:42:18 GMT

Former communication executive Karen Wickre has written a book to help introverts learn how to network effectively.

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Hitting a Wall: How Marketing Helps Explain the Washington Stalemate

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 12:32:51 GMT

Marketing and branding principles are at work in the stalemate in Washington over the border wall writes Wharton marketing professor Americus Reed II in this opinion piece.

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What Motivates Workers in the Gig Economy?

Mon, 07 Jan 2019 14:00:01 GMT

New Wharton research aims to improve predictions about gig economy labor supply and to shed light on more effective financial incentives.

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Cracking the Code on Brand Growth

Mon, 07 Jan 2019 13:02:52 GMT

The battle for business growth does not start online or on store shelves. Rather it takes place in the subconscious mind of prospective customers write Michael Platt and Leslie Zane in this opinion piece.

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From Book to Bank: How a Fintech Firm Found Its Calling

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 14:49:57 GMT

Puerto Rico-based Arival Bank focuses on regulatory compliance to work with high-risk customers according to CEO Vladislav Solodkiy.

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How Will the Texas ACA Ruling Impact Health Care?

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 14:31:01 GMT

Appeals against a federal court ruling striking down the Affordable Care Act could pave the way for full-fledged health care reforms say experts

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Lake Success: Uncovering the Unhappy World of Hedge Funds

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 10:58:44 GMT

Novelist Gary Shteyngart examines the world of hedge funds through the eyes of his deeply distressed fictional finance character Barry.

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Using AI and Video to Learn How the World Works

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 14:26:26 GMT

Simple actions like waving hello to a friend are easily recognized by humans but would confound machines. A startup based in Canada and Germany has had a breakthrough on that front -- using video to give robots an understanding of the visual world.

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Finding the Virtue in Private Equity Firms

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 13:19:17 GMT

Many view private equity firms as villainous actors intent on the singular goal of profit. But new Wharton research provides better insight into the benefits of PE buyouts.

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Lessons from Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s Congressional Testimony

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:56:15 GMT

Congress recently grilled Google CEO Sundar Pichai on privacy issues political bias and possible plans to introduce a censored search engine in China. Experts from Wharton and elsewhere weigh in on his testimony.

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Will the Poland Climate Talks Lead to Action -- or More Talk?

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:30:39 GMT

Strong language on climate change must translate into government policies and carbon pricing experts say.

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How Impact Investing Could Move from the Margins to Mainstream

Thu, 13 Dec 2018 13:31:10 GMT

Transparency and accountability are critical to attracting more private capital and enabling government policies for impact investing say two practitioners.

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Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous: The Rise and Fall of Jho Low

Thu, 13 Dec 2018 11:09:17 GMT

A new book by Wall Street Journal reporters Bradley Hope and Tom Wright details the lavish life of Malaysian financier Jho Low mastermind of the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund scandal.

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How AI-based Systems Can Improve Medical Outcomes

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 15:01:37 GMT

AI has the potential to boost medical outcomes while lowering costs in the U.S. health care system. In this opinion piece experts propose one way of implementing AI using a work systems model.

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Can Dolce & Gabbana Recover from Its Mistakes in China?

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 13:19:35 GMT

Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana is trying to clean up a public relations mess in China that highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity in a global marketplace.

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Is Waiting a Lost Art?

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 11:06:09 GMT

Today’s technologies enables instant communication. But is that really a good thing? A new book argues that good things come to those who wait.

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Five Marketing Lessons from the Payless Shoe Prank

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 17:00:33 GMT

An elaborate advertising ruse by discount retailer Payless ShoeSource is raising eyebrows and important questions about the ability of marketers to manipulate consumer behavior.

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Amazon AI and Medical Records: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks?

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 14:59:00 GMT

Amazon’s new AI service lets machines comb patient medical records. While the potential benefits are big risks to patient privacy call for appropriate regulation experts say.

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How Cities Can Create the Next Silicon Valley

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 13:16:12 GMT

What will it take for a city to become the next Silicon Valley? New Wharton research identifies one key factor -- the trade secrecy laws in a state.

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How 3D Printing Is Transforming Mass Manufacturing

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 14:01:20 GMT

Dartmouth professor Richard D’Aveni explains how 3D printing could change the balance of economic power.

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Why Procrastination Can Be Good (Unless You Want To Be Productive)

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 09:18:29 GMT

Author Andrew Santella discusses some of the merits of and problems with procrastination.

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Does Fear Motivate Workers -- or Make Things Worse?

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 14:54:11 GMT

Some companies use an approach that is more stick than carrot to motivate employees to perform better. But does it really work?

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Will Deutsche Bank Survive Its Latest Crisis?

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 14:17:37 GMT

Deutsche Bank faces its most severe test yet in the wake of police raids on its Frankfurt offices over suspicions that it helped clients launder money.

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Philadelphia Fed’s Patrick Harker: How Fintech Will Shape the Future

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 11:31:34 GMT

Patrick Harker president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia discusses how fintech will impact the banking system with Wharton finance professor Richard J. Herring.

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Exit Line: The Effects of Employee Turnover on Manufacturing

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 09:23:28 GMT

High worker turnover rates in manufacturing can cost companies hundreds of millions of dollars. A new paper co-authored by Wharton’s Ken Moon looks at how firms can keep employees on the job longer.

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Why General Motors Shifted Gears in Its Manufacturing Strategy

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 16:54:28 GMT

Falling demand for sedans and a determination to be prepared for a mainstream transition to electric and autonomous vehicles drove GM’s cost-cutting plan say experts.

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How AI Can Help Small Business Solve Big Problems

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 16:16:26 GMT

Artificial intelligence and data analytics can help self-employed and small business owners manage their finances better says Ashok Srivastava Intuit’s chief data officer.

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Unlocking Endowments: Foundations Are Stepping Up Impact Investing

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 15:40:06 GMT

Foundations across the U.S. and globally are increasingly looking to use their endowments to achieve social or environmental goals.

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How Energy Powered Human History

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 11:43:25 GMT

From the burning of wood and coal to nuclear power developing energy sources has sparked societal advancement. But energy transitions take a long time as we are learning with solar and wind power notes a new book.

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How an Early Car-builder to the Stars Transformed Detroit Through Design

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 11:14:21 GMT

The stylish car was born in the 1920s as the vision of Harley Earl a Michigander by birth who became a carmaker to Hollywood stars. A new book calls him the early auto industry’s Steve Jobs.

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When Giving Means Losing: Do Charitable Promotions Pay Off?

Tue, 27 Nov 2018 12:01:43 GMT

Firms often run philanthropic campaigns in hopes of increasing customer loyalty and purchases. But does it always work? Recent Wharton research looks at that question in the context of an online taxi-booking platform.

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Pay Power and Politics: Where Did Carlos Ghosn Go Wrong?

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 16:24:03 GMT

The arrest of Carlos Ghosn casts a shadow over the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance which he created and led. A key lesson for corporations is the risk of concentrating too much power in a single executive experts say.

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Christmas Without Toys R Us: Who Will Fill Its Stockings?

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 13:34:56 GMT

This year will mark the first holiday shopping season in decades without Toys R Us the venerated toy store – and Amazon seems poised to fill the void.

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Taxpayers Hate to Lose: How Psychology Can Help Increase Collection

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 11:02:59 GMT

When it comes to taxes people are far more sensitive to losing a dollar than gaining one. New Wharton research shows this psychological bias could be tapped for the public good.

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Amazon’s HQ2 Decision: Are the Winners Ready for Prime Time?

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 15:54:09 GMT

New York City and Arlington Va. should brace for housing price increases among other trade-offs as they prepare to become home to Amazon’s new headquarters experts say.

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Holiday Hiring: Can Retailers Attract Talent in a Tight Labor Market?

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 14:40:01 GMT

Christmas is coming and so is the mad rush by retailers to hire seasonal workers. Will flexible schedules bonuses gift cards and other perks offer enough to meet the demand?

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The Blue Economy: How Impact Investing Can Help It Grow

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 13:57:22 GMT

Balancing the need for sustainable fishing with protecting the livelihoods that depend on it calls for creative solutions. Some impact investors are on the case.

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Good ‘Food Citizens’: Why Collaboration Is Key to Feeding the World

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 13:08:32 GMT

The food system is the largest segment of the world’s economy and it needs to adapt to increasing threats brought by climate change geopolitical forces and population growth.

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Would You Treat Your Mother That Way? The Secrets of Great Customer Service

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 17:12:34 GMT

Would you turn your mom’s warranty claim down two days out of warranty? Author Jeanne Bliss makes a business case for providing excellent service and true customer satisfaction to garner long-term success.

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How Autonomous Vehicles Will Upend Transportation

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 16:32:36 GMT

Lawrence Burns a former vice president of research for GM discusses how robotic driving technology will reshape transportation and the economy.

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California Wildfires: What Will It Take to Prevent the Next Disaster?

Tue, 13 Nov 2018 15:57:30 GMT

The spread and intensity of the wildfires raging in California highlight the need for much stronger disaster management measures than the state has had previously say experts.

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Can Employees Change the Ethics of Tech Firms?

Tue, 13 Nov 2018 12:57:59 GMT

Fueled in part by the organizing power of social media workers in the technology sector and beyond may be ushering in a new era of employee activism on moral and ethical issues.

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Will an Employee Walkout Lead to Changes at Google?

Tue, 13 Nov 2018 12:14:34 GMT

Wharton’s Stephanie Creary and UC-Berkeley’s Harley Shaiken discuss whether an employee walkout will lead to changes in sexual harassment policies at Google.

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What an Insider Reveals About Apple’s Design Secrets

Thu, 08 Nov 2018 12:12:27 GMT

A new book by former Apple principal engineer Ken Kocienda spills the secrets of the company’s famous design process that has led to spectacularly successful devices.

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Is Gibson Ready for Its Encore?

Thu, 08 Nov 2018 11:50:03 GMT

Iconic guitar maker Gibson is about to emerge from bankruptcy -- can it recapture the magic that turned it into a music icon?

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Personality Puzzler: Is There Any Science Behind Myers-Briggs?

Thu, 08 Nov 2018 11:35:30 GMT

Myers-Briggs has been widely used by businesses and other organizations for decades to assess personality. But there is little if any science behind it notes a new book.

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Why Companies Should Blow Up Best Practices

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 15:53:41 GMT

A new book by two Deloitte executives argues that relying on best practices is too backward-looking given the breakneck pace of business change today.

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Can India Become the Next $10 Trillion Economy? That Depends...

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 14:27:46 GMT

The U.S. and India could become stronger partners if they find a way to deal with threats of sanctions says Marshall Bouton of the Center for the Advanced Study of India.

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How to Find Value in Every Customer

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 13:20:32 GMT

Companies have high-value customers and low-value ones but they all matter for businesses that want to make the most out of them according to a new book by Wharton’s Peter Fader and Sarah Toms.

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What Will Bolsonaro’s Election Mean for Brazil?

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 15:24:44 GMT

Brazilians have high hopes for their new president to rid the country of corruption and violence -- and in doing so boost the economy.

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Why Companies Should Encourage Employees to Vote

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 11:45:02 GMT

Businesses must do their part to make sure employees can take the time to vote without facing consequences at work Wharton’s Eric Orts writes.

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How Congress Can Reclaim Its Power

Fri, 02 Nov 2018 13:06:44 GMT

Congress’s role in federal governance has weakened in recent years but it could gain more strength by better exercising oversight Wharton research shows.

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Why Faith-based Organizations are Shifting to Impact Investing

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 14:20:20 GMT

Faith-based groups are increasingly investing in socially and environmentally responsible causes generating attractive returns to then reinvest.

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Success in the Startup World: Why Good Leadership Matters Most

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 14:07:18 GMT

John Chambers shares hard-won lessons from his new book ”Connecting the Dots: Lessons for Leadership in a Startup World.”

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Of Money and Men: A Tale of Poker Wall Street – and an Open Wound

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 12:34:50 GMT

Jerrold Fine’s debut novel ”Make Me Even and I’ll Never Gamble Again ” packs the power of a Babe Ruth home run.

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Can GE Make the Most of Its ‘Reset Moment’?

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 15:59:28 GMT

Former GE vice chair Beth Comstock talks about her time at the company and the challenges that lie ahead for new CEO Larry Culp.

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Who Are the Most Trustworthy? The Guilt Prone

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 13:33:17 GMT

Guilt isn’t always a positive trait but it does make people more conscientious and reliable and thus more worthy of trust says Wharton’s Maurice Schweitzer.

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Will UltraFICO Help Expand Credit -- or Create Greater Risk?

Fri, 26 Oct 2018 15:55:23 GMT

The new credit scoring mechanism promises to make credit more widely available but it could lead to riskier forms of lending experts say.

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Why Omnichannel Retailers Face a Steep Learning Curve

Fri, 26 Oct 2018 11:04:34 GMT

Both traditional and digital-first retailers know they need to provide a true omnichannel experience -- but they still struggle to get the balance right.

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Food for Thought: Can Changing Our Diets Save the Planet?

Thu, 25 Oct 2018 14:58:05 GMT

Two new reports suggest that human beings must change their diets in order to save the planet. But getting people to change lifelong dietary habits is a difficult task that often goes against personal tastes and cultural traditions.

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Why We Need a New Way to Measure the Economy

Thu, 25 Oct 2018 14:18:53 GMT

In order to build a better economy we must find more accurate ways to measure value within it economist Mariana Mazzucato writes in a new book.

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Is China the Next AI Superpower?

Thu, 25 Oct 2018 12:37:23 GMT

China’s national focus on AI the resources it is bringing to bear on the effort and the presence of ambitious entrepreneurs could let it overtake the U.S. in the field according to a new book.

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How Businesses Can Stay a Step Ahead of Copycats

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 14:23:15 GMT

Copycats can pose an existential threat to any business. A new book discusses strategies to not only stay ahead of them but also thrive.

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Will Legalizing Marijuana Light Up Canada’s Economy?

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 14:00:56 GMT

Canada has become the first developed nation to legalize marijuana for recreational use. How will it affect the country’s politics and economy?

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Why China’s Economic Troubles Run Deep

Tue, 23 Oct 2018 14:42:27 GMT

Excessive debt increasing state control of the economy and fears over an end to reforms are undermining confidence in the Chinese economy experts say.

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The Student Debt Crisis: Could It Slow the U.S. Economy?

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 16:03:33 GMT

Growing student loan debt is “changing the culture of America ” says one expert and it impacts the economic choices we make all the way through retirement.

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Improving U.S. Infrastructure: Getting Past the ’Coupon Effect’

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 14:08:22 GMT

Former White House infrastructure adviser D.J. Gribbin and Wharton’s Kent Smetters discuss the right path forward for improving aging roads bridges and other transportation systems.

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Clean Cooking: How Technology and Advocacy Are Helping Save Lives

Fri, 19 Oct 2018 15:37:15 GMT

Some three billion people in the world have no access to clean cooking solutions taking a toll in particular on women’s health.

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Among Top Math Students Why Does a Gender Gap Persist?

Thu, 18 Oct 2018 16:44:36 GMT

New Wharton research looks at the gender gap among high-achieving math students and its potential implications.

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Crazy Rich Indians: An Inside Look at the Burgeoning Bollygarchs

Thu, 18 Oct 2018 13:59:15 GMT

India is the world’s fastest-growing economy and could remain so for 20-30 years. Can it succeed at shrinking its great wealth disparity?

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’Winners Take All’: Can Elites Really Change the World for the Better?

Thu, 18 Oct 2018 13:46:38 GMT

Have elites rigged the system? A new book ”Winners Take All ” argues they do and in this opinion piece the U.S. media lead for the World Economic Forum offers some perspective on the idea.

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How Instant Payments Are Transforming Banking and Retail

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 16:37:46 GMT

New research shows financial services companies that deploy the latest instant payment methods can gain a competitive advantage.

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Why Companies Must Manage Environmental Social and Governance Risks

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 13:17:06 GMT

Companies are increasingly paying attention to environmental social and governance risks as these can affect the bottom line.

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Jeremy Siegel: Why the Stock Market Slip Is Not a Slide

Tue, 16 Oct 2018 14:03:59 GMT

If a U.S.-China trade agreement is worked out by January 1 markets could see a ”10% to15% pop ” according to Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel.

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What’s the Impact of More Diverse Corporate Boards?

Tue, 16 Oct 2018 12:46:12 GMT

A new California law requires companies based in the state to include female directors on their boards. But will the law actually change how companies are run?

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Can the World Change Course on Climate Change?

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 14:14:45 GMT

The UN’s latest climate change report should spur countries and businesses to take quick and effective steps to combat global warming say experts.

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Is There a Replication Crisis in Research?

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 11:27:05 GMT

A recent study co-led by Wharton’s Gideon Nave attempted to replicate social science experiments published in top journals with mixed results.

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Why a Data-driven Approach Can Enhance the Art of Logo Design

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 15:21:21 GMT

Research from Wharton’s Ryan Dew uses machine learning to help companies develop logos that are consistent with their brand identities.

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Dunkin’ WW and IHOB: When Do Name Changes Pay Off?

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 14:03:30 GMT

Changing a company’s name is a tricky proposition but businesses continue to do it with varying degrees of success. Two Wharton marketing professors look at the key considerations.

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How Impact Investing Can Reduce Maternal Mortality

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 12:30:18 GMT

The Merck for Mothers program and Karma Healthcare in India show how technology and partnerships lead to improved health care outcomes for women.

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What Every Founder Should Know

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 16:02:17 GMT

Newer business owners often find themselves either in a moment where everybody values you ”higher than you deserve or nobody’s willing to give you anything ” says author Maynard Webb.

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GE’s Leadership Problem Goes Beyond Its CEO

Tue, 09 Oct 2018 14:40:10 GMT

GE has become as one Wharton expert said “a slow-motion train wreck.” Can a change at the top help turn it around?

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Amazon’s $15 Minimum Wage: What’s the End Game?

Tue, 09 Oct 2018 12:58:15 GMT

Amazon’s decision has led to increased scrutiny of the company and its CEO with analysts trying to figure out what Jeff Bezos could be planning next.

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Will the New NAFTA Deliver?

Tue, 09 Oct 2018 12:25:25 GMT

The USMCA – the new trade agreement between the U.S. Mexico and Canada – brings NAFTA up to date but it’s unclear which country stands to gain the most experts say.

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How Digital Tools Support Hyper-personalized Customer Experiences

Fri, 05 Oct 2018 14:29:50 GMT

Digital tools supporting hyper-personalized customer services is the business model of the future notes the head of digital software at Tata Consultancy Services.

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Leadership in the Storm: How Four U.S. Presidents Handled Turmoil

Thu, 04 Oct 2018 12:00:52 GMT

Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin chronicles the leadership skills of four U.S. presidents who led the nation through turbulent times in her new book.

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Delaying Social Security: How Lump Sum Payments Can Help

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 16:24:25 GMT

Lump sum payments of a portion of Social Security benefits are a powerful incentive to convince people to delay retirement new Wharton research finds.

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As the Founders Exit What’s Next for Instagram?

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 13:38:59 GMT

As the founders exit Instagram has one billion users and Facebook has 2.2 billion. That’s a big chunk of the world’s population. So where can they go from here -- and what will regulators allow them to do?

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Why Fake News Campaigns Are So Effective

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 12:04:25 GMT

Social media have been ”weaponized” with fake news to maximize social discord writes Wharton professor Eric K. Clemons in this opinion piece. Why does it work so well?

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Why Elon Musk’s SEC Settlement Is Critical for Electric Vehicles

Tue, 02 Oct 2018 14:17:33 GMT

Elon Musk’s settlement with the SEC is significant not only for Tesla’s future but also for maintaining the momentum of the electric vehicle industry.

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Comcast Is Paying Up for Sky: Now What?

Tue, 02 Oct 2018 14:14:01 GMT

By many measures Comcast overpaid to acquire British pay TV firm Sky -- but if transformation is Comcast’s goal the cost could be justified experts say.

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Can Restructuring Sears Fix a Catalog of Problems?

Tue, 02 Oct 2018 10:46:11 GMT

The latest revival plan for Sears could benefit the hedge fund that controls it instead of boosting the retailer say experts.

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Not Too Big To Fail: Why Lehman Had to Go Bankrupt

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 16:53:05 GMT

Lehman’s resistance to risk management played a major role in its downfall according to the firm’s former chief risk officer Madelyn Antoncic.

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The Downside of Applying Lean Startup Principles

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 16:35:37 GMT

Early market testing based on lean startup principles could do more harm than good according to new Wharton research.

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Are You a ‘Good-ish’ Person? How to Push Past Your Biases

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 14:52:50 GMT

In a new book psychologist Dolly Chugh shows how taking deep stock of our unconscious biases can lead to enlightenment.

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Do You Lead with Purpose?

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 13:53:35 GMT

Mission statements and employee handbooks are fine but what really matters in an organization is the clarity of purpose behind it all says author Nick Craig.

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How Jack Ma Changed the Chinese View of Entrepreneurs

Tue, 25 Sep 2018 12:49:24 GMT

As Jack Ma prepares to leave Alibaba his career provides several key takeaways for fellow leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs in China.

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Why Time of Day Affects Shoppers’ Appetite for Variety

Mon, 24 Sep 2018 12:25:21 GMT

New Wharton research finds that shoppers are more likely to seek variety in their buying decisions later in the day.

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How Can Social Media Firms Tackle Hate Speech?

Sat, 22 Sep 2018 13:16:33 GMT

Social media companies want to create a “safe” environment for users and yet they would like to be seen as upholding the American value of free speech. When it comes to hate speech what should they do?

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Could Fracking Debt Set off Big Financial Tremors?

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 18:06:05 GMT

The U.S. fracking industry could implode when investors begin to demand “real returns” -- triggering wider damage according to a new book.

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How Did the Recession Change the Way B-Schools Teach Ethics?

Thu, 20 Sep 2018 11:50:00 GMT

There was plenty of blame to go around to those responsible for the Great Recession. So how did ethics education at business schools factor in?

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Marketing to Digital Natives: How Brand Loyalty Is Changing

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 14:07:47 GMT

Old-fashioned brand loyalty no longer leads directly to customer retention. So how can legacy brands appeal to a new generation that is just a click away from millions of products?

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Is the Next Recession Around the Corner?

Tue, 18 Sep 2018 13:23:22 GMT

The trigger for another downturn could come from anywhere according to Wharton Dean Geoffrey Garrett. The question is: Will it be a correction or a crisis?

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The Secret to Great Communication: Be Like Aristotle

Tue, 18 Sep 2018 12:22:36 GMT

Best-selling author Carmine Gallo believes the valuable ancient art of persuasion has been lost in the modern business world He wants to help workers bring it back.

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Can a Lottery Help You Lose Weight?

Tue, 18 Sep 2018 11:17:25 GMT

Companies are offering everything from free gym memberships to Fitbits but new Wharton research finds that cash lotteries provide powerful incentives for people to take control of their health.

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Will Central Bank Policies Set off Another Global Financial Crisis?

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 15:55:52 GMT

Central bank policies since the financial crisis have been far too accommodating and are setting the stage for another big fall before long according to a new book.

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The Real Causes -- and Casualties -- of the Housing Crisis

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 14:24:47 GMT

Misperceptions about the key drivers and impacts of the housing crisis persist -- and clarifying those will ensure the same mistakes aren’t repeated Wharton experts say.

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How Iceland Dealt with a Volcanic Financial Meltdown

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 16:55:18 GMT

Wharton’s Philip Nichols and Thorvaldur Gylfason of the University of Iceland share insights about why the economic recovery has worked but the political one hasn’t.

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The Auto Bailout 10 Years Later: Was It the Right Call?

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 11:01:57 GMT

There was a big debate about whether to grant GM and Chrysler a bailout. Even those leaning in favor were not sure it would work. Wharton and other experts explain why it was the right decision.

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How the Great Recession Changed American Workers

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 15:41:33 GMT

The global financial crisis exacerbated long-term trends including rising student debt and stagnant wages and left the public with a sense that the system is broken.

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Advertising in Crisis: How the Turmoil Threatens All Media

Thu, 06 Sep 2018 14:23:29 GMT

As digital products remake the world advertising and brands have evolved from sometime partners to ‘frenemies’ who are often in direct competition for dwindling consumer attention says author Ken Auletta.

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NAFTA 2.0: What Will It Mean for Trade?

Thu, 06 Sep 2018 14:21:20 GMT

In its bid to recast the North American Free Trade Agreement the U.S. has secured the buy-in of Mexico but it still faces resistance from Canada.

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Reinventing Museums for the Digital Generation

Thu, 06 Sep 2018 11:03:42 GMT

Penn Museum Director Julian Siggers is leading a digital transformation of the institution to make it relevant to younger generations.

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Improving Work Performance: These Eight Steps Could Help

Wed, 05 Sep 2018 14:47:42 GMT

To perform optimally at work focus on what you can change and ignore the rest according to a new book.

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Four Policy Changes That Can Rescue U.S. Infrastructure

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 14:58:32 GMT

New research from the Penn Wharton Public Policy Initiative offers some solutions that policymakers could pursue to shore up America’s infrastructure.

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How Junk Bond Funds Can Be an Early Economic Indicator

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 13:59:16 GMT

Wharton’s Itay Goldstein and his co-authors have uncovered a very early warning signal on the state of the economy.

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Is the U.S. Headed for Another Mortgage Crisis?

Fri, 31 Aug 2018 13:51:50 GMT

New Wharton research examines the development of mortgage-backed securities and why no one seems to heed the warnings of history.

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Post-crisis Do Central Banks Wield Too Much Power?

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 12:14:41 GMT

Central bankers are not elected by the people but they hold enormous influence. Former central banker Paul Tucker examines their enhanced role following the global financial crisis.

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Entrepreneurship Myths: Why You Likely Won’t Be Rich and Famous

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 17:18:27 GMT

Author Morra Aarons-Mele lays bare some myths around entrepreneurship including notions about success rates compensation and the hustle needed to succeed.

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Why Strong Intellectual Property Laws Matter in a Globalized World

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 13:21:23 GMT

Does globalization help or hurt companies? Wharton research shows that it lifts all boats especially weaker firms.

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How Firms Can Convince Employees to Quit Smoking

Tue, 28 Aug 2018 14:35:11 GMT

As companies struggle to contain soaring health care costs employee smoking remains a challenge. But a recent study by two University of Pennsylvania experts found that cash can be a powerful incentive to help smokers quit.

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Should Companies Abandon Quarterly Earnings Reports?

Mon, 27 Aug 2018 17:05:00 GMT

With semi-annual reports investors would be worse off experts say and the gains to companies in cost savings and long-term planning are dubious.

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Why the U.S. Rental Market Is Increasing Inequality

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 16:42:08 GMT

Recent trends show that while rents are falling for high-end dwellings middle- and low-income renters are still struggling to afford housing.

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How One Firm Built and Sold Homes in Mortgage-less West Africa

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 15:07:07 GMT

American Homebuilders of West Africa builds homes for locals while giving foreign investors a robust return.

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The Time Bomb Inside Public Pension Plans

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 14:15:15 GMT

There is a $4.4 Trillion shortfall hiding in plain sight inside public pension plans. Are we doomed to have it create a major financial crisis?

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Violating the ‘Law of One Price’ in the Financial Crisis

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 11:59:00 GMT

During the financial crisis the price gap between Treasury bonds and notes became unusually large. Wharton finance professors David Musto and Krista Schwarz explain why.

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’Land of the Fee’: How Hidden Costs Hurt Consumers

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 10:41:49 GMT

Americans are paying more than ever in fees which are tacked on to the price of everything from utility bills to concert tickets. These fees are quietly draining the wallets of middle-class Americans author Devin Fergus argues.

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Can China Recharge Its Population Growth?

Tue, 21 Aug 2018 13:30:26 GMT

It will take more than policy changes and government persuasion to reverse the mindsets of one-child families built over nearly four decades experts say.

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Where Immigrants Go Economic Growth Follows

Tue, 21 Aug 2018 13:28:25 GMT

New Wharton research suggests the heated immigration debate often overlooks the effect immigrants have on capital investment innovation and firm operations.

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How Dangerous Is the Corporate Debt Bubble?

Mon, 20 Aug 2018 12:35:59 GMT

As the 10th anniversary of the Great Recession of 2008 draws nearer some experts are beginning to worry that a looming bubble in corporate debt poses a danger.

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How Can Turkey Overcome Its Economic Troubles?

Fri, 17 Aug 2018 15:53:46 GMT

President Erdogan must forsake populist policies and accept outside help to readjust the economy even if this is politically unpalatable Wharton experts say.

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How Empathy Can Help Your Company Get Ahead

Fri, 17 Aug 2018 13:14:52 GMT

Cultivating empathy can help a company vanquish the competition gain loyal customers retain innovative employees and elevate itself from good to great says the author of a new book.

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What Marketers Are Doing Wrong in Data Analytics

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 11:35:21 GMT

New Wharton research shows that marketers are incorrectly crunching data and potentially getting wrong answers — and costing companies a lot of money.

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Why Middle-class Families Can No Longer Afford America

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 15:49:59 GMT

The American Dream is disappearing for the middle class says the author of ’Squeezed: Why Our Families Can’t Afford America.’

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Six Questions That Can Help Guide Digital Transformation

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 13:08:01 GMT

Two MIT researchers offer a practical guide to digital transformation in their new book ’What’s Your Digital Business Model?’

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Regulating Ride-sharing: Why New York City Could Be a Model

Tue, 14 Aug 2018 13:41:24 GMT

The largest market for Uber Lyft and other ride-hailing services last week had its first successful attempt at regulating the growth of the nascent industry.

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Should the SEC Pursue Offenders Beyond Five Years?

Mon, 13 Aug 2018 16:49:29 GMT

The securities regulator may have a winning case before Congress to change the statute of limitations.

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Can Going Private Turn Tesla Around?

Fri, 10 Aug 2018 13:34:26 GMT

Even if shareholders approve CEO Elon Musk’s plan the company faces many other challenges experts say.

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Fuel Economy Standards: Would a Freeze Impact Innovation?

Fri, 10 Aug 2018 10:40:58 GMT

A recent proposal by the White House to roll back Obama-era fuel-efficiency standards will face an uphill legal battle experts say.

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How Gender-diverse Discrimination Diminishes the Workplace

Thu, 09 Aug 2018 12:26:15 GMT

Author Lily Zheng advocates for greater acceptance of gender-diverse employees at work in her new book.

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Why Some Jobs Disappear Forever Following Recessions

Wed, 08 Aug 2018 17:21:58 GMT

After recessions there is one type of job that does not bounce back according to research by Wharton finance professor Nikolai Roussanov.

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Crossing $1 Trillion: What’s Next for Apple?

Tue, 07 Aug 2018 15:08:17 GMT

The consumer electronics giant is finding itself in a whole new race after becoming the first U.S. company to cross $1 trillion in market capitalization.

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Can 40 Seconds of Compassion Make a Difference in Health Care?

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 14:54:50 GMT

Can 40 seconds of compassion have an impact? An ICU physician says research shows it can and it’s better for patients -- and doctors.

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What’s the Impact of Expanding Short-term Health Plans?

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 14:12:37 GMT

Do short-term limited-duration health insurance policies increase consumer choice? Or do they put people in danger of not having adequate coverage if disaster strikes?

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How Ties to Ethnic Communities Influence Global Firm Expansion

Fri, 03 Aug 2018 11:46:04 GMT

For companies that want to expand abroad by serving their own ethnic groups there is a dual entry strategy that can be deployed according to Wharton research.

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What’s Behind Facebook’s Slump?

Thu, 02 Aug 2018 13:29:03 GMT

Facebook has reset the growth meter for itself and other social media companies which are facing changing user tastes and increased regulatory scrutiny.

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Portugal’s Economic Recovery: How Much Came from Ditching Austerity?

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 13:53:19 GMT

The reviews are mixed on what exactly led to Portugal’s economic recovery over the last couple of years. But one thing seems clear: There is more work to be done on economic diversification productivity and bank balance sheets.

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When Business Blows Up Policy: How to Regulate Disruptions

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 12:01:31 GMT

Innovative companies like Uber and Airbnb have disrupted more than their business sectors: They have upset the apple cart for regulators too. So what does the future look like?

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Truth or Lies? How a Question Is Phrased Can Make a Big Difference

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 10:42:45 GMT

The way a question is phrased can determine whether one gets the truth or a deceitful answer according to Wharton’s Maurice Schweitzer.

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Why the U.S. and Mexico Are Getting Closer

Thu, 26 Jul 2018 14:15:35 GMT

Although the divide appears to be widening between the U.S. and Mexico the countries are getting closer in many ways most of them outside the government notes author Andrew Selee.

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Can A Growing Private Flood Insurance Market Close the Coverage Gap?

Mon, 23 Jul 2018 16:26:58 GMT

Flood insurance is more important than ever given forecasts for more serious flooding due to climate change. Yet only about a third of at-risk homeowners have coverage -- most all through the government. Can a private market change that?

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Moving Beyond LinkedIn: A Better Strategy for Switching Careers

Thu, 19 Jul 2018 15:00:14 GMT

Finding a new job within your chosen field can be daunting but changing careers presents an even bigger challenge. A new book by psychologist Dawn Graham explains how to make it happen.

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Politics over Profit: When Is It Right to Turn Away Customers?

Thu, 19 Jul 2018 11:44:48 GMT

Following the Red Hen incident with Sarah Sanders a question arises: How far should businesses go in expressing political views? Wharton and other experts weigh in.

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Fight to Win: How a Little Friction Sparks Innovation

Thu, 19 Jul 2018 11:32:30 GMT

Contently co-founder Shane Snow says in a new book that it’s not always a good thing if team members get along well.

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Why Augmented Reality Is the Next Big Innovation in Mapping

Thu, 19 Jul 2018 10:14:26 GMT

According to Bill Kilday author of ’Never Lost Again ’ a second wave of innovation in mapping is coming and it has to do with augmented reality.

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Janesville: A Story of Recovery After the Great Recession

Wed, 18 Jul 2018 12:00:15 GMT

When the GM plant in Janesville Wisconsin shut down taking thousands of jobs with it the town had to figure out a new future.

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From Startup to Meltdown: The Unraveling of Theranos

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 14:13:56 GMT

In 2015 Elizabeth Holmes was CEO of a startup that promised to revolutionize health care and earn investors billions. Then reporter John Carreyrou uncovered the truth: It was all too good to be true.

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How Fair -- or Legal -- are Non-poaching Agreements?

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 14:01:10 GMT

The latest scrutiny by 11 state attorneys-general into how fast food franchises prevent employee movement raises bigger questions of transparency say experts.

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How Storytelling Helps Companies Build Rapport

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 11:02:19 GMT

Storytelling can transform a company’s relationships with its customers and employees according to a new book.

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Impact Investing: When Social Benefits Are in the Contract

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 10:37:57 GMT

New Wharton research examines how contracts can be structured differently when investors are trying to make money and make the world a better place.

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The Thai Cave Rescue: What Are the Leadership Lessons?

Mon, 16 Jul 2018 15:33:03 GMT

A committed Thai government a provincial governor’s rallying spirit and the grit of the trapped young men saved the day say experts.

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‘It Won’t Happen to Me’: Why People Don’t Prepare for Disasters

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 17:03:17 GMT

Major hurricanes can cause mass casualties and catastrophic damage and yet people never seem to be as prepared as they could be. Wharton’s Robert Meyer explains what can be done about it.

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Why Being a Mayor Is the Best Job in Politics

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 17:02:53 GMT

If Philadelphia were a company it would rank 360 on the Fortune 500. Former mayor Michael Nutter reflects on the trials and triumphs of being CEO of a big city.

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Why the U.K. Has Few Options in the Brexit Negotiations

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 16:17:09 GMT

Theresa May’s Brexit action plan won’t find favor with either the EU or her own party and she faces tough times ahead in negotiations say experts.

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Should Corporate Social Responsibility Include Political Responsibility?

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 14:06:10 GMT

Following the recent U.S. ICE controversy involving the separation of children from their families some firms are distancing themselves from the agency. Two experts discuss why companies are escalating their responses to political situations.

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Dow(n) and Out: Can General Electric Reclaim Its Legacy?

Thu, 12 Jul 2018 14:58:22 GMT

Yesterday’s bellwether brands like GE are struggling to survive. To bring good things back to life today’s leaders must change how they think about legacy note the authors of this opinion piece.

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Humans Plus Robots: Why the Two Are Better Than Either One Alone

Thu, 12 Jul 2018 14:34:28 GMT

Two Accenture executives discuss their new book about how bridging the gap between humans and AI can boost productivity.

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Celebrate the Rule Breakers: Why Unsafe Thinking Leads to Innovation

Thu, 12 Jul 2018 14:03:44 GMT

Author Jonah Sachs founder of Free Range Studios explains why playing it safe no longer gets results -- and what to do about it.

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YouTube Takes It All: Why On-demand Content Is Winning

Thu, 12 Jul 2018 13:56:30 GMT

The democratizing power of the internet has given everyone the ability to sell themselves through video and rewrite the script on what it means to be successful.

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How the U.S.-led Trade Wars Imperil the Global Economy

Tue, 10 Jul 2018 15:18:18 GMT

The Trump administration’s tariff wars could come back to haunt U.S. businesses and consumers if left unchecked experts warn.

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The Disney-Fox Deal: Why It’s About Going Directly to the Consumer

Tue, 10 Jul 2018 15:03:45 GMT

Last month the U.S. Justice Department gave its blessing to Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox -- a deal that paves the way for the creation of a mega-behemoth entertainment company.

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Will Mexico’s New President Deliver on His Promises?

Mon, 09 Jul 2018 16:29:58 GMT

Renegotiating NAFTA battling crime and inequality and energy reforms are among the challenges facing Mexico’s president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

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Will Interest Rate Hikes Hurt Stocks? Ask Jeremy Siegel

Mon, 09 Jul 2018 15:55:40 GMT

Will key issues such as potential interest rate hikes by the Fed an inverted yield curve and the trade wars upend equity markets anytime soon?

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Long Road Ahead: The Promise -- and Perils -- of Self-driving Cars

Fri, 06 Jul 2018 15:33:16 GMT

With some 38 000 U.S. automobile deaths a year self-driving cars are poised to boost safety considerably. But recent fatal accidents show there is a long way to go.

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Should Leadership Feel More Like Love?

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 12:51:55 GMT

A Google leadership development adviser says most companies need a wake-up call because 70% of workers don’t care about or actively hate their jobs.

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How Venmo Plans to Stay on Top in P2P Payments

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 12:25:04 GMT

Venmo COO Michael Vaughan explains why the company’s user experience is a key advantage.

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Girls Who Invest: Building a Pipeline for Women in Finance

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 12:05:04 GMT

CEO Janet Cowell explains how her organization is working toward a goal of 30% of the world’s investable capital being managed by women by 2030.

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How Justice Kennedy’s Departure Will Reshape SCOTUS

Mon, 02 Jul 2018 14:10:45 GMT

The Supreme Court wrapped up its term last week with a bombshell announcement about the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy a conservative who served as a swing vote in several key cases.

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Curbing Emissions: Can Satellites Help Keep China on Track?

Mon, 02 Jul 2018 12:13:36 GMT

A study of emissions at Chinese coal power plants holds important lessons in shaping regulations and tracking compliance.

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Co-opting the Constitution: How Corporations Influence American Law

Mon, 02 Jul 2018 12:02:43 GMT

Corporations have had an outsized influence on the evolution of law in America since the Revolution. UCLA law professor Adam Winkler discusses the history up to the present based on his new book.

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Is Uber’s London Win a Sign of Better Times Ahead?

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 16:36:52 GMT

Uber still faces close scrutiny by regulators worldwide as it mends its ways while ceding market share to rivals says Wharton’s John Paul MacDuffie.

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Is an Apology an Effective Marketing Campaign?

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 16:39:46 GMT

Brands including Facebook Wells Fargo and Uber have unveiled ad campaigns focused on making amends for recent misdeeds. But is it the right move?

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Planting Seeds of Success in Africa

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 13:04:31 GMT

Nonprofit myAgro’s novel financing model is transforming the way African farmers pay for their harvests.

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How One Hedge Fund’s Operational Approach Spawns Turnarounds

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 12:10:58 GMT

Jeffrey Smith CEO at Starboard Value -- a hedge fund which helped turnaround Darden Restaurants -- explains his firms ’operational activist’ investment approach.

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How Sexism in Tech Impacts the World Outside Silicon Valley

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 13:39:48 GMT

Author and journalist Emily Chang says gender discrimination in Silicon Valley could lead to bias being baked into the tech algorithms of the future.

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Is Your Culture Your Brand?

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 11:55:47 GMT

Companies that integrate brand and culture are more successful than those that keep the two separate notes a new book by Denise Lee Yohn.

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Keep Shopping: Why the Wayfair Ruling Won’t Hurt Online Sales

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 14:05:09 GMT

Today’s consumers care most about convenience; paying a few dollars more in sales tax won’t stop them from shopping online experts say.

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How Big Banks Can Become Too Big to Fail

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 16:04:30 GMT

Wharton finance professor Chaojun Wang whose research looks at financial market organization explains the conditions that lead to too-big-to-fail banks.

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IHOP to IHOB: Will the New Marketing Strategy Work?

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 15:38:58 GMT

A tweet on a brand renaming has opened potentially big new markets beyond breakfast for the restaurant known for serving pancakes. The trick will be to capitalize on the social media buzz experts say.

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Bigger Than Potholes: Why Fixing America’s Infrastructure Should Be a Priority

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 16:27:09 GMT

Infrastructure projects are expensive divisive and downright complicated -- but they’re also critical to the health of the U.S. economy says Wharton’s Robert Inman.

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How the Royal Wedding Reflects the Millennial Approach to Marriage

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 16:53:17 GMT

The recent Royal Wedding was a reflection on a grand scale of the current trends in the wedding industry.

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What Are Early-stage VCs Looking for? Founders with Grit

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 13:28:19 GMT

At the seed stage the best bets are startup founders who have an understanding of the risks and struggle ahead says venture capitalist Josh Kopelman.

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Job Training in the Digital Age: Learning to Do Not Think

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 13:13:10 GMT

The unemployment rate in the United States is the lowest it has been since 2000 but employers can’t find enough skilled workers to fill jobs.

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From Walmart to Disney: Building Companies That Last

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 16:42:38 GMT

Today’s startups seem intent on building up quickly and selling to the highest bidder. But it’s better to build a lasting business a new book says.

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Beyond Gaming: How Virtual Reality Brings Us Closer

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 16:31:30 GMT

Virtual reality is not just good for gaming. It’s also a tool for developing human connections says the author of a new book.

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Is the AT&T-Time Warner Decision a Blow Against Antitrust?

Tue, 19 Jun 2018 14:43:42 GMT

The vertical nature of the merger as well as big shifts in the media landscape paved the way for the recent ruling experts say.

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How the ACA Legal Challenge Could Hurt Insurers and the Insured

Tue, 19 Jun 2018 13:29:21 GMT

A lawsuit that wants to dismantle the Affordable Care Act in its entirety could create outcomes that are worse than the problems it aims to fix.

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Can Washington Create Smarter Regulations?

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 16:37:36 GMT

Regulatory excellence requires a system of smart management a lack of corruption and empathy toward businesses and consumers alike a Penn expert says.

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What the End of Net Neutrality Actually Means

Thu, 14 Jun 2018 14:13:17 GMT

As the Obama era rules end there are a number of questions surrounding how consumers will be affected and whether additional policy changes may follow.

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Betting on Disaster: Why Risk Management Is a Leadership Issue

Thu, 14 Jun 2018 11:26:36 GMT

How boards and executives prepare for risks can make the difference between riding the roughest wave or drowning in it according to a new book by Wharton’s Howard Kunreuther and Michael Useem.

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China’s Pork Industry: A New Effort to Help Farmers Modernize

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 17:10:18 GMT

A novel educational effort is imparting sustainable practices and business skills to China’s swine farmers who control half the world’s pork markets.

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How Using Algorithms Can Worsen Inequality

Tue, 12 Jun 2018 15:44:04 GMT

Algorithms used in public service systems can worsen inequality for the most vulnerable according to a new book.

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Retail Reimagining: Why Being Great Is no Longer Good Enough

Tue, 12 Jun 2018 13:19:57 GMT

A new book by Wharton’s Barbara Kahn looks at why being the best at one thing is no longer enough for retailers hoping to thrive in a hyper-competitive environment.

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Why Protectionism Won’t Bring Back Jobs

Mon, 11 Jun 2018 16:24:03 GMT

Free trade agreements such as NAFTA have reconfigured the labor landscape. But the plight of those left behind will not be solved by protectionism according to Wharton’s Mauro Guillen.

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From Bach to Rock: How Music Preferences Predict Behavior

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 16:56:12 GMT

New Wharton research explores the link between music preferences and personality and the implications for marketing and data privacy.

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Can Barnes & Noble Survive?

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 11:38:51 GMT

Customer disconnects and failed strategies have turned Barnes & Noble from a retail disruptor into a dinosaur experts say.

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Sustainable Cities Are Closer Than We Think

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 11:58:46 GMT

Big cities are driving the charge toward better sustainability notes the author of a new book.

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Why Wellness Programs Don’t Work So Well

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 11:18:57 GMT

A one-size-fits-all approach is often the fundamental flaw of these programs say Wharton and Penn researchers.

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Why the Supreme Court Bakery Ruling Raises More Questions Than It Answers

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 14:51:40 GMT

The Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple leaves open major questions about the right to turn customers away due to religious objections.

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U.S. Import Tariffs: Why the Cost Will Be High

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 13:52:19 GMT

The Trump administration’s decision last week to impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum from Canada Mexico and the European Union will have major ramifications experts say.

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Is a Bank Regulation Rollback in Consumers’ Best Interest?

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 16:37:02 GMT

The easing of onerous compliance requirements has banks of all sizes breathing a sigh of relief but it could have unintended consequences for consumers and small and midsized regional players.

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Uncovering the Secrets of Successful Work Cultures

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 12:35:34 GMT

What makes some groups work well together and some fall apart? Author Daniel Coyle reveals the secrets of successful teams in his new book.

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Words Matter: How Lyrics Help Songs Top the Charts

Fri, 01 Jun 2018 16:32:54 GMT

Wharton research uses natural language processing to study why some songs catch on while others fail to climb the charts.

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Hearts Minds and Money: Maximizing Charitable Giving

Fri, 01 Jun 2018 15:59:18 GMT

Donors tend to act more on emotion than rationality when choosing organizations to support. New Wharton research looks at why that’s so and what can be done about it.

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Will Italy’s Divided Politics Cripple Europe’s Economy – or Worse?

Thu, 31 May 2018 12:46:48 GMT

The political crisis in Italy deepened this week sparking a sell-off in Italian stocks and bonds. What measures could stem the damage?

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Can New Strategies Keep Campbell Soup from Going Cold?

Wed, 30 May 2018 16:43:47 GMT

The sudden exit of Campbell Soup’s CEO is giving the company the opportunity to review and reset its strategies especially concerning millennials experts say.

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How Businesses Can Get Inside the Minds of Their Competitors

Wed, 30 May 2018 16:08:54 GMT

Wharton research using natural language processing techniques advances the field of competitive strategy analysis to previously untested terrain.

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Want to Be in Control of Your Wealth? Unclutter Your Investments

Tue, 29 May 2018 13:14:09 GMT

The secret to gaining control over one’s finances is to first identify short-term and long-term goals and then align investments accordingly.

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Learning from Netflix: How to Build a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility

Tue, 29 May 2018 11:23:10 GMT

Patty McCord former chief talent officer at Netflix and an architect of the company’s famous Culture Deck explains the principles in her book ‘Powerful.’

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Never Give Up: What an Entrepreneur Learned from Failure

Fri, 25 May 2018 12:00:03 GMT

The shutdown of his startup led author and entrepreneur Ethan Senturia to rethink his long-held ideas about success.

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Will the EU’s GDPR Rules Launch a New Era of Data Protection?

Thu, 24 May 2018 13:39:23 GMT

Companies are likely to extend their compliance with the EU’s new GDPR rules globally. But along with new protections come gray areas about implementation experts say.

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Why Creating a Business Plan Is a ’Waste of Time’

Thu, 24 May 2018 13:03:45 GMT

What entrepreneurs need is flexibility and innovation -- not a traditional business plan -- says economist and author Carl Schramm.

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Lights Camera Action: China Embraces Hollywood

Wed, 23 May 2018 16:23:33 GMT

Hollywood is aiming for the lucrative Chinese market. But will quotas and regulations stand in the way?

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How India Is Making Its Place in the World

Wed, 23 May 2018 13:51:14 GMT

With a $2.6 trillion economy that continues to grow India has arrived on the global stage according to Alyssa Ayres author of ’Our Time Has Come.’

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Does Your Company Need a VP of Kindness?

Wed, 23 May 2018 12:26:58 GMT

Emotional intelligence has become a “must have” in the modern work world and instilling it in your firm starts in the C-suite says author and meditation expert Leah Weiss.

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What Will Maduro’s Re-election Mean for Venezuela?

Tue, 22 May 2018 13:54:40 GMT

Following Venezuela’s presidential election on Sunday experts say the country’s economic and humanitarian crises will only worsen unless key players like Russia and China work with the U.S. to find a solution.

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Network Synergy: A New Way to Value M&A

Tue, 22 May 2018 10:35:20 GMT

Research by Wharton’s Exequiel Hernandez shows that corporate alliances matter nearly as much as internal synergies in valuing M&A.

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Can Bundled Payments Help Control Health Care Costs?

Mon, 21 May 2018 17:08:04 GMT

Hospitals can cut medical bills and raise the quality of care by bundling up multiple services in one bill notes new research by Penn medicine’s Amol Navathe.

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Why Monarchies Rule When It Comes to Standard of Living

Fri, 18 May 2018 13:24:40 GMT

New research by Wharton’s Mauro Guillen explores how the long-term effects of monarchies are good for economies.

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Lowering Drug Prices: Will the Cost Outweigh the Cure?

Fri, 18 May 2018 11:42:03 GMT

President Trump’s recently announced plan to lower prescription drug prices could benefit consumers in the short run but it may end up hurting new drug development experts say.

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Five Ways Companies Can Be More Nimble

Thu, 17 May 2018 13:11:53 GMT

In order to manage and surmount uncertainties companies need to strategically use five kinds of agility writes Vivekin CEO Baba Prasad in his book ’Nimble.’

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Why Digital Transformation Is Key to Argentina’s Future

Thu, 17 May 2018 13:01:49 GMT

Despite its financial ills Argentina’s longer-term economic prospects are looking brighter thanks to a new generation of leaders who are embracing digital transformation.

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Going Viral: How to Save Society from Deadly Epidemics

Mon, 14 May 2018 14:26:35 GMT

Is it possible to end all epidemics? Harvard Medical School’s Jonathan Quick says there are steps public institutions can -- but don’t -- take to protect society.

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How Social Networks Contribute to the Spread of Unproven Innovations

Mon, 14 May 2018 14:21:05 GMT

New Wharton research examines which kinds of innovations spread more quickly than others in different networks the role of influencers and what that means for entrepreneurs.

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Separating Better Data from Big Data: Where Analytics Is Headed

Thu, 10 May 2018 17:21:45 GMT

AI neuroscience and geospatial targeting are among the key trends that will drive the next decade of innovation in analytics.

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Will Renewed Sanctions Against Iran Backfire on the U.S.?

Thu, 10 May 2018 16:57:46 GMT

Resistance from Europe China and affected businesses could undercut U.S. actions against Iran.

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Why Alaska’s Experience Shows Promise for Universal Basic Income

Thu, 10 May 2018 14:25:05 GMT

Encouraging results from Alaska’s oil royalty program point to universal basic income as a potentially viable idea experts say.

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Latin America’s Digital Crossroads: Why the Opportunities Are Huge

Thu, 10 May 2018 12:37:19 GMT

More than 70% of Latin America’s 600 million residents will have a mobile phone within a couple of years. That makes the region ripe for digital ”leapfrogging ” says new research.

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Are Cryptoassets a Sound Investment?

Wed, 09 May 2018 11:58:32 GMT

Are cryptoassets right for your investment portfolio? A new book applies money management tools to maximize returns and manage risks.

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Why Leaders Should Focus on Long-term Growth

Tue, 08 May 2018 14:03:30 GMT

CEOs who go long in their outlook have natural allies among institutional shareholders.

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How the Golden State Killer Case Ignited a Privacy Debate

Fri, 04 May 2018 16:13:31 GMT

A possible breakthrough in the Golden State Killer case thanks to DNA samples from a genealogical testing service has prompted calls for stricter protection of personal genetic data.

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Can Hollywood Survive Streaming Services?

Fri, 04 May 2018 16:06:52 GMT

Hollywood once ruled the world with must-see movies and the in-theater experience but many now opt to ”Netflix and chill” at home. Can the industry adapt?

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T-Mobile and Sprint: Will the Deal Go Through?

Thu, 03 May 2018 13:45:11 GMT

T-Mobile and Sprint have been trying to tie the knot for years – and the third time may not be the charm despite a friendlier regulatory environment.

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Will the Fight Against Fraudulent Returns Pay Off for Retailers?

Thu, 03 May 2018 12:20:48 GMT

Retailers lose billions every year because of fraudulent merchandise returns. How can they weed out problem customers without alienating the good ones?

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How Better Training Can Help Companies Face the ’Tech Tide’

Thu, 03 May 2018 11:37:40 GMT

AI cannot replace the power of a human smile in customer engagement and the chief differentiators for excellence are training and culture Tom Peters says in his new book.

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Why Empathy Is More Than Standing in Another’s Shoes

Wed, 02 May 2018 15:20:47 GMT

A new book about empathy finds that the idea of putting oneself in another’s shoes is changing but still offers many rewards for individuals and organizations.

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Why Top Performers Quit When the Going Gets Tough

Tue, 01 May 2018 12:28:19 GMT

When facing adversity favorites are more likely to walk away than underdogs new Wharton research finds. The reason: potential embarrassment over not meeting expectations.

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How the U.S. Ban on ZTE Could Disrupt Telecom Supply Chains

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 16:14:52 GMT

The U.S. ban on exports to China’s ZTE is justifiable but a balance needs to be found to protect trade and technological development experts say.

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Will a $1 Billion Fine Change Wells Fargo?

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 15:31:46 GMT

Wells Fargo needs a significant culture change that makes top executives more accountable experts say.

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Stretching Sustainable Development Funds

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 13:56:43 GMT

The International Finance Corporation deploys a novel approach to boost private sector development in emerging nations for maximum impact.

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Unlocking Serendipity Is the Key to Life Science Breakthroughs

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 16:52:34 GMT

Serendipity plays a big role in life-science innovation since breakthroughs often are unintended consequences. Yet despite the seeming randomness this creative process can be managed -- and improved say experts.

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Managing the Dark Side of Workplace Friendships

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 13:55:19 GMT

Friendships in the workplace are valuable. But Wharton research shows they can also lead to complexities and challenges for those inside and outside the circle.

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How Long Can the ’Chinese Miracle’ Last?

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 12:00:45 GMT

China’s debt-fueled growth is unsustainable and a time of reckoning is coming argues the author of a new book.

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What to Expect from a Post-Castro Cuba

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 11:28:32 GMT

Cuba has a new leader Miguel Diaz-Canel. But former president Raul Castro remains in a position of control over the key drivers of the country’s economy experts say.

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For Haier’s Zhang Ruimin Success Means Creating the Future

Fri, 20 Apr 2018 15:10:11 GMT

The chairman and CEO of the Haier Group believes that the company’s user-centric model of micro enterprises is a key pillar of growth.

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What Brands Can Learn from Starbucks’ Crisis Response

Fri, 20 Apr 2018 10:25:29 GMT

The arrest of two black men at a Philadelphia coffee shop should be treated as a broad-based wake-up call for Starbucks -- and for other brands as well experts say.

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How Big Data Can Make a Big Difference in HR

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 13:15:52 GMT

HR has been slow to adopt data analytics. SAP’s chief learning officer discusses why companies must incorporate data into the HR process and other insights from her new book.

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Should the U.S. Extend Individual Tax Breaks Beyond 2025?

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 12:08:09 GMT

The Penn Wharton Budget Model finds that the “extenders” will hurt economic growth and worsen federal debt. Only a serious crisis will trigger corrective action say experts.

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Is It Possible to Change Bad Behavior – Permanently?

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 14:03:43 GMT

What if a simple nudge could help you make better decisions? A new large-scale experiment headed by two Penn researchers aims to help people develop better exercise habits.

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Break the Rules: How Thinking Flexibly Leads to Innovation

Tue, 17 Apr 2018 12:50:48 GMT

Physicist Leonard Mlodinow describes how elastic thinking lets people unleash their inherent creativity in his new book.

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How the Tax Structure Can Be Tweaked for Social Good

Fri, 13 Apr 2018 16:08:34 GMT

New Wharton research shows that there could be significant effects from subsidizing professions that offer limited compensation relative to the societal benefits they create.

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How Buyers Can Make the Most of a Tough Housing Market

Fri, 13 Apr 2018 15:03:19 GMT

The latest tax changes may steer people towards renting rather than owning a home but for those who still want to buy experts have some advice.

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How a Nonprofit Found a Startling Way to End Child Hunger

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 15:09:54 GMT

Billy Shore founder of the nonprofit Share Our Strength discovered an often overlooked way to alleviate child hunger. He shares his story with Wharton professor Katherine Klein.

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How Compassion Can Make You More Successful

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 16:39:55 GMT

Northeastern University’s David DeSteno believes you don’t have to be a jerk to get ahead. In fact gratitude compassion and pride can lead to better outcomes.

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Spotify’s Direct Listing: Will Other Unicorns Follow?

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 12:40:40 GMT

The world’s largest music streaming service went public last week in a very unusual way -- by eschewing an IPO and opting for a direct listing. Will other high-profile tech firms take the same path?

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Did We Learn the Right Lessons from the Great Recession?

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 16:05:33 GMT

Ten years after the Great Recession began questions remain about root causes for some analysts. The IMF’s Tamim Bayoumi looks at some unexplored areas in a recent book.

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Amazon Under Fire: Is Antitrust Action Likely?

Mon, 09 Apr 2018 11:51:23 GMT

Although Amazon has faced a series of accusations by President Trump about its business practices recently the company would likely survive any attempts to bring antitrust action against it experts say.

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Autonomous Car Crashes: Who -- or What -- Is to Blame?

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 11:00:15 GMT

Two recent fatalities involving Uber and Tesla vehicles using driverless systems have raised concerns that threaten to significantly delay or derail adoption of the technology.

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The Downside to Playing It Safe in the Banking Industry

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 09:48:44 GMT

Recent Wharton research looks at why banks tend to invest in assets with the lowest risk and how that behavior can affect the broader economy.

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What the U.S. Could Learn from Australia’s Gun Control Laws

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 12:30:35 GMT

Firearm mortalities in Australia fell 60% between 1979 and 2013 aided by new gun-control laws and other deterrents notes a Penn study.

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When Fun Goes Digital: Creating the Theme Park of the Future

Wed, 04 Apr 2018 16:57:54 GMT

From a virtual Harry Potter to digital wrist bands that hold your place in line today’s theme parks are no longer the analog experiences of decades past.

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What Makes a Successful CEO?

Wed, 04 Apr 2018 15:36:39 GMT

Cassandra Frangos who guided Cisco’s leadership transition when John Chambers stepped down as CEO discusses her new book on the skills and career strategies many C-Suite executives share.

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What Facebook Can Do to Rebuild Trust

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 14:31:39 GMT

In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal the world’s biggest social network is facing what is arguably its biggest PR crisis ever.

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How to Stop Sabotaging Your Career

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 12:24:12 GMT

Why do smart talented people sometimes derail their own careers? Arrogance inability to adapt or taking on too much lead the list according to a new book.

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How Youth Can Help Solve the World’s Toughest Problems

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 15:42:23 GMT

Innovative ideas from young people are driving the successful targeting of poverty hunger climate change and health issues.

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Why Carbon Taxes May Not Be the Best Solution for a Greener Planet

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 14:16:00 GMT

New Wharton research shows that creating industrial-scale ways to store renewable energy is more effective than carbon taxes.

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How the ACA ‘Risk Corridor’ Fallout Is Hurting Health Care

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 16:14:57 GMT

Insurers’ inability to recover their dues under an Affordable Care Act risk-sharing program is not only impacting those companies but also causing collateral damage in the marketplace say experts.

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Not Your Mother’s Barbie: How Mattel’s New Dolls Aspire to Inspire

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 13:00:22 GMT

Mattel’s new Barbie doll line looks to create role models more than fashionistas. Three experts analyze the marketing that launched them.

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The Workplace Culture Chasm: Why So Many Get It Wrong

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 10:52:48 GMT

A positive workplace culture can boost performance. So why do so many organizations fail to get even the basics right?

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How Retailers Can Avoid Becoming the Next Toys R Us

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 16:50:29 GMT

The demise of Toys R Us and the recent bankruptcy filing by mall staple Claire’s show that the reshaping of the U.S. retail landscape is far from over.

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Why a Japanese E-commerce Giant Made Its Employees Learn English

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 13:23:54 GMT

Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten required its global workforce to be proficient in English or be demoted. Harvard’s Tsedal Neeley examines this strategy in her book.

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How Can the U.S. Avoid a Trade War with China?

Tue, 27 Mar 2018 10:46:44 GMT

Bypassing the World Trade Organization with more U.S. tariffs against China risks a big trade war with no winners and a damaged U.S. economy experts say.

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Who Needs Judgment When You’ve Got Data? You Do.

Mon, 26 Mar 2018 14:54:40 GMT

Human judgment is out. Measurement is in. But tilting too far in one direction carries enormous costs says author Jerry Z. Muller in this opinion piece.

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How Amazon Delivers on Its Core Product: Convenience

Fri, 23 Mar 2018 15:08:04 GMT

The e-commerce giant’s rapid growth of its fulfillment center network has been key to its dominance over the past decade recent Wharton research finds.

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Why the Cambridge Analytica Scandal Is a Watershed Moment for Social Media

Thu, 22 Mar 2018 17:58:48 GMT

In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica imbroglio 50 million Facebook profiles stand compromised. One upshot: Users must learn to protect themselves experts say.

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How to Pitch Your Startup to a Venture Capitalist

Thu, 22 Mar 2018 13:16:52 GMT

Venture capitalist Jenny Lefcourt from Freestyle Capital offers tested advice for budding entrepreneurs looking to fund a startup.

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Want to Nurture Creativity? First Get the Culture Right

Thu, 22 Mar 2018 13:10:06 GMT

Equally important is helping people recognize creativity within their organizations says David Yager CEO of Philadelphia’s University of the Arts.

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How a Less-explored Side of Narcissism Can Cause Us Harm

Thu, 22 Mar 2018 11:22:49 GMT

Psychologist Nancy Van Dyken explains the roots of a mostly unfamiliar form of narcissism -- and how to get past it based on her new book.

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Are You Ready for the Third Digital Revolution?

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 16:06:02 GMT

The world is heading into a third digital revolution with computerized fabrication notes a new book -- Designing Reality. The effects will go way beyond 3-D printing.

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What Silicon Valley Can Learn from the Theranos Fraud Case

Mon, 19 Mar 2018 17:14:32 GMT

The SEC’s verdict in the Theranos case raises broader questions on how much leeway to give startup founders and when controls need to be put in place.

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Will Dropbox Be the Unicorn That Proves Itself?

Mon, 19 Mar 2018 15:31:51 GMT

The Dropbox IPO is expected to be one of the biggest tech stock offerings since Snap in 2017. How will it fare?

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Why Regulation Is a Tricky Business in the Sharing Economy

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 14:58:15 GMT

Around the globe governments are grappling with particular problems created by innovative sharing platforms like Uber and Airbnb. What role should regulators play?

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How Focusing on Impact Can Help Nonprofits Thrive

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 11:53:08 GMT

As baby boomers retire in coming years part of their legacy will be to leave an unprecedented level of donations to nonprofits. Here’s how each can win a fair share.

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What Went Wrong: The Demise of Toys R Us

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 17:21:33 GMT

As the end nears for the once-mighty retailer experts say the blame squarely falls on the company’s failure to innovate.

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Kickstart Your Job Search: How Neuroscience Can Help

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 16:42:28 GMT

Insights from neuroscience can help you take a more strategic approach to searching for a new gig.

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How Tech Companies are Helping to Curb Wildlife Trafficking

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 11:59:08 GMT

Action by major tech companies combined with consumer education efforts can make big gains towards defeating the online trade of wildlife say experts at Wharton and elsewhere.

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The NFL’s First Female Coach Shares Lessons From On and Off the Field

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 13:28:39 GMT

Jen Welter who has had a career of firsts in a field dominated by men -- including as the first woman to coach in the NFL -- shares lessons on leadership and teamwork.

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Gun Control After Parkland: What Can Firms Really Do?

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 16:11:46 GMT

Following the Parkland school shootings in February gun-control advocacy in the U.S. has won support from large corporations – although there are some limits to what they can accomplish experts say.

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Loneliness on the Job: Why No Employee Is an Island

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 15:40:19 GMT

New Wharton research shows that loneliness in the workplace isn’t just damaging to mental health -- it can also lower job performance.

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Why Tech Companies Are Worried about the Ohio v. Amex Case

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 19:55:30 GMT

A Supreme Court case on the card issuer’s business practices is rattling technology companies -- including Google Facebook and Amazon -- that have business models involving disparate sets of customers.

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How Europe’s Banking Revolution Will Boost Fintech

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 13:05:23 GMT

In a move that will give fintech companies the wind at their back Europe is requiring banks to release account records to third-parties when customers request it.

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How AI Startup Vicarious Got Backing from Tech’s Biggest Names

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 10:16:34 GMT

Vicarious CEO Scott Phoenix talks about his startup and why ”it’s getting harder and harder to argue that artificial intelligence is not the next big thing.”

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Why Is the White House Challenging the Penn Wharton Budget Model?

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 09:50:57 GMT

The White House has taken issue with the economic analysis of President Trump’s infrastructure plan by the Penn Wharton Budget Model (PWBM) suggesting that the model is flawed and inaccurate. The PWBM rebuts those claims.

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Why a U.S. Tariff Plan Could Backfire

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 14:06:09 GMT

The U.S. risks severe trade retaliation and a loss of credibility if it presses ahead with plans for import tariffs on steel and aluminum say Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel and Fordham’s Matt Gold.

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In the Global Media Chess Game Comcast Aims for the Sky

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 13:47:22 GMT

Comcast’s surprise bid to acquire U.K.-based satellite TV operator Sky complicates a planned merger between Disney and Fox and has opened the door to a bidding war.

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Learning from CEOs: What It Takes to Get to the Top and Succeed

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 16:31:05 GMT

Elena Lytkina Botelho co-author of The CEO Next Door and IDEX CEO Andrew Silvernail discuss how leaders can deliver results and get noticed for them.

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The Pot Paradox: Can the U.S. Fix Its Conflicting Policies?

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 17:05:27 GMT

Wharton’s Peter Conti-Brown explains how federal banking regulations have forced the cash-based legalized marijuana industry to operate in a gray market.

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What Can We Learn from the World’s Happiest People?

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 16:38:33 GMT

In the happiest countries enlightened leaders did not focus on economic development alone. That created an upward spiral in well-being.

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How Firms Can Do a Better Job of Leveraging Diversity

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 16:15:53 GMT

Managers and employees must move beyond an abstract notion of diversity if they want to effect real change.

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Why Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ Is Resonating Globally

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 12:53:05 GMT

‘Black Panther’ is more than just a global blockbuster superhero movie -- it has become a cultural force.

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Can the Minerva Model of Learning Disrupt Higher Education?

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 10:45:53 GMT

Traditional universities have much to learn from disruptors like the Minerva Schools which aims to provide high-quality learning opportunities at a fraction of the cost of an elite college.

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Why Timing Is -- Almost -- Everything

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 17:04:01 GMT

Author Daniel Pink discusses his new book about how the time of day we do things can change outcomes.

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What Xi Jinping’s Longer-term Rule Will Mean for China’s Economy

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 15:26:02 GMT

With the path looking clear for Chinese President Xi Jinping to continue in office past 2023 experts discuss how the change will affect the economy and foreign investment.

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How Silicon Valley Came of Age: The Role of Little-known Innovators

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 14:39:13 GMT

Stanford historian Leslie Berlin discusses her book about Silicon Valley’s origins and some little-known yet significant innovators.

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Will the U.S. Economy’s Period of Stability Continue?

Mon, 26 Feb 2018 15:32:47 GMT

As new U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell settles into office experts consider the best pace for interest rate increases and whether the financial system is strong enough to weather another downturn.

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Seeing Red: Can a Brand Trademark a Signature Color?

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 16:35:35 GMT

Luxury fashion designer Christian Louboutin is fighting to trademark his signature red shoe soles in the European courts. Will he succeed?

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America First? To the World It’s Eighth

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 12:32:39 GMT

Global perceptions of the U.S. are getting significantly worse notes the new Best Countries report from U.S. News & World Report BAV Group and Wharton.

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Would Trump’s Infrastructure Plan Drive the U.S. Forward or Backward?

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 11:51:08 GMT

The Trump infrastructure plan could lift the federal debt or decrease it depending on how it is financed. But it will surely need more private and state funding experts say.

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How Modern Medicine Changed the Way People Die

Mon, 19 Feb 2018 12:50:22 GMT

Death has changed in modern times with technology prolonging life and making dying a shareable event. But what has been gained and what has been lost along the way?

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What’s Behind One of the Biggest Financial Scams in History

Mon, 19 Feb 2018 12:32:42 GMT

The LIBOR scandal is one of the biggest financial scrams in history. In his new book journalist David Enrich unravels what went down.

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What Science Says About Quitting While You’re Ahead

Fri, 16 Feb 2018 15:41:31 GMT

People who achieve a personal best tend to relax afterwards and not push themselves further. But is that a good thing to do?

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The White House Budget: What’s the Reality?

Fri, 16 Feb 2018 13:47:52 GMT

White House budgets usually amount to nothing more than ”vision statements” -- and the latest one suffers from undue optimism about economic growth and a troubling expansion of the deficit experts say.

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The Quest to Make the World’s Best Chocolates

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:16:22 GMT

In his recent book Steve Wallace chronicles his journey to create a gourmet chocolate company in Ghana.

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How the Next Generation Is Changing Charitable Giving

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 15:39:55 GMT

Today’s philanthropists are increasingly coming from the younger generation and they expect their giving to have a real and measurable impact according to a new book.

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Uber’s Waymo Settlement: Why the Road Isn’t Clear Yet

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 14:24:01 GMT

The Uber-Waymo case sheds light on the cutthroat world of technology-based businesses and the race to produce the next big thing.

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Why Customer Retention Lies at the Heart of Corporate Valuation

Mon, 12 Feb 2018 15:39:51 GMT

New research from Wharton is changing the way investors are looking at the valuation of businesses by taking a closer look at the worth of those firms’ customers.

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Will Amazon Go Capture the Holy Grail of Retail?

Fri, 09 Feb 2018 17:01:44 GMT

Amazon’s new cashier-less convenience store aims to answer one of retail’s thorniest challenges: Understanding why shoppers do what they do and leveraging that knowledge into increasing sales.

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It’s All About Timing: How Nonprofits Can Increase Charitable Donations

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 16:18:50 GMT

New Wharton research shows that timing is the key to maximizing donations particularly from people with an existing connection to an organization.

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How Can the U.S. Improve Internet Security Speed and Access?

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 13:59:45 GMT

A scrapped proposal to nationalize the U.S. 5G network brings up questions about what the U.S. must do to take wireless connectivity to the next level.

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How Businesses Can Drive Health Care to the Underserved

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 11:32:05 GMT

Medical devices maker Medtronic and ERC Eye Care have created sustainable models to bring health solutions for the neediest in remote areas.

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The Stock Market Rollercoaster: Should Investors Be Worried?

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 13:41:41 GMT

Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel advises investors to hold tight for the ride -- the recent losses that erased some $4 trillion in value in global stock markets are an overdue correction.

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Will Amazon Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Reinvent Health Care?

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 13:11:22 GMT

The three heavyweights announced last week that they are joining forces to reduce health care costs for their employees. Will the new model shake up the health care industry?

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Scoring or Snoring? The Super Bowl in Five Ads

Mon, 05 Feb 2018 15:35:15 GMT

Brands spend millions of dollars to air ads during the Super Bowl but few achieve the ultimate payoff of actually bringing in more sales.

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Mindfulness: Why Being Present Can Make You a Better Manager

Mon, 05 Feb 2018 13:49:21 GMT

A new book by Gretchen Steidle looks at how organizations can boost management performance by investing in mindfulness training.

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A ‘Dirty and Open Secret’: Can Social Media Curb Fake Followers?

Fri, 02 Feb 2018 16:11:20 GMT

In the wake of a New York Times expose experts weigh options to identify and weed out fake users on social media.

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Why Millennials Are Moving the Needle on the Real Estate Market

Fri, 02 Feb 2018 14:34:11 GMT

While the uptick in homeownership is nowhere near pre-recession levels it marks a significant shift from a decade ago. But what has changed?

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Rethinking the Mortgage Industry: Is There a Better Way to Subsidize?

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 17:07:42 GMT

New Wharton research looks at how underpriced government mortgage guarantees contributed to the housing crisis and how that could be fixed.

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Does Health Care Need a New Startup Model?

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 13:41:25 GMT

Traditional Silicon Valley startup models involving venture capital or private equity are missing new markets as health care’s evolution speeds up says one entrepreneur.

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Why Consumers Lose in the Big Pharma Wars

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 13:18:02 GMT

Leading pharma companies conspire to keep drug price in the U.S. far higher than a free market would support -- and that also stifles innovation says the author of a new book.

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How Innovative Business Models Can Bring Cheap Energy to Poor Communities

Mon, 29 Jan 2018 17:10:44 GMT

An Indian entrepreneur and an Australian investor are finding ways to bring low-cost clean power to remote communities.

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How Crowdfunding Helps Entrepreneurs Beyond Silicon Valley

Mon, 29 Jan 2018 16:50:05 GMT

New Wharton research looks at how crowdfunding is democratizing access to capital in diverse areas of the U.S. -- and why that trend is growing.

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Is a U.S.-China Trade War Heating Up?

Fri, 26 Jan 2018 16:02:57 GMT

The recently announced import tariffs on solar panels and washing machines could be a precursor to bigger trade clashes between the U.S. and China experts say.

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Why the U.S. Founding Fathers Wanted an Activist Government

Fri, 26 Jan 2018 14:15:50 GMT

Did the Founding Fathers actually support limited government as some suggest? Yale professor Steven Pincus argues otherwise in his new book.

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Brand Crisis Management: Responding to the Tide Pod Challenge

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 17:45:31 GMT

Other brands can learn important lessons from Procter & Gamble’s response to the trend of teenage YouTubers ingesting toxic detergent pods.

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Why 2018 Is Shaping Up to Be a Good Year for Banks

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 17:38:21 GMT

The deregulation that banks expected in 2017 but didn’t materialize could become reality this year. Still lingering consumer distrust and increased competition from fintechs are potential hurdles experts say.

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How to Drive Competitive Returns with Impact Investing

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 15:54:54 GMT

Businesses are best placed to help solve social and environmental issues and those that do tend to do well for themselves say two impact investors who share their experiences.

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How Spectre and Meltdown Will Impact Companies and Consumers

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 13:45:53 GMT

Recent news about the computer chip vulnerabilities has caused alarm because of the sheer scale of the problem. Businesses are scrambling to protect themselves -- should consumers be worried also?

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What Can Jay-Z and Beyoncé Teach Us about Corporate Accountability?

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 13:09:45 GMT

Recent Wharton research offers a new framework for viewing the moral obligations of individuals as well as corporations.

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2017 Was a Terrible Year for Natural Disasters: Is It the New Normal?

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 15:39:34 GMT

Last year was the costliest on record in the U.S. for damage from natural disasters painting a grim picture of what the future could bring.

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Global Risks in 2018: What Lies Ahead?

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 14:54:55 GMT

According to the 2018 Global Risks Report the environment cyber security and geopolitics are areas drawing the most concern.

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Is This the Year Electric Cars Become Exciting?

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 14:30:13 GMT

U.S. automakers are weighing continued sales optimism against uncertain policy moves. Meanwhile electric cars look ripe for consumer-friendly jumps in performance.

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The Emperor Has No Clothes: Recasting Leadership in the Open-source Era

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 14:27:37 GMT

The digital age has democratized the workplace. So what happens when employees can wield just as much knowledge and power as their managers?

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China in 2018: What Hangs in the Balance?

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:09:25 GMT

China’s leadership in clean energy and its strong economic growth are counterweighted by potential trade clashes with the U.S. and simmering social unrest say experts.

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What Can an Ancient General Teach Us About Modern Leadership?

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 12:50:56 GMT

Few military leaders hold as much allure for historians as Hannibal. Archaeologist Patrick N. Hunt writes in his new book that much of his success came from strong finances.

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From Leonardo da Vinci to Steve Jobs: The Benefits of Being a Misfit

Wed, 17 Jan 2018 15:55:40 GMT

Wharton professor Adam Grant interviews Walter Isaacson about his biography on Leonardo da Vinci. The biggest takeaway: ”Stay curious about everything.”

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‘Freedom at a Price’: Why Regulation Is Crucial to Fintech’s Future

Tue, 16 Jan 2018 14:03:06 GMT

Technology has dramatically expanded financial inclusion across the globe but it has also created new questions about regulation and oversight.

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What Will Waivers for Convicted Banks Mean for the Financial System?

Tue, 16 Jan 2018 13:34:34 GMT

The Trump administration’s recent waivers of convicted banks have raised questions about banking oversight and the criminal penalty system.

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John Sculley: Why AI Is the Tech Trend to Watch in 2018

Sat, 13 Jan 2018 14:24:57 GMT

Former Apple CEO John Sculley talks about the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show and how AI is disrupting industries.

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Opportunity not Failure: The Real Reason Startups Decide to Pivot

Fri, 12 Jan 2018 12:32:11 GMT

Wharton research into startups focusing on hard-science and technology sheds light on when companies pivot and when they “firefight.”

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How Banking-as-a-Platform Propels Cross River Bank

Fri, 12 Jan 2018 11:16:28 GMT

Cross River Bank CEO Gilles Gade talks about his banking-as-a-platform business model and what’s ahead for fintech.

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Could Iceland’s Equal Pay Law Work in the U.S.?

Thu, 11 Jan 2018 11:41:32 GMT

In Iceland it is now illegal for companies to pay men more than women for the same job. Experts discuss why the policy may work in that country but might not translate well to others.

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Creating a Multi-million Dollar Brand: Stuart Weitzman on His Shoe Empire

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 13:03:31 GMT

The entrepreneur-founder and lead designer of Stuart Weitzman shoes said that doing things differently from everyone else helped him create a multi-million dollar global brand.

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How a Fintech Startup Aims to Take the Fear Out of Investing

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 10:02:26 GMT

Fintech startup Riskalyze believes that when investors’ portfolios more accurately match their risk tolerance they will make better decisions.

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When Guilt Is Good: Unexpected Traits That Can Help You at Work

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 12:26:50 GMT

Wharton research finds that some seemingly unproductive traits can actually spur people to work well and to be effective in leadership roles.

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Are Apple Facebook Google and Amazon Unstoppable?

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 09:15:39 GMT

NYU professor Scott Galloway talks about the pervasive influence of Big Tech -- both good and bad -- in his new book.

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How CEOs Can Align the Leadership Team with Corporate Goals

Mon, 08 Jan 2018 18:25:06 GMT

Only a motivated and adaptable team committed to shared goals guarantees success says Mphasis CEO Nitin Rakesh

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Will Protests in Iran Pave the Way for Economic Changes?

Mon, 08 Jan 2018 16:58:51 GMT

Iran’s embattled government may respond to recent protests with populist measures -- but those will not necessarily create more jobs experts say.

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Breaking the Script: How Companies Can Make Themselves Memorable

Mon, 08 Jan 2018 09:52:48 GMT

We get lots of experiences in life but very few are memorable. Is there a way for companies to burnish a positive memory with customers?

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Boom or Bust: How Will Retail Fare in the New Year?

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 14:50:04 GMT

After a turbulent 2017 retail sales were up during the holidays. But retailers still face plenty of choppy water ahead.

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Will Political Challenges Upend Europe’s Growth Story in 2018?

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 14:12:01 GMT

Europe’s economy has surprised almost everyone with a surge of growth over the last couple of years. But will large political challenges derail progress in 2018?

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U.S. Environmental Policy in 2018: What’s at Stake?

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 12:34:19 GMT

Experts discuss the direction the U.S. is heading in regarding environmental protection and conservation and whether recent policy changes put U.S. businesses at a disadvantage globally.

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Beyond Obamacare: What’s Ahead for U.S. Health Care in 2018

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 16:30:14 GMT

With debate over the Affordable Care Act likely to take a backseat here are some key issues facing the U.S. health care sector in 2018.

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How Diversity Powers Team Performance

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 11:40:38 GMT

Increasing diversity has long been promoted as the right thing to do. But that notion does not account for the deep benefits that diversity can bring to an organization when it comes to performance.

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What’s Blowing Up the Bitcoin Bubble?

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 11:37:15 GMT

Despite bitcoin’s growing credibility among individual and institutional investors the cryptocurrency’s skyrocketing price is causing some concern.

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Why Mobile Banking Will Replace Bank Branches

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 09:35:55 GMT

As customers opt for convenience the number of bank branches could decline by 50% to 75% say BankMobile co-founders Jay Sidhu and Luvleen Sidhu.

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Jeremy Siegel: What’s Ahead for the U.S. Economy in 2018

Tue, 02 Jan 2018 15:14:46 GMT

It was an unexpectedly stellar year for U.S. stock markets in 2017. According to Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel since most of the good news regarding the economy has been baked into indexes now markets will likely take a breather in 2018.

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Why Flexibility Is the Key to Reaching Your Goals

Thu, 28 Dec 2017 12:00:18 GMT

Recent Wharton research finds that people who utilize “emergency reserves” – such as a cheat day on a diet – are more likely to attain their goals.

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Can Disney’s Bid for Fox Overcome Antitrust Concerns?

Tue, 19 Dec 2017 15:08:52 GMT

A dominance in regional sports networks could worry regulators but Disney has the right strategy in content and direct-to-consumer streaming say experts.

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Viewing U.S. History Through the Prism of Capitalism

Mon, 18 Dec 2017 15:57:47 GMT

A new book outlines the intertwined history of capitalism and democracy in the United States and why pragmatism has outweighed ideology.

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Why Tom Cruise Is Still Bankable: Debunking the Long Tail

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 14:39:55 GMT

New Wharton research finds that as consumers increasingly are deluged with a dazzling array of choices they tend to stick to brands they know.

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How to Build a Better Antitrust Policy

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 15:12:41 GMT

Recent Wharton research offers a compelling defense for antitrust policies that advocate protecting consumers over businesses.

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The Jerusalem Controversy: What It Means for the Region’s Economies

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 13:07:24 GMT

The Arab economies are overly reliant on oil and need to diversify while Trump’s Jerusalem move is a needless irritant say experts from Wharton and Johns Hopkins.

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Dinner on Aisle Six: Why Supermarkets Are Opening Restaurants

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 11:54:35 GMT

Consumers’ growing appreciation for eating out is bad news for grocery stores which have long struggled with razor-thin profit margins. Their solution? Getting into the restaurant business.

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Tapping AI: The Future of Customer Experience at Verizon Fios

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 11:29:30 GMT

In a world of vast automation via AI companies that learn how to preserve a human touch should have a competitive advantage says Verizon Fios’s Justin Reilly.

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Building for the Long Term: Lessons from Leonardo da Vinci

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 16:14:18 GMT

Walter Isaacson who’s written a slew of well-received books on famous figures such as Einstein and Benjamin Franklin discusses his latest on Leonardo da Vinci.

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Mapping India’s Economic Future: Jobs Growth and Banking Reform

Fri, 08 Dec 2017 15:56:58 GMT

Manish Sabharwal co-founder and executive chairman of TeamLease Services one of India’s leading human resource service companies outlines a path for greater productivity and growth.

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Is the CVS-Aetna Merger a Game Changer for Health Care?

Fri, 08 Dec 2017 13:48:38 GMT

A merger between CVS and Aetna would create a one-stop model for coordinated care – but would consumers really benefit?

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Tax Bill Reconciliation: What Are the Likely Outcomes?

Thu, 07 Dec 2017 14:25:14 GMT

Experts weigh the implications of the upcoming tax bill reconciliation process for individuals and corporations as well as the impact on the federal deficit beyond 2025.

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How Rising Deficits Huge Loopholes and Small Family Gains Plague Tax Reform

Thu, 07 Dec 2017 14:18:36 GMT

Proposed tax legislation speeding through Congress will enlarge the deficit and offer meager gains to low- and middle-income groups. It may also open up huge business tax loopholes says Wharton’s Kent Smetters

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How Tax Reform Could Impact Senior Citizens

Thu, 07 Dec 2017 10:30:45 GMT

A deduction for high medical expenses that is largely used by senior citizens hangs in the balance as Congress tries to craft a final version of its tax reform bill.

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Why It Is Not Enough to Merely Vote for Social Change

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 16:25:59 GMT

Wharton’s Brian Berkey says it’s not enough to merely agitate for social change -- it’s a moral imperative to give generously to the less advantaged.

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Will Losing the Electric Vehicle Tax Credit Kill Plug-in Cars?

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 11:50:24 GMT

As the reconciliation between the House and Senate tax plans approaches the plug-in electric vehicle (EV) credit is on the line.

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How Ending Tax-free Tuition Waivers Could Impact U.S. Higher Ed

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 11:42:21 GMT

As Congress works on its final tax overhaul bill tax breaks on tuition waivers for graduate students are one of many provisions that hang in the balance.

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What Will Happen if the FCC Abandons Net Neutrality?

Tue, 05 Dec 2017 12:58:34 GMT

The Federal Communications Commission will vote in the coming weeks on a proposal to repeal net neutrality rules. Wharton experts explain what’s at stake.

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Why Corporate Participation Is Critical for Disaster Relief

Tue, 05 Dec 2017 11:20:57 GMT

Natural disaster costs are mushrooming while government coffers shrink. The challenge: Can corporations and public agencies better coordinate rescue and recovery efforts to improve outcomes?

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Uber’s Data Breach: Can the Company Course-correct?

Fri, 01 Dec 2017 11:33:06 GMT

Investors and customers once tolerated Uber’s skirmishes with regulators as the price one pays for innovation. But that may no longer be so.

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How Can We Curb Fake News?

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 09:49:25 GMT

Bruce Bartlett former advisor to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush discusses his new book about the challenge of fake news and offers some strategies for weeding it out.

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Can a Novel U.N. Plan End Poverty and Protect the Planet?

Wed, 29 Nov 2017 12:45:24 GMT

The U.N.’s 2030 sustainable development program aims to engage local stakeholders in development as it seeks to end poverty while protecting the planet.

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The Fed’s James Bullard: The State of the U.S. Economy and What Lies Ahead

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 12:19:50 GMT

Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel interviews St. Louis Fed president James Bullard about the future of interest rates inflation the economy monetary policy and the possible over-valuation of stock prices.

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How Identity Informs Workplace Relationships

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 13:07:38 GMT

It’s important to evaluate whether a potential workplace really wants you to be your complete authentic self says Wharton’s Stephanie Creary.

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Has the ACA Resulted in Better Health Care Outcomes?

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 11:54:17 GMT

Wharton research looks at whether expanded access to medical insurance under the Affordable Care Act has led to improved health outcomes for patients.

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Bracing for Brexit: ‘Virtually All the Work Is Still Ahead’

Fri, 17 Nov 2017 10:55:54 GMT

As the U.K. prepares to negotiate terms for leaving the E.U. it is facing a shaky political base a weakening economy and a lack of bargaining power.

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How to Reform College Sports to Prioritize Learning

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 13:55:04 GMT

Wharton’s Ken Shropshire and Collin D. Williams Jr. discuss ways to fix a prevailing problem in college sports -- the amount of time it eats away from academics.

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Wealth Management: Why You Should Be Your Own CEO

Wed, 15 Nov 2017 16:52:25 GMT

Robo-advisors new ways of thinking among millennials and women’s shifting needs are new trends reshaping wealth management. The author of ’Wealth Management Unwrapped’ offers insights.

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How a Student Competition Led to a New Cyber Security Approach

Wed, 15 Nov 2017 15:53:18 GMT

Nataliya Mykhaylova winner of a student competition to find new ways to thwart cyber criminals has devised a novel method for detecting attacks that already has the interest of banks.

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Why a Nobel Laureate Believes Social Businesses Can Cure Poverty

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 16:26:18 GMT

Microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus explains how making everyone an entrepreneur could eliminate poverty unemployment and environmental devastation.

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Changes to U.S.-Cuba Policy: What’s the Real Impact?

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 13:46:18 GMT

The latest restrictions on travel and trade with Cuba have created new anxieties for individuals and businesses – but they also provide some clear boundaries that can now be navigated experts say.

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Why Has the AT&T-Time Warner Merger Gotten Tangled?

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 13:19:50 GMT

Until very recently it seemed that telecommunications giant AT&T’s $85 billion deal to purchase Time Warner would be completed by the end of December.

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Will Proposed U.S. Tax Cuts Pay for Themselves?

Mon, 13 Nov 2017 16:36:41 GMT

Both the House version of tax reform and the partially fleshed-out Senate plan add to the federal deficit but do not shift the tax bill lower down the income scale according to the Penn Wharton Budget Model.

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Could the Paradise Papers Lead to Tax Reforms?

Sat, 11 Nov 2017 12:24:10 GMT

With the insights the Paradise Papers provide on how governments businesses and wealthy individuals use tax havens some significant changes to tax laws are in order say experts.

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Will the Federal Climate Change Report Alter the Debate?

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 13:35:49 GMT

A new federal climate change report was released last week stating that not only is the threat of global warming real and dangerous but it’s also man-made. How will it impact the climate change debate?

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How the Republican Tax Plan Would Impact Real Estate

Thu, 09 Nov 2017 16:08:45 GMT

Two Penn experts discuss what the Republican tax plan would would mean for individual homeowners and for the housing market.

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Art of the Matter: A Conversation with Jeffrey Deitch

Thu, 09 Nov 2017 15:16:37 GMT

An interview about the art market with dealer Jeffrey Deitch -- former director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles -- looks the serendipitous and thorny aspects of this unique world.

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The Catalonia-Spain Impasse: Why Elections May Not Be Enough

Mon, 06 Nov 2017 16:50:23 GMT

Fresh elections could pave the way to peaceful co-existence for Spain and Catalonia -- although the social and economic impact of the standoff will likely continue well into the future.

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Why Leaders Are Made Not Born

Mon, 06 Nov 2017 09:00:26 GMT

A new book examines figures from the past who overcame adversity to leave a lasting mark on civilization.

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How New Fed Chair Jerome Powell Will Shape U.S. Monetary Policy

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 13:12:18 GMT

The appointment of Jerome H. Powell as chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve may lead to lighter regulation of banks but on other issues he will likely follow the path set by predecessor Janet Yellen.

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The Smartphone as Security Blanket: What It Means for Marketers

Thu, 02 Nov 2017 16:13:43 GMT

New Wharton research finds that smartphone use actually provides some emotional benefits for stressed-out adults and that in turn has implications for marketers trying to reach an on-the-go audience.

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Is There a Tax Cut in Your Future?

Thu, 02 Nov 2017 13:37:51 GMT

Details on the big tax reform proposal remain sketchy. What seems clear: As proposed the tax cuts do not pay for themselves and will spike up the deficit.

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How a Water Filtration Startup Aims to Challenge Brita

Thu, 02 Nov 2017 10:29:57 GMT

Hydros cofounder and CEO Winston Ibrahim has a plan to gain market share in the water filtration business dominated by Brita.

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What Are the Ties between Oligarchs Moscow and Washington D.C.?

Thu, 02 Nov 2017 09:37:03 GMT

Wharton’s Philip Nichols and Penn’s Mitchell Orenstein discuss the connections between Russian oligarchs the Kremlin and the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

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Designing a HQ: What Matters to Firms Today

Wed, 01 Nov 2017 16:16:35 GMT

Google’s redevelopment plans in Toronto could lend some insight into what other companies -- including Amazon -- are looking for in headquarters locations.

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How a Lower 401(k) Cap Could Cause More Harm Than Good

Tue, 31 Oct 2017 12:09:17 GMT

As Republicans scramble to find revenue sources to fund tax cuts Wharton experts warn against attempts to increase taxes on retirement savings.

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Does Investing in Cutting-edge Tech Attract Better Workers?

Fri, 27 Oct 2017 11:32:56 GMT

Recent Wharton research examines the shifting priorities of the tech labor market and its implications for workers – and for other industries.

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What the Future Holds for NAFTA

Mon, 23 Oct 2017 14:03:28 GMT

Talks about the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement have reached an impasse and it may be difficult for the three nations at the bargaining table to find a way forward.

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Does Traditionalism Help or Hurt Innovation?

Fri, 20 Oct 2017 13:33:02 GMT

Innovation and the “old way of doing things” would seem to be strange bedfellows. But new research from Wharton’s Laura Huang finds that there are situations where traditionalism can be a help not a hindrance.

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Why Competition Would Not Lead to Better Outcomes for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 12:29:07 GMT

Competition might not lead to better outcomes for government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. A better model could be to make them more like regulated utilities.

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How the Bewildering World of Student Loans Creates Debt Traps

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 14:04:49 GMT

Student loan debt in the United States -- at $1.3 trillion -- is the second-largest category of consumer debt. Are there common-sense ways to help curtail it?

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How Pay Inequality Affects the Bottom Line

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 11:43:02 GMT

Pay inequality is a persistent problem that is getting more exposure than ever before. Recent Wharton research examines how inequality affects individual workers and entire companies.

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Opening up ’Code’: Why Programming Needs More Women and Minorities

Mon, 16 Oct 2017 13:29:28 GMT

Veteran programmer Ellen Ullman shares her personal experiences in the mostly male world of coding.

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Does Repealing the Clean Power Plan Make Economic Sense?

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 16:18:47 GMT

Repealing the Clean Power Plan will not only lead to adverse health and environmental effects but it will also hurt U.S. competitiveness experts say.

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A ’World Without Mind’: Big Tech’s Dangerous Influence

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 14:51:11 GMT

Big Tech – Google Apple Facebook and Amazon -- pose an existential threat because they come between us and reality a new book contends.

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Local or Global: Who Should Be in Charge of Hiring New Employees?

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 12:37:46 GMT

There’s a trend these days toward buying and selling locally sourced goods – but should that push to ”go local” also extend to the way firms hire retail employees?

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From Weeks to Minutes: How Fintech Is Changing the Speed of Lending

Thu, 12 Oct 2017 12:59:30 GMT

Online lender Kabbage harnesses the power of data analytics to approve small business loans far faster than banks says executive Spencer Robinson.

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How to Build Trust and Lead Effectively

Wed, 11 Oct 2017 20:27:21 GMT

Developing trust is necessary to lead effectively. Counterintelligence expert Robin Dreeke shares his five steps to generating trust at work and in life.

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How to Find Happiness on the Job

Wed, 11 Oct 2017 15:11:06 GMT

Deadlines staff shortages and other stresses can make work an unhappy place. But there are three actions we can take to feel more fulfilled on the job.

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What Ants Mice and Monkeys Can Teach Us About the Impact of Stress

Tue, 10 Oct 2017 12:05:11 GMT

Two Penn professors are taking an interdisciplinary approach to learning how stress affects individuals – and what we could do about it.

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How Richard Thaler’s ’Simple Insights’ Led to a Nobel Prize

Tue, 10 Oct 2017 11:28:06 GMT

Wharton professor Katherine Milkman discusses the ground-breaking ideas that led to the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Economics to behavioral economist Richard H. Thaler.

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Why Advertising ’Had to Die’ Before Getting Better

Mon, 09 Oct 2017 12:48:18 GMT

Author and former Tribeca Enterprises CEO Andrew Essex discusses the future of entertainment and advertising.

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What Does the OCC Envision for Fintech Regulation?

Thu, 05 Oct 2017 15:33:29 GMT

Acting Comptroller of the Currency Keith Noreika discusses the regulator’s view of fintech with Wharton finance professor Richard Herring.

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How Silicon Valley Could Confront Gender Discrimination

Thu, 05 Oct 2017 13:07:25 GMT

Jillian Manus a partner at an early-stage venture capital firm takes on a challenging work environment where even forward-thinking men can feel lost.

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How TAG Heuer Pivoted to Digital

Thu, 05 Oct 2017 09:23:14 GMT

TAG Heuer headed off digital disruption by embracing the connected watch even though it made the company dependent on Silicon Valley. A new case study looks at the development of the Carrera luxury watch.

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Why Shimon Peres’s Life Had ’No Room for Small Dreams’

Wed, 04 Oct 2017 16:17:15 GMT

Shimon Peres’s son Chemi discusses his father’s memoir notably his vision for peace in the Middle East.

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What Defines Millennials – and How Marketers Can Reach Them

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 13:45:50 GMT

Digital culture fragmentation distrust of big business and a heavy dose of skepticism are key facets of the millennial generation – and they have led to profound changes in mass marketing advertising and messaging.

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Can Regulators Embrace Fintech While Protecting Consumers?

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 13:17:43 GMT

Fintech has the potential to broaden access to finance but regulators need to ensure that algorithms don’t lead to unfair treatment of consumers according to Patrick Harker president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

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Is the Rise of Contract Workers Killing Upward Mobility?

Mon, 02 Oct 2017 15:09:44 GMT

The use of contract workers is a rising trend among private companies and public entities. Although the practice is intended to save money organizations may suffer other costs.

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’Being the Change’: How to Spark a Climate Revolution

Fri, 29 Sep 2017 12:47:07 GMT

A NASA scientist looks at the science and economics of climate change and offers solutions on the societal and personal levels.

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So Long Selfies: Why Candid Photos Make a Better Impression

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 13:19:07 GMT

Selfies have become ubiquitous in the social media age. But all those posed photos might be impacting how others see us in a way that we didn’t intend.

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Why Puerto Rico Faces Worse Perils Than Texas and Florida

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 15:15:30 GMT

Puerto Rico suffered a worse disaster -- and faces a much longer more fraught path to recovery -- than Texas Louisiana or Florida.

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How the Feuding Kellogg Brothers Fought their Cereal Wars

Tue, 26 Sep 2017 12:26:49 GMT

The status of Kellogg’s as an American icon glosses over the family drama between brothers John and Will Kellogg whose ideas gave birth to the business.

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Does Connectivity Help -- or Hurt -- the Doctor-Patient Relationship?

Tue, 26 Sep 2017 10:29:45 GMT

E-visits to doctors were supposed to make it easier for physicians to treat patients and create better health outcomes. But it has not turned out that way.

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How a Fractured Election Outcome in Germany Will Impact the EU

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 15:03:10 GMT

Angela Merkel may have won a fourth term as chancellor of Germany but she faces a tough road ahead due to gains by the far right and the tricky three-way coalition she must manage to form a government.

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Providing Affordable Workspaces for Artists

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 11:29:14 GMT

Two innovators are offering free or subsidized workspaces to artists in high-rent cities by repurposing commercial real estate.

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Can Toys R Us Recapture Its Glory Days?

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 07:17:25 GMT

Bankruptcy protection could give Toys R Us breathing space to reduce its financial stress and rethink its marketing strategies.

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Shedding Light on Kerosene Use in Developing Nations

Fri, 22 Sep 2017 14:30:13 GMT

New Wharton research looks at why kerosene is used widely in countries with undeveloped electricity grids – and why innovative alternatives aren’t gaining traction.

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How Big Data and Analytics Can Transform Manufacturing

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 13:48:09 GMT

Big data and analytics will entirely transform the manufacturing industry says Jon Sobel co-founder and CEO of Sight Machine.

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Why the Fintech Game Has Just Begun

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 12:47:47 GMT

Steve McLaughlin CEO of fintech investment bank FT Partners talks about the opportunities he sees in the sector.

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’Woo Wow and Win’: Designing a Captivating Customer Experience

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 10:02:41 GMT

Companies carefully design their products but they also need to design the customer experience according to the book “Woo Wow and Win.”

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Why Sports Stadiums Have Morphed into Entertainment Centers

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 13:48:25 GMT

From kid zones to luxury suites stadiums have adopted new marketing ploys but remain dear to fans’ hearts says author Rafi Kohan.

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How to Avoid the Perils of Political Forecasting

Tue, 19 Sep 2017 11:38:58 GMT

Wharton’s Philip Tetlock discusses the widening chasm between science-based political forecasting and the sound bites from pundits that often miss the mark.

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How Can Apple Remain on Top?

Fri, 15 Sep 2017 17:08:23 GMT

Is Apple’s latest batch of new products enough to keep the company moving forward or is it finally losing momentum after years of ruling the gadget world?

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Why Amazon’s ’1-Click’ Ordering Was a Game Changer

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 16:27:41 GMT

Amazon’s patent on “1-Click” ordering which recently expired helped jump-start the e-commerce giant’s growth from a virtual bookstore to a massive online marketplace.

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Why Hurricane Harvey Was a Predictable Disaster

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 14:45:01 GMT

Hurricane Harvey was a predictable disaster says PennDesign’s Billy Fleming. He explains what cities could do to prepare.

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Smart Art: Why More Artists Need to Study Business

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 13:58:43 GMT

Many artists are not wired for business. With economics driving most from the field in the long run can business training help?

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How Lego Can Rebuild Its Business

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 13:13:48 GMT

Lego surprised Wall Street with its first drop in revenue in 13 years. Wharton’s David Robertson looks at possible causes and suggests remedies for its business.

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How Equifax Botched Its Data Breach Response

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 13:01:39 GMT

Three experts discuss the Equifax breach the mistakes that were made in the credit giant’s response and what consumers can do to protect their credit going forward.

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Digital Growing Pains: Why Businesses Must Accelerate Change

Wed, 13 Sep 2017 10:00:46 GMT

Most companies know that shifting to digital is key to their future. But many struggle with the process. A new book offers some advice.

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Beyond Netflix: How Binging Impacts Online Learning

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 11:27:33 GMT

New Wharton research examines binge consumption in the online education sector and finds that those who binge tend to perform better and are more likely to complete an online course.

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How Will Trump Reshape the Federal Reserve?

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 12:39:34 GMT

The imminent departure of Fed vice chair Stanley Fischer creates a power vacuum and an unprecedented opportunity for President Trump to reshape America’s central bank.

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Time for a Tax Overhaul: What the U.S. Can Learn from Other Countries

Fri, 08 Sep 2017 16:14:52 GMT

History suggests a U.S. tax overhaul is coming soon. The author of a new book has traveled the world see what has worked best elsewhere.

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What Does the End of DACA Mean for Immigration Reform?

Fri, 08 Sep 2017 15:30:46 GMT

The move to end the DACA program has beneficiaries worried – and it casts a shadow over future immigration reform experts say.

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Lessons We Learn from Hurricane Harvey

Tue, 05 Sep 2017 15:32:07 GMT

Wharton faculty discuss the fallout from Hurricane Harvey and what role the private and public sectors should play when it comes to managing the risks from floods.

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Why Dodd-Frank Increased Banking Industry Consolidation

Tue, 05 Sep 2017 10:28:41 GMT

Wharton research looks at how new regulatory asset thresholds introduced with the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 led to an increase in acquisitions by large banks.

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Will Walmart’s Partnership with Google Give It an Online Boost?

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 13:02:03 GMT

Despite the retail giant’s latest move to partner with Google its e-commerce strategies need more coherence to gain traction say experts.

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How the Father of Arbitrage Pricing Theory Influenced Wall Street

Tue, 29 Aug 2017 16:20:47 GMT

This year’s Wharton-Jacobs Levy Prize winner Stephen A. Ross is remembered for his ground-breaking arbitrage pricing theory.

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How AI Makes Brand Personalities Come to Life

Fri, 25 Aug 2017 10:16:50 GMT

Artificial intelligence is reinventing the creative landscape for marketers according to Winston Binch chief digital officer for Deutsch North America.

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The ’Why’ Behind Asking Why: The Science of Curiosity

Wed, 23 Aug 2017 12:00:13 GMT

A new book examines the different drivers of curiosity and how this fundamental human trait has been impacted by the digital age.

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Why Automation Is Killing the Property Appraisal Business

Mon, 21 Aug 2017 10:43:16 GMT

The number of appraisers is shrinking as software gets more accurate at valuing property and is increasingly integrated into the sale process.

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The North Korean Crisis: Beyond ‘Belligerent Rhetoric’

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 14:42:19 GMT

Penn’s Jacques deLisle and Stanford’s Richard Dasher discuss the Korean nuclear threat and the implications for the players in this “complicated tough high-stakes diplomacy.”

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What Google’s Memo Controversy Means for Gender Diversity

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 14:12:15 GMT

The recent memo controversy at Google may not result in immediate gains for working women but it casts a harsh light on underlying assumptions say Wharton experts.

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The Business Fallout from Charlottesville

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 13:57:56 GMT

A public rift has opened between Donald Trump and CEOs upset by his comments following the white supremacist rally in Charlottesvile. What are the lessons in branding and leadership?

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U.S. Tax Reform: Will the Math Work?

Mon, 14 Aug 2017 17:34:38 GMT

Finding ways to raise revenue and avoiding excessive government debt are the top hurdles say experts.

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American Science and the Solar Eclipse of 1878

Mon, 14 Aug 2017 13:56:45 GMT

As the U.S. preps for a rare total solar eclipse on August 21 a journalist looks back on the furor surrounding that same event when it happened back in 1878.

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The Real Costs of the RAISE Act

Fri, 11 Aug 2017 13:58:23 GMT

Recently proposed immigration reforms in the U.S. would shave 2% off GDP growth and result in more than four million jobs lost by 2040 according to the Penn Wharton Budget Model.

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Hacking in Hollywood: Why the Industry Needs to Shore Up Security

Fri, 11 Aug 2017 11:42:05 GMT

Experts say the increasing threat of sophisticated cyber crimes should force entertainment firms to take serious stock of their internal security measures.

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The Next Wave: Using AI to Build Better Marketing Campaigns

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 10:01:02 GMT

As the digital revolution keeps on turning brands are looking to artificial intelligence to bolster their marketing efforts.

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Gender Lens Investing: Why the Opportunities Are Growing

Wed, 09 Aug 2017 12:59:33 GMT

The field of gender-lens investing is growing fast with more than 100 private and public funds now available to impact investors.

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How Improv Methods from Comedy Can Lift Business Performance

Wed, 09 Aug 2017 10:00:41 GMT

Improvisation or the art form called improv may call to mind comedy shows but it is now also a serious business tool.

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‘Every Business Is a Digital Business’

Tue, 08 Aug 2017 13:51:38 GMT

But some just don’t know it yet says Nitin Rakesh CEO of Bangalore India-based IT firm Mphasis.

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Why Economists Must Go Beyond the Numbers

Fri, 04 Aug 2017 16:20:47 GMT

Economists affect public policy. But strict focus on numbers means they miss key insights say the authors of a new book.

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The Federal Budget Showdown: Will Congress Raise the Debt Ceiling?

Thu, 03 Aug 2017 15:18:10 GMT

Congress is facing a looming deadline to hammer out federal spending for fiscal 2018. But the negotiations face a major sticking point – whether to raise the debt ceiling.

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How Venezuela Could Find a Way Out of Chaos

Thu, 03 Aug 2017 13:10:34 GMT

As the Venezuelan political and economic crisis deepens following suspect elections a group of experts discuss potential ways out of the morass.

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How One Foundation Is Flipping the Paradigm on Social Change

Thu, 03 Aug 2017 11:43:58 GMT

Ruth Shaber founder of Tara Health Foundation discusses how her organization aims to improve the health and well-being of women and girls through the creative use of philanthropic capital.

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Why ’Quiet’ Leadership Matters in Sports -- and Life

Wed, 02 Aug 2017 17:23:29 GMT

Many of the greatest sports teams of all time have been quietly led by humble captains who bring a special element to the team’s dynamics according to author Sam Walker.

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You Are What You Tweet: Using Social Media to Assess Well-being

Wed, 02 Aug 2017 16:55:01 GMT

What you – and your neighbors – tweet can tell researchers a lot about the well-being of your community – and that in turn can help shape decisions made by businesses and policymakers.

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Why Corrupt Executives Are Rarely Prosecuted

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 12:40:16 GMT

Top corporate executives who commit crimes are often not prosecuted. Journalist Jesse Eisinger explains why in his new book.

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Is FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) Driving Up Consumer Debt?

Mon, 31 Jul 2017 15:12:53 GMT

Consumer debt is increasing surpassing the levels it reached at the height of the credit bubble. But what consumers are spending money on is very different a new study shows.

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How Honest Apologies Can Help Leaders Bounce Back

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 15:10:40 GMT

When in a mess apologize from your heart -- and quickly -- or else risk losing your reputation warns former Medtronic CEO Arthur D. Collins Jr.

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Unearthing the Wisdom in Finance

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 12:36:05 GMT

Despite a tarnished reputation finance has positive life lessons to offer says a Harvard professor of business and law in a new book.

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What’s Missing in the U.S. Health Care Policy Debate

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 12:16:56 GMT

Two experts find an informed debate sorely lacking in the Republican health care policy overhaul. What can help to move things ahead?

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Why Impact Investing Needs to Go Mainstream

Wed, 26 Jul 2017 16:32:00 GMT

Durreen Shahnaz founder of Impact Investment Exchange discusses impact investing and the recent $8 million Women’s Livelihood Bond that is meant to help more than 385 000 women in Southeast Asia.

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America the Divided: Why the Great Melting Pot Is Having a Meltdown

Wed, 26 Jul 2017 12:58:45 GMT

A deep distrust of government and media among some groups has created a chasm in American society. A new book explains why the gap is so wide.

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Why Some Insurance Plans Limit Specialized Treatments

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 17:02:22 GMT

Many health insurance plans deny life-saving treatments -- such as those from National Cancer Institute-designated sites. But most consumers don’t realize it.

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What Could Trigger a Stock Market Correction?

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 15:18:11 GMT

Mark Zandi of Moody’s Analytics considers whether the U.S. stock markets are topping out and why a correction is likely before long.

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Is the U.S. in Danger of Losing Immigrant Entrepreneurs?

Fri, 21 Jul 2017 16:41:56 GMT

The freeze and likely elimination of the International Entrepreneur Rule could bring more harm than good in investments and jobs say experts.

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Sports and Statistics: Correlating Football to Brain Injury

Fri, 21 Jul 2017 11:35:03 GMT

New Wharton research examines the long-term impact of playing high school or college football.

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Can the U.S. Economy Recapture Its Past Growth?

Thu, 20 Jul 2017 13:28:16 GMT

Are the best days for U.S. economic growth long gone? Or do they still lie ahead?

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What a Rogue Trader Learned From the Financial Crisis

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 13:21:39 GMT

In his new book former rogue trader Alexis Stenfors talks about the high stakes of currency trading and what it’s like to hide a $100 million loss.

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How Brands Can Engineer Social Media Content

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 10:50:16 GMT

New Wharton research takes a closer look at brand posts on Facebook to determine the type and mix of content advertisers should aim for to get results.

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Did Trump and Macron Find Common Ground in Paris?

Mon, 17 Jul 2017 15:09:42 GMT

Two Wharton experts take a closer look at President Trump’s recent visit to France.

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How You Can Become a Better Negotiator

Mon, 17 Jul 2017 14:40:25 GMT

The three keys to becoming a good negotiator are clarity detachment and equilibrium says attorney and negotiating strategist Corey Kupfer in his new book.

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Will Ireland Pay a Heavy Price for Brexit?

Mon, 17 Jul 2017 13:16:35 GMT

The U.K.’s exit from the EU will bring to the surface memories of a violent past and conflicting modern political realities for Ireland.

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Technology and the Decline of Morality

Fri, 14 Jul 2017 14:17:16 GMT

Former Hearst executive Eden Collinsworth explores the fluid lines of morality today in her new book.

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The Clock Is Ticking for a Health Care Vote

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 13:34:12 GMT

There is little agreement about what needs to be done to fix America’s health care system -- and experts agree that a quick resolution seems like a remote possibility.

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Is Desktop Dining Hurting the Restaurant Industry?

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 12:01:21 GMT

Americans are eating out for lunch less than at any time in the last 40 years. Is that why restaurants are in a slump?

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How a Literature Major Became Chanel’s First Global CEO

Tue, 11 Jul 2017 18:46:07 GMT

Former Chanel CEO Maureen Chiquet discusses her new book about her career and what’s ahead for retail in the digital age.

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What Money Managers Miss in Currency Carry Trades

Tue, 11 Jul 2017 11:10:24 GMT

Money managers who do both currency and commodities trades could be overloading on risk Wharton research finds.

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The Biggest Mistakes Job Seekers Make Today

Mon, 10 Jul 2017 14:37:52 GMT

The best path to a new gig isn’t what it used to be nor what you might think it is -- if you want to land the right position without wasting effort.

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Why Old-fashioned Board Games Thrive in the Internet Age

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 14:27:22 GMT

Even in the era of amazingly rendered video games the old board games never seem to go out of style.

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Mapping Critical Knowledge for Digital Transformation

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 14:13:07 GMT

When companies digitalize in the context of their strategic knowledge it can uncover powerful growth opportunities.

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Why the Internet Knows Us Better Than We Know Ourselves

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 13:32:24 GMT

When the vast amount of information the internet holds is viewed through the right lens what it can reveal about us is remarkable says the author of a new book.

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How Trash-talking Affects Performance

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:10:09 GMT

Trash-talking is fairly commonplace whether in sports business or elsewhere. But how does it affect the targets of these insults? Wharton research has some surprising findings.

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Why We Need to Kick Incivility Out of the Office

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 11:34:49 GMT

Disrespect and nastiness are worse problems at work than they used to be and they’re making our days harder. Author Christine Porath has been looking for solutions.

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Why Leaders Must Balance Ego with Humility

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 11:24:29 GMT

Raj Gupta former CEO of specialty chemicals firm Rohm and Haas shares insights from his professional and personal journey.

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Making Statistics Work in the Real World

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 15:54:29 GMT

Recent Wharton research examines the interplay between the computational complexity of statistical methods and their performance.

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What Leaders Gain by Listening Closely to Employees

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 12:30:34 GMT

Bill Sandbrook CEO of U.S. Concrete explains what he has learned about leadership throughout his career.

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Fixing the Fed: How to Reform America’s Central Bank

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 12:02:50 GMT

For many Americans how the Federal Reserve operates is a mystery. A new book by former Fed analyst Danielle DiMartino Booth offers an insider’s view.

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How Investor Learning Affects Firm Behavior

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 17:25:54 GMT

Recent Wharton research illustrates the need for managers to understand where investor beliefs are when disclosing information.

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The Huge Hole in the Standard Economic Model

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 10:37:19 GMT

Standard economic models ignore important things like health and well-being. A better model would take the shape of a doughnut says author Kate Raworth.

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What Insights Lie at the Intersection of Neuroscience and Marketing?

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 09:19:21 GMT

Businesses could better deconstruct how people make decisions -- and potentially tweak the triggers say experts at the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative.

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Influencing the Influencers: Using Social Media to Find Top Customers

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 16:31:23 GMT

Recent Wharton research proposes an analytics model to help businesses identify their high-value customers.

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How Anticipating Future Variety Curbs Consumer Boredom

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 10:13:45 GMT

Wharton research shows that when consumers are offered more variety for future consumption their perception of present satisfaction changes.

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How Changes to U.S.-Cuba Policy Will Impact Businesses

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 13:49:04 GMT

U.S. businesses looking to invest in Cuba face an uncertain policy regime and national security dangers also loom say experts.

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Is IBM’s Rethinking of Its Remote Work Policy a Bellwether?

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 16:09:33 GMT

IBM is calling thousands of its remote workers back to the office as a result of a switch in its business methodology. Will other firms follow suit?

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Twelve Innovative Ideas for Fixing American Health Care

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:23:41 GMT

In his new book Obamacare advisor and Penn professor Ezekiel Emanuel looks at innovative solutions for the health care crisis.

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Will China Become a Leader in Clean Energy?

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 12:18:11 GMT

China is the world’s biggest polluter but it is investing aggressively in clean energy. What role will it play now that the U.S. has pulled out of the 2015 Paris climate agreement?

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Amazon’s Big Buy: What Whole Foods Brings to the Table

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 14:36:38 GMT

Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods expands its presence in the grocery space but could also provide a boost to the company across multiple sectors.

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What Can China and the U.S. Learn from Each Other about Retail?

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 13:09:50 GMT

China and the U.S. are learning from each other about the future direction of retail a real exercise in globalization says Hong Kong real estate executive George Hongchoy.

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Is There a Match for Tech Between China and Israel?

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 12:49:12 GMT

Israel is famous for its tech prowess. China has deep pockets and is a tech innovator in areas like financial payments. Is there a match in the making?

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Can Corporations Be Held Morally Responsible?

Mon, 19 Jun 2017 14:53:24 GMT

People are responsible for their individual actions. But what about the company as an entity?

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Disruptors Need to Continue Innovating – or Be Disrupted

Mon, 19 Jun 2017 14:09:14 GMT

In the digital era companies that have distinguished themselves as disruptors cannot afford to rest on their laurels according to a new paper from Wharton’s Mack Institute.

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Why Blockchain Creates A New ’Architecture of Trust’

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 10:59:05 GMT

Wharton professor Kevin Werbach explains why the blockchain is poised to upend the way many industries do business.

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How a Rollback of Dodd-Frank Would Impact Wall Street

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 10:48:47 GMT

Wharton experts discuss how a rollback of regulations on the financial sector would impact Wall Street and the U.S. economy.

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How Uber Can Reset Its Corporate Culture

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 16:47:29 GMT

In order to create a healthier corporate culture Uber will need leaders who are committed to change.

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Are You a Self-aware Leader?

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 16:23:23 GMT

Organizational psychologist Tasha Eurich says becoming more self-aware can lead to greater success personally and professionally.

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’The End of Loyalty’: Shock and Awe for Many American Workers

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 14:43:51 GMT

As the U.S. moved from a blue-collar society to a knowledge economy certain things were lost including two-way loyalty in the workplace.

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How Urban Planners Can Encourage ‘Vibrancy’ -- and Create Safer Cities

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 13:26:47 GMT

Recent Wharton research examines how healthy energy in a particular neighborhood can help reduce crime.

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Does Democracy Encourage Criminal Politicians?

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 12:16:09 GMT

In India the world’s largest democracy 34% of parliamentary members are involved in criminal cases. Does democracy fuel crooked politicians?

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Is Testosterone to Blame for Bad Decisions?

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 16:53:39 GMT

Elevated testosterone may lead people to make worse decisions and not question their impulses new Wharton research finds.

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Why Genetic Testing Is a ’Perfect Storm’ for Insurers

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 16:47:05 GMT

Genetic testing tells people if they are predisposed to certain diseases – and it carries major implications for insurers.

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Billionaire Philanthropists Are Shaping a New Gilded Age

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 16:14:09 GMT

A growing number of philanthropists is quietly using charitable giving to influence issues they support according to a new book.

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How to Turn Online Data into a Pricing Strategy That Works

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 12:33:05 GMT

Recent Wharton research examines how retailers can use online data to create more effective pricing policies.

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Has the U.S. Housing Market Recovered? It Depends on Where You Are...

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 16:15:11 GMT

Like so many other things in real estate perspectives on whether the housing market has recovered following the Financial Crisis will depend on three things: location location location.

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What’s Behind Michel Temer’s Crisis in Brazil

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 15:29:37 GMT

Penn’s William Burke-White and Columbia’s Christopher Sabatini discuss the growing crisis facing Brazilian President Michel Temer.

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The State of U.S.-E.U. Relations: Where’s the Common Ground?

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 14:48:40 GMT

Wharton’s Mauro Guillen and the Transatlantic Academy’s Stephen Szabo discuss the state of U.S.-E.U. relations in light of recent comments by Donald Trump and Angela Merkel.

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How ‘Little Ideas’ Can Lead to Powerful Innovations

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 14:33:47 GMT

When people talk about innovation industry disruptors like Uber come to mind. But that’s not the only way to innovate successfully.

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How One Startup Is Solving a Major HR Challenge

Wed, 31 May 2017 14:24:40 GMT

Twine an HR analytics startup won Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship’s first Startup Challenge. Founders Joseph Quan and Nikhil Srivastava use algorithms to match internal candidates to open jobs at a company.

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Why a U.S. Tax System Overhaul Would Be ’a Massive Undertaking’

Fri, 26 May 2017 14:38:11 GMT

Tax reform is a hot topic in Washington but many questions surround the complex issue both on the personal and the corporate tax side.

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How the CBO Report Will Impact the AHCA’s Fate

Fri, 26 May 2017 10:32:55 GMT

The CBO’s report is in about the potential impacts of the American Health Care Act -- here’s how the findings could impact Senate Republicans’ version of the effort to repeal and replace Obamacare.

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Myth vs. Reality: Four Behaviors That Define Successful Leaders

Fri, 26 May 2017 10:00:37 GMT

Four traits characterize high-performing CEOs according to an extensive 10-year study called the CEO Genome Project.

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Why Finding Meaning -- Not Happiness -- Is What Really Matters

Thu, 25 May 2017 10:25:08 GMT

It is the pursuit of a meaningful life -- not happiness -- that leads to true contentment according to a new book.

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Is Canada on the Brink of a Housing Bubble?

Wed, 24 May 2017 16:17:20 GMT

Housing prices in Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver have skyrocketed in the last few years putting home ownership out of reach for many and causing experts to warn about a possible bubble.

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What Employers Should Know About Generation Z

Wed, 24 May 2017 15:43:59 GMT

Recession and other realities have left Generation Z more pragmatic independent and competitive than their millennial predecessors.

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How the Waymo-Uber Lawsuit Could Rewrite Intellectual Property Rules

Mon, 22 May 2017 16:22:42 GMT

The lawsuit brought by Alphabet subsidiary Waymo against ride-hailing app firm Uber over self-driving car technology has experts reexamining how trade secrets are handled.

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Under Pressure: The Shifting Landscape of Banking Regulations

Mon, 22 May 2017 16:14:54 GMT

Recent Wharton research analyzes how external auditors and bank regulations affect the discretion that banks have in loan loss provision estimates.

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The Promise -- and Perils -- of ‘Smart’ Contracts

Thu, 18 May 2017 14:38:10 GMT

Smart contracts promise to bring innovation and much greater efficiency to contract law. But what they cannot do is replace contract law itself new Wharton research shows.

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Will the Thaw in U.S.-China Relations Continue?

Wed, 17 May 2017 16:48:12 GMT

U.S.-China relations had a rough start this year. Then relations became more affable. Can the need to cooperate overcome the risks of confrontation?

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Silicon Valley: A Peek Into the World of Young Entrepreneurs

Wed, 17 May 2017 14:38:48 GMT

A new book takes a look inside the insular world of Silicon Valley’s young entrepreneurs.

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How the WannaCry Attack Will Impact Cyber Security

Tue, 16 May 2017 13:42:09 GMT

A “Digital Geneva Convention” and government mandates to prevent use of harmful software are among several measures experts suggest to boost cyber security.

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Why Amazon Is Leaving Legacy Retailers in the Dust

Mon, 15 May 2017 17:11:51 GMT

What is the secret to the unparalleled success that keeps Amazon growing while so many traditional retailers are shutting their doors?

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Should a Robot Run Your Retirement Portfolio?

Fri, 12 May 2017 16:43:13 GMT

Jon Stein CEO of robo-advisor firm Betterment talks about why this technology is the future of wealth management.

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How Behavioral Economics Could Solve America’s Health Care Woes

Fri, 12 May 2017 09:59:33 GMT

Behavioral economics could help tackle the complex problem of creating a health insurance system that works for all citizens.

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Has Venezuela’s Crisis Reached a Tipping Point?

Thu, 11 May 2017 14:02:14 GMT

Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro’s attempts to consolidate political power amid economic misery are taking a huge toll according to two Penn experts.

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How Moon Jae-in’s Win in South Korea Will Impact Asia

Thu, 11 May 2017 10:59:56 GMT

Two experts discuss the challenges ahead for new South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

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A ’Collective Impact Model’ to Fight Domestic Violence

Wed, 10 May 2017 14:55:27 GMT

The head of Women Against Abuse winner of the 2017 Lipman Family Prize talks about the group’s work and goals.

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A ‘History-friendly’ Way to Look at Tech Innovation

Wed, 10 May 2017 12:04:47 GMT

Four economists offer a new way of looking at technological innovation: by expanding beyond theory and accounting for an industry’s historical context.

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How Our Reignited Love Affair with Cities Created an Urban Crisis

Wed, 10 May 2017 10:59:58 GMT

Americans are flocking to major cities leading to an urban revival. But the shift also brings challenges according to a new book.

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Perils in Puerto Rico: Is Bankruptcy the Answer?

Tue, 09 May 2017 13:26:48 GMT

In the face of multiple odds a carefully drafted fiscal plan promises redemption to debt-battered Puerto Rico.

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How Renault’s Carlos Ghosn Is Prepping for the Rise of Auto AI

Tue, 09 May 2017 12:29:29 GMT

Carlos Ghosn chairman and CEO of France-based Renault discusses the state of the global automobile market including the rise of autonomous cars.

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What Science Says About Achieving Peak Performance

Tue, 09 May 2017 10:09:52 GMT

Advances in cognitive neuroscience provide insights into how the brain works like never before. A new book combines science with management techniques to offer strategies for peak performance.

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How the Outcome of the French Election Will Impact Europe

Mon, 08 May 2017 16:31:34 GMT

Emmanuel Macron’s victory in the French presidential election puts to rest for now the threat of France’s exit from the European Union.

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How a Simple Nudge Spurred More People to Say ’Yes’ to Teach for America

Fri, 05 May 2017 13:31:49 GMT

Recent Wharton research examines how ”social information” can affect the outcome of high-stakes decisions such as choosing that first job.

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To Hell and Back: Lessons from a Successful Subprime Survivor

Thu, 04 May 2017 13:47:45 GMT

Former Radian CEO S.A. Ibrahim believes that leadership in a crisis begins by assuming you will succeed.

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The Dangers of American Complacency

Thu, 04 May 2017 12:33:47 GMT

Economist and author Tyler Cowen says that Americans are more complacent than ever -- and that’s not a good thing.

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An Olympian Shares the Five Steps to Developing Resilience

Wed, 03 May 2017 15:54:02 GMT

Olympian Bonnie St. John shares the five steps that help to develop resilience from her new book.

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What’s Ahead for United and the Airline Industry?

Wed, 03 May 2017 14:35:31 GMT

United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz testified in front of Congress this week after settling out of court with a passenger who was violently removed from a flight.

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Building a Better American Voting System

Tue, 02 May 2017 14:13:27 GMT

A new report by the Penn Wharton Public Policy Initiative looks at the state of U.S. voting technology.

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The White House Tax Plan: What Will Work and What Won’t

Mon, 01 May 2017 16:10:34 GMT

The Trump administration’s tax plan would likely mean increased government borrowing and a crowding out of private investment and capital formation experts say.

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How to Break Your Smartphone Addiction

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 14:48:01 GMT

People have become addicted to their mobile devices. NYU professor Adam Alter says it’s by design -- and offers some ideas on how to break the habit.

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The Inside Story Behind the Unlikely Rise of Airbnb

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 07:01:51 GMT

Fortune magazine editor Leigh Gallagher offers an inside look into the early days of Airbnb and its unlikely path to becoming a lodging giant in her new book.

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The French Election: Why the E.U. Is Breathing a Sigh of Relief – for Now

Mon, 24 Apr 2017 15:30:10 GMT

Political outsider and pro-business centrist Emmanuel Macron looks highly likely to be France’s next president. But can a leader without a party succeed?

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How Close Community Ties Can Drive Online Sales

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 11:13:21 GMT

Word-of-mouth testimonials from consumers in cohesive communities drive online sales higher Wharton research shows.

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Is South Africa Facing More Economic Trouble Ahead?

Thu, 20 Apr 2017 12:33:48 GMT

Hopes have receded for a steady recovery of South Africa’s fragile economy with the downgrade earlier this month of the country’s credit rating to junk status.

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How Unconscious Biases Block Effective Interactions

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 16:06:57 GMT

Nearly everyone has unconscious biases when interacting notes a new book. But learning how to shift filters can boost effectiveness in dealing with others.

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Why Payday Lending Is Creeping into the Middle Class

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 13:35:48 GMT

Even middle-class Americans are now tapping payday lenders because they cannot make ends meet. A new book explains why.

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What Turkey’s Referendum Means for the Country’s Future

Tue, 18 Apr 2017 16:28:48 GMT

This week’s referendum in Turkey has implications not only for how the country will be governed but also for its economy its efforts to join the European Union and its future role in the Middle East.

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Top-line Detox and Strategic Small Shifts: Lessons from Successful Retailers

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 15:23:52 GMT

Forget growth at any cost. Small changes to lift comparable-store performance could work magic to boost profitability in retail a new study finds.

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Can United Recover from Its Customer Service Crisis?

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 15:11:13 GMT

United’s forcible eviction of a passenger brings into focus the deeper underlying problems that airlines face.

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Thirty Years After the Last Major Tax Reform Is It Time to Retool?

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 12:34:55 GMT

There is wide agreement that U.S. tax codes need modernizing. A collection of articles by top tax experts offers a starting point for thinking about reforms.

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How Customer Behavior Can Be Used to Value Your Company

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 11:37:38 GMT

Companies with non-contractual business models have a tough time predicting future customer activity and subsequently using it as a measure of firm value. New Wharton research aims to determine what data can help.

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How Millennials Will Lead in the C-Suite

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 13:02:12 GMT

Millennials are poised to take over the C-suite from baby boomers. But what kind of leaders will they be? A new report debunks some stereotypes.

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Love Culture: What It Takes to Create a Happy Workplace

Mon, 10 Apr 2017 16:26:42 GMT

New Wharton research takes a closer look at the role of emotion in male-dominated organizations finding that the most fulfilling workplaces are both compassionate and convivial.

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How to Bully-proof the Workplace

Fri, 07 Apr 2017 16:50:41 GMT

Bullying is on the rise in the workplace affecting productivity and morale. There are constructive ways to deal with it according to a new book.

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What Will Trump’s Meeting with Xi Jinping Mean for U.S.-China Relations?

Fri, 07 Apr 2017 16:48:07 GMT

The much-awaited meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping got off to a warm start last week -- although several tough questions remain unanswered.

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Are Retailers Facing a Coming ‘Tsunami’?

Thu, 06 Apr 2017 16:37:53 GMT

A recent spate of Chapter 11 filings shows that chain retailers have too many stores and don’t understand their customers while online channels are growing say experts.

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Is Despair Killing the White Working Class? Ask Angus Deaton

Thu, 06 Apr 2017 14:40:01 GMT

An overlooked health crisis among working-class middle-age whites in the U.S. has led to a sharp spike in mortality rates not seen in other groups or other rich countries. Why?

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Anne-Marie Slaughter: Why We Need Fewer ’Tribes’ and More Networks

Thu, 06 Apr 2017 11:30:36 GMT

The power of networking should not be underestimated whether it is to find a better job or counter Russian hackers says Anne-Marie Slaughter in her new book.

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How the Stock Market Affects Corporate Decision-making

Wed, 05 Apr 2017 17:32:35 GMT

Company news affects how its stock reacts. But market reaction also influences corporate decision-making Wharton research finds.

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Retirement Is Coming -- Are You Ready?

Tue, 04 Apr 2017 14:59:04 GMT

With many baby-boomers closing in on the age at which they are required to take disbursements from their retirement accounts more financial education is needed says Wharton’s Olivia Mitchell.

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What Trump’s Executive Order Means for the Environment

Mon, 03 Apr 2017 16:13:29 GMT

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week that unwinds the environmental policies of his predecessor – but some experts say the move was more flash than substance.

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Selling Your Data: The Vote to Deregulate Online Privacy

Thu, 30 Mar 2017 15:31:29 GMT

The growing conflict surrounding what internet service providers can do with customer data could take years to resolve.

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Predicting Financial Reform Under a Trump Presidency

Thu, 30 Mar 2017 15:24:44 GMT

Now that the GOP is in charge of Congress and the White House the future of financial regulation -- particularly the Dodd-Frank Act -- is unclear.

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Telling True Stories: Insights from a White House Speechwriter

Wed, 29 Mar 2017 16:47:01 GMT

Sarah Hurwitz former speechwriter for Michelle Obama shares stories from her years in the White House and offers tips for how we all can become stronger storytellers.

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As More Women Become Leaders Financial Literacy Is a Key Ingredient

Wed, 29 Mar 2017 13:29:58 GMT

Financial literacy is important for everyone but especially for women because they earn less and live longer experts say.

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Is a Traffic Tax the Solution to Congestion in Cities?

Fri, 24 Mar 2017 13:52:40 GMT

Would a traffic tax solve congestion problems in cities? Not necessarily according to recent Wharton research.

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Weaponized Twitter: Terror in 140 Characters or Less

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 12:43:04 GMT

The FBI has arrested a man who is accused of sending investigative journalist Kurt Eichenwald who suffers from epilepsy a threatening tweet along with a strobe light which triggered a seizure.

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Will the Courts Permanently Trump Trump’s Travel Ban?

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 11:44:37 GMT

The Trump’s administration’s plan to restrict travel from six majority Muslim countries has once again been stalled by the court system -- where will it go from here?

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What Stands in the Way of Neil Gorsuch’s Confirmation?

Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:24:17 GMT

Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court confirmation should be postponed until the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the presidential election is completed say experts.

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The Art of the Interview: Can the Right Questions Uncover the Truth?

Wed, 22 Mar 2017 14:49:05 GMT

Former CNN White House Correspondent Frank Sesno discusses his new book which covers the role of the media and how questions can illuminate the truth.

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Five New Authors Share Insights on Personal Growth

Tue, 21 Mar 2017 19:39:24 GMT

During a recent event organized by the Authors@Wharton speakers series five new authors shared insights from their recent business books.

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Following the Dutch Elections Can Europe Pass More Crucial Tests?

Mon, 20 Mar 2017 16:15:46 GMT

Europe is in a state of flux clouded by uncertainties over elections the Brexit process and lukewarm U.S. ties with Germany say experts.

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Meaningful Work: What Leaders Can Learn from NASA and the Space Race

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 13:33:22 GMT

New Wharton research looks at how thousands of NASA employees with vastly different roles were able to rally around the common goal of a lunar landing in the 1960s.

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The Iron Triangle and China’s Health Care Dilemma

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 11:20:47 GMT

China has made big gains in health care -- 95% of its population now has catastrophic coverage. But it faces big environmental and demographic challenges.

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How Chinese Firms Bootstrapped Their Way to Global Dominance

Wed, 15 Mar 2017 12:22:18 GMT

In just 30 years China is nearly the world’s largest economy. A new Wharton book looks at how they did it -- through the eyes of the nation’s top CEOs.

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Blue is the New Gold: How Ecofiltro Is Purifying the Water Crisis

Tue, 14 Mar 2017 12:27:05 GMT

Lack of access to clean drinking water is linked to 80% of global illness. Philip Wilson is tackling the issue with his company Ecofiltro.

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The Buck Starts Here: An NBA Team’s Playbook for Engaging Fans

Tue, 14 Mar 2017 12:17:40 GMT

James Dinan Milwaukee Bucks co-owner discusses his organizations newest strategies to engage stadium-goers in the digital age.

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Income Inequality Robots and a Path to a Fairer Society

Fri, 10 Mar 2017 16:32:11 GMT

Nobel Laureate Robert Shiller and Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel discuss possible solutions to the growing problem of income inequality.

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How Data Mining Can Help Advertisers Hit Their Targets

Thu, 09 Mar 2017 13:15:23 GMT

New research from Wharton senior fellow Shawndra Hill looks at how “second screening” impacts consumers’ responses to TV ads.

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Improving Critical Care in Ghana One Facility at a Time

Wed, 08 Mar 2017 16:19:53 GMT

Neurosurgeon Teddy Totimeh a 2016 Eisenhower Fellow seeks to build a private acute care center in Ghana to improve his country’s state of critical care.

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Is the Republican Alternative to the ACA a Palliative or a Cure?

Wed, 08 Mar 2017 16:10:48 GMT

The bill Republicans have introduced to replace the Affordable Care Act will likely erode coverage and not lower costs experts say.

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Closing the Gender Gap on Wall Street

Tue, 07 Mar 2017 16:01:33 GMT

Ex-Citi executive Sallie Krawcheck talks about how women can compete at work on their own terms in her new book.

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Are You a Superforecaster? What Good Decision-makers Have in Common

Tue, 07 Mar 2017 12:56:35 GMT

Research shows that there are certain kinds of people who can forecast correctly most of the time. What traits do they share?

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The Surprising Impact of the Decline in U.S. Manufacturing Jobs

Tue, 07 Mar 2017 11:09:51 GMT

The decline in U.S. manufacturing jobs has the potential to impact many seemingly unrelated aspects of society and everyday life experts say.

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Peak Performance: Lessons in Leadership from Mountain Guides

Mon, 06 Mar 2017 16:57:36 GMT

Business leaders could get more from their teams with empowerment and trust-building notes author Christopher I. Maxwell in his new book.

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Wrongful Benefit: Should Companies Profit from the Past?

Fri, 03 Mar 2017 15:26:50 GMT

Recent Wharton research examines whether companies should be allowed to profit from past decisions that have proven to be detrimental.

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Does the Google-Uber Lawsuit Hold the Key to Self-driving Cars?

Thu, 02 Mar 2017 15:36:31 GMT

The best option for Uber may be to settle Google’s charges of data theft given what’s at stake in the race for driverless technology say experts.

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Vishal Sikka: Reaching for the Future without Abandoning Infosys’s Past

Thu, 02 Mar 2017 12:56:11 GMT

Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka talks about artificial intelligence ”Zero Distance” to the customer and keeping innovation alive.

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President Trump’s Address to Congress: What Are the Takeaways?

Thu, 02 Mar 2017 12:32:47 GMT

Experts discuss the plans President Trump outlined for the country during his first address to a joint session of Congress.

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Building a New Foundation for Housing in Kenya

Wed, 01 Mar 2017 16:57:48 GMT

Kenya has a housing shortfall of some 200 000 units a year. Okomboli Ong’ong’a an Eisenhower fellow is creating a business model to help plug the gap.

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Cats vs. Dogs: How Feline Agility in Business Leads to Long-term Growth

Wed, 01 Mar 2017 12:26:16 GMT

In an industry dogfight businesses should act more like cats and forge their own path for long-term growth according to a new book.

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How to Stop States from Borrowing Too Much Money

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 13:47:53 GMT

New Wharton research suggests a new way to hold states more accountable for taking on excessive debt while avoiding bankruptcy.

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Foodie Paradise: How Technology Is Changing The Way We Eat

Mon, 27 Feb 2017 13:44:39 GMT

Food halls craft beers and farm-to-table cuisine are among newest food trends. A new book examines how technology is helping restaurateurs keep up while staying profitable.

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How Will Environmental Regulation Change Under Pruitt’s EPA?

Fri, 24 Feb 2017 14:02:49 GMT

Former Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt’s confirmation as the new head of the U.S. EPA has revived concerns over how he may steer environmental regulation in the wrong direction.

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Weighing the Impact of a U.S. Border Adjustment Tax

Thu, 23 Feb 2017 16:56:28 GMT

The border adjustment tax proposed by Republicans would have “significant” impacts throughout the economy according to two Penn experts.

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What’s Behind the Jump in FHA Mortgage Delinquencies

Thu, 23 Feb 2017 15:00:59 GMT

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association Federal Housing Administration mortgage delinquencies spiked in the fourth quarter for the first time since 2006. How will this impact FHA loans and the U.S. housing market?

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What’s Holding Back U.S. Economic Growth?

Thu, 23 Feb 2017 14:55:41 GMT

The American Enterprise Institute’s Edward Conard challenges conventional wisdom about factors that dampen U.S. economic growth.

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Raising a New Generation of Female Leaders in Africa

Thu, 23 Feb 2017 14:18:56 GMT

Leading Ladies’ Network founded by Eisenhower Fellow Yawa Hansen-Quao aims to raise a new generation of female African leaders.

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The Republican Health Care Plan: Do the Promises Add Up?

Tue, 21 Feb 2017 13:52:43 GMT

Experts worry that the Republican health care proposals set forth in a recent policy brief could hurt younger people with lower incomes among others.

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How Net Neutrality Will Fare Under Trump’s FCC

Tue, 21 Feb 2017 13:19:25 GMT

The new FCC chairman Ajit Pai is a noted critic of net neutrality regulations -- but there may be fewer changes coming than you think.

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What’s Blocking Corporate Creativity?

Mon, 20 Feb 2017 16:04:36 GMT

Today’s business leaders so often are driven by metrics yet creative ideas often lack realistic measures. So how can executives keep creativity alive?

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How Whole Foods Can Emerge from a Slump

Mon, 20 Feb 2017 12:52:02 GMT

Organic food has become more popular among consumers and it’s now easier to find in many grocery stores. But that’s not good news for Whole Foods which once had a corner on the market.

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How the Federal Reserve Can Maintain Its Independence

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 16:28:33 GMT

Retaining the Federal Reserve’s autonomy is a top concern as President Trump’s appointments could occupy key roles say experts.

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You’re Happy and You Know It -- Why You Probably Shouldn’t Show It

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 16:04:20 GMT

New Wharton research finds that abundantly happy people are perceived as innocent and unsophisticated which makes them more vulnerable to deception.

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How Mindfulness Can Lead to Better Health Care Outcomes

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 12:40:52 GMT

Physicians must heed warning signals of burnout and be more compassionate to be effective says Ronald Epstein in a new book on mindfulness.

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First Book: A Novel Model for Social Enterprises

Wed, 15 Feb 2017 16:30:18 GMT

First Book has adopted a novel business model that is key to the nonprofit’s success in distributing books and other items to kids in need.

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The Elephant in the Room: Why Silly Corporate Buzzwords Catch On

Tue, 14 Feb 2017 14:56:02 GMT

Why does corporate America use silly buzzwords like ‘low-hanging fruit’? Author James Sudakow explains.

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Trump the Dollar and Trade – What’s Ahead

Tue, 14 Feb 2017 12:07:51 GMT

While President Trump appears to have softened some of his contentious stances on trade and currency levels regarding China and Japan plenty of policy uncertainty remains.

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Why Humans Distrust Algorithms – and How That Can Change

Mon, 13 Feb 2017 15:38:48 GMT

Many people are averse to using algorithms when making decisions preferring to rely on their instincts. New Wharton research says a simple adjustment can help them feel differently.

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Will Small Investors See the End of Hidden Commissions?

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 17:01:39 GMT

The Trump administration’s review of the fiduciary rule for financial advisors brings uncertainty to retirement planning but investors could still protect themselves says Wharton’s Kent Smetters.

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Do ‘Sin Taxes’ Really Change Consumer Behavior?

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 16:03:16 GMT

Imposing taxes on products that have negative effects on health can theoretically lower consumption. But do these policies help consumers to make better choices?

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Repealing Dodd-Frank: What’s the Likely Fallout?

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 10:06:24 GMT

Some tweaks to the Dodd-Frank Act are in order but Trump’s proposed changes will leave the financial system far more vulnerable say experts.

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How Will Corporate America’s New Political Boldness Affect Its Brands?

Thu, 09 Feb 2017 08:42:44 GMT

Companies ranging from Budweiser to Airbnb took a political stand during this year’s Super Bowl through television ads. Will they alienate stakeholders?

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Good News for Messy People: How Disorder Can Contribute to Success

Tue, 07 Feb 2017 15:39:35 GMT

When companies impose tidiness rules employees will hate the space hate the company hate everything says author Tim Harford.

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What Ostriches Can Teach Us About Risk

Tue, 07 Feb 2017 11:45:44 GMT

A new book by Wharton professors Howard Kunreuther and Robert Meyer offers an innovative solution for addressing the biases that prevent people and groups from adequately preparing for disasters.

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Why the Twittersphere Helped Donald Trump Win

Fri, 03 Feb 2017 14:37:37 GMT

Wharton research shows that sensational tweets have staying power aiding Donald Trump’s ascent during the Republican primary debates.

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How to Regulate Innovation -- Without Killing It

Fri, 03 Feb 2017 13:46:35 GMT

Regulations don’t always evolve as quickly as technological change -- at least that’s the perception. So what should policy makers and regulators do?

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Lone Wolf: The Legacy of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia

Thu, 02 Feb 2017 13:56:02 GMT

With Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch being compared to Antonin Scalia it’s a good time to revisit Scalia’s legacy.

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Cutting Regulations: How Far Can Trump Go?

Tue, 31 Jan 2017 16:22:05 GMT

President Donald Trump has promised corporations he will cut regulations by 75%. What will this mean for business and the environment?

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How the Immigration Ban Will Impact U.S. Businesses

Tue, 31 Jan 2017 13:56:10 GMT

Though temporary the Trump administration’s immigration ban could undermine the long-term reputation of the U.S. as a reliable place to do business.

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TPP: Why the U.S. Withdrawal Could Be a Boon for China

Fri, 27 Jan 2017 16:17:05 GMT

Experts say that President Trump’s move to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) paves the way for China to forge its own deals with other countries and dominate the world’s major trading regions and routes.

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The Risks of Reviving the Keystone and Dakota Access Pipelines

Fri, 27 Jan 2017 10:43:34 GMT

Experts from Wharton and elsewhere discuss the implications of Donald Trump’s recent move.

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Why Product Recommendations Can Lead to Bad Decisions

Thu, 26 Jan 2017 14:47:52 GMT

New Wharton research reveals some surprising data about how consumers react to specific language used in recommendations and reviews and why that language could lead some astray.

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What a NATO Exit Would Mean for the U.S. and Europe

Wed, 25 Jan 2017 16:30:37 GMT

President Donald Trump last week rattled many European leaders when he described the 28-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization as “obsolete.” What’s ahead for U.S.-Europe relations?

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Will the Trump Administration Embrace the ’One China’ Policy?

Tue, 24 Jan 2017 15:16:27 GMT

Two Penn experts discuss the latest economic developments in China and Chinese officials’ reactions to what is happening in Washington.

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Why Smart Machines Will Boost Emotional Intelligence

Tue, 24 Jan 2017 14:48:49 GMT

Virtual reality robotics and AI will spark a new appreciation for uniquely human traits like collaboration and emotional intelligence in organizations.

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What Changes Are Ahead for the Affordable Care Act?

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 14:59:57 GMT

President Trump has signed an executive order to begin dismantling parts of Obamacare. Is it possible to keep some aspects of the health care plan but not others?

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The Emotion That Leads to Deception

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 13:08:55 GMT

Wharton research shows that spillover anger -- not sadness or another emotion -- leads to deception.

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Obama’s Scorecard: Hits Misses and His Ongoing Legacy

Fri, 20 Jan 2017 13:44:07 GMT

Barack Obama led a committed and mostly scandal-free White House but he could have forged consensus on key issues with more persuasive communication say experts.

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Why Early-stage Investors Tend to Trust Their Gut

Fri, 20 Jan 2017 12:00:08 GMT

“Gut feel” plays a surprisingly important role in decision-making by early-stage angel investors according to new research by Wharton’s Laura Huang.

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Dressing-down: The Fashion Industry’s Reaction to the Trump Inauguration

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 14:39:24 GMT

The refusal of leading fashion designers to craft outfits for Melania and Ivanka Trump is about taking a stance and bowing to a public outcry say experts.

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The Biggest Risks Facing the World in 2017

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 13:03:37 GMT

As the World Economic Forum convenes in Davos Switzerland a new report warns of the greatest challenges global leaders will face over the next decade.

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Building a Better Earned Income Tax Credit

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 12:15:02 GMT

Recent Wharton research suggests that redefining who is eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit in the U.S. may make it more effective.

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’Speaking American’: Regions Accents and the Subtleties of Language

Wed, 18 Jan 2017 14:41:57 GMT

The New York Times’ Josh Katz discusses his compendium of colloquialisms and why people from various regions speak differently.

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Do Online Reviews Matter to Businesses?

Tue, 17 Jan 2017 12:14:14 GMT

Customer reviews affect the business of online marketplaces in surprising ways Wharton research finds.

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The Right Way to Do Mobile Marketing

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 16:20:16 GMT

Consumers spend 25% of their time on mobile devices yet advertisers spend just 12% of their dollars there. That’s about to change.

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Transportation and the Cost of Convenience

Thu, 12 Jan 2017 12:06:09 GMT

Our transportation system underlies all of modern life from moving us to our jobs to bringing yesterday’s Amazon order to our door. But there is a mounting cost to this convenience.

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The Science of Good Salesmanship

Thu, 12 Jan 2017 11:30:38 GMT

Author David Hoffeld says science can help sales people sell in the way their customers’ brains are wired.

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How the South Korean President’s Impeachment Trial Will Impact Businesses

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 15:17:18 GMT

Experts from Wharton and Stanford discuss the impact that the impeachment of South Korean president Park Geun-hye will have on businesses there.

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Can Government Be Run Like a Business?

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 14:46:41 GMT

Can business executives -- such as those chosen for Trump’s cabinet -- run government better or are the differences too great?

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Will Canada’s Latest Cap-and-trade Program Fuel More Environmental Protection?

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 12:15:01 GMT

Experts discuss Canada’s latest steps to combat global warming.

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Privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: How It Can Be Done Effectively

Mon, 09 Jan 2017 15:22:50 GMT

Wharton’s Benjamin Keys and Columbia’s Christopher Mayer offer a roadmap for the privatization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

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The U.S. Economy in 2017: Why Uncertainty Is the ‘Biggest Risk’

Fri, 06 Jan 2017 14:43:49 GMT

Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel and the Philadelphia Federal Reserve’s Patrick Harker discuss what lies ahead as the Trump administration assumes office this month.

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The ‘Delicate Dance’ of Replacing Obamacare

Thu, 05 Jan 2017 15:47:30 GMT

Repealing and replacing Obamacare is at the top of the Republican agenda but doing so will be a complicated process experts say.

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We Don’t Need a Crisis to Act Unitedly Against Cyber Threats

Thu, 05 Jan 2017 14:47:35 GMT

Jay Clayton Donald Trump’s nominee to head the SEC co-authored this 2015 opinion piece on why a collective response is needed to combat cyber threats.

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Cause and Effect: Do Prescription Drug Ads Really Work?

Wed, 04 Jan 2017 12:25:42 GMT

Drug ads increase the number of prescriptions for medications Wharton research finds but that doesn’t necessarily translate into health benefits.

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Why Combining For-profit and Philanthropic Investment Can Succeed

Fri, 30 Dec 2016 12:00:55 GMT

Companies that mix for-profit and philanthropic capital sources for positive social impact need leaders who can push in more than one direction according to social entrepreneur Derek Handley.

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How Technology Shocked the Entertainment Industry

Thu, 29 Dec 2016 14:46:35 GMT

Companies such as Netflix Amazon Apple and others have made big Hollywood studios TV networks and other traditional media outlets rethink how they approach the idea of success.

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How Lego Is Building a Non-brick Empire

Tue, 27 Dec 2016 12:00:58 GMT

Toymaker Lego is expanding its business into online video gaming in addition to its other non-brick diversifications.

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The Piracy Playlist: Can the Music Industry Fight Counterfeit CDs?

Wed, 21 Dec 2016 14:19:38 GMT

That CD you bought on Amazon may look and sound exactly like the real thing. But thanks to a growing number of counterfeiters there’s a fair chance your disc could be a fake.

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Banking with a Public Benefit

Tue, 20 Dec 2016 16:12:54 GMT

Kat Taylor co-CEO of Beneficial State Bank discusses how the triple bottom line company enhances economic sustainability in low-income communities

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The Emotional Intelligence Deficit -- How It Stifles Careers

Tue, 20 Dec 2016 13:15:04 GMT

Many professionals plug away for years with only moderate career success. A lack of emotional intelligence may be stifling advancement.

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What Will Trump’s Cabinet Picks Mean for the Environment?

Tue, 20 Dec 2016 13:02:23 GMT

The private sector will likely need to fill any gaps in federal funding for research in areas such as climate change and earth science experts say.

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Getting Out of Line: How to Shorten ER Wait Times

Tue, 20 Dec 2016 12:06:21 GMT

Recent Wharton research examines a new approach to assigning patients to doctors in the ER.

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Can Trump Sidestep His Conflicts of Interest?

Fri, 16 Dec 2016 14:29:44 GMT

Both domestically and internationally Donald Trump’s looming interlocking business and presidential interests are more substantial than any other U.S. president in history.

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Insuring Against Disaster: How to Build Better Policies

Thu, 15 Dec 2016 13:32:13 GMT

A recent Wharton report examines what can be done to improve coverage and minimize risks.

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How Two Psychologists Re-invented How We View the Mind

Wed, 14 Dec 2016 13:09:09 GMT

In ’Moneyball’ author Michael Lewis showed how data analytics up-ended professional baseball. His new book reveals where the concepts originated.

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How a Pixar CFO Learned to Love the Creative Process

Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:54:01 GMT

Pixar went from a scrappy startup to a proven leader in the entertainment industry. In a new book former CFO Lawrence Levy recounts building the company and taking it public.

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CEO Pay: Can a Tax Address Income Inequality?

Tue, 13 Dec 2016 13:30:43 GMT

The move by Portland Ore. to tax companies for “outrageous CEO pay” comes with the best of intentions but could become counterproductive say experts.

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Trump’s Mixed Signals on China: Is There a Strategy?

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 13:45:11 GMT

President-elect Donald Trump recently has given conflicting signals on how he will deal with China on trade security and diplomacy.

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How the Pursuit of Happiness Has Made Us Nervous Wrecks

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 11:59:13 GMT

What’s making Americans so anxious? Author Ruth Whippman says it’s the notion that happiness must be pursued above all else.

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Stick Figures vs. Spreadsheets: Why You Should Doodle at Work

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 10:56:56 GMT

In a recent book management consultant Dan Roam explains why doodles and drawings are the among the best ways to convey information.

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When Customers Browse Store Shelves Perception Is Reality

Wed, 07 Dec 2016 14:54:37 GMT

New research from Wharton’s Barbara Kahn finds that the way products are displayed affects a shopper’s perception of choice – and in turn can impact what and how much they buy.

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What Italy’s Referendum Means for Europe

Tue, 06 Dec 2016 14:15:13 GMT

In the wake of rising right-wing populism in Europe Italians voted against big government and reforms. The fallout could ripple across the continent.

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Why the Coming Jobs Crisis Is Bigger Than You Think

Tue, 06 Dec 2016 10:47:26 GMT

Half of all jobs could be lost in the next 25 years due to technology and globalization according to WorkingNation.

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Can Wells Fargo Repair Its Image Through Arbitration?

Fri, 02 Dec 2016 13:40:41 GMT

In response to a class-action lawsuit resulting from its fraudulent accounts scandal Wells Fargo has petitioned a Federal District Court to force the bank’s customers into arbitration.

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What Would Dismantling Dodd-Frank Mean for Banks and Consumers?

Fri, 02 Dec 2016 13:11:52 GMT

As the Trump Administration prepares to alter regulation of the financial sector some big threats loom experts say.

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The Final Frontier: How Entrepreneurs Cracked the Aerospace Industry

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 12:24:49 GMT

Space exploration is a complex highly technical and increasingly expensive endeavor. What’s enabling more private firms to jump into the fray?

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How Physicians Can Enrich the Doctor-patient Relationship

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 10:05:58 GMT

Physicians are learning to create deeper relationships with patients to improve health outcomes says Cleveland Clinic neurologist Adrienne Boissy.

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The Digital Leader: Self-transformation for Long-term Success

Wed, 30 Nov 2016 11:33:11 GMT

The key to successful digital transformation of companies in the long run is the self-transformation of the business leader.

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Why Clean Power Plan Rules Could Ultimately Cut Electricity Costs

Tue, 29 Nov 2016 16:15:17 GMT

Implementing the EPA’s Clean Power Plan initially means higher costs but ultimately it lowers wholesale electricity prices according to new Wharton research.

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Why Trump’s Election Was a Financial Boon for Some Nonprofits

Mon, 28 Nov 2016 16:09:47 GMT

Anxious Americans are voting with their checkbooks as they fear the effect that the incoming Trump administration will have on their favorite causes.

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The ’Entrepreneur Gap’ Facing Women and Minorities

Mon, 28 Nov 2016 14:34:57 GMT

Why do some groups struggle more at becoming small business owners? In most cases it’s a lack of mentoring not money.

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Is It Time To Rethink the Traditional Fixed-rate Mortgage?

Fri, 25 Nov 2016 12:01:39 GMT

Recent Wharton research looks at how lower interest rates impacted homeowners -- with some surprising results.

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Has Black Friday Lost Its Magic?

Thu, 24 Nov 2016 19:08:51 GMT

The holiday season has become synonymous with major sales -- but retailers could be taking a savvier approach.

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Fake News Hate Speech and Social Media Abuse: What’s the Solution?

Mon, 21 Nov 2016 16:08:57 GMT

Google Facebook and Twitter have vowed to fight fake news hate speech and abuse amid a backlash over how such content may have influenced the U.S. presidential election.

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Why Middle America Voted for Trump

Thu, 17 Nov 2016 09:30:15 GMT

Middle America came out for Donald Trump. Why? They played by the rules and yet were left behind economically.

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Can the U.S. and China Avoid a Trade War?

Wed, 16 Nov 2016 12:29:04 GMT

Despite Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric the U.S. must avoid positions that could trigger trade wars with China or upset the military balance in Asia say experts.

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Will Trump’s Rhetoric Hit a Wall?

Tue, 15 Nov 2016 15:31:56 GMT

President-elect Trump’s bark will likely prove worse than his bite says a Penn ethicist who expects reality to taper his more extreme positions.

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’Seoul Man’: An American’s Cultural Challenges Working at Hyundai

Mon, 14 Nov 2016 16:37:00 GMT

Frank Ahrens was a reporter for The Washington Post before joining Hyundai as head of communications and experiencing culture shock upon moving to Seoul.

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Trump’s Planned Economic Policies: What Could Work and What Won’t?

Mon, 14 Nov 2016 14:00:17 GMT

Donald Trump’s plans to invest in infrastructure could stimulate the U.S. economy and create jobs but tax cuts could smother long-term growth says Wharton’s Kent Smetters.

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What a Trump Presidency Means for the Supreme Court

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 14:27:56 GMT

Penn’s Kermit Roosevelt and Georgetown’s Nan Hunter discuss the future of the Supreme Court.

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How a Trump Presidency Could Affect LGBT Rights in the Workplace

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 14:16:11 GMT

Tobias Barrington Wolff on LGBT rights and a Trump presidency

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What a Trump Presidency Will Mean for Globalization

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 11:24:43 GMT

Donald Trump will have to recalibrate his positions on trade deals China and globalization as he transitions from campaigning to governing says Wharton Dean Geoffrey Garrett.

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How Will Trump Rebuild His Brand?

Thu, 10 Nov 2016 13:50:08 GMT

The Trump brand once stood for luxury but it’s now about populism. How will Trump recast his brand’s image?

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Do One-stop Shops Create Value for Clients?

Thu, 10 Nov 2016 13:00:08 GMT

Becoming a one-stop shop seems logical because firms can keep all of a client’s business. But it actually erodes value Wharton research shows.

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How a British Court Ruling Could Delay Brexit Negotiations

Wed, 09 Nov 2016 16:12:58 GMT

Consult with Parliament before acting on Brexit a court tells British Prime Minister Theresa May. Experts delve into the implications.

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Jeremy Siegel: The Impact of the Election on the Markets

Wed, 09 Nov 2016 13:17:19 GMT

The U.S. stock market rebounded a day after the election -- a quick reversal that erased an overnight 800-point plunge in the Dow futures after a surprise Donald Trump win.

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Trump Wins – What Now?

Wed, 09 Nov 2016 12:20:15 GMT

Donald Trump’s stunning victory begs the question: Where does the country go from here?

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Leveraging Customer Analytics: Hotels and Travel Agencies

Tue, 08 Nov 2016 15:20:23 GMT

Wharton professor and analytics expert Peter Fader joins WNS executive Raj SivaKumar to discuss the power of harnessing customer analytics for travel agencies and the hotel industry.

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Why We Can’t Afford to Ignore Higher Education’s Financial Problems

Tue, 08 Nov 2016 14:42:05 GMT

The U.S. recognizes how important college is -- for individuals and for society. Yet by failing to provide a sustainable way to pay for it we have painted ourselves into a corner.

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How Stress Influences Decision-making

Tue, 08 Nov 2016 13:15:28 GMT

Research by Wharton’s Gideon Nave takes a closer look at how hormones impact our choices.

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How the NFL Could Reverse Its TV Viewership Decline

Mon, 07 Nov 2016 15:52:48 GMT

NFL ratings are down for good reasons. They could bounce back -- perhaps using new distribution mediums say experts.

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Will Twitter Find Its True Calling?

Fri, 04 Nov 2016 14:04:37 GMT

Twitter is experiencing increasing popularity among users and financial woes at the same time. What’s ahead for the social media platform?

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How the U.S. Election Will Affect Capital Markets

Thu, 03 Nov 2016 13:29:20 GMT

Capital markets clearly favor Hillary Clinton for President experts say while a Trump win would bring volatility.

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The ‘Deadly Sin’: The Positive and Negative Power of Pride

Wed, 02 Nov 2016 11:02:29 GMT

Pride is a complicated emotion. It can propel human beings to dizzying heights or tear people apart. And for some business leaders it can be corrosive.

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Why Ad Spending in the Presidential Race Blazes New Trails

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 13:44:55 GMT

Ad spending patterns in the current presidential election campaign at times seem to defy logic and conventional wisdom. Experts explain why.

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Are Narrow Health Care Networks Better for Consumers?

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 11:18:03 GMT

Health care plans with narrow networks offer lower premiums—but they also can impede access to the right doctors among other compromises.

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The Age of ‘Megachange’ -- Why It Makes Us So Anxious

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 16:42:31 GMT

In certain periods of history people sense that society is running at break-neck speed. We are in such a period now says author Darrell West.

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How Presidents Can Avoid Big Failures

Thu, 27 Oct 2016 13:15:53 GMT

A new book by Elaine C. Kamarck of the Brookings Institution looks at how major failures by U.S. presidents come about -- and how some may be preventable.

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How Achieving Emotional Agility Can Help You -- at Work and in Life

Wed, 26 Oct 2016 15:03:50 GMT

Emotional agility is important to well-being and relationships including those at work. But how can you achieve it? A top psychologist offers strategies.

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The Facebook-PayPal Partnership: Who Benefits Most?

Wed, 26 Oct 2016 13:27:09 GMT

Beneath the Facebook-PayPal partnership lies a cleverly crafted survival strategy experts say.

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How the Boss’s Politics Affect the Careers of Women Lawyers

Tue, 25 Oct 2016 17:11:22 GMT

The political leanings of partners affect how women associates are paid and promoted at law firms new research shows.

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Will the Dyn DDoS Attack Lead to Better Internet Security?

Tue, 25 Oct 2016 13:38:38 GMT

Last week’s cyberattacks that crippled popular websites exposed huge security gaps. Now consumers must push device manufacturers and lawmakers to act say experts.

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Leveraging Customer Analytics: The Airline Industry

Tue, 25 Oct 2016 11:47:01 GMT

Wharton professor and analytics expert Peter Fader joins WNS executive Raj SivaKumar to discuss the power of harnessing customer analytics for business success in the airline industry.

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A Consumer Psychologist Looks at Why Customers Buy

Tue, 25 Oct 2016 10:59:48 GMT

In retail the key to finding out what sells lies less in Big Data and more in consumers’ heads says retail psychologist Vanessa Patrick.

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Can Israel Expand Its Startup Culture To Nearby Regions?

Mon, 24 Oct 2016 14:36:49 GMT

Israel has seen a huge economic transformation -- from a land of agriculture and refugees to a high-tech superstar. Can it help neighbors join the success?

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Overly Ambitious or Lackluster? Trump and Clinton Tax Plans Struggle to Meet Realities

Fri, 21 Oct 2016 14:34:01 GMT

The national debt Social Security and Medicare and economic growth get the short shrift in the tax plans of both U.S. presidential candidates.

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How Strong Stakeholder Bonds Can Help Firms Avoid a Crisis

Thu, 20 Oct 2016 14:07:15 GMT

The best way to handle a crisis is to avoid it. To do that companies must invest the time in building relationships with stakeholders.

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The ’Gatekeeper’ Who Ran FDR’s White House

Thu, 20 Oct 2016 13:37:12 GMT

There was another woman behind the throne in FDR’s White House besides Eleanor – his personal secretary Missy LeHand writes biographer Kathryn Smith.

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’Grit’: Why Talent Needs Drive to Succeed

Thu, 20 Oct 2016 11:14:11 GMT

Penn psychology professor Angela Duckworth’s book on grit passion and perseverance compels a rethink on how we identify and nurture skills.

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Whose Tax Plan Is Best?

Mon, 17 Oct 2016 16:32:44 GMT

The Penn Wharton Budget Model shows that Donald Trump’s tax plan is better for the economy in the short run but Hillary Clinton’s is best in the long run.

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How Can China Improve Its National Brand?

Mon, 17 Oct 2016 15:25:50 GMT

Japan and South Korea may offer lessons for China in shaping a national brand that gradually improves its reputation for quality notes a Chinese expert.

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How Target and Amazon Are Changing the Rules of Retailing

Fri, 14 Oct 2016 11:55:48 GMT

Target is expanding with smaller stores in urban locations while Amazon is planning to open convenience stores. Experts explain the potential impact of those moves.

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Baseball Bias and Decision-making

Thu, 13 Oct 2016 12:14:11 GMT

Wharton research shows how umpires adjust their calls based on what information they think they know when a play is in motion.

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Who Was the Worst U.S. President Ever?

Wed, 12 Oct 2016 16:41:11 GMT

James Buchanan is the worst U.S. president because his actions led to the Civil War says author and journalist Robert Strauss.

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Why Women Pay More for Mortgages

Wed, 12 Oct 2016 11:07:07 GMT

Women pay off mortgages more reliably than men do yet find the loans harder to get and often pay more for them. This study suggests why.

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Leveraging Customer Analytics: The Insurance Industry

Tue, 11 Oct 2016 10:54:40 GMT

Wharton professor and analytics expert Peter Fader joins WNS executive Mike Nemeth to discuss the power of harnessing customer analytics in the insurance industry for business success.

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Management 101: The Marriage of Strategy and Leadership

Tue, 11 Oct 2016 10:44:06 GMT

Focusing on strategy alone -- or leadership alone -- misses the big opportunities. Two Wharton professors offer six steps to integrate the two.

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How Countries Are Missing Great Marketing Opportunities

Fri, 07 Oct 2016 16:34:57 GMT

Marketing maven Philip Kotler shares insights on how nation branding efforts can pay off in a conversation with Wharton’s David Reibstein.

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Can Brexit Be Achieved with Minimal Damage?

Fri, 07 Oct 2016 15:39:25 GMT

With British Prime Minister Theresa May planning to get Brexit talks underway by next March experts weigh in on ways to mitigate the costs to the U.K. and the European Union.

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Does the Aetna Pullout Mean Obamacare Is in Trouble?

Thu, 06 Oct 2016 12:10:15 GMT

Does Aetna’s exit from Obamacare mean the program is failing? Not likely and other insurers seem satisfied says a Wharton expert.

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Climate Change Could Sink Two Million Homes: Why Few Take Note

Thu, 06 Oct 2016 09:53:06 GMT

Rising sea levels and other climate change effects pose significant threats to the U.S. real estate market.

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Got Rage? How to Channel Workplace Anger Constructively

Wed, 05 Oct 2016 12:59:50 GMT

Channeling anger constructively can yield the passion to help you overcome obstacles says former Human Rights Campaign head Joe Solmonese in his new book.

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How Much Does ‘Spin’ Count in Politics?

Wed, 05 Oct 2016 12:38:09 GMT

You may think politics has reached “peak spin” recently. But spin has adapted right through to the Twitter age after its birth a century ago.

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Using Humor in the Office: When It Works When It Backfires

Tue, 04 Oct 2016 10:19:46 GMT

Humor when used appropriately can enhance status and perception of one’s competence in the office according to Wharton research.

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How Public-private Partnerships Can Help Build Nations’ Brands

Fri, 30 Sep 2016 15:53:29 GMT

Why are PPPs increasingly a favored model for solving societal problems? They combine expertise and help stakeholders with branding legitimacy and access.

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How Federal Policy Is Paving the Way for Driverless Cars

Wed, 28 Sep 2016 13:46:50 GMT

A proactive regulatory regime is critical in the run-up to 2021 when the auto industry expects to have a full-fledged launch of self-driving vehicles.

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Leveraging Customer Analytics for Business Success

Wed, 28 Sep 2016 10:01:52 GMT

Wharton professor and analytics expert Peter Fader joins WNS executives Raj SivaKumar and Mike Nemeth to discuss the power of harnessing customer analytics for business success.

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Choosing Your Candidate: There’s an App for That

Tue, 27 Sep 2016 16:19:25 GMT

A new app called Voter promises to bring clarity to the task of choosing the best political candidate for you based on the issues and your own beliefs.

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Will Yahoo’s Data Breach Help Overhaul Online Security?

Tue, 27 Sep 2016 13:26:24 GMT

The largest data breach in history -- affecting 500 million Yahoo accounts -- could trigger an industry-wide overhaul of user authentication procedures.

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How Big Data Connects Bankers Politics and Insider Trading

Mon, 26 Sep 2016 17:09:00 GMT

Insider trading by politically connected bankers spiked just before the massive bailouts of October 2008 research by Wharton professor Daniel Taylor shows.

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What’s My Dog Thinking? Getting Inside Fido’s Head

Fri, 23 Sep 2016 14:44:15 GMT

Pets are more like people than you think. They suffer from emotional and mental issues too says renowned vet Nicholas Dodman.

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Why the Wells Fargo Hearing Raises More Questions Than It Answers

Fri, 23 Sep 2016 14:00:12 GMT

Wells Fargo chairman and CEO John Stumpf’s testimony before the Senate Banking Committee raised new questions about banking culture and incentives but offered little clarity on what went wrong.

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The Right Way to Take Risks -- in Business and Life

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 17:19:21 GMT

In business and life people take all sorts of risks. But they must be balanced with prudence. Aureus CEO Karen Firestone explains how.

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How Uncertainty Impacts Funding for Microfinance Organizations

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 11:52:22 GMT

New Wharton research examines how political and economic turmoil in a country can impact how microfinance organizations are funded.

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The Private Equity Outlook in Latin America India and Africa

Tue, 20 Sep 2016 09:49:43 GMT

Bullish long-term sector trends make Latin America India and Africa attractive to PE firms but they are cautiously eyeing investments due to current upheavals in certain areas.

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How the Rockefellers’ VC Firm Picks Tech Startups

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 17:09:31 GMT

Veteran VC firm Venrock has backed some of the most successful tech companies in Silicon Valley including Intel and Apple. Here’s how it invests.

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How Venezuela Could Come Back from the Brink

Thu, 15 Sep 2016 14:03:56 GMT

Venezuela is plagued by political instability and economic hardships made worse by cheap oil. The time is ripe for widespread reforms – but there are no quick and easy solutions.

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How Honeybees -- and Humans -- Are Being Stung by Environmental Problems

Thu, 15 Sep 2016 12:08:49 GMT

Honeybees are facing both natural and manmade threats that are killing them by the millions. What is the impact on agriculture commercial bee keepers and consumers?

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Pushing Past Procrastination: How to Get Stuff Done

Wed, 14 Sep 2016 14:26:41 GMT

Do you have brilliant idea -- or a small task -- you keep putting off? Author Phyllis Korkki explains that you’re not alone and what you can do about it.

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The Wells Fargo Scandal: Is the Profit Model to Blame?

Tue, 13 Sep 2016 13:04:30 GMT

Wells Fargo’s latest revelations on errant practices could reverberate across the financial services industry.

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Mass Transformation: From Coal Mining to a Model for Sustainability

Tue, 13 Sep 2016 11:38:16 GMT

As corporations increasingly recognize the potential ravages of climate change some are creating new business models. One company DSM -- formerly Dutch State Mines -- has entirely abandoned coal mining for more environmentally friendly pursuits.

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Assessing Private Equity Trends Worldwide

Mon, 12 Sep 2016 14:21:23 GMT

Private equity remains bullish about China and Southeast Asia as firms spot opportunities in the shift to consumer-driven markets due to a growing middle class.

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The Real Losers in the European Commission’s Apple Tax Ruling

Thu, 08 Sep 2016 16:04:05 GMT

The European Commission’s tax ruling on Ireland and Apple could unnerve investors and ultimately impact Ireland’s growth.

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How Water Scarcity Became a Worldwide Problem

Thu, 08 Sep 2016 11:17:35 GMT

Water scarcity is a growing global problem and climate change is making it more challenging. Author Judith Schwartz offers some unexpected solutions.

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Can a Gender-oriented Investment Lens Boost Financial Performance?

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 15:24:11 GMT

Being aware of the gender lens – practicing gender capitalism -- can quash investment bias create opportunities and boost returns according to a Bank of America expert.

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New Maps New Media and a New Human Condition

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 10:29:31 GMT

Chris Kutarna co-author of ’Age of Discovery ’ explains what we can learn from the time of Johannes Gutenberg Nicolaus Copernicus and Michelangelo to navigate today’s challenges.

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Will Mylan’s EpiPen Episode Help Curb Pharmaceutical Price Gouging?

Fri, 26 Aug 2016 13:13:34 GMT

Mylan the maker of the EpiPen allergy-treatment device has raised outrage over out-sized price increases. Experts at Wharton and Penn Medicine explain the causes and the impact.

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How Data Skills Help Firms Create Social Media That Matters

Thu, 25 Aug 2016 13:28:01 GMT

Most firms consider social media a must in today’s highly networked world. But new Wharton research shows it’s not simply being on social that matters – it’s how you use it.

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How Millennial Consumers Will Transform Health Care

Wed, 24 Aug 2016 16:25:59 GMT

Steve Klasko president of Thomas Jefferson University and CEO of the Jefferson System says the health care industry needs be transformed and millennial consumers will lead the way.

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‘Flawed at Birth’: Why the Eurozone Faces Endless Division

Wed, 24 Aug 2016 15:33:28 GMT

Unless eurozone leaders reverse economic policies – or take measures such as creating two or more separate euro currency zones -- the region faces more economic stagnation and widening political divisions says Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz.

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How to Find Your Most Valuable Customers

Mon, 22 Aug 2016 15:09:36 GMT

Tech startup Zodiac was co-founded by Wharton professor Peter Fader and CEO Artem Mariychin to help companies find – and serve -- their most valuable customers.

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McDonald’s Healthy Meal: Will Consumers Bite?

Thu, 18 Aug 2016 14:45:21 GMT

McDonald’s is jumping on the health-conscious bandwagon by using antibiotic-free chicken removing preservatives and artificial colors among other changes. Will it revive stagnant sales growth?

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Trump or Clinton? How the Election Will Impact the Economy

Wed, 17 Aug 2016 17:15:30 GMT

Behind the circus atmosphere of this year’s election stand two competing sets of economic proposals that would have very different impacts.

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Is That Lobster or Hermit Crab? What You’re Really Eating

Wed, 17 Aug 2016 10:22:14 GMT

Some of your favorite foods -- sushi extra virgin olive oil Kobe beef Parmesan cheese -- may not be what you think they are. Larry Olmsted explains in his new book.

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‘How Patients Think’: Filling in Big Data’s Gaps

Tue, 16 Aug 2016 14:16:39 GMT

A new book by Andrea LaFountain CEO of Mind Field Solutions looks at the science of patient behavior to provide better health outcomes and cut health care costs.

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Is China’s Latest Economic Data a Sign of Deeper Disconnects?

Tue, 16 Aug 2016 13:22:34 GMT

Last Friday China reported a slowing economy in July raising new questions about the country’s policy directions and pace of growth.

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Can Jet.com Fuel Wal-Mart’s Online Growth?

Fri, 12 Aug 2016 15:58:59 GMT

Opinions are sharply divided over the wisdom of Wal-Mart’s move to buy Jet.com in an effort to expand the retail giant’s online footprint.

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Should a Business Reflect the Values of Its Owner?

Fri, 12 Aug 2016 11:50:52 GMT

The recent case of a Maine restauranteur who said customers who owned a particular semiautomatic rifle would not be welcome at her restaurants raises questions about how much an owner’s values can and should be reflected in his or her business.

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‘The 10% Entrepreneur’: Going Part-time with Your Startup

Thu, 11 Aug 2016 12:27:12 GMT

A new book by Patrick McGinnis venture capitalist and founder of Dirigo Advisors argues that all you need is 10% of your spare time to become an entrepreneur.

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The Man Behind the Brand: Gucci’s Evolution into an Icon

Thu, 11 Aug 2016 11:04:29 GMT

A new book by the granddaughter of the founder of Gucci tells the story of her father the man who she says made it what it is today.

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The Zika Outbreak in Florida: What’s the Risk?

Tue, 09 Aug 2016 10:25:35 GMT

The CDC’s travel warning over the Zika virus in a Miami suburb raises fears over its spread. What’s the potential impact?

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A New Approach to Parkinson’s Disease: How Robotics Can Help

Fri, 05 Aug 2016 15:01:05 GMT

A startup is creating wearable devices that can improve the quality of life for those living with Parkinson’s disease.

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‘Sprint’: A 5-Day Plan for Solving Tough Problems

Thu, 04 Aug 2016 13:06:10 GMT

’Sprint ’ a new book by three partners at Google Ventures offers a 5-day plan for identifying the best solution to a problem developing a prototype and testing a new idea.

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‘Partisan Warfare’: How Republicans Took Control of Congress

Thu, 04 Aug 2016 10:06:41 GMT

According to a new book the Republican party gained control of Congress in 2010 using carefully constructed strategies that changed the boundaries of several key voting districts.

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Will Tesla’s Merger with SolarCity Shine?

Wed, 03 Aug 2016 13:20:28 GMT

Tesla’s merger with SolarCity promises big gains for both companies. But the move comes at a time when Tesla already faces some big challenges experts say.

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Clinton Trump and Trade: Is a ’Brexit Moment’ Looming?

Tue, 02 Aug 2016 12:07:57 GMT

In the debate on trade deals Republicans are focused on jobs while Democrats have raised structural issues. Wharton’s Philip Nichols sifts through the rhetoric.

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How New Rules Could Reshape the Payday Loan Industry

Tue, 02 Aug 2016 11:23:12 GMT

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed regulations to tighten several loopholes that are exploited by payday lenders and to curb some the issues with repayment of the loans.

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How Nissan Is Preparing for a Future of Self-driving Cars

Fri, 29 Jul 2016 12:34:30 GMT

Nissan is developing products to position itself well in a future of transportation that is autonomous electrified and connected.

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Clinton vs. Trump: A Turning Point in the Climate Change Debate?

Thu, 28 Jul 2016 14:09:08 GMT

The two U.S. presidential candidates are at opposite ends of the climate-change debate. Wharton experts predict the outcomes if either side prevails.

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Is Dynamic Pricing a Hit?

Wed, 27 Jul 2016 15:42:53 GMT

Whether it’s with airline tickets professional sports or ride-sharing services dynamic pricing is here to stay -- but the challenge is implementing it in an effective way.

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‘Chaos Monkeys’: A Startup Founder’s Silicon Valley Tell-all

Wed, 27 Jul 2016 11:40:49 GMT

Antonio Garcia-Martinez founder and former CEO of AdGrok offers a window into the tech world and startup culture with his new book Chaos Monkeys.

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‘Helping Children Succeed’: Author Paul Tough Takes a Second Look at Success

Tue, 26 Jul 2016 16:13:14 GMT

In the follow-up to his bestselling ”How Children Succeed.” Paul Tough explains how parents teachers and administrators can create environments to foster qualities that lead to success.

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After a Failed Coup What’s Next For Turkey?

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 14:54:23 GMT

The events in recent weeks threaten to undermine the stability that has made Turkey the world’s singular example of a majority Muslim country with a functioning and enduring democracy.

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Campaign Health Care Proposals: Finding Middle Ground

Thu, 21 Jul 2016 15:48:15 GMT

The Republicans and the Democrats differ on ways for making American health care policy effective but the middle ground might provide some answers say experts.

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‘The Founder’s Mentality’: Leveraging Startup Thinking for Long-term Growth

Thu, 21 Jul 2016 09:28:05 GMT

Most fast-growing startups eventually hit the wall -- where growth slows or worse. Is the problem market saturation unbeatable competitors economic slowdowns? No 94% of the time the difficulty is internal notes this new book.

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A Practical Guide to Impact Investing

Wed, 20 Jul 2016 13:24:25 GMT

More people are getting serious about “doing well by doing good ” which means there’s a real need for advice about how to make that work. Julia Balandina Jaquier’s new book provides it.

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Rebuilding a House Rebuilding a City: A Writer Reflects on Detroit

Wed, 20 Jul 2016 12:45:19 GMT

Detroit in the midst of a rebirth is filled with stories of people trying to do their part to revitalize the city. Amy Haimerl author of Detroit Hustle is one of them.

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Why the Climate Change Debate Has Cooled Off

Tue, 19 Jul 2016 12:28:51 GMT

Climate change is conspicuously absent from the presidential election agenda so far. But action is required on the local level to ensure that it is addressed Wharton experts say.

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Say It With a Smile: Is an Emoji Worth a Thousand Words?

Mon, 18 Jul 2016 14:26:31 GMT

The use of emojis has entered the mainstream. Companies that want to use them in marketing must do so wisely – or risk ridicule.

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How Companies Can Profit from Carbon Reduction

Mon, 18 Jul 2016 11:44:56 GMT

Reducing carbon emissions is vital if we are going to slow down global warming experts say. One way to make the necessary changes more palatable: Add a profit motive.

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Why Prime Day Was a Big Win for Amazon -- and for Other Retailers

Fri, 15 Jul 2016 16:48:17 GMT

Amazon’s self-created sales holiday on July 12 -- Prime Day -- set records for the company and offered cues to longer-term shifts in retailing trends.

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What’s Ahead for Driverless Technology?

Thu, 14 Jul 2016 15:26:49 GMT

A fatal crash of a Tesla car on autopilot has raised new questions about driverless technology. Wharton’s John Paul MacDuffie discusses the fallout and what steps need to be taken.

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Family Inc.: Bringing Business Lessons Home

Thu, 14 Jul 2016 12:14:33 GMT

Companies use their assets to create profit. Douglas McCormick author of Family Inc. explains why families should do the same.

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The Internet as Art: Creating a New Form of Communication

Thu, 14 Jul 2016 10:34:19 GMT

Society is co-creating a new form of communication on the internet whether by texting emoji or uploading photos on Instagram. A new book by former New York Times TV critic Virginia Heffernan explores this new art form.

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Building the Entrepreneurial Base in Africa

Mon, 11 Jul 2016 13:01:05 GMT

J. Eric Wright a venture capitalist based in South Africa believes the biggest opportunity for entrepreneurs in the continent lies in the consumer space.

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Bringing Out the Best in Teams: Lessons from Special Ops

Fri, 08 Jul 2016 16:24:53 GMT

A former Navy SEAL who trained Special Forces offers insight into choosing and nurturing successful teams.

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New Approaches to Winning the Fight Against Superbugs

Fri, 08 Jul 2016 16:09:42 GMT

The recent discovery of the first pan-drug resistant ‘superbug’ in the U.S. has alarmed the medical community. What are the possible solutions?

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Losing Our ‘Tribe’: The Cost of Today’s Divided World

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 13:44:40 GMT

Modern society favors individuality and isolation. But evolution crafted humans to live in tribes a system that’s all but vanished. A new book by Sebastian Junger looks at the cost of living individualistic lives.

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How to Have a Good Day at Work

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 12:42:08 GMT

Author Caroline Webb’s new book ”How to Have a Good Day ” dives into the latest behavioral science research on a question we all want answered: What can we do to be happier at work – and elsewhere?

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Is There a Link Between Ethnicity and Economics?

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 11:18:47 GMT

Does ethnicity influence economics? Oxford professor Derek Penslar says there is no monolithic “Jewish economy.” Rather certain forms of economic behavior among Jews tended to repeat themselves in many situations.

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The Latest Fallout from the Volkswagen Scandal: Five Key Takeaways

Tue, 05 Jul 2016 13:18:44 GMT

The Volkswagen scandal emphasizes the need to change corporate culture in order to discourage similar violations and encourage executives to follow through on corrective actions experts say.

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Selling America’s National Parks

Fri, 01 Jul 2016 15:14:40 GMT

With a budget that hasn’t risen in years and $12 billion in deferred maintenance the National Park Service is expanding its corporate sponsorship program. But that doesn’t mean there will be logos on trees.

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Is the U.S. Supreme Court Headed in New Directions?

Fri, 01 Jul 2016 14:05:10 GMT

Major decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court reveal efforts to avoid a tie in an eight-member team. Experts discuss the rulings and what’s ahead.

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One Million Pizzas a Day: How Domino’s Keeps It Fresh

Thu, 30 Jun 2016 12:20:19 GMT

Domino’s is working to keep the humble pie a hot product in the ever-changing food industry U.S. president Russell Weiner says.

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From Attorney to Producer: A Broadway Success Story

Thu, 30 Jun 2016 12:13:41 GMT

In his new book producer John Breglio recounts his journey to Broadway and offers guidance for aspiring producers.

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Jeremy Siegel: The Impact of the Brexit Vote on Markets

Wed, 29 Jun 2016 12:57:53 GMT

Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel says despite some negatives from the Brexit U.S. stocks can still rise 10% to 12% by year-end and European stocks are a buy for longer-term investors.

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Social Security and Immigration: A New Way to Model the Impact

Wed, 29 Jun 2016 07:00:14 GMT

A free federal budget simulation tool developed at Wharton and Penn is producing new thinking around two areas very high on the public agenda: Social Security and immigration.

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Everybody Likes Coupons … Except When They Make You Work

Tue, 28 Jun 2016 16:09:28 GMT

Wharton’s Raghuram Iyengar explains what his research on referral coupons reveals about customers’ behavior when you offer them the “opportunity” to be brand ambassadors.

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Brexit Breakdown: What’s the Likely Impact?

Fri, 24 Jun 2016 17:05:22 GMT

The U.K.’s decision to leave the EU has roiled the markets as uncertainty made investors head for the exits. Wharton professors and other experts discuss the implications of the Brexit vote.

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The Net Neutrality Ruling: A New Era for Broadband?

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 15:51:15 GMT

The FCC has won a sweeping court victory that reaffirms its regulatory authority over broadband access providers. What will it mean for providers and consumers?

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’The Architecture of Collapse’ and the Rising Instability of the Global System

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 14:10:33 GMT

You’re not imagining it: There are more global crises now than in the past decades. Wharton professor Mauro Guillen author of ’The Architecture of Collapse ’ explains why.

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‘Y’ Generational Stereotypes Are Bad for Business

Wed, 22 Jun 2016 15:46:59 GMT

Millennials now make up the largest cohort in the workforce and the people hiring them -- and marketing to them -- have plenty of preconceived notions about them. But no generation is a monolithic block.

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Brexit Uncertainty: What Leaving Would Mean

Wed, 22 Jun 2016 12:46:37 GMT

As British citizens cast their votes tomorrow in a referendum on whether the U.K. should leave the European Union uncertainty runs high over the economic and political repercussions.

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How the Arab Spring Planted Seeds of Innovation in Egypt

Tue, 21 Jun 2016 17:36:40 GMT

After the Arab Spring Egyptians began rebuilding their economy to employ jobless youth. Entrepreneur and Eisenhower Fellow Dina Sherif sees startup innovation taking hold.

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Will Philadelphia’s Soda Tax Deliver on Its Promises?

Mon, 20 Jun 2016 16:12:35 GMT

Philadelphia has taken the lead among big cities in levying a soda tax to raise revenue and promote healthier diets for residents. But the impact on beverage consumption and consumer health is uncertain.

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Will Microsoft’s LinkedIn Purchase Pay Off?

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 16:22:08 GMT

Microsoft is entering the social networking space with LinkedIn and it could find new revenue streams by monetizing products at both companies.

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How Social Activism Impacts Corporate Political Clout

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 15:02:48 GMT

New Wharton research examines the delicate balancing act among corporations politicians and social activists.

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Selling Luxury: How High-end Brands Are Embracing the Internet

Wed, 15 Jun 2016 11:42:12 GMT

Luxury retailers are exploring how to harness the power of online channels in a way that augments their image their customer service and ultimately their profits.

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What Will the Orlando Shooting Mean for Gun Control?

Wed, 15 Jun 2016 11:37:07 GMT

The case for gun control in the U.S. has never been stronger after the Orlando shooting that claimed 49 lives experts say. What’s the road ahead for legislation?

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How Wells Fargo is Reaching the Digital Customer

Tue, 14 Jun 2016 13:52:08 GMT

Wells Fargo CMO Jamie Moldafsky describes the bank’s digital transformation to meet the heightened demands of today’s consumers.

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‘Invisible Influence’: What Really Shapes Our Decisions

Tue, 14 Jun 2016 11:57:01 GMT

Jonah Berger takes us inside the conscious and unconscious ways that social influences shape our decisions.

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New Food Labeling Guidelines: Will Consumers Bite?

Mon, 13 Jun 2016 15:55:33 GMT

The latest White House move to make food labels more informative helps in the broader drive towards a healthier America. But the big challenge is in finding ways to change people’s food habits say experts.

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On the Brink: How a Brexit Could Fracture a Fragile Europe

Mon, 13 Jun 2016 15:21:41 GMT

A U.K. exit from the European Union could tip the struggling region into recession says Wharton’s Mauro Guillen.

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The Legacy of Muhammad Ali: ‘The Greatest’ Promoter

Fri, 10 Jun 2016 17:10:52 GMT

Muhammad Ali was promoter extraordinaire a huge fundraiser for worthy causes and in many ways changed the face of America.

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‘Negotiating the Nonnegotiable’ at Work and at Home

Thu, 09 Jun 2016 13:58:37 GMT

According to author Dan Shapiro negotiating emotionally charged conflicts can be resolved with the same set of tools whether at home or at work -- and even in intractable international conflicts.

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War Games: Tracing the History of Cyber Security

Thu, 09 Jun 2016 10:44:21 GMT

Dark Territory a new book by journalist Fred Kaplan traces the history of the new form of warfare that was developed with creation of the internet.

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How Vision – and Persistence – Built Bangladesh’s GrameenPhone

Wed, 08 Jun 2016 12:51:30 GMT

Wharton professor Karl Ulrich talks with Iqbal Quadir founder of GrameenPhone in Bangladesh about how he built a network with 55 million subscribers from scratch.

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How ‘Dark Money’ Distorts the Political Process

Thu, 02 Jun 2016 15:06:04 GMT

Opinions are sharply divided on the issue of regulators requiring organizations to disclose their political contributions.

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Beyond Diversity Programs: Using Big Data to Address Bias

Thu, 02 Jun 2016 11:33:11 GMT

If your company has diversity challenges look to data argues Iris Bohnet author of ’What Works.’

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Soccer Without Borders: Building Bridges with Sports

Fri, 27 May 2016 11:45:00 GMT

Soccer Without Borders winner of the 2016 Lipman Family Prize uses the sport to help improve the lives of at-risk youth -- especially young women.

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Surviving a ’Misadventure in the Start-up Bubble’

Thu, 26 May 2016 14:41:40 GMT

When tech journalist Dan Lyons was laid off from Newsweek after working there for 25 years he went to work for a startup. What he discovered surprised -- and dismayed -- him.

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How a Startup’s ‘Burn Rate’ Influences Its Success

Thu, 26 May 2016 12:13:56 GMT

Reaching a balanced ”burn rate” -- not overspending but not underspending either -- is critical for a startup’s survival according to Wharton research.

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Obama’s Vietnam Visit: What Will Both Sides Gain?

Wed, 25 May 2016 11:56:46 GMT

Barack Obama’s efforts to improve ties with Vietnam will boost geopolitical balance and bring economic gains for both countries although the process will be slow say experts.

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Will Others Follow the NBA’s Jersey Sponsorship Decision?

Tue, 24 May 2016 13:38:06 GMT

In a first the NBA will let teams add sponsorship patches on jerseys. Will the other three major North American sports leagues follow?

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Must Government Remain a Backstop for Fannie and Freddie?

Tue, 24 May 2016 12:45:43 GMT

When the housing market cratered it exposed the weaknesses of the two government-sponsored entities that underpin the U.S. mortgage market. Is it time to accept that government backing will always be needed?.

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An Imperfect Test: The Problem with Job Performance Appraisals

Mon, 23 May 2016 14:25:40 GMT

New Wharton research takes a closer look at the usefulness and accuracy of performance reviews – with some surprising results.

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Effective Teams and Managers: What Google Has Learned

Mon, 23 May 2016 13:25:10 GMT

Organizations can learn to measure the attributes that make for good managers and team players to improve performance says Google’s head of people analytics.

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A Puerto Rico Primer: Why the Debt Problem Is Our Problem

Fri, 20 May 2016 13:50:36 GMT

The debt disaster the U.S. territory is facing has its roots in a range of causes some of which go back decades. But there are only a few options left to get the island out of it.

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Why Federal Regulation Isn’t Enough to Buffer Against Bank Failures

Thu, 19 May 2016 15:06:48 GMT

A Fed proposal aims to prevent bank failures from widening into financial contagion. A better buffer would be higher equity capital say experts.

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Chuck That CV: Using Behavioral Science to Recruit the Best Hires

Thu, 19 May 2016 15:02:35 GMT

One organization is aiming to revamp the way employee recruitment is done by focusing on analytics to remove some of the observational bias that is typical in the hiring process.

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New York Businesses Are in a Cuban State of Mind

Thu, 19 May 2016 14:55:47 GMT

As Cuba’s economy opens up a New York trade delegation is planting seeds to grow future business opportunities for companies in the state.

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Beyond 10 000 Hours of Practice: What Experts Do Differently

Thu, 19 May 2016 14:06:25 GMT

It’s not just natural talent and it’s more than simply 10 000 hours of practice: Anders Ericsson reveals the secrets that will help you become talented at … almost anything.

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Is the U.S. Ready for Value-based Pricing of Drugs?

Wed, 18 May 2016 12:20:34 GMT

The federal government’s move to switch to value-based pricing of drugs for one category of public health plans could potentially have far-reaching effects say experts.

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Less Logic More Health: How Behavioral Economics Can Improve Incentives

Tue, 17 May 2016 15:14:28 GMT

Most U.S. employers have incentive programs designed to nudge workers toward better health. But according to Wharton’s David Asch those programs don’t adequately deal with the human element.

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How Courage and Care Transformed a High School

Thu, 12 May 2016 12:30:10 GMT

Strawberry Mansion was considered one of America’s most dangerous high schools until determined and compassionate leadership turned it around.

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Keds Is Celebrating 100 Years with a Nod to the Past — and the Future

Thu, 12 May 2016 10:57:22 GMT

To mark its 100th birthday Keds launched a campaign that connects its heritage with the busy eclectic digital lifestyle of the modern consumer.

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How Public-private Partnerships Built a Top University

Wed, 11 May 2016 15:55:49 GMT

’Becoming Penn’ chronicles the University of Pennsylvania’s post-World War II redevelopment and expansion to become a great research university.

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Customer Service the New Mercedes-Benz Way

Wed, 11 May 2016 13:52:01 GMT

’Driven to Delight’ chronicles how Mercedes-Benz transformed its relationship with customers

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Talcum Trouble: Where Does J&J’s Responsibility Lie?

Wed, 11 May 2016 12:39:58 GMT

Johnson & Johnson has been accused of ignoring warnings linking its talcum powder to ovarian cancer and failing to inform users of that potential risk. Is it a case of prioritizing profits over safety?

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How Builders Are Catering to Multigenerational Households

Mon, 09 May 2016 15:10:50 GMT

With more young adults moving back home and more elderly parents moving in with their grown kids builders are adapting in new ways to a classic household format – several generations under one roof.

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Who Will Manage Prince’s Legacy?

Thu, 05 May 2016 11:48:26 GMT

The singer’s death and apparent lack of a will bring up thorny legal questions about who will manage his estate – including a likely treasure trove of unreleased music – going forward.

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Mastering the Art of Communication: What Big Data Can Tell Us

Thu, 05 May 2016 08:57:51 GMT

There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence about what makes a good communicator but what can science reveal?

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A ’Three-box Solution’ for Leading Innovation

Wed, 04 May 2016 14:21:27 GMT

Bestselling author Vijay Govindarajan’s new book offers leaders a method for balancing the priorities of the present the past and the future.

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Why Millennials and China Are Key to Comcast’s DreamWorks Deal

Wed, 04 May 2016 12:26:48 GMT

NBCUniversal’s move to buy DreamWorks Animation helps it target the coveted market of millennials and teens combat cord-cutting and expand its reach in China.

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Will Unlocked TV Set-top Boxes Turn on the Competition?

Mon, 02 May 2016 15:40:24 GMT

The FCC’s move to promote consumer choice and innovation by unlocking TV set-top boxes could have some unintended consequences say experts.

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Are Antitrust Officials Using a Flawed Framework to Find Cartels?

Thu, 28 Apr 2016 16:29:24 GMT

Wharton research shows that the framework used by antitrust authorities to find cartels is biased -- but the extent of the skewing is not as big as once thought.

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‘Beyond Advertising’: How Companies Can Build Better Customer Relationships

Thu, 28 Apr 2016 10:24:51 GMT

A new book by Wharton’s Jerry Wind and Catharine Hays provides a roadmap for companies to effectively communicate with consumers through every possible touchpoint.

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Why Harriet Tubman Is a ’Powerful’ Choice for American Currency

Wed, 27 Apr 2016 11:54:08 GMT

Abolitionist Harriet Tubman will become the face of the $20 bill a move that has powerful symbolism about the changing U.S. society.

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Can Volkswagen Move Beyond Its Diesel Emissions Scandal?

Tue, 26 Apr 2016 15:56:53 GMT

A settlement with the U.S. EPA and others could bring some respite to the German automaker but bigger challenges will follow say Wharton experts.

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Sign O’ the Times: How Prince Pioneered the Modern Music Industry

Fri, 22 Apr 2016 15:06:07 GMT

Musical icon Prince who died suddenly last week at 57 was a pioneer in the industry not just for his artistry but also for his path-breaking and prescient approach to managing his brand and business model.

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UnitedHealth’s Exit from Insurance Exchanges: Will Others Follow?

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 16:41:52 GMT

With the largest U.S. health insurer exiting most state exchanges the focus is on how the industry could recast its business models to stay profitable.

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Creating Optimal Partnerships to Tackle Socio-economic Problems

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 15:03:50 GMT

A Wharton research paper looks into the optimal structure of partnerships that would yield the best results when tackling large-scale socio-economic problems in emerging markets.

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The Tampon Tax and Gender Equality

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 11:59:14 GMT

Should menstrual care products be taxed? Several states are thinking about abolishing the so-called ‘tampon tax’ in a bid for gender equality.

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Living on $2 a Day: How Microfinance Breaks the Cycle of Poverty

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 10:40:17 GMT

Opportunity International a microfinance group likes to go where others don’t to start banks when ”nobody in their right mind was thinking you could ” says David Simms former head of the U.S. unit.

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Google Books: Great for Google – but What about Everyone Else?

Wed, 20 Apr 2016 12:40:57 GMT

This week the U.S. Supreme Court backed a ruling in favor of Google Books. While the growing digital library is a boon for Google and may benefit the public interest it raises concerns about privacy and competition.

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Is It Possible to Defog America’s Corporate Financial Reports?

Tue, 19 Apr 2016 13:47:55 GMT

Almost nobody can fully understand big companies’ dense complex and overlong financial statements and all those issues are only getting worse. That part is obvious. Why it’s happening is not.

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George Washington: America’s First Entrepreneur

Tue, 19 Apr 2016 09:46:09 GMT

A new book by University of Virginia professor Edward Lengel explores the business acuity of the first U.S. president.

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Why the ‘Living Wills’ of Top U.S. Banks Failed the Test

Mon, 18 Apr 2016 15:25:02 GMT

Eight years after the Great Recession top U.S. banks are still not ready to cope with the aftermath of another financial crisis according to a report from the Federal Reserve and the FDIC.

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Is the Real Estate Crowdfunding Market Getting Too Crowded?

Fri, 15 Apr 2016 15:05:38 GMT

RealtyMogul CIO Timothy Li explains the attraction of real estate crowdfunding and why he believes a shakeout is not imminent.

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‘Industries of the Future’: Alec Ross Unveils the Winners

Wed, 13 Apr 2016 09:59:23 GMT

Alec Ross traveled the equivalent of “25 circumferences of the globe” to identify the industries that he says will shape the future.

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Tesla Speeds Ahead in the Electric Vehicle Market

Mon, 11 Apr 2016 16:34:42 GMT

Tesla’s impressive bookings for its next electric car suggest that it may be close to tapping the mainstream market. But the company may need to rethink parts of its business model to do so experts say.

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Why New U.S. Rules Won’t Completely Halt Tax Inversions

Fri, 08 Apr 2016 14:42:03 GMT

The U.S. government’s latest move to discourage inversion deals where companies relocate to friendlier tax regimes treats the symptoms of the problem but doesn’t fix the underlying issues say experts.

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PwC’s Carol Sawdye on Leadership and Living with a Sense of Urgency

Fri, 08 Apr 2016 12:08:23 GMT

PwC CFO Carol Sawdye battled cancer at 25 and lived through the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Those experiences changed how she viewed her career and life.

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Location Location Location: Why It Adds to a Patent’s Valuation

Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:55:16 GMT

The value of a patent is determined largely by the worth of the underlying invention. But how it is classified also affects its valuation according to Wharton research.

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How North Carolina’s Anti-discrimination Law Is Redefining Corporate Activism

Thu, 07 Apr 2016 15:06:57 GMT

A controversial North Carolina state law that cancels a city’s move to protect LGBT rights has highlighted the increasing power and scope of corporate and CEO social activism.

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The 4 C’s of Impactful Ad Campaigns

Thu, 07 Apr 2016 10:13:23 GMT

Colm Murphy group strategy director for advertising agency Droga5 discusses the process behind a successful campaign and how to keep fresh ideas flowing.

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What the Panama Papers Mean for Transparency and ‘Dark Money’

Wed, 06 Apr 2016 13:02:01 GMT

The so-called “Panama Papers” track “dark money” flows globally over nearly four decades. They offer a rare opportunity for the U.K. the U.S. and other countries to check wrongdoings by anonymous firms say experts.

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The Titans of Globalization: 10 People Who Changed the World

Wed, 06 Apr 2016 12:32:23 GMT

Jeffrey E. Garten’s new book From Silk to Silicon pinpoints the 10 key people who changed the world and ushered in new eras of globalization.

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Part 2: European Private Equity: Market Outlook

Wed, 06 Apr 2016 10:26:37 GMT

European private equity exits hit a record 84 billion euros in 2014 due to receptive public markets and increased corporate M&A an EY study shows.

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Sharing Solar and Social: One View of Cuba’s Economic Future

Tue, 05 Apr 2016 14:50:33 GMT

Jillian Manus of Structure Capital knows capitalism is coming to Cuba – but its transition from developing nation to modern world integration won’t be quite like any other.

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Why Some Workplace Health Incentive Programs Don’t Work -- and Some Do

Mon, 04 Apr 2016 15:30:29 GMT

Plenty of companies give their employees monetary incentives to exercise lose weight or quit smoking. So why aren’t more of us getting healthier?

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Dana Perino: Inside the Bush White House and on the Future of the GOP

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 17:00:53 GMT

Dana Perino Fox News TV cohost and former White House press secretary to President George W. Bush shares her thoughts on the 2016 Presidential election season.

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Selling a Crazy Idea: How Radically New Products Can Gain Traction

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 14:35:47 GMT

Using the edible insect industry as a case study new Wharton research finds that radical creativity is most likely to be embraced by consumers when it’s parsed in terms that are familiar to them.

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Gauging the Hits and Misses of Obama’s Cuba Visit

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 15:05:30 GMT

U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent visit to Cuba aimed to bring the two countries closer together and to strengthen business ties. But trust and human rights remain sticking points say experts.

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‘Unprocessed’: One Woman’s Year Without Processed Foods

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 13:24:40 GMT

In her new book ”Unprocessed: My City Dwelling Year of Reclaiming Real Food ” journalist Megan Kimble shares what she learned from cutting out processed foods.

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Acting Legend Kamal Haasan Looks to the Future of Indian Movies

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 10:29:55 GMT

Filmmaker and actor Kamal Haasan explores the evolution of Indian cinema through the lens of his long career and points to its future direction.

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‘Geography of Genius’: Can a Place Spark Creativity?

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 08:26:56 GMT

In a new book travel writer Eric Weiner examines where creative genius springs geographically from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley.

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How Shell Is Preparing for the Energy Sector’s ‘New Normal’

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 17:44:09 GMT

The world is experiencing an energy transition away from fossil fuels to a mix that places increased emphasis on renewable energy sources electricity storage and possibly the use of hydrogen outgoing Shell president Marvin Odum said during a recent talk at Wharton.

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Songwriters Strike a Discordant Note Over Control of Their Music

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 17:07:21 GMT

Songwriters are often last in line when profits from their creative work get distributed. They want to rewrite that ending.

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Part 1: European Private Equity: A Banner Year for Exits

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 16:42:25 GMT

European private equity exits hit a record 84 billion euros in 2014 due to receptive public markets and increased corporate M&A an EY study shows.

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What Would a Brexit Cost Europe and the U.K.?

Mon, 28 Mar 2016 15:00:56 GMT

A Brexit will disrupt trade and hurt businesses both in the U.K. and the EU at a time when Europe needs investments and jobs according to Wharton experts.

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How Storytelling Can Grow a Business

Mon, 28 Mar 2016 13:23:11 GMT

The business world is always looking for that great new idea but what if the “next big thing” was something as old as humanity? That’s the case with storytelling.

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Why Small Data Is the New Big Data

Thu, 24 Mar 2016 13:52:33 GMT

In Martin Lindstrom’s new book he explains the dangers of Big Data and shares the insights that can come from Small Data.

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How Fracking Fuels Republican Congressional Clout

Thu, 24 Mar 2016 13:44:12 GMT

When a shale boom enriches a region there is a shift by its residents to the Republican Party and they also elect Republicans to office Wharton research shows.

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Game Changer: Will Monopoly Be the Same Without Paper Money?

Wed, 23 Mar 2016 13:30:42 GMT

Hasbro’s next version of the classic board game Monopoly Electronic Banking edition replaces paper bills with debit cards. But the differences may do more than just make it more modern. They may make it less educational -- and perhaps less fun.

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What the Brussels Attacks Mean for Global Security

Wed, 23 Mar 2016 12:55:35 GMT

Calls grew louder for stronger international cooperation to fight terrorism and tighten security measures after Tuesday’s attacks in the Belgian capital of Brussels.

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What Will It Take to Get Brazil Back on Track?

Tue, 22 Mar 2016 14:10:29 GMT

Brazil is undergoing one of its worst periods of political uncertainty tackling an economic recession and fighting the Zika virus outbreak — all during a year in which it plans to host the Olympics. What steps can the government take to calm the storm?

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The FCC’s Spectrum Auction: Can the System Be Gamed?

Mon, 21 Mar 2016 15:47:18 GMT

Owners of multiple TV stations can strategically bid to hike payouts by billions of dollars in the FCC’s upcoming spectrum incentive auction. But there is a partial remedy Wharton experts say.

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Why Impact Investing Does Not Mean Sacrificing Returns

Thu, 17 Mar 2016 16:03:40 GMT

It’s commonly believed that investors interested in having a social impact might need to sacrifice financial returns. But that is simply not true according to Liesel Pritzker Simmons co-founder of the Blue Haven Initiative.

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’Zero-tasking’ with a Tall Latte: Unmasking the Art of ’Spin’

Thu, 17 Mar 2016 14:44:16 GMT

So much spin pervades modern communication that it can be hard to spot when we’re being linguistically conned. To decipher it two ’National Lampoon’ staffers wrote ’Spinglish: The Definitive Dictionary of Deliberately Deceptive Language.’

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Inclusive Toys: Will a Curvier Barbie Help Mattel’s Bottom Line?

Thu, 17 Mar 2016 12:54:36 GMT

Mattel maker of the Barbie doll is adding curvy petite and tall dolls to try to better connect with young girls. Will the strategy pay off?

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The Secret to Building High-performance Teams

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 15:53:50 GMT

In a new book Wharton Executive Education fellow Mario Moussa divulges the secrets to developing a high-performance team and avoiding common pitfalls that hinder maximum cooperation.

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How the McDonald’s Franchise Labor Case Could Upend an Industry

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 14:20:06 GMT

McDonald’s faces an uphill battle in a case where it wants regulators to determine that it is not a joint employer of its franchisees’ workers. The implications for the franchise industry are potentially huge.

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Apple vs. the FBI: What It Means for Privacy and Security

Wed, 09 Mar 2016 15:43:59 GMT

The U.S. government’s fight with Apple over unlocking a terrorist’s iPhone speaks to the countervailing forces of privacy and national security according to Wharton professors Eric Orts and Amy Sepinwall.

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Trouble Ahead: What’s Next for the Chinese Economy?

Wed, 09 Mar 2016 12:20:22 GMT

China’s slowing economy is battling falling exports looming job layoffs and a potential real estate bubble. What steps can the government take?

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Behind the Mysteries of the Federal Reserve

Mon, 07 Mar 2016 12:29:20 GMT

Wharton professor Peter Conti-Brown demystifies the U.S. Federal Reserve in a new book.

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In the Changing Global Supply Chain There’s No ‘Shore’ Thing

Thu, 03 Mar 2016 10:19:55 GMT

Offshoring reshoring nearshoring -- manufacturing around the world is undergoing some seismic location shifts and for reasons that may surprise you.

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What Caused Takata’s Airbag Problems?

Mon, 29 Feb 2016 16:37:45 GMT

Embattled airbag maker Takata had a “broken safety culture ” poor manufacturing processes and flawed quality control – and also an unhealthy dose of overconfidence experts say.

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A Novel -- and Painless -- Way to Bolster Social Security’s Future

Thu, 25 Feb 2016 12:58:36 GMT

Social Security’s long-term prognosis is grim and every solution that’s been suggested has been deeply unpopular with one faction or another. But Wharton’s Olivia Mitchell has found a partial remedy she says will be hard to dislike.

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Hollywood Presbyterian: Is This Only the Beginning?

Wed, 24 Feb 2016 12:46:06 GMT

A data breach at a Los Angeles hospital that was settled for a ransom has set medical institutions on edge. Can such attacks be prevented or is this the start of a new wave in cybercrime?

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Apple’s Standoff with the FBI: Will Consumer Privacy Prevail?

Mon, 22 Feb 2016 15:24:30 GMT

Apple’s clash with the FBI over unlocking a terrorist’s iPhone has raised fears over security of consumer information. What are the potential consequences?

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Why Finding a Successor for Justice Scalia Will Be a Challenge

Wed, 17 Feb 2016 13:00:04 GMT

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia who died last weekend deeply affected legal discourse say legal experts from Wharton and the University of Pennsylvania. They warn against undue delay in finding a successor.

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Trouble on the High Seas: Ian Urbina’s ”The Outlaw Ocean”

Tue, 16 Feb 2016 16:07:12 GMT

New York Times reporter Ian Urbina discusses his series The Outlaw Ocean.

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Digital Transformation Without Losing the Human Touch

Fri, 12 Feb 2016 13:46:43 GMT

First Republic Bank found a way to digitally transform its operations and customer-facing channels without losing the human touch.

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Will the New Light on Wall Street’s ’Dark Pools’ Bring Stronger Regulation?

Fri, 12 Feb 2016 12:20:21 GMT

The latest regulatory actions on two investment banks over lapses in high-frequency trading reveal that settlements hinder the development of laws say experts.

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The Epic Gold Heists that Financed the War for Hitler

Thu, 11 Feb 2016 10:29:03 GMT

George M. Taber author of Chasing Gold chronicles the Nazis’ looting of sovereign and private gold bullion to finance their World War II invasions.

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How Amazon Could Reinvent the Brick-and-mortar Store Experience

Tue, 09 Feb 2016 16:07:35 GMT

Recent speculation that Amazon plans to open several new brick-and-mortar stores has sparked a debate about the online retailer’s future strategies.

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The Digital Journey of an Energy Solutions Giant

Fri, 05 Feb 2016 13:40:04 GMT

Schneider Electric is dedicated to digitally transforming itself and it can count on strong support from top management.

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Digital Referee: How the FCC Balances Innovation and Consumer Needs

Thu, 04 Feb 2016 15:22:54 GMT

Under FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s leadership the agency has made bold moves in net neutrality spectrum reallocation and now unlocking the cable box.

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Are You Brainstorming the Right Way for Innovation?

Thu, 04 Feb 2016 12:39:22 GMT

In order to truly innovate brainstorming should combine diversity with expertise according to new research from Wharton’s Mack Institute for Innovation Management.

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‘The Episodic Career’: Navigating Today’s Job Market

Wed, 03 Feb 2016 14:04:45 GMT

In ”The Episodic Career ” journalist Farai Chideya reports on today’s challenging job landscape and offers tools for navigating the inevitable changes.

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‘Originals’: How Anyone Can Become a Trailblazer

Tue, 02 Feb 2016 16:22:29 GMT

In his follow-up to the bestseller Give and Take Adam Grant challenges our assumptions about what it takes to generate and champion original ideas in ourselves and others.

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Will Slowing Growth Take a Bite out of Apple?

Mon, 01 Feb 2016 15:28:16 GMT

Apple’s latest quarterly results reveal the gathering threat that cheaper rivals pose to its products. But experts say that slowing growth is in part an unavoidable byproduct of Apple’s success.

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The Medical Revolution You Haven’t Heard About … Yet

Thu, 28 Jan 2016 11:14:26 GMT

While new treatments and telemedicine get the headlines innovators at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia may have an enormous impact on medicine by changing the way it thinks about redesigning the patient experience.

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Instead of Treating Society’s Ills Bobby Turner Wants a Cure

Thu, 28 Jan 2016 10:33:31 GMT

Doing good isn’t just the domain of philanthropists says Turner Impact Capital CEO Bobby Turner. Through impact investing he notes it is possible to turn a profit satisfy stakeholders and raise up a community all at the same time.

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Is Russia in for a Hard Fall?

Wed, 27 Jan 2016 12:00:23 GMT

While Russia is currently reeling under the weight of sanctions and low oil prices Western powers may be overestimating the impact of those factors to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to change course experts say.

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The Federal Coal Program Review: Who Wins Who Loses

Mon, 25 Jan 2016 15:22:49 GMT

The review of the U.S. federal coal program and halting of new leases on public lands will likely boost cleaner fuels while a shakeout continues within the coal industry experts say.

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The Upside of a Volatile Market? Bargain Stocks

Fri, 22 Jan 2016 10:40:41 GMT

Though the markets have been rocky so far this year Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel says it wouldn’t take much to stabilize things — and the current state of stocks present potential opportunities for bargain-hunting investors.

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With Sanctions Gone Is Iran a Hot Investment Destination?

Thu, 21 Jan 2016 15:16:44 GMT

Now that international sanctions have been lifted Iran could prove to be an attractive destination for foreign investors — but its religious establishment creates a significant barrier experts say.

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Making the Leap: Changing Careers Without a Net

Thu, 21 Jan 2016 12:59:13 GMT

With the job market bouncing back more people are looking for their next career opportunity. But should you quit a job without a plan B?

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For Innovation Success Choose a Corporate VC

Tue, 19 Jan 2016 17:41:28 GMT

Biotech startups backed by corporate venture capitalists are much more likely to be successful at innovating than if they are funded solely by independent VCs according to new research.

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Doing Well by Doing Good: What’s Next for Impact Investing

Tue, 19 Jan 2016 14:04:58 GMT

Margot Kane of the Calvert Foundation talks about the evolution of impact investing and how the nonprofit is getting capital to the high-impact projects that need it the most.

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Taking Stock of the ABLE Program: Are More Measures Needed?

Fri, 15 Jan 2016 14:24:41 GMT

The 529 ABLE program that encourages people with disabilities to save money with tax breaks is helpful but disincentives that prevent them from working need to be changed experts say.

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How Ben & Jerry’s Got Bought Out Without Selling Out

Fri, 15 Jan 2016 11:30:38 GMT

Despite being bought out by Unilever in 2000 Ben & Jerry’s has managed to keep intact the commitment to social justice that was baked into the firm by its founders.

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‘Misbehaving’: When Psychology Meets Economics

Wed, 13 Jan 2016 12:18:49 GMT

A new book by Richard Thaler a professor at University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business offers a history of behavioral economics.

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Can Chipotle Stop Its Food Safety Crisis from Boiling Over?

Mon, 11 Jan 2016 15:51:35 GMT

As it battles the fallout of food contamination outbreaks Mexican food chain Chipotle must revamp food safety processes across its supply chain and build a company-wide culture to reinforce those experts suggest.

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Why the Worst Isn’t Over Yet for Volkswagen

Fri, 08 Jan 2016 12:54:59 GMT

Volkswagen’s woes relating to its emissions scandal could widen on several fronts including criminal liabilities for individuals. Meanwhile the case should also act as a wake-up call for regulators Wharton experts say.

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Why the Saudi Arabia-Iran Conflict Won’t Fuel Higher Oil Prices

Wed, 06 Jan 2016 13:07:30 GMT

The expanding Saudi Arabia-Iran dispute will likely not affect oil prices or global investment in Arab nations experts say. But the U.S. can play a role in preventing the conflict from escalating further.

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Jeremy Siegel: Despite Volatility Stocks Could Rise 10% in 2016

Mon, 04 Jan 2016 16:20:32 GMT

The odds are good that major U.S. stock indexes will rise 10% in 2016 following a flat performance last year despite recent troubles in China says Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel.

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What Have the Past 30 Years Taught Us About Managing Risk?

Thu, 17 Dec 2015 16:11:30 GMT

Companies used to worry mostly about risks they could see were coming soon. Robert Meyer Howard Kunreuther and Erwann Michel-Kerjan from the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center discuss how that has changed over the past three decades.

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Fore! Keeping Golf Courses in the Green

Thu, 17 Dec 2015 16:09:11 GMT

The U.S. Golf Association is developing technologies to help golf courses cut water bills and make them more self-sustainable.

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Can Employee Training Lead to Higher Profits?

Wed, 16 Dec 2015 14:07:47 GMT

Does intensive internal training of employees lead to higher profits? Research shows that in knowledge-based industries where the main asset is skilled professionals such as software engineers the answer is yes.

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How YellowPepper Is Building a Base in Latin America

Wed, 16 Dec 2015 13:03:04 GMT

By 2020 more than 600 million smartphones will be in use in Latin America. This is how U.S. startup YellowPepper learned to build a mobile banking payments and commerce business in the region.

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Victim of Success: The Rise and Fall of BlackBerry

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 16:48:37 GMT

A new book by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff looks at what went wrong with the iconic device that was once so beloved and addictive it was nicknamed “Crackberry.”

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What Are the Gains from the Paris Climate Accord?

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 16:02:14 GMT

Last week’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris brought unprecedented political consensus on curbing emissions. Now the focus is on how business and technology can help.

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Why Are There More Male Entrepreneurs Than Female Ones?

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 16:45:24 GMT

Significantly more men launch startups than women but it’s not because they are better at being entrepreneurs. New research by Wharton’s Ethan Mollick offers some answers as to why.

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Creating a Yelp-like Resource for Autism Families

Fri, 11 Dec 2015 11:31:29 GMT

As a father to an autistic child Topher Wurts realized autism families could use an app and website that listed resources to help them find appropriate places services and products -- with reviews. So he created Autism Village.

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Green Evolution: How Business Is Joining the Environmental Vanguard

Thu, 10 Dec 2015 14:27:36 GMT

Time was when governments and nonprofits were the only ones pushing planet-saving agendas. Wharton professor Sarah Light has done new research on what has changed and why.

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The ’Magic Strings’ of Mitch Albom

Thu, 10 Dec 2015 12:55:46 GMT

Bestselling author Mitch Albom speaks with Wharton management professor Adam Grant about his new book ’The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto.’

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What You Don’t Know about the Federal Reserve

Wed, 09 Dec 2015 10:47:24 GMT

The U.S. Federal Reserve is touted as the most powerful single institution in the country. But many people don’t have the foggiest clue about the ‘epic struggle’ involved with launching the central bank in the early 1900s.

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Banning TV Drug Ads: Could the Cure Cause More Harm Than Good?

Fri, 04 Dec 2015 14:29:09 GMT

The American Medical Association’s call for a ban on direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs could have both positive and less desirable effects say Wharton experts.

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The Coming Collision of Superpowers in the Pacific

Thu, 03 Dec 2015 15:02:35 GMT

In a wide-ranging new book Simon Winchester examines the role of the Pacific Ocean in the modern world where “East meets West.”

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Why Patent Trolls Are Not All Bad

Thu, 03 Dec 2015 11:43:21 GMT

Silicon Valley dreads “patent trolls” -- companies whose main business is to own patents and enforce their rights by charging fees or suing. But research shows they could also be a force for good.

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When Profit Powers a Clean Water Project for the Poor

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 15:56:07 GMT

Ecofiltro began as a nonprofit with a goal of helping the rural poor in Guatemala get access to clean water. But CEO Philip Wilson realized that becoming a for-profit company actually helped fulfill his social goals.

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Will the Outcome of the Paris Climate Summit Have Any Teeth?

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 14:41:06 GMT

As sharp disagreements on climate change begin getting resolved hopes run high that the United Nations COP21 climate conference could result in an international agreement and ways to enforce it.

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Charitable Giving: What to Know before Donating

Fri, 27 Nov 2015 10:00:41 GMT

In this current season of giving when Americans make the most charitable donations a Penn expert on philanthropy offers useful advice for donors.

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Why Cuba Stands Tall in Health Care Metrics

Wed, 25 Nov 2015 11:28:43 GMT

Despite the decades-long U.S. trade embargo Cuba’s health care system has thrived with metrics that are comparable not only with other countries in the same per capita income bracket but also with the U.S.

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Connect with Your ‘Inner-net’: Living and Working with Purpose

Thu, 19 Nov 2015 15:37:49 GMT

In a new book ’The Internet to the Inner-Net ’ Google’s Gopi Kallayil challenges the idea that there is never enough time in our digitally connected world.

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Charity’s ’Hybrid Vehicle’: How Goodwill’s Dual Model Succeeds

Thu, 19 Nov 2015 12:49:38 GMT

There’s a lot more to Goodwill’s charitable model than is obvious from its ubiquitous thrift stores. Jim Gibbons head of Goodwill Industries International explains.

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Why Anheuser-Busch InBev Needs SABMiller to Keep Growing

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 16:07:19 GMT

Anheuser-Busch InBev’s acquisition of SABMiller will mean sustained revenue growth and expansion into emerging markets according to Arash Massoudi of the Financial Times.

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Slowing Emerging Markets Will Create Private Equity Opportunities

Tue, 17 Nov 2015 14:53:44 GMT

Private equity is one area where a slowing economy can also present opportunities because the purchase price of a company plays such a key role in later performance.

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How Should Nations Respond to the ISIS Threat?

Tue, 17 Nov 2015 14:21:47 GMT

In the wake of the Paris attacks experts say a sustained “war” against ISIS will require well-orchestrated international cooperation.

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Skill or Luck? That’s the Key Question for FanDuel and DraftKings

Fri, 13 Nov 2015 14:10:32 GMT

The law needs to become clearer on daily fantasy sports contests says Wharton’s Abraham Wyner.

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Meet BB-8: The New Droid in the Lives of Star Wars Buffs

Fri, 13 Nov 2015 13:36:39 GMT

Adam Wilson co-founder and chief scientist of Boulder Colo.-based Sphero talks about BB-8 the new droid in the forthcoming Star Wars Episode VII.

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Why Jobseekers Should Act Now to Land Holiday Gigs

Thu, 12 Nov 2015 12:46:20 GMT

Andrew Challenger discusses this year’s trends in holiday hiring.

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Ruth Reichl: Life After Gourmet Magazine

Wed, 11 Nov 2015 12:28:09 GMT

In ’My Kitchen Year ’ former Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl talks about how cooking helped her to find herself again after she lost her job.

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Will the Exxon Mobil Probe Improve Climate Risk Disclosure?

Tue, 10 Nov 2015 15:17:47 GMT

As the New York Attorney General investigates whether Exxon Mobil suppressed information on the risks of climate change experts predict that increased disclosures from energy firms will be a likely result.

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Anne-Marie Slaughter’s Vision for Women Men Work and Family

Thu, 05 Nov 2015 10:42:33 GMT

In her new book Anne-Marie Slaughter shares what individuals organizations and the government could do to support greater equality for women and men when it comes to work and family.

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How a Cuban-developed Vaccine Could Transform Cancer Treatment

Wed, 04 Nov 2015 11:30:27 GMT

The thawing of relations between the U.S. and Cuba has produced an unlikely benefit. Lung cancer patients in the U.S. may soon have access to a promising vaccine developed in Cuba.

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From One Child to Two: Will China’s Five-year Plan Deliver?

Tue, 03 Nov 2015 15:37:48 GMT

China’s new five-year plan – including the introduction of a two-child policy to replace the country’s one-child rule -- aims to fix demographic imbalances and welfare gaps among other issues.

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Managing Risks for the World’s Undersea Cable Network

Mon, 02 Nov 2015 14:28:36 GMT

U.S. concerns about Russian ships operating near vital undersea cables have put the spotlight on the vulnerability of the vast global network that carries almost all of the world’s Internet communications and financial transactions.

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John Sculley: Minding the Design Gaps Changing the World

Thu, 29 Oct 2015 12:06:21 GMT

What do you do after you invent the Pepsi Challenge and help Steve Jobs lead Apple? If you are John Sculley you take aim at an underserved area of the smartphone market and share your wisdom with the next generation of hopeful entrepreneurs.

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Digital Transformation: Becoming a ‘Forgetting Organization’

Thu, 29 Oct 2015 10:30:13 GMT

In a digital transformation of business companies must learn to “forget” old ways of thinking to uncover how technology can help them disrupt and overtake competitors.

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Will the Health Insurance Co-operative Model Survive?

Wed, 28 Oct 2015 12:31:37 GMT

With nine U.S. health insurance co-operatives announcing closure or being forced to shut down over the past year the viability of their business model has come into question.

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The Hidden Costs of Volkswagen’s Deception

Fri, 23 Oct 2015 13:16:12 GMT

Wharton management professor John Paul MacDuffie recently appeared on the Knowledge at Wharton radio show to discuss the fallout from the Volkswagen emissions scandal.

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Reinventing Rwanda: A Conversation with President Paul Kagame

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 15:52:25 GMT

President Paul Kagame discusses Rwanda’s difficult and complex transformation since the 1994 genocide.

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Rebuilding Rwanda’s Shattered Economy From the Ground Up

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 15:49:23 GMT

Francis Gatare CEO of the Rwanda Development Board discusses the continuing collaborative effort to rebuild Rwanda and grow its economy.

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Sen. Claire McCaskill: Why Women Should Embrace Their Ambition

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 15:48:41 GMT

In a new book Plenty Ladylike: A Memoir Sen. Claire McCaskill shares the story of her life in politics.

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Can the Bank of England’s New ‘Ring-fencing’ Rules Work?

Tue, 20 Oct 2015 15:41:50 GMT

Last week’s moves by the Bank of England to split up the retail and investment arms of large banks come at a time of increasing regulatory scrutiny in other developed markets.

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How Shamsheer Vayalil Built VPS Healthcare into a Billion-dollar Firm

Mon, 19 Oct 2015 15:51:00 GMT

Shamsheer Vayalil founder of the VPS Healthcare group in Abu Dhabi credits his success to a focus on quality not revenues.

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The Little Tractor Company That Could Lead the Way into Cuba

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 13:57:18 GMT

Despite the thaw in bilateral relations no U.S. business has yet leaped all the hurdles and been allowed to set up shop in Cuba. Two long-time friends hope their tractor firm will be the first.

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Private Equity: The Outlook for Africa and Emerging Markets Part I

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 09:41:05 GMT

Despite economic turmoil private equity opportunities in Africa are rising.

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Why ‘Abenomics’ Keeps Missing the Mark

Fri, 09 Oct 2015 11:09:39 GMT

Don’t expect many market consequences from Standard & Poor’s cut in Japan’s credit rating. But it is a sign that “Abenomics” is not fulfilling its promise says Wharton finance professor Franklin Allen.

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What Shell’s Arctic Exit Means for Future Energy Exploration

Mon, 05 Oct 2015 16:02:47 GMT

Low oil prices discouraging finds pressure from environmentalists and high regulatory costs forced Shell’s decision last week to quit drilling in the Alaskan Arctic.

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Catalonia’s Election: What Lies Ahead for Spain and the EU

Fri, 02 Oct 2015 16:07:36 GMT

Recent regional elections in Catalonia viewed as an indirect referendum on independence from Spain produced results that won’t be cleared up until January. But the vote may have improved chances for a compromise solution.

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Why an Open Mind Is Key to Making Better Predictions

Fri, 02 Oct 2015 13:56:00 GMT

In the new book ’Superforecasting ’ Wharton professor Philip Tetlock and coauthor Dan Gardner look into why making predictions is so difficult — and how we can become better at making them.

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Brazil and South Africa: Could Turmoil Lead to Default?

Fri, 02 Oct 2015 11:23:35 GMT

Emerging markets used to be seen as the new economic ”locomotive.” But many of them – including Brazil and South Africa – are feeling the brunt of China’s economic slowdown and are facing other serious problems as well.

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The Download on the U.S.-China Cyber Espionage Agreement

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 12:28:45 GMT

While the U.S. and China have agreed to halt commercial cyber espionage many obstacles could water down implementation.

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The Pope as CEO: Can He Shift Direction and Revive the Brand?

Fri, 25 Sep 2015 10:00:17 GMT

How can a new pope attract new groups -- and generations -- without alienating historically important demographics?

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Why There’s No Quick Fix for Volkswagen’s Emissions Crisis

Wed, 23 Sep 2015 12:26:32 GMT

The crisis underway at Volkswagen over EPA allegations that the firm cheated on emissions tests for their popular TDI diesel engine line has caused a significant drop in the firm’s stock price and led to the departure of its CEO. What else will it mean for the company and the industry?

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Failing in Order to Succeed in the Digital World

Tue, 22 Sep 2015 16:41:31 GMT

It is counter-intuitive to celebrate failures as well as successes. But that is precisely what needs to happen if companies wish to spark a culture of innovation.

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What’s Behind the Fed’s Interest Rate Decision?

Mon, 21 Sep 2015 16:05:19 GMT

As the U.S. Federal Reserve gleans interest rate signals from inflation job growth and global markets it needs to show more clarity and consistency in its actions say Wharton experts.

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The China Syndrome -- How Volatility Is Affecting ASEAN

Fri, 18 Sep 2015 11:40:37 GMT

China’s slowing growth and financial volatility is rippling through the global economy and is causing devaluations and an economic slowdown across Asia. Wharton finance professor Franklin Allen outlines the risks.

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Can Brazil Turn Its Economy Around?

Tue, 15 Sep 2015 15:34:52 GMT

Brazil’s recent credit rating downgrade is a wakeup call for the country to fix its economy. How can it restore confidence among investors and lenders?

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How Apple’s Latest Offerings Will Expand Its Piece of the Pie

Mon, 14 Sep 2015 14:22:00 GMT

Apple’s newest products could be game-changers in terms of their potential for expanding the company’s ecosystem into new areas.

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‘Friend and Foe’: Balancing Competition and Cooperation

Fri, 11 Sep 2015 13:15:58 GMT

A new book co-authored by Adam Galinsky and Maurice Schweitzer explains why success depends on being able to cooperate and compete effectively in every relationship.

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Europe’s Migrant Crisis: Balancing the Risks with Long-term Gains

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 14:35:42 GMT

As Europe’s refugee influx grows it’s necessary to share the load globally and recognize the long-term positives say experts.

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Can Google’s Rules Transform Your Workplace?

Thu, 03 Sep 2015 16:01:55 GMT

In a new book Google’s head of people operations Laszlo Bock discusses what the company believes could make work better for everyone.

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Kiva’s Jessica Jackley: How Entrepreneurs Can Do a Lot with a Little

Mon, 31 Aug 2015 15:54:35 GMT

Kiva cofounder Jessica Jackley’s new book urges would-be entrepreneurs not to wait for the perfect conditions to build a start-up.

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Will Obama’s Push for Renewable Energy Get a Tailwind?

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 11:21:52 GMT

President Barack Obama’s new push for more wind and solar power could help drive clean energy innovation. But the game-changer would be a carbon tax says a Penn expert.

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Can China Defuse the Panic over Its Economy?

Wed, 26 Aug 2015 12:52:15 GMT

China’s all-out efforts to address fears over its growth prospects have raised fresh questions about the underlying factors affecting its economy.

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Jeremy Siegel on Stocks: This Is a Correction Not a Bear Market

Tue, 25 Aug 2015 15:46:28 GMT

In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel says he thinks the Dow ultimately could drop 15% from recent highs before recovering to around 19 000 by the end of the year.

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Sizing Up Coca-Cola’s Obesity Research Controversy

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 15:24:37 GMT

Coca-Cola is receiving criticism for funding research that backed exercise over cutting calories. As a result experts are calling for more transparency in sponsored studies.

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Will the Yuan’s Fall Force China to Re-energize Reforms?

Mon, 17 Aug 2015 15:42:35 GMT

Following last week’s devaluation of the yuan the focus is shifting to structural impediments China faces on its path to reforms.

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What’s Behind Google’s Alphabet Restructuring?

Fri, 14 Aug 2015 13:54:41 GMT

Google’s separation of its non-Internet ventures from its core brand will mean greater brand protection and talent retention but it also creates some challenges experts say.

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Is the Netflix Leave Policy a Gift to Workers or Ill Conceived?

Mon, 10 Aug 2015 16:30:16 GMT

Netflix’s offer of paid leave of up to a year for new mothers or fathers raises larger questions about the motivation behind -- and practical implications for -- such moves experts say.

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The ADA at 25: Important Gains but Gaps Remain

Fri, 07 Aug 2015 14:27:41 GMT

Gains have been made in the past 25 years with the Americans with Disabilities Act. But more action is needed -- and technology may play a role in further removing barriers and increasing access experts say.

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The Climate Change ‘Tipping Point’: How Should Businesses React?

Thu, 06 Aug 2015 15:43:31 GMT

Top climate scientists say critical ice shelves are melting up to 10 times faster than expected. That could begin to affect businesses significantly within a few years says Wharton’s Erwann Michel-Kerjan.

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Will the U.S. Seize the High Ground in Curbing Emissions?

Wed, 05 Aug 2015 12:14:21 GMT

Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan faces challengers even as it could potentially bring undeniable gains Wharton experts say.

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Is Home Ownership a 20th century Idea?

Tue, 04 Aug 2015 15:57:21 GMT

David Hansel and Wharton’s Sam Chandan discuss what’s behind decreased home ownership levels in the U.S.

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Why Nikkei Is Betting Big on Digital Growth at the Financial Times

Wed, 29 Jul 2015 12:29:25 GMT

Nikkei’s $1.3 billion deal to buy the Financial Times underscores the fact that the publishing industry’s fortunes lie in going digital experts say.

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Unlocking the Three-fold Secret to Great Leadership

Fri, 24 Jul 2015 15:51:04 GMT

After analyzing data from some 15 000 interviews executives from management consulting firm ghSMART found that three fundamental factors drive leadership success. They describe their findings in a new book Power Score.

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The U.S.-Cuba Thaw: What Are the Next Steps?

Fri, 24 Jul 2015 14:40:55 GMT

As the U.S. and Cuba reopen embassies experts focus on the other pieces in the ecosystem that need to fall in place.

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Taking Stock of Dodd-Frank: Hits Misses and Unfinished Business

Wed, 22 Jul 2015 11:36:11 GMT

Five years on has the Dodd-Frank Act achieved or failed to meet its goal of overhauling U.S. financial regulations? So far its legacy is mixed experts say.

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How Puerto Rico Could Emerge from a Default

Tue, 21 Jul 2015 16:56:07 GMT

With Puerto Rico likely to default on its debt protection under U.S. bankruptcy laws could help contain the resulting chaos while work begins on longer-term reforms.

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How Good Habits Can Make You Happier

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 13:18:34 GMT

The newest book from Gretchen Rubin best-selling author of ’The Happiness Project ’ examines how we can change our habits for a happier more productive life.

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The Greek Drama Takes Another Turn Toward Tragedy … and Uncertainty

Wed, 15 Jul 2015 13:13:40 GMT

While a Greek exit from the eurozone has been staved off -- at least for now -- several questions remain. Two experts weigh in on what the latest deal means for Greece and the European Union.

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How Do Social Entrepreneurs Know They Are Doing Good?

Fri, 10 Jul 2015 15:54:36 GMT

Jonathan Greenblatt has built several successful brands and in doing so has helped to establish what social entrepreneurship means today. That makes him the perfect person to ask: How can you tell if a company is doing it right?

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Chinese Stocks: What’s Behind the Great Market Tumble?

Wed, 08 Jul 2015 13:14:42 GMT

The Chinese stock market rout is raising global worries. What are the implications for the world’s second-largest economy and for investors elsewhere?

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Can the Eurozone ‘Kick the Can Down the Road’ Again?

Mon, 06 Jul 2015 15:19:11 GMT

Will the eurozone and Greece reach a truce in their debt renegotiation battles? Wharton management professor Mauro Guillen thinks so: Both sides will likely find a way to avoid imminent financial disaster he says.

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Will Rising Heat in the Climate Change Debate Propel Action?

Thu, 02 Jul 2015 11:16:51 GMT

Climate change and pollution are in focus with a papal call a court ruling and a government report. Experts at Wharton and a Jesuit priest weigh the possible outcomes.

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Jeremy Siegel: How a ’Grexit’ Could Strengthen the Eurozone

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 15:38:50 GMT

Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel says the impact of the Greek debt crisis while dire for the country and its citizens will be restrained.

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Will the Eurozone Survive the Latest Greek Tragedy?

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 12:35:39 GMT

Events in the eurozone have quickly moved from threats to market shock. Wharton’s Mauro Guillen discusses what is likely to unfold. “There is no other way to describe the situation except as chaotic. This is almost like ’The Twilight Zone.’”

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The Supreme Court ACA Ruling: What’s the Prognosis?

Fri, 26 Jun 2015 14:26:42 GMT

The Supreme Court ruling on health care subsidies has averted disruption of the market but more states may tap the federal marketplace say experts.

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What’s Driving Health Insurers’ Merger Mania?

Tue, 23 Jun 2015 15:49:37 GMT

The new health care landscape is fueling consolidation for hospitals physicians groups -- and now insurers. So who are the winners and losers?

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Will the U.S. Build a Better R&D Tax Credit Regime This Time Around?

Fri, 19 Jun 2015 14:47:15 GMT

Amid the drumbeat to make R&D tax credits permanent big questions loom over reach and complexity. But what will drive the most innovation?

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One Entrepreneur’s Plan to Transform Africa

Wed, 17 Jun 2015 15:17:22 GMT

Fred Swaniker’s African Leadership Academy and his African Leadership Network are already helping thousands of young people become entrepreneurs activists and professionals. His latest effort the African Leadership Universities could multiply that exponentially.

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Navigating the Ripple Effects of a Higher Minimum Wage

Tue, 16 Jun 2015 15:30:29 GMT

With Los Angeles raising its minimum wage other states and cities could follow suit. Such moves could also cause social unrest and boost unions say experts.

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‘Will College Pay Off?’ A Surprising Cost-benefit Analysis

Mon, 15 Jun 2015 17:00:34 GMT

Wharton’s Peter Cappelli demystifies the decision about where – and whether – to invest in a U.S. college education.

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What’s Holding Back Affordable Housing in India?

Thu, 11 Jun 2015 13:26:22 GMT

Rajesh Krishnan CEO of the Brick Eagle Group a developer of affordable housing in India says the disparity between supply and demand is because of a broken ecosystem.

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Can Amazon Deliver the Goods in Private-label Groceries?

Tue, 09 Jun 2015 14:24:15 GMT

If Amazon wants its plan to sell private label groceries to succeed the company has to get things right on product quality and logistics.

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Want to Get Ahead? Work on Your Improv Skills

Fri, 05 Jun 2015 12:43:51 GMT

A new book from The Second City explains how its improvisational techniques can help support innovation and leadership.

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Why Networks Are Key to Fighting Cyber Warfare

Wed, 03 Jun 2015 15:48:49 GMT

RANE founder David Lawrence and Sullivan & Cromwell co-Managing Partner Jay Clayton discuss cybersecurity threats and how they can be handled in the future including development of a national commission similar to the one for 9/11.

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How Riders for Health Is Keeping Medical Care Rolling in Africa

Wed, 03 Jun 2015 12:15:21 GMT

To get medical care to patients in Africa it takes vehicles -- a lot of them. Nonprofit Riders for Health has the mission of managing those vehicles and keeping them from falling into disrepair.

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The FIFA Scandal: Is This the ‘Tip of the Iceberg’?

Fri, 29 May 2015 14:18:10 GMT

As the soccer world reels in the wake of the FIFA corruption scandal experts call for increased transparency to save the game from disrepute.

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John Nash’s Legacy Lives on in Business Strategy

Wed, 27 May 2015 13:20:22 GMT

With his work in game theory late Nobel laureate John Nash transformed the field of strategy formulation in organizations. The millennial generation will help unlock the full value of his ideas say Wharton experts.

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Are Financial Penalties Enough to Deter Banks’ Bad Behavior?

Thu, 21 May 2015 16:55:51 GMT

News that five of the world’s biggest banks will plead guilty to rigging global currency markets has raised concerns about whether fines are effective deterrents to fraudulent behavior.

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Social Impact 101: Building Companies That Make a Difference

Wed, 20 May 2015 12:10:08 GMT

Joey Hundert -- social entrepreneur start-up consultant and founder of the “Sustainival” -- has been working for a decade and a half to promote ventures that both make money and make the world a better place.

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A ‘Dumb Pipe’ No More: What Verizon Wants from AOL

Fri, 15 May 2015 16:47:08 GMT

With its bid to buy AOL Verizon is eying big ad revenues and a move up the industry food chain.

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How Kohl’s Took the Road Less Traveled to Be a National Retailer

Fri, 15 May 2015 11:47:53 GMT

Kohl’s didn’t merge its way to the top of the retail sector; instead it clicked with customers by staying ahead of the curve on trends former president Jay Baker says in the second part of a two-part interview.

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How Reggie Love Got His Presidential Education

Thu, 14 May 2015 13:55:31 GMT

A book by Reggie Love former personal aide to President Barack Obama explores what he has learned from his mentors.

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Jack and Suzy Welch: Why Strong Leadership Is about Truth and Trust

Fri, 08 May 2015 13:42:15 GMT

Former GE CEO Jack Welch and wife Suzy a former Harvard Business Review editor discuss the “real life” MBA.

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The Promising Tidal Wave of Streaming Music

Thu, 07 May 2015 13:46:22 GMT

Wharton marketing professor Peter Fader and New York University’s Errol Kolosine talk about whether Tidal the music streaming service from Jay-Z will succeed.

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Jay H. Baker: How Kohl’s Carved Out a Retail Niche

Thu, 07 May 2015 13:07:49 GMT

Former Kohl’s president Jay Baker discusses his decades-long career in retail and charts the retail chain’s path to success.

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How Tesla’s Powerwall Will Shift Control to the Consumer

Wed, 06 May 2015 12:30:07 GMT

Tesla Motors may have overcome the affordability hurdle in energy storage. The technology holds the power for bigger transformations experts say.

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Ido Aharoni: Why Brand Capital Is Part of National Security

Fri, 01 May 2015 14:53:02 GMT

Ido Aharoni Israeli consul general to the United States in New York says that nations must be proactive in building their brand image.

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Lessons on Disaster Preparedness from the Nepal Earthquake

Wed, 29 Apr 2015 12:51:13 GMT

The tragic aftermath of the Nepal earthquake that left widespread damage and thousands dead is a clarion call for other countries to become better prepared for disasters.

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Author Brian Little on Personality and the ’Art of Well-being’

Mon, 27 Apr 2015 14:18:02 GMT

A book by Brian Little explains why we are the way we are -- and what we can do about it.

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How Businesses Are Leading Climate Change Innovation

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 13:47:54 GMT

Syncsort Chief Marketing Officer Gary Survis discusses how companies can lead the way in sustainability efforts.

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Are You a Digital Immigrant?

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 09:53:55 GMT

The changes in the way technology figures into our lives is altering the way the next generation will view many other aspects of society and business.

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Crowdfunding Commercial Real Estate — the New Disruptor?

Wed, 22 Apr 2015 11:16:26 GMT

Crowdfunding is proving capable of taking on commercial real estate deals worth less than $10 million. Is it just a matter of time before it moves up the ladder and disrupts the whole industry?

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How Nokia Can Make the Most of the Alcatel-Lucent Deal

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 13:07:30 GMT

Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia has a chance to reclaim a significant share of the telecom industry with its proposed purchase of Alcatel-Lucent.

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How Smart Leadership Revived Chile after an Historic Disaster

Wed, 15 Apr 2015 11:27:55 GMT

In their new book Wharton’s Michael Useem Howard Kunreuther and Erwann Michel-Kerjan examine how Chile’s leaders facilitated its rebound after the massive 2010 earthquake.

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The Petrobras Scandal: Will Brazil Sink Deeper — or Emerge Stronger?

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 16:25:07 GMT

Brazil has a fighting chance to turn the Petrobras corruption scandal into an opportunity to bounce back with stronger institutions.

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The ’Mutual Respect’ That Results When Consumers and Brands Collide

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 11:30:16 GMT

Twitter has changed the advertising world a development that company vice president Shailesh Rao describes as a positive-sum game for traditional and social media.

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Curbing California’s Drought -- One Five-minute Shower at a Time

Mon, 13 Apr 2015 14:38:00 GMT

California’s drought-related water usage regulations will work best if they become a social norm with a higher level of awareness says Wharton’s Howard Kunreuther.

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Can People Analytics Help Firms Manage People Better?

Fri, 10 Apr 2015 14:30:13 GMT

Can a data-driven approach to managing people at work help organizations make better HR decisions? Wharton professors Cade Massey and Adam Grant share their insights.

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What Can We Learn from the Germanwings Tragedy?

Fri, 10 Apr 2015 13:30:33 GMT

The Germanwings suicide-crash has focused attention on the pressures pilots face and how airlines can respond. Experts call for better training and health monitoring of pilots among other improvements.

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Entrepreneurship in Cuba: ‘The Doors Are Opening’

Fri, 03 Apr 2015 13:45:19 GMT

Cuba has been steadily liberalizing its economy. The likely reconciliation with the U.S. will drive a new entrepreneurial rush according to Hugo Cancio CEO of Fuego Enterprises.

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Behind the ‘Blurred Lines’ of Copyright Laws

Fri, 03 Apr 2015 12:07:03 GMT

Last month’s copyright infringement case over the song “Blurred Lines” has implications for the entire industry experts say.

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Will U.S. Businesses Find a Place in a Competitive Cuban Economy?

Thu, 02 Apr 2015 14:51:50 GMT

U.S. businesses may have big opportunities in Cuba after sanctions are lifted. However they will have to compete and earn their place according to a former Canadian ambassador to Cuba.

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Why Google’s Antitrust Problems Are Far from Over

Tue, 31 Mar 2015 16:53:22 GMT

As Google stares at fresh trouble in Europe over antitrust issues it may feel the heat back in the U.S. too.

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Advice for Becoming an ’Engaged Leader’

Mon, 30 Mar 2015 14:16:04 GMT

In bestselling author Charlene Li’s new book she challenges leaders to use social technologies to connect with their customers and employees.

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How Starbucks Can Stick with ‘Race Together’ — and Get It Right

Fri, 27 Mar 2015 14:39:23 GMT

Good intentions aren’t enough — Wharton experts say it takes a sustained authentic effort for companies to successfully become part of the conversation on complex social issues.

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Networking Intelligently in an Over-connected World

Thu, 26 Mar 2015 15:34:52 GMT

Erica Dhawan discusses her new book and what she and coauthor Saj-nicole Joni call ”the power of connectional intelligence.”

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McDonald’s Chicken Pledge: A Golden Move?

Fri, 20 Mar 2015 14:28:08 GMT

As McDonald’s promises chicken free of human antibiotics it wins on both food safety and marketing strategy. Experts discuss the gains -- and challenges -- for the company.

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Why Bridgeway Capital Gives Away 50% of Profits to Charity

Thu, 19 Mar 2015 13:39:32 GMT

Bridgeway Capital founder John Montgomery speaks with Wharton’s Katherine Klein about his core values: Integrity performance efficiency and service.

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Finding New Solutions for Managing Global Garbage

Wed, 18 Mar 2015 16:04:56 GMT

Around the world garbage in the oceans remains a big problem. So how do we get the world to recognize this problem and stop the dumping?

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Does Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Have a Future?

Wed, 18 Mar 2015 12:04:55 GMT

Some thought Obamacare would mean the end of employment-based insurance. While that did not happen the threat has not fully lifted according to Wharton’s Mark Pauly.

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Has the Time Come for a Cuban Telecom Boom?

Tue, 17 Mar 2015 14:35:56 GMT

As the U.S. prepares to normalize ties with Cuba big opportunities await the telecom industry. However laws to facilitate and protect investments are critical.

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How to Build a Strategy for ‘the Long Game’

Fri, 13 Mar 2015 13:36:29 GMT

Business leaders often find themselves focused on short-term goals that distract them from creating a longer-term strategy according to a new book co-authored by Wharton’s Paul Schoemaker.

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Here’s a Glimpse into the Future of U.S. Private Investment in Cuba

Fri, 13 Mar 2015 10:35:57 GMT

As the relationship between the United States and Cuba evolves so does the potential for U.S. investment in the island nation.

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Are Credit Bureaus Poised to Fight for the Consumer?

Thu, 12 Mar 2015 16:09:31 GMT

The three credit bureaus this week signed a settlement with the New York AG’s office pledging to repair consumer disputes and increase scrutiny. Will they walk the talk?

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The Tough Choices for U.S. Tech Firms Doing Business in China

Fri, 06 Mar 2015 15:52:08 GMT

U.S. technology companies face hard choices as China’s new antiterrorism law requires uncomfortable disclosures.

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How Companies Are Managing the Millennial Generation

Thu, 05 Mar 2015 12:35:37 GMT

Firms have employed wide-reaching programs to help their millennial workforce learn and grow which in turn helps with retention and recruitment says Goldman Sachs chief learning officer Jason Wingard.

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Taylor Swift Trademarks and Music’s New Branding Model

Wed, 04 Mar 2015 12:34:46 GMT

Taylor Swift’s bid to trademark phrases from her songs highlights a shift in the music industry’s business and branding models intellectual property experts say.

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Why ’Citizens Are Winners’ of the FCC’s Net Neutrality Ruling

Tue, 03 Mar 2015 11:51:50 GMT

In this Knowledge in 5 podcast former FCC chairman Reed Hundt discusses the implications of the agency’s recent ruling on net neutrality.

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Will Walmart’s Wage Increase Pay Off?

Fri, 27 Feb 2015 12:30:06 GMT

Walmart’s modest wage increase may be a smart way to keep the company’s options open regarding future raises but it may not sufficiently inspire workers according to Wharton’s Adam Cobb.

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The FCC’s Net Neutrality Ruling: Net Gains Net Losses

Fri, 27 Feb 2015 11:02:56 GMT

An “open Internet ” free of entry bans throttling or paid prioritization won the day in a big FCC ruling. Wharton professor Kevin Werbach explains the business implications.

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When Using Social Media Beware the Invisible Audience

Thu, 26 Feb 2015 13:40:15 GMT

Social media has augmented our ability to communicate but it has also made it easier to misunderstand and misread our audience — or to be misunderstood.

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Poor Sports: Is There a New Low in Owners’ and Players’ Behavior?

Tue, 24 Feb 2015 14:45:41 GMT

Claims of racism domestic abuse bullying ethical breaches: What’s behind the recent rash of poor behavior in professional sports?

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Who Will Be the Winners and Losers in the Eurozone Stalemate?

Wed, 18 Feb 2015 12:49:49 GMT

The eurozone may have more to lose than Greece should a “Grexit” take place says Wharton finance professor Franklin Allen.

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The HSBC Scandal: A Red Flag for U.S. Regulators?

Wed, 18 Feb 2015 12:36:44 GMT

As British banking giant HSBC battles a scandal over helping tax evaders and criminals the U.S. financial system must heed warning signals say experts.

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Exploring the Next Iteration of Social Entrepreneurship

Tue, 17 Feb 2015 16:38:48 GMT

Diana Ayton-Shenker founder and CEO of Global Momenta and the first Social Innovator in Residence at Wharton has made it her mission to help organizations optimize their impact through social entrepreneurship.

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Confidence Games: Why People Don’t Trust Machines to Be Right

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 16:39:55 GMT

When given the choice of trusting our or another person’s conclusions or accepting facts based on algorithmically analyzed data most of us tend to trust the human more. But new Wharton research shows that may not always be the best choice.

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Driverless Car Technology: Don’t Take Your Hands off the Wheel Yet

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 14:48:36 GMT

Driverless car technology has advanced rapidly but several security and use challenges remain. These need to be worked out as the sector grows.

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Lessons from RadioShack: To Stay on Top Figure Out What Got You There

Tue, 10 Feb 2015 15:54:46 GMT

A poor strategy and messy execution led to the downfall of the once-iconic hangout for hobbyists and electronics buffs.

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Cinnabon’s Kat Cole: Savoring the Sweet Taste of Success

Fri, 06 Feb 2015 15:12:43 GMT

Kat Cole the 30-something president of Cinnabon spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about her unconventional path to leading a $1 billion global business.

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Is Amazon Set to Hit Its Prime?

Thu, 05 Feb 2015 14:30:21 GMT

Amazon’s earnings were better than expected for the fourth quarter of 2014. But will the e-commerce giant succeed in stretching beyond its comfort zone?

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Is the Long Wait for an Interest Rate Increase Getting Longer?

Fri, 30 Jan 2015 13:51:28 GMT

Interest rates are not likely to edge up before June given the Fed’s call for “patience” and inflation readjustments says Wharton’s Krista Schwarz.

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The Silver Lining in Bad Weather: Higher Productivity

Thu, 29 Jan 2015 15:39:54 GMT

The recent blizzard in the U.S. Northeast didn’t create as much disruption as feared. In fact such bad weather could actually lift productivity says one Wharton expert.

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The New Business Plan for Executives Who Want to Do Good

Thu, 29 Jan 2015 13:51:15 GMT

The Inter-American Development Bank’s corporate social responsibility program is intended to generate goodwill and spur a concrete increase in a company’s revenues.

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Why Target’s Big Canadian Expansion Went South

Fri, 23 Jan 2015 16:11:17 GMT

Target’s attempt misfired on multiple levels and now the company is closing all 133 Canadian stores. What went wrong?

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Obama’s State of the Union: Game Changer or Just Another Speech?

Wed, 21 Jan 2015 15:13:26 GMT

President Obama introduced an ambitious list of proposals for his remaining two years in office. But how much can he accomplish with a Republican Congress?

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How Income Inequality May Be Hurting Economic Growth

Mon, 19 Jan 2015 14:02:29 GMT

Rising income inequality is shaving points off economic growth but the effect could be mitigated by improving access to quality education according to a recent OECD report.

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Expect Select Private Equity Markets Outside the U.S. to Perform Well in 2015

Thu, 15 Jan 2015 13:39:22 GMT

The stage looks set for IPOs to perform well in 2015 outside the U.S. including in parts of Latin America Asia and in China.

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Opportunities vs. Risks in Cuba: Do Your Homework and Tread Carefully

Wed, 14 Jan 2015 12:04:44 GMT

Entrepreneurial energy and due diligence will be needed at the beginning of the end of a decades-long embargo.

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What the Charlie Hebdo Attack Means for Risk Assessment

Fri, 09 Jan 2015 13:16:01 GMT

The deadly attack on Charlie Hebdo’s Paris offices will be a game changer for insurers and governments in how they perceive terrorism risk in the future say experts.

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How a Greek Exit Could Impact the Eurozone

Thu, 08 Jan 2015 13:26:01 GMT

A Greek exit from the eurozone could set undesirable precedents and have a contagion effect on the rest of Europe according to Wharton’s Franklin Allen.

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Private Equity: On the Rise in 2015

Tue, 06 Jan 2015 10:28:43 GMT

Look for private equity to start 2015 strong given recent high levels of IPOs and M&As.

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The Hype is Dead but MOOCs Are Marching On

Mon, 05 Jan 2015 13:30:48 GMT

Coursera co-founder Daphne Koller talks with Knowledge at Wharton about how MOOCs can maintain momentum even though the flurry of attention surrounding them has died down.

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To ‘Think Like a Freak ’ Start with These Three Words

Fri, 02 Jan 2015 14:53:04 GMT

Stephen Dubner co-author of Think Like a Freak discusses how to challenge conventional thinking and improve your decision-making.

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The Art and Science of Sound: How Music Influences Consumers

Tue, 30 Dec 2014 14:00:00 GMT

Pairing the right sound with the right brand can reap rewards for marketers — but today’s savvy consumers will also pick up mismatches instantly.

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What Do Women Need? A Little Bit of Overconfidence

Mon, 29 Dec 2014 14:23:13 GMT

Authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman look at research showing women lack self-assurance in their careers – and just as important examine what to do about it.

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What Social Media Communicates about the Well-being of Society

Fri, 26 Dec 2014 14:00:31 GMT

The words phrases and yes even the emoticons we use on social media tell a lot about our personalities and collectively give a detailed picture of overall well-being.

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The Sony Hack: A ‘Question of When’ for Other Companies

Mon, 22 Dec 2014 13:58:53 GMT

Companies both in and outside the entertainment industry can learn numerous lessons from the recent Sony hacking about the importance of beefing up IT security.

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Benefits Cuts: Prepare to Work Longer Save More and Expect Less

Wed, 17 Dec 2014 13:00:23 GMT

Learning from the cuts to retiree benefits in some pension plans that Congress allowed last weekend today’s workers must work longer and save more says Wharton’s Olivia S. Mitchell.

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The Competition Question at the Heart of the Apple Antitrust Case

Mon, 15 Dec 2014 16:05:16 GMT

The Apple antitrust case involving iPod users brings up questions about whether the tech giant was being anticompetitive or simply trying to improve its product.

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How Barnes & Noble Can Recover from the Nook’s Downward Spiral

Thu, 11 Dec 2014 15:49:40 GMT

After the demise of its Nook partnership with Microsoft Barnes & Noble should look to Starbucks for what to do next Wharton experts say.

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How Disruption Is Creating Opportunity in Higher Education

Mon, 08 Dec 2014 14:31:25 GMT

Nunzio Quacquarelli founder of higher education solutions firm QS discusses the innovations that will shape the sector’s future and how his company can play a role.

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Can the U.S. Energy Sector Be Mostly Green in 10 Years?

Thu, 04 Dec 2014 14:19:38 GMT

Thanks to plummeting costs and state support America’s energy sector could go mostly green within a decade says CEO of the Coalition for Green Capital and ex-FCC chairman Reed Hundt.

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Will Amazon Succeed in Selling Local Services?

Wed, 03 Dec 2014 12:32:45 GMT

Amazon’s recent move to advertise product-related local services faces obstacles in trust credibility and competition from informal local networks say experts.

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How the Kalydeco Deal Will Shape Philanthropy’s Future

Tue, 02 Dec 2014 16:19:00 GMT

A windfall for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation from a wonder drug may bring new investments to pharmaceutical development but such deals also come with risks.

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Change Is Coming: What U.S. Colleges Must Do To Survive

Tue, 02 Dec 2014 11:14:34 GMT

University of Delaware president Patrick Harker discusses the forces that are challenging higher education today -- and what universities must do to persevere.

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Why Millennials Won’t Be Big Spenders This Holiday Season

Fri, 28 Nov 2014 09:00:05 GMT

Despite some recent gains millennials are still struggling with low-wage jobs and student loan debts according to Mark Zandi of Moody’s Analytics.

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Snapdeal: Connecting the Dots between Demand and Supply in India

Tue, 25 Nov 2014 11:45:43 GMT

Snapdeal’s positioning as a platform gives it the freedom to grow unaffected by India’s FDI regulations co-founder Kunal Bahl says.

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Some New Prescriptions for the Health Care Marketplace

Fri, 21 Nov 2014 16:32:12 GMT

In its second year the health insurance marketplace will see higher premiums and consumers accepting narrower networks but education on the choices is essential say Wharton experts.

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Renewed Caution Takes the Air Out of China’s Land Price Market

Fri, 21 Nov 2014 09:44:52 GMT

New indices of housing land prices in China show that the market has in some cases regressed to where it was five years ago Wharton’s Joseph Gyourko says.

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Obama’s Internet Neutrality Stance: Net Positive or Negative?

Wed, 19 Nov 2014 13:41:30 GMT

President Obama’s stance on net neutrality won’t have significant economic consequences for service providers but it sets the tone for an ”open” Internet former FCC chairman Reed Hundt says.

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Why True Entrepreneurs Go Down ‘and Still Come Back Fighting’

Mon, 17 Nov 2014 16:34:42 GMT

Billionaire Jon Huntsman Sr. on how he built a successful business — and why he plans to give away that fortune before his death.

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The U.S.-China Climate Change Pact: A Silver Lining?

Tue, 11 Nov 2014 16:56:56 GMT

The U.S. and China trumped naysayers with Wednesday’s pact to jointly combat climate change. But both nations face hurdles ahead.

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Nicholas Kristof’s ’Path’ to More Effective Giving

Tue, 11 Nov 2014 14:31:51 GMT

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof discusses how to use your time and money for the greatest good.

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What the Election ‘Wake-up Call’ Means for the Economy

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 14:24:33 GMT

This week’s Republican electoral sweep raised the bar for the party to show that it can make progress on economic and business reforms. What should its priorities be?

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Are Eurozone Banks Now Good to Go?

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 15:04:46 GMT

Eurozone banks mostly survived the recent stress tests. But were the tests rigorous enough? Wharton finance professor Richard J. Herring weighs in.

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The End of the Fed Stimulus Program: A Reality Check

Mon, 03 Nov 2014 16:14:56 GMT

While economic recovery will be “slow and steady ” Fed chair Janet Yellen must “keep conditions accommodative” to maintain low long-term interest rates according to Wharton’s Krista Schwarz.

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Will Rousseff’s Reelection Move Brazil Forward?

Wed, 29 Oct 2014 11:23:19 GMT

What factors drove Dilma Rousseff’s reelection as Brazil’s president – and what are the greatest challenges she faces during her second term?

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Amazon’s Future: Looking Beyond the Balance Sheet

Tue, 28 Oct 2014 14:43:14 GMT

Amazon faces sharp scrutiny after a disappointing quarter and a weak holiday season forecast. Wharton experts analyze the company’s evolving strategies and suggest where it could place its future bets.

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Snapchat and the Liability Conundrum

Wed, 22 Oct 2014 12:23:41 GMT

The recent Snapchat leak sheds light on how tough it is to find someone to blame when apps networks and servers are increasingly interconnected.

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Is It Time for Your ’Careercation’?

Mon, 20 Oct 2014 15:55:01 GMT

Burned out from the experience of starting and running two entrepreneurial ventures author David Niu set out on a journey to recharge.

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HP and the Case for Corporate Spinoffs

Fri, 17 Oct 2014 14:55:42 GMT

The separation of Hewlett-Packard into two companies is a test case for the challenges and opportunities created by divestitures says Wharton’s Emilie Feldman.

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And the Nobel Prize in Economics Goes to: Jean Tirole the Giant Tamer

Wed, 15 Oct 2014 14:11:33 GMT

French economist Jean Tirole’s ideas will help curb the abuses of monopoly and oligopoly without stifling the benefits large firms can bring.

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Managing the Real and Psychological Risks of the Ebola Epidemic

Mon, 13 Oct 2014 15:28:18 GMT

Airport screenings for Ebola may not be very effective in actually detecting the disease but they could help lessen the “psychological risk” of panic related to the outbreak.

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Calculating a Cost/Benefit Ratio for Climate Change Policy

Thu, 09 Oct 2014 15:12:57 GMT

The benefits of the Obama Administration’s climate change policies far outweigh the costs says Jason Furman chairman of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors.

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In Private Equity Management’s Role Incentives Are Shifting

Wed, 08 Oct 2014 11:02:49 GMT

Management structure and incentives are shifting in private equity. Operational skills are more important and equity incentives are more concentrated at the top.

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The AIG Lawsuit: Biting the Hand that Feeds You?

Tue, 07 Oct 2014 14:39:25 GMT

Penn law professor David Skeel discusses whether shareholders of AIG have a case.

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The Critical Steps to Integrating Work and Life

Tue, 07 Oct 2014 12:29:55 GMT

What do Michelle Obama Bruce Springsteen and Sheryl Sandberg have in common? They have developed the skills to integrate their life and work successfully according to Wharton’s Stew Friedman.

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How Millennials Think Differently about Brands

Mon, 06 Oct 2014 15:40:30 GMT

Today’s consumers can be a brand’s biggest advocate but are unforgiving if they feel a company has broken a promise according to Wharton marketing professor Americus Reed.

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Want to Build a One-of-a-Kind Company? Ask Peter Thiel

Fri, 03 Oct 2014 13:44:36 GMT

Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel talks about the insights on building the future that he gained as an entrepreneur and investor.

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Normalcy Returns to Private Equity with Rising Exits

Fri, 03 Oct 2014 11:20:12 GMT

A better exit environment for portfolio companies in private equity means limited partners see more reliable returns.

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What’s at Stake in Hong Kong’s ‘Umbrella Revolution’

Thu, 02 Oct 2014 15:45:04 GMT

The pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong cast light on the region’s economic sensitivities with China and a way of life that is at stake.

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The U.S. Welcomes Modi but Will Renewed Investment in India Follow?

Tue, 30 Sep 2014 16:56:13 GMT

In his first visit to the U.S. as India’s prime minister Narendra Modi sought to reinvigorate the business and political relationships between the two nations.

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China’s Mixed-ownership Enterprise Model: Can the State Let Go?

Fri, 26 Sep 2014 14:03:02 GMT

China wants to make its state enterprises more efficient by leveraging more private capital in a mixed ownership model. The question according to Wharton’s Marshall W. Meyer is whether the state will loosen its control.

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UAE Ambassador Omar Saif Ghobash: ISIS Should Be Fought in the Realm of Ideas

Thu, 25 Sep 2014 13:29:00 GMT

UAE Ambassador to Russia Omar Saif Ghobash speaks about ISIS Ukraine and Western education in the Middle East.

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Will Microsoft Change the Game with Its Mojang Acquisition?

Tue, 23 Sep 2014 15:42:11 GMT

Will Microsoft’s $2.5 billion acquisition of video game producer Mojang make the firm more relevant to a younger generation of consumers?

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What Employers Should Learn from Wal-Mart’s Dress Code Controversy

Mon, 22 Sep 2014 16:49:01 GMT

Wal-Mart’s plan to toughen its employee dress code was a good marketing move that backfired according to Wharton’s Deborah Weinstein.

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What Social Networks Can Teach Us about How the Brain Works

Thu, 18 Sep 2014 14:58:54 GMT

Penn’s Danielle S. Bassett 32 the youngest of this year’s MacArthur fellows talks about her research in understanding how the human brain functions.

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Farewell Emilio Botin: Banco Santander Prepares for Tomorrow

Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:09:56 GMT

With the death of chairman Emilio Botin the next generation of Banco Santander leadership -- including Botin’s daughter Ana Patricia -- faces the challenge of adapting the bank’s model to a rapidly changing economy and customer base.

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A Bias for Bonuses: What It Means for Your Paycheck

Fri, 05 Sep 2014 12:36:57 GMT

Firms are increasingly handing out performance-based bonuses instead of pay raises — and it’s an indicator that employers not employees hold all the cards in the job market.

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Where the Financial Services Industry Goes from Here

Fri, 05 Sep 2014 11:02:17 GMT

The book ’A New Era in Banking: The Landscape After the Battle’ examines the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the banking industry.

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Beyond Ebola: What’s Needed to Combat the Next Outbreak

Wed, 03 Sep 2014 12:33:50 GMT

A sustainable long-term health care infrastructure is required to deal with outbreaks like the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa says Wharton’s Ezekiel J. Emanuel.

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The Race to Build a Better Smartphone Charger

Tue, 02 Sep 2014 15:06:24 GMT

Battery technology is waking up to the increasing demands of smartphone and tablet users — but can the innovation pipeline keep pace?

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Using Pop Culture to Defeat Gender Inequality

Thu, 28 Aug 2014 15:18:36 GMT

Mallika Dutt founder of human rights group Breakthrough discusses how she’s using the arts and multimedia to transform the social and cultural norms that promote violence against women.

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The Lovers the Haters and How They Helped Drive Innovation at Kraft

Mon, 25 Aug 2014 16:00:26 GMT

Kraft Foods’ vice president Barry Calpino discusses how the company reinvigorated aging brands and introduced some category-busting new ones -- and why the firm can’t afford to rest on its laurels.

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Why the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Went Viral

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 12:56:50 GMT

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has raised millions of dollars toward fighting the disease and spawned millions of videos and shares on social media. Wharton’s Jonah Berger discusses why the campaign went viral.

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Where Are All the Women? The Changing Face of Technology

Wed, 20 Aug 2014 08:00:05 GMT

The book Innovating Women: The Changing Face of Technology attempts to address the barriers women face in the tech field by sharing their personal and professional stories.

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NIIT Technologies’ Sudhir Chaturvedi: Companies Have to Decide What They Need from Big Data

Tue, 19 Aug 2014 16:31:34 GMT

Big data and predictive analytics have become fashionable today. But the fact that big data is so big means you must be clear about what you want.

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Why You May Not Be as Ready for Retirement as You Think

Tue, 19 Aug 2014 13:35:56 GMT

A new book by Wharton’s Richard Marston dispels some common beliefs about what Americans need to save for retirement.

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When Will the Economy Finally Bounce Back?

Fri, 15 Aug 2014 15:13:17 GMT

A recent survey from the Federal Reserve shows that a third of American households believe they are financially worse off than they were five years ago. Mark Zandi chief economist at Moody’s Analytics spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about what’s hampering economic recovery.

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Can the U.S. Afford Another War in Iraq?

Wed, 13 Aug 2014 12:53:11 GMT

U.S. military involvement in Iraq raises big questions about the costs and impact on the nation’s economy say Wharton finance professor Bulent Gultekin and Boston University professor of political science Neta Crawford.

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Spinoffs Have Become Publishing’s New Normal -- But Can They Save It?

Fri, 08 Aug 2014 14:19:29 GMT

Following Gannett’s move to split its broadcast and publishing units Wharton’s Pinar Yildirim spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about how the newspaper industry can find ways to grow along with digital media.

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What Really Stands in the Way of Cutting Health Care Costs

Thu, 31 Jul 2014 10:05:30 GMT

When forced to choose between abstract evidence and experience many physicians tend to rely on experience. This keeps health care costs high write consultants Ngan MacDonald and Walter Linde-Zwirble in this opinion piece.

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The Zillow-Trulia Merger: A Sign of Bigger Changes on the Way

Mon, 28 Jul 2014 16:49:00 GMT

The Zillow-Trulia merger might mark the advent of the next wave in how people buy and sell homes in the U.S. experts say.

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How Two Court Rulings Will Test Obamacare

Wed, 23 Jul 2014 13:40:19 GMT

Conflicting U.S. appeals court rulings could curb participation in Affordable Care Act programs for up to two years by adding high levels of uncertainty says Wharton’s Scott Harrington.

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NIIT Technologies’ Lalit Dhingra on Innovations in Air Travel

Tue, 22 Jul 2014 12:00:18 GMT

Led by IT and R&D many changes are taking place in the air travel industry says NIIT Technologies’ Lalit Dhingra.

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Disruption Ahead: What MOOCs Will Mean for MBA Programs

Wed, 16 Jul 2014 08:30:41 GMT

New Wharton research examines the impact that massive open online courses (MOOCs) will have on business schools and MBA programs.

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Bill George: Authentic Leadership and Letting Your Strengths ‘Bloom’

Tue, 15 Jul 2014 16:22:08 GMT

Best-selling author Bill George discusses his former leadership role as CEO of Medtronic and offers advice for aspiring leaders.

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NIIT Technologies’ Lalit Dhingra: ”Outsourcing Is Going to Become More Collaborative”

Mon, 07 Jul 2014 10:32:51 GMT

Outsourcing is moving to version 3.0. It calls for much more collaboration says NIIT Technologies president Lalit Dhingra.

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Could the Hobby Lobby Ruling Unleash a ‘Parade of Horribles’?

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 13:24:55 GMT

Wharton’s Amy Sepinwall discusses the potential impact of the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby ruling on businesses employees and consumers.

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Private Equity in Emerging Markets Is Being Rebalanced

Tue, 01 Jul 2014 16:48:57 GMT

Part II of this Knowledge at Wharton podcast looks at the falling market share of PE for emerging markets and the rising investments outside of the BRIC countries and the increasing importance of operational improvement.

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Private Equity Finally Sees Stronger IPO Market

Tue, 24 Jun 2014 10:41:29 GMT

The recent successful showing for many initial public offerings (IPOs) comes largely from strong equity markets but also from smaller tranches and the push for operational improvements.

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Part II: The Trucking Industry: Transition from Diesel to Natural Gas Is on Deck

Thu, 12 Jun 2014 19:15:28 GMT

The U.S. trucking industry faces major technological disruption – a switch from diesel fuel to natural gas products. This means new – and more expensive – engines and other infrastructure investments. But after a relatively short payback period substantial fuel savings and environmental advantages offer significant incentives to plunge ahead.

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Impact Investing: Judith Rodin Takes On the Naysayers

Mon, 09 Jun 2014 14:50:07 GMT

In The Power of Impact Investing: Putting Markets to Work for Profit and Global Good Rockefeller Foundation president Judith Rodin and co-author Margot Brandenburg say that impact investing offers investors a way to meet both their financial and social or environmental goals simultaneously.

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Apple’s Beats Buy: Desperation or Opportunity?

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 11:16:40 GMT

Purchasing the music products and streaming service firm Beats Electronics was a rare move for Apple. According to Wharton’s Peter Fader the acquisition shows that the company realizes the iTunes download model is rapidly becoming obsolete.

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Howard Stoeckel: Managing ‘The Wawa Way’

Tue, 27 May 2014 13:50:27 GMT

Wawa the convenience store beloved by many in the Mid-Atlantic region is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. In an interview former CEO Howard Stoeckel talks about how the business model has evolved over time.

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Amy Chua on Success and ‘The Triple Package’

Fri, 23 May 2014 12:28:53 GMT

In Amy Chua’s new book the bestselling author studies eight cultural groups in the United States and identifies the characteristics that account for their success.

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The Value of Social TV: Reaching the Niche

Thu, 22 May 2014 12:03:51 GMT

Twitter and other social media networks are becoming valuable sources for gauging both mainstream and niche interest in different consumer products says Wharton’s Shawndra Hill.

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Part I: The Trucking Industry: Solid Growth but Large Cost Challenges Ahead

Tue, 20 May 2014 11:30:45 GMT

The trucking industry looks set to enjoy three or four years of reasonable growth say experts at Wharton and GE Capital. But not everything out on the road is smooth-running -- operators will have to grapple with rising fuel and labor costs.

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The Business Case for Humor

Fri, 09 May 2014 11:55:41 GMT

Could businesses benefit from a sense of humor? Authors A.J. Jacobs and Peter McGraw say yes. They discuss when humor can be a valuable skill at work.

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Mphasis CEO Ganesh Ayyar: Why the IT Sector Needs ’Positive Disruption’

Thu, 08 May 2014 12:40:42 GMT

Ganesh Ayyar CEO of IT services firm Mphasis says that in the coming years the IT sector’s business model will undergo a major change. Customers he notes will not want to buy services but rather business outcomes.

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‘Corporate Diplomacy’: Why Firms Need to Build Ties with External Stakeholders

Mon, 05 May 2014 12:27:48 GMT

In his new book Wharton management professor Witold Henisz advises senior managers to build the capability to strategically develop their most important relationships — before it’s too late.

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Net Neutrality: What’s the Real Threat?

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 11:25:33 GMT

The FCC’s proposed new rules regarding net neutrality are most likely benign says Wharton’s Kevin Werbach. Instead a much bigger threat to the Internet in the U.S. is a lack of competition in broadband.

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Corn Cobs and Generators: A Revolutionary Way to Light up Haiti

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 14:05:42 GMT

In rural areas of Haiti – one of the poorest countries in the world today – most residents have no access to cheap and reliable electricity. Limyè Pa w – founded by three social entrepreneurs – is trying to change that.

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How Companies Can Leverage Global Trends to Drive Growth

Fri, 18 Apr 2014 13:55:18 GMT

New global trends such as aging or geo-political risks compel companies to recast their growth strategies. Mauro Guillen of Wharton’s Lauder Institute offers ways to navigate these uncharted waters.

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Arianna Huffington on How to ‘Thrive’

Fri, 11 Apr 2014 14:23:56 GMT

A fall caused by exhaustion led Arianna Huffington founder of The Huffington Post on a journey toward redefining success. The result is her new book Thrive.

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Are Corporations Really People?

Mon, 31 Mar 2014 13:03:23 GMT

Corporations should not have all of the rights accorded to people says Eric W. Orts Wharton professor of ethics and legal studies.

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Dan Ariely on ‘The Honest Truth About Dishonesty’

Mon, 31 Mar 2014 10:46:45 GMT

Everyone cheats a little from time to time. But most major betrayals within organizations start with a first step that crosses the line according to Dan Ariely author of ‘The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty.’

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Robot Journalists: ‘Quakebot’ Is Just the Beginning

Fri, 28 Mar 2014 12:09:58 GMT

Robot journalists are unbiased work quickly never forget facts or ask for a day off says researcher Noam Latar -- but can they replace humans?

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‘Work Smarts’: Betty Liu on How to Succeed in Your Career

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 16:09:04 GMT

Bloomberg news anchor Betty Liu author of ’Work Smarts: What CEOs Say You Need to Know to Get Ahead ’ shares what she learned about career success from speaking with CEOs including JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon AOL’s Susan Lyne and Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett.

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Sports Agent and Lawyer Ron Shapiro on ‘Perfecting Your Pitch’

Tue, 25 Mar 2014 11:24:46 GMT

How did Ron Shapiro successfully negotiate Joe Mauer’s $184 million contract the fourth largest contract in the history of baseball? In a new book ’Perfecting Your Pitch: How to Succeed in Business and in Life by Finding Words That Work ’ he outlines his three-step process.

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Sallie Krawcheck on the Business Case for Diverse Leadership

Mon, 24 Mar 2014 11:47:42 GMT

The former president of the global wealth and investment management division of Bank of America talks about subtle biases against women how they can be overcome and why diverse leadership is critical.

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How Effective Is a Number-crunching Approach to Managing People?

Fri, 21 Mar 2014 15:10:42 GMT

People analytics isn’t perfect -- yet. But it helps eliminate biases in important areas such as recruitment says Wharton’s Cade Massey.

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Big Business and the New Norm: Doing Good at the Core not the Periphery

Fri, 21 Mar 2014 11:40:08 GMT

Often perceived as acting in ways that harm the economy society and the environment due to a short-term focus on profits big business is now starting to use its power for long-term good according to the authors of Everybody’s Business: The Unlikely Story of How Big Business Can Fix the World.

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Why ’Incomplete’ Products Increase Consumption

Thu, 20 Mar 2014 14:54:43 GMT

If a product is seen as ’incomplete’ -- half a sandwich say -- people consume more of it. Wharton’s Barbara Kahn explains the lessons this insight offers to branded consumer goods.

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Crisis in Ukraine: ’The Window of Opportunity Is Very Short’

Tue, 18 Mar 2014 15:24:49 GMT

Events in Ukraine are moving swiftly these days with Crimea’s vote to secede followed by evolving reactions from Russia the U.S. and Europe. Sophia Opatska CEO of Lviv Business School in Ukraine discusses what led to the current crisis and what lies ahead for a country now divided.

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Ezekiel Emanuel on ‘Reinventing American Health Care’

Tue, 11 Mar 2014 11:33:24 GMT

Wharton health care management professor Ezekiel J. Emanuel one of the architects of the Affordable Care Act has published a new book that offers an inside look at health care reform as well as a critique of how the act has been implemented.

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Delta’s New Frequent Flyer Policy: Reward Your Best Customers

Wed, 05 Mar 2014 13:27:26 GMT

Delta Air Lines’ decision to base frequent flyer rewards on dollars spent rather than miles traveled makes good business sense and is long overdue says Wharton marketing professor Peter Fader.

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Keith Ferrazzi - Why Relationships Are Crucial to Success

Wed, 19 Feb 2014 11:21:50 GMT

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‘Hot’ Money’s Fast Exit Cools Emerging Markets

Mon, 10 Feb 2014 14:20:33 GMT

Capital has been fleeing emerging markets as investors worry about asset bubbles and slower economic growth. If it goes too far it could threaten global financial stability says Wharton finance professor Franklin Allen.

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A School and a Future for Blind Children

Thu, 06 Feb 2014 11:40:15 GMT

Sabriye Tenberken and Paul Kronenberg founded a school for blind children in Tibet as well as an institute in India to promote social entrepreneurship. And that’s just the beginning.

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Why Sharing Spectrum Is Key to Expanding Wireless

Wed, 05 Feb 2014 12:30:52 GMT

Agreeing on a system that will allow the most efficiency and innovation lies at the heart of the current debate over wireless spectrum allocation says Wharton’s Kevin Werbach.

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Private Equity Expects Better Times in 2014

Tue, 04 Feb 2014 12:49:09 GMT

An EY/EIU survey shows that stronger global economic growth and expectations for more M&A deals in 2014 will likely spur more private equity activity.

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Boards Revisited: Michael Useem on the New Corporate Governance

Tue, 04 Feb 2014 11:21:26 GMT

In a discussion of his new book ’Boards That Lead: When to Take Charge When to Partner and When to Stay Out of the Way ’ co-author Michael Useem describes the expanded role of boards of directors – including Lenovo’s – in today’s more demanding corporate culture.

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Part II: The Obamacare Challenge for Employers - Employers with Less Than 50 Full-time Employees

Mon, 03 Feb 2014 15:19:20 GMT

The Affordable Care Act or Obamacare is dramatically changing how small- and mid-sized businesses must handle health care benefits.

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It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Charitable Organization Anymore

Fri, 31 Jan 2014 11:44:35 GMT

Innovation entrepreneurs and technology are recasting social impact as the lines separating philanthropy government and private enterprise blur.

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A Shaky Start for Stocks: ‘No Bull Market Moves in a Straight Line’

Tue, 28 Jan 2014 14:26:01 GMT

The stock market has had a rocky start in 2014 but Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel isn’t worried. There is still room to grow he says.

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Private Equity Confident about Brazil for 2014

Mon, 27 Jan 2014 15:51:20 GMT

Private equity investors are flocking to Brazil in the run-up to the World Cup games this year and the Olympics in 2016.

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Part I: The Obamacare Challenge for Employers - Employers with 50 or More Full-time Employees

Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:16:49 GMT

The Affordable Care Act — or Obamacare — is dramatically changing how small- and mid-sized businesses must handle health care benefits.

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How J.D. Power III Transformed the Auto Industry

Tue, 14 Jan 2014 15:04:50 GMT

In 1968 J.D. Power III took the radical step of soliciting customer feedback about cars through consumer surveys. In a recent interview Power discussed the company’s origins with Wharton’s John Paul MacDuffie.

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Bringing Israeli Innovation to Africa

Mon, 13 Jan 2014 14:43:49 GMT

Sivan Borowich-Ya’ari’s non-profit Innovation: Africa is bringing solar energy to remote villages in Africa which she says spurs the empowerment of women and improvements in education and health.

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Debora Spar on Women’s (Impossible) Quest for Perfection

Mon, 13 Jan 2014 13:28:26 GMT

In her book ”Wonder Women: Sex Power and the Quest for Perfection ” Barnard College president Debora Spar challenges the hyper-perfect image of “having it all.”

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Leadership Challenges at Johnson & Johnson

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 11:05:20 GMT

In a recent interview Alex Gorsky chairman and CEO of J&J talks about his management style approach to decision making and why humility is a key attribute for any leader.

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PwC’s Robert E. Moritz: ’Diverse Teams Give You the Best Thinking’

Tue, 24 Dec 2013 09:53:00 GMT

Robert E. Moritz chairman and senior partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP discusses the experiences that have shaped him as a leader and the importance of financial literacy in nurturing the next generation of leaders.

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Why Financial Markets Need Referees

Thu, 19 Dec 2013 10:58:50 GMT

Outgoing U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission head Gary Gensler talks about how the agency has created a regulatory regime to rein in yesterday’s excesses.

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Why Insurance Is the ‘Most Misunderstood Industry’

Wed, 18 Dec 2013 11:26:51 GMT

Two Wharton experts explain how the unique aspects of health care reform and flood insurance make it hard for consumers – and some insurers themselves – to understand the industry.

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Why the ’Electronic Nose’ Is Set to Revolutionize Health Care

Fri, 06 Dec 2013 12:22:23 GMT

A new sensor that can be embedded into your smartphone will smell your breath and tell you how many calories you’re burning in real-time. It sounds like a gadget out of a sci-fi movie but it has the potential to advance modern day health care.

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Malcolm Gladwell on the Advantages of Disadvantages

Tue, 03 Dec 2013 13:28:19 GMT

In his new bestseller ’David and Goliath: Underdogs Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants ’ Malcolm Gladwell challenges our fundamental assumptions about power.

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A Message for Entrepreneurs: ’Don’t Hesitate to Start’

Thu, 21 Nov 2013 13:57:39 GMT

Roni Einav one of Israel’s most successful software entrepreneurs believes in balancing instincts and education. You must not be afraid of making mistakes he tells Knowledge at Wharton.

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UST Global’s Sajan Pillai: Creating a New Era of ’Social Capital’

Wed, 20 Nov 2013 14:13:52 GMT

Sajan Pillai CEO of California-based IT company UST Global is trying to play a catalyst’s role in job creation in the U.S.

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KIPP’s Michael Feinberg on Closing the Worldwide Education Gap

Tue, 12 Nov 2013 13:44:17 GMT

Michael Feinberg co-founder of the Knowledge is Power Program -- better known as KIPP -- discusses the factors behind its success and how the organization has evolved.

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Why High Land Prices in China Are Not a Bubble

Tue, 05 Nov 2013 14:58:48 GMT

Land prices in China have been rising very rapidly. It will be difficult to maintain the pace but don’t expect a slump says Wharton’s Joseph Gyourko.

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‘Baby Bust’: Why Fewer Young People Expect to Become Parents

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 09:53:56 GMT

A new book by Stewart D. Friedman founding director of the Wharton Work/Life Integration Project reveals the surprising results of a 20-year study into men’s and women’s changing views on work and family.

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Is It Wrong for Shareholder Value to Rule Business Thinking?

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 11:54:21 GMT

Often shareholder value trumps all when it comes to measuring corporate success. But focusing too much on the short term can hurt a business over the long run says Wharton’s Eric W. Orts.

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’Mission in a Bottle’: Making Honest Tea

Mon, 28 Oct 2013 12:36:20 GMT

Honest Tea founders Seth Goldman and Barry Nalebuff discuss how they created a financially sustainable company that serves a mission.

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Emerging Markets Lose Their Punch

Tue, 22 Oct 2013 15:00:05 GMT

It’s been a good 10-year run for fast-growing emerging markets. But now many of them face severe economic imbalances and slowing growth.

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Clash of the Financial Titans

Tue, 15 Oct 2013 14:31:52 GMT

Two of the three winners of this year’s Nobel Prize in economics espouse theories that may appear to be polar opposites but Wharton’s Amir Yaron suggests they are in fact complementary.

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Former Revlon CEO Alan Ennis: Competing in a Market of Heavy Hitters

Fri, 11 Oct 2013 10:57:49 GMT

Former Revlon CEO Alan Ennis says the challenge today is reaching the right consumer at the right time.

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The Debt Ceiling: Can a Crisis Be Avoided?

Mon, 07 Oct 2013 13:53:24 GMT

President Obama and the Treasury Department have options available to help them avoid worst-case outcomes at least for the near term according to Wharton’s Franklin Allen.

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Was Jesus an Effective Leader? Insights from Reza Aslan’s ‘Zealot’

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 16:09:06 GMT

Reza Aslan’s new book ’Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth ’ paints Jesus as a revolutionary as well as a spiritual leader. Wharton professor G. Richard Shell talked with Aslan about Jesus’s leadership qualities.

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What Should I Do Next with My Life? New Ways to Define Success

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 13:53:44 GMT

Wharton professor G. Richard Shell’s new book Springboard: Launching Your Personal Search for Success encourages readers to embrace major transitions in life.

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Europe’s Recovery Will Be Slow

Wed, 18 Sep 2013 12:18:23 GMT

The eurozone’s economy has begun a fragile turnaround since European Central Bank head Mario Draghi announced late last year that the institution would do “whatever it takes” to backstop the euro.

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CommonBond’s Vision for Disrupting the Student Loan Market

Tue, 10 Sep 2013 12:35:40 GMT

A new start-up CommonBond is trying to revolutionize America’s student loan market by offering competitive loans via alumni investors.

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Private Equity Steps Up in Africa – Part II

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:23:35 GMT

This second part of a two-part podcast on the new face of private equity (PE) in Africa looks at the areas of the economy most ripe for growth and also at some business models that PE firms are pursuing.

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The Wilderness Foundation’s Andrew Muir: Creating Custodians for the Future

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 14:43:45 GMT

The executive director of the Wilderness Foundation discusses his organization’s success integrating social programs into its mission and the important role that conservation has to play in Africa’s economic development.

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Private Equity Steps Up in Africa -- Part I

Sun, 14 Jul 2013 11:24:00 GMT

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’Overbooked’: Elizabeth Becker on the Business of Travel

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:36:53 GMT

According to the United Nations tourism organization there were one billion international trips taken during 2012 alone. In a new book titled Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism journalist ElizabethBecker traces the history of tourism and points to the challenges facing the fast-growing industry which currently contributes $6.5 trillion to the world’s economy. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Becker discusses the role that both individuals and countries must play as the tourism industry undergoes significant change. (Podcast with transcript)

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’Innovation Prowess’: George S. Day on What Distinguishes Growth Leaders

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:36:43 GMT

How did IBM General Electric and other companies become growth leaders? Why is it that some companies lag behind -- and stay behind? Those are the questions that Wharton marketing professor George S. Day asks and answers in his book Innovation Prowess: Leadership Strategies for Accelerating Growth. Recently Day spoke with David Heckman practice leader senior management at the Wharton School’s Aresty Institute of Executive Education about why innovation prowess is the key to growth leadership. (Video with transcript)

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’The Righteous Mind’: Why Liberals and Conservatives Can’t Get Along

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:36:31 GMT

A Pew study last year confirmed that U.S. political partisanship has risen sharply. In the face of that trend is it possible for Democrats and Republicans to get along? Wharton professor Philip Tetlock recently spoke with Jonathan Haidt author of The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion to explore this question. Haidt breaks down why it is so hard for liberals and conservatives to understand one another and what can be done to change that. (Video with transcript)

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’Decisive’: Chip Heath on How to Make Better Choices

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:36:21 GMT

In Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work bestselling authors Chip Heath and Dan Heath argue that humans don’t have a particularly strong track record of making good choices -- whether it is about our careers business matters or our personal lives. Knowledge at Wharton recently had an opportunity to talk with Chip about how widening your options reality-testing your assumptions attaining distance before deciding and preparing to be wrong can make all the difference. (Podcast with transcript)

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‘Global Brand Power’: Barbara Kahn on How Branding Has Changed

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:36:13 GMT

According to Barbara Kahn director of the Jay H. Baker Retailing Center at Wharton the increasing popularity of social media has two implications for marketers: First customers now control the message and second companies must make sure that key elements of their brand can translate throughout the world. In a recent interview with Wharton MBA candidate Alexandra Idol Kahn discusses her new book Global Brand Power: Leveraging Branding for Long-Term Growth why the brand is a ”mechanism for growth” and how companies can become more customer focused. (Video with transcript)

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A Five-step Process That Can Help Social Enterprises Succeed

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:36:01 GMT

In their ebook The Social Entrepreneur’s Playbook Ian C. MacMillan a Wharton management professor and James Thompson director of the Wharton Social Enterprise Program offer specific suggestions to strengthen the effectiveness of social enterprises. In the second of a two-part interview the authors discuss how two African social enterprises -- one in the chicken feeds business and the other in the sanitation industry -- used a five-step process to maximize the social and business impact of their operations. (Video with transcript)

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How LEGO Stopped Thinking Outside the Box and Innovated Inside the Brick

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:35:50 GMT

LEGO has built a global empire and become a household name thanks to the interlocking bricks that its founders developed half a century ago. But the company almost went belly up in the early 2000s due to an innovation binge that took it too far away from what LEGO did best. In a new book Wharton practice professor David Robertson details how thinking too far ”outside the box” almost bankrupted LEGO -- and how the company found a winning formula by turning to innovation ”inside the brick.” (Video with transcript)

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Successful Change: The Challenge for Leaders

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:35:38 GMT

Studies put the failure rate of organizational change at 70% or higher. Yet managers face increasing pressure to implement change to meet short- and long-term goals. Gregory P. Shea and Cassie A. Solomon share their approach to dealing with this challenge in Leading Successful Change: 8 Keys to Making Change Work. Jeff Klein director of the Wharton Graduate Leadership Program recently spoke with the authors about why we are not as good at change as we need to be and how we can get better at it. (Video with transcript)

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’Simpler’: Cass Sunstein on the Future of Government

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 14:35:22 GMT

In the past few years the United States government has issued fewer regulations and worked to eliminate or improve existing ones. Cass R. Sunstein led many of these changes as administrator for the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. In his new book Simpler: The Future of Government Sunstein talks about how a more streamlined government can improve health lengthen lives and save money. Wharton operations and information management professor Katherine L. Milkman recently spoke with Sunstein about these changes and what the future holds. (Podcast with transcript)

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Why Social Entrepreneurs Should Pressure-test Their Ideas

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:15:44 GMT

Social entrepreneurs -- those who try to tackle major social problems such as poverty and disease while generating revenues -- are often well-meaning people. But in their desire to make a difference to society they sometimes fail to subject their ideas to rigorous tests. Ian MacMillan a professor of management at Wharton and James Thompson who leads the Wharton Social Enterprise Program have just published an ebook titled The Social Entrepreneur’s Playbook to help entrepreneurs do just that. (Video with transcript)

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The ’Forward-looking’ CFO: Linking Financial Rigor with Leadership

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:01:44 GMT

Global organizations operating in the contemporary business landscape need to tightly link financial rigor and strategic insight. Increasingly senior financial executives are playing influential roles in strategy development and implementation working closely with the CEO and the board to creatively assess and design growth opportunities. The question is: Are CFOs prepared to move beyond the number-crunching function to act and lead in this capacity? Wharton’s Jason Wingard and John Percival discuss this and other issues.

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Encore Careers: Why an Aging Population Is a Resource Not a Problem

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:57:58 GMT

Many people in the Western world used to anticipate retiring in their 50s or 60s. Now they are embarking on new ”encore” careers at the very time when they might have previously been expected to begin a life of leisure. Marci Alboher author of The Encore Career Handbook: How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life spoke to Wharton professor Stewart Friedman about second -- and even third -- acts. (Video with transcript)

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White House Black Market’s Donna Noce on the Power of Personalized Customer Relationships

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:57:58 GMT

Donna Noce entered college with the intent to major in veterinary medicine. But when a part-time job at a local retail store led to the chance to try her hand as a fashion buyer she became hooked on the retail industry. For the past six years Noce has been president of White House Black Market a retail chain that sells designs focused around the classic color combination. In this interview with Knowledge at Wharton Noce drew on more than three decades of experience to discuss what has changed in the fashion business -- and what hasn’t. (Video with transcript)

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TechStars’ Brad Feld: A Startup Community Needs a 20-year Time Horizon

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:20:37 GMT

Brad Feld sold his Boston startup and moved to Boulder Colo. in 1995. The city already had a bustling entrepreneurial community and Feld was soon in the thick of things. He co-founded Mobius Venture Capital and earlier Intensity Ventures a company that helped launch software companies. More recently he co-founded two early-stage venture capital firms -- the Foundry Group and TechStars -- which provide seed funding and angel investors. A startup community has to tap its ”natural resources ” he says in this Knowledge at Wharton interview. Feld is also the author of several books including Startup Communities: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Your City. (Podcast with transcript)

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Using Community Libraries to Create Social Change in Rural South Asia

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:54:10 GMT

READ Global an international non-profit that uses community libraries as a platform for creating social change in rural villages throughout India Bhutan and Nepal is the winner of the second annual Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize awarded to an organization that is creating social impact through leadership and innovation. Wharton administers the prize on behalf of the University of Pennsylvania. Michael Useem director of Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change Management recently interviewed Tina Sciabica executive director of READ Global. (Video with transcript)

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Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff: Pulling Back the Veil on the Housing Market

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:21:13 GMT

Online real estate marketplace Zillow has brought to home buying and selling what a previous generation of travel websites provided to shoppers wanting to compare the prices of hotels rental cars and airline flights -- transparency. But finding data that is reliable across the board can be difficult according to Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff. And the key is not just simply to offer the information Rascoff said during a recent conversation with Knowledge at Wharton and Wharton real estate professor Susan Wachter; it’s about the level of accuracy gained from the various sub-models the company’s software incorporates. (Video with transcript)

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Givers vs. Takers: The Surprising Truth about Who Gets Ahead

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:19:46 GMT

A colleague asks you for feedback on a report. A LinkedIn connection requests an introduction to one of your key contacts. A recent graduate would like an informational interview. New research from Wharton management professor Adam Grant reveals that how you respond to these requests may be a decisive indicator of where you’ll end up on the ladder of professional success. Grant recently spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about his findings which are explored in his new book Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success. (Video with transcript)

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Watch for Private Equity Inflows into Pioneer Markets to Grow Further in 2013

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:22:54 GMT

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Humana’s CEO on Obamacare: ’We’re Concerned About What We Don’t Know’

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:31:41 GMT

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- better known as Obamacare -- was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010. Since then it has generated enormous amounts of debate controversy and uncertainty. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Bruce Broussard president and CEO of Humana the fourth-largest health care insurance group offers his take on Obamacare and the challenges -- and opportunities -- it presents to health care stakeholders. (Video with transcript)

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Why Mindfulness and Meditation Are Good for Business

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:31:41 GMT

In a world focused on increased productivity and instant gratification it’s hard to imagine that businesspeople have much time for meditation. But huge corporations -- including Google Monsanto Hearst and National Grid --have discovered the benefits of meditation at work including improved teamwork more effective decision-making and lower levels of employee stress. In this interview with Knowledge at Wharton Mirabai Bush co-founder of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society spoke with Katherine Klein vice dean of Wharton’s Social Impact Initiative about the benefits of contemplative thinking. (Podcast with transcript)

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’Contagious’: Jonah Berger on Why Things Catch On

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:11:21 GMT

If you have watched and shared PSY’s ”Gangnam Style” video or gone into an unknown restaurant simply because it was full of people and appeared to be popular you have the basis for understanding what makes things go viral. Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger’s new book Contagious: Why Things Catch On distills six principles that cause people to talk about and share an idea or product. (Video with transcript)

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Tracie McMillan on the ’American Way of Eating’

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:50:41 GMT

To report on food sourcing and access in the United States author Tracie McMillan went undercover picking garlic in the fields in California and working at a Walmart in Michigan and an Applebee’s in New York. She published a book about what she learned from these experiences called The American Way of Eating. Knowledge at Wharton recently spoke with McMillan about how income level affects food consumption who controls the food we eat and why the food system might be transformed if people threw away less food. (Podcast with transcript)

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Steven Ujifusa on William Francis Gibbs and His Ships

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:50:03 GMT

Named one of The Wall Street Journal’s top 10 nonfiction books of 2012 Steven Ujifusa’s A Man and His Ship: America’s Greatest Naval Architect and His Quest to Build the SS United States brings William Francis Gibbs’ story to life. Wharton legal studies and business ethics professor G. Richard Shell recently sat down with Ujifusa to learn more about what inspired the author to tell Gibbs’ story what led Gibbs to build ships and how the builder’s firm became responsible for 70% of all ships built during World War II. (Video with transcript)

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Michael Mauboussin on the ’Success Equation’

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:48:51 GMT

How do we know which of our successes and failures can be attributed to either skill or luck? That is the question that investment strategist Michael J. Mauboussin explores in his book The Success Equation: Untangling Skill and Luck in Business Sports and Investing. Wharton management professor Adam M. Grant recently sat down with Mauboussin to talk about the paradox of skill the conditions for luck and how to avoid overconfidence. (Video with transcript)

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Daniel Pink on Why ’To Sell Is Human’

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:48:41 GMT

Whether you are an educator an art director or a project manager you are in sales. So argues bestselling author Daniel Pink in his new book To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth about Moving Others. Pink recently visited the University of Pennsylvania as a guest lecturer in the Authors@Wharton series. Wharton management professor Adam M. Grant interviewed Pink while he was there to learn more about the ideas in his book including why consumers mistrust salespeople what the new ABCs of selling are and why questions may be the greatest selling tool. (Video with transcript)

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Why Long-term Debt Solutions Require a Break from Sequestered Thinking

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:13:57 GMT

With the spotlight on U.S. budget cuts a timely book looks at the unique nature of the country’s debt and the options available to avoid hitting the debt ceiling. Is U.S. Government Debt Different? -- a collection of 15 articles published by the Wharton Financial Institutions Center -- is co-edited by Wharton finance professor Franklin Allen who shares insights from the book with Knowledge at Wharton. (Video with transcript)

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Jeremy Siegel on Why Stocks Are -- and Will Remain -- the Best Bet

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:13:57 GMT

Though stock market volatility continues to rattle investors’ nerves the future looks bright for equities in the U.S. and many emerging markets according to Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Siegel says that investors should think about reducing their bond holdings buying more stocks and keeping just enough cash for a rainy day and other liquidity needs. He also discusses the housing market and offers his take on where the stock market is headed for the rest of 2013. (Video with transcript)

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Anne-Marie Slaughter: Forget ’Having It All’ -- Own What You Want

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:55:45 GMT

When Princeton professor Anne-Marie Slaughter published an essay in The Atlantic titled ”Why Women Still Can’t Have It All ” in July 2012 she touched a nerve across generations and set off a renewed public debate on women’s progress and work-life balance. In an interview with Stewart Friedman director of the Wharton Work/Life Integration Project Slaughter shares what it was like to draw back the curtain on her life as someone perceived to ”have it all” and suggests how companies can make life better for both women and men. (Video with transcript)

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Tyco’s Ed Breen: During a Crisis ’Spend a Lot of Time on the Big Swings’

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:55:45 GMT

In a career spanning 34 years Edward Breen has faced many difficult situations perhaps none as challenging as his most recent assignment -- CEO of Tyco International -- which he took on when the company was facing bankruptcy. In an interview with Wharton management professor Michael Useem Breen who just stepped down from Tyco talks about the importance of knowing when and how to make the ”bold big decisions ” mentoring and always raising your hand for assignments among other topics. (Video with transcript)

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A Bold New Direction for Japan’s Economy

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:55:45 GMT

Newly elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to take Japan’s economy in a daring new direction to end 20 years of stagnation and deflation. His policies resemble past efforts -- but with far more firepower behind them. That means even looser monetary policies and a sharp rise in government spending to boost demand. Some analysts say it’s just the medicine Japan needs and on the spending side at least the opposite of what Europe and the U.S. are doing. But Wharton finance professor Franklin Allen in an interview with Knowledge at Wharton says the plan carries serious risks and could lead to a big meltdown. (Video with transcript)

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Watch for Private Equity in 2013 to Mirror 2012

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:03:16 GMT

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How Manu Chandaria Mastered the African Market

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:51:29 GMT

Africa is the next frontier for global business presenting a rare growth opportunity in a stagnant world. But navigating this complex continent with more than 1 billion people can be exceedingly difficult and many businesses have failed to make a lasting impression in the region. Kenyan business tycoon Manu Chandaria chairman and CEO of the multi-billion dollar privately held Comcraft Group explains in an interview with Knowledge at Wharton how he mastered the African market and how others can follow his lead. (Video with transcript)

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Up in the Cloud: Hype and High Expectations for Cloud Computing

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:25:48 GMT

Cloud computing is creating waves in different industries across the developed world helping both entrepreneurs and large conglomerates quickly respond to opportunities and manage their business processes more effectively. A recent survey by Knowledge at Wharton and enterprise software firm SAP reveals that people have very high expectations for the future of cloud computing; at the same time they admit that they don’t fully understand the technology. Knowledge at Wharton spoke with David Spencer vice president at SAP and Don Huesman managing director at the Wharton Innovation Group to clarify questions surrounding the future of cloud computing. (Podcast with transcript)

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For the Global Economy in 2013 Happy Days Are Not Quite Here Again

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:25:48 GMT

Although the global economy is in better shape than it was during the worst days of the 2008-2009 financial crisis don’t expect to see a dramatic turnaround in 2013 say Wharton professors Mauro Guillen and Kent Smetters. In separate interviews with Knowledge at Wharton they discuss some of the challenges that the U.S. Europe China and emerging markets such as Brazil and India are facing going into the New Year. (Video with transcript)

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Maneet Ahuja on Hedge Funds and the ’Alpha Masters’

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 11:42:57 GMT

Maneet Ahuja began her career at age 17 as a credit risk analyst at Citigroup. Now 10 years later she has been named to the Forbes 2012 ”30 under 30” list is a producer for CNBC’s Squawk Box and has written a new book called The Alpha Masters: Unlocking the Genius of the World’s Top Hedge Funds. Knowledge at Wharton recently talked with her about the alpha masters she profiled in her book and about where she thinks the hedge fund industry is headed. (Video with transcript)

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Gretchen Rubin’s Search for Happiness

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 11:42:46 GMT

Are you happy? Could you be happier? Gretchen Rubin was already ”pretty happy” when she asked herself these very questions. In search of the answers she started her own pursuit of happiness which eventually became a New York Times bestseller titled The Happiness Project. She has now written a second book called Happier at Home. Knowledge at Wharton recently spoke with Rubin about why happy people work more hours each week how to make and keep happiness resolutions and how to ward off the three happiness leeches. (Video with transcript)

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Barry Schwartz’s ’Practical Wisdom’

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 11:42:33 GMT

Swarthmore professor Barry Schwartz says rules and incentives are an ”insurance policy against disaster but [they don’t] produce excellence.” In his recent book Practical Wisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing Schwartz and co-author Kenneth Sharpe also a Swarthmore professor say that what is needed is not more bureaucracy. Instead society needs the Aristotelian ideal that trumps all others -- practical wisdom. Knowledge at Wharton recently discussed with Schwartz why individuals fail to do the right thing what practical wisdom looks like in practice and what organizations can do to regain people’s trust. (Video with transcript)

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’The Corner Office’: Adam Bryant on the Five Qualities of Successful Leaders

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 11:42:18 GMT

New York Times editor Adam Bryant has interviewed more than 200 CEOs for his Corner Office column. In his book The Corner Office: Indispensable and Unexpected Lessons from CEOs on How to Lead and Succeed Bryant shares what he has learned from Xerox CEO Ursula Burns Ford CEO Alan R. Mulally Yum Brands CEO David C. Novak Teach for America CEO Wendy Kopp Zynga co-founder Mark Pincus and other leaders. Knowledge at Wharton recently sat down with Bryant to discuss five qualities of successful leaders the age-old question of whether leaders are born or made and how his discussions with CEOs have influenced his own approach to leadership. (Video with transcript)

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’Makers’: Chris Anderson on DIY Manufacturing

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 11:42:09 GMT

Just as the Internet enabled anyone with a computer to become an entrepreneur today’s newest technologies have spawned a DIY (do it yourself) micro-manufacturing movement so anyone can be both inventor and manufacturer. Wired editor Chris Anderson author of the new book Makers: The New Industrial Revolution recently spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about how technology is changing the limits of what inventors can do what the Maker Movement is why he started DIY Drones and how the new technologies will drive the global economy. (Audio with transcript)

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’Kill the Company’: Identify Your Weaknesses Before Your Competitors Do

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 11:42:03 GMT

For many implementing an innovation strategy which requires changes within an organization means adding layers of new processes. Lisa Bodell author of Kill the Company: End the Status Quo Start an Innovation Revolution argues that there are straightforward ways to make change without bogging down the organization. Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Bodell recently about her approach to getting companies to face their vulnerabilities why taking risks is essential and why small changes make all the difference. (Video with transcript)

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’For the Win’: How Gamification Can Transform Your Business

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 15:03:01 GMT

Can work be fun? Can the insights of successful game designers be used to engage customers in a variety of industries? Wharton legal studies and business ethics professor Kevin Werbach and New York Law School professor Dan Hunter authors of For the Win: How Game Thinking Can Revolutionize Your Business say yes. Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Werbach and Hunter about what gamification really is how companies are using it and what pitfalls to avoid when gamifying. (Video with transcript)

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Social TV: People Are Talking -- How Marketers Should Listen

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 15:03:01 GMT

Television networks and advertisers alike are using social media to build buzz about programs and products -- but are their efforts really resulting in increased sales or higher ratings? Wharton professor Shawndra Hill is taking to Twitter and the airwaves in an effort to figure out how marketers should best employ user-generated content in trying to get consumers to pay attention to their products or to make solid recommendations to existing fans. (Video with transcript)

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One Organization’s Fight against Hunger -- and Why Victory Is So Elusive

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:50:18 GMT

Bill Clark’s job only gets harder. As executive director of Philabundance a Philadelphia area hunger relief organization he has this to say about today’s food crisis: ”The hunger that used to exist in inner cities or rural areas like Appalachia has leapt beyond those pockets into the middle and working classes. I don’t think there is a zip code in the country today that is totally devoid of hunger.” Clark talks about the challenges Philabundance faces at a time when natural disasters cutbacks in social programs and unusually high unemployment have created a ”tremendous” unmet need. (Podcast with transcript)

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Why America Is Losing the Race for Entrepreneurial Talent

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:50:18 GMT

In 2005 immigrant entrepreneurs launched 52% of all startups in Silicon Valley. But today the number has dropped to 44% and America is not only losing the opportunity to create new jobs but also losing its competitive edge argues Vivek Wadhwa in his book The Immigrant Exodus: Why America Is Losing the Global Race to Capture Entrepreneurial Talent. In the 1980s skilled immigrants could get green cards in as little as 18 months but today it can take as long as 17 years. Failure to fix this problem says Wadhwa in an interview is killing American innovation. (Video with transcript)

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MOOCs on the Move: How Coursera Is Disrupting the Traditional Classroom

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:55:36 GMT

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are shaking up traditional models of education. Among the most active providers of them today is Coursera a start-up that presents some 200 courses to 1.5 million students in collaboration with 33 educational institutions including the University of Pennsylvania. But how does Coursera deal with challenges such as scaling up the venture increasing student retention rates and monetizing free content? Knowledge at Wharton talked with Daphne Koller co-founder of Coursera during her recent visit to campus.

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Private Equity — Holding Steady Readying a Growth Stage

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 14:40:01 GMT

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GM’s Daniel Ammann: Driving ’One of the Great Corporate Transformations of All Time’

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:23:19 GMT

The theme of the recent 2012 Wharton Management Conference -- ”Changing the Game: Leadership in Crisis” -- is an apt one for the auto industry. Daniel Ammann CFO of General Motors addressed leadership issues in a keynote presentation at the conference and in a podcast with Wharton’s John Paul MacDuffie during which he discussed upcoming product launches the struggling auto industry in Europe and a strong partnership in China. (Podcast with transcript)

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How Is the U.S. Doing in the ’Global Bandwidth Race’?

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:23:18 GMT

The worldwide competition for bandwidth ”is like the space race where the winner will see benefits ... that will last for years to come ” according to Julius Genachowski chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In an interview with Wharton’s Kevin Werbach Genachowski says that while the U.S. is leading the world in terms of developing infrastructure for the next generation of mobile broadband the country faces ”some real challenges” in keeping ahead. (Video with transcript)

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Banco Santander’s Huge Mexican IPO: Why It’s a ’Smart Move’ During Troubled Times

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:09:11 GMT

Last week Spanish bank Banco Santander announced plans to use the recent strong financial performance of its Mexican unit as leverage to raise $4.3 billion in a stock offering -- the largest ever in Mexico’s history. Part of a longer-term expansion plan in Latin America the move is also designed to signal to financial markets that the bank has high growth potential outside of its troubled home markets in Spain and the eurozone. In an interview Wharton’s Mauro Guillen and Adrian Tschoegl authors of a book about the bank discuss how the deal fits in with Santander’s master plan. (Video with transcript)

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The Apple-Samsung Case: What It Means for Patents -- and Innovation

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 15:41:42 GMT

A California jury awarded Apple what could be a decisive victory in the smartphone wars last week by ruling that Samsung infringed on a number of patents relating to the functionality and design of the iPhone. Samsung plans to appeal but Apple is now calling for a ban on U.S. sales of some of the devices at issue in the case. Some observers believe the verdict might open the door for additional Apple lawsuits against other smartphone makers -- including Google. Wharton professors David Hsu and Andrea Matwyshyn discuss the key players the future of smartphone design and the U.S. patent system. (Podcast with transcript)

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The Dark Side of Microfinance: An Industry Where the Poor Play ’Cameo Roles’

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:14:25 GMT

Hugh Sinclair is the author of a new book titled Confessions of a Microfinance Heretic: How Microlending Lost Its Way and Betrayed the Poor in which he debunks the image of microfinance as a do-good industry committed to helping poor people create sustainable businesses. Instead he documents corruption extortionist interest rates and a lack of transparency that he says characterize much of the microfinance industry today. Sinclair spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about his book the problems microfinance continues to face and some solutions for moving forward. (Podcast with transcript)

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GM’s Steve Girsky on Renewed Customer Focus Overcapacity and the Volt

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:41:52 GMT

Stephen J. Girsky vice chairman of General Motors says the company has a new emphasis on the customer even as it faces such challenges as industry-wide overcapacity strong competition from rivals both in the U.S. and Europe and slower-than-expected sales of the Volt. Wharton management professor John Paul MacDuffie asked Girsky to talk about these issues and others shortly before Girsky’s presentation at the recent Wharton Leadership Conference. (Podcast with transcript)

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Jugaad: A Frugal Flexible Approach to Innovation

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:34:29 GMT

In their book Jugaad Innovation: Think Frugal Be Flexible Generate Breakthrough Growth authors Navi Radjou Jaideep Prabhu and Simone Ahuja present a new approach to innovation that is fueling growth in emerging markets as well as developed ones. Radjou and Ahuja recently sat down with Knowledge at Wharton to talk about the six principles of jugaad a Hindi word meaning ”an improvised solution born from ingenuity.” (Podcast with transcript)

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’Creating Innovators’: Raising Young People Who Will Change the World

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:34:14 GMT

Leading thinkers from President Barack Obama to Thomas Friedman argue that innovation is key to improving the United States economy now and in the future. If that is the case how do we prepare young people to become innovators? That is the question Tony Wagner Harvard University’s first innovation education fellow at the Technology & Entrepreneurship Center asks in his new book Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World. To find the answers Wagner profiles several young innovators drawing on interviews with them and their parents educators and mentors to discover the forces that have driven them to succeed in thinking outside the box. (Podcast with transcript)

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Why Good People Can’t Get Jobs: Chasing After the ’Purple Squirrel’

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:53:13 GMT

Wharton management professor Peter Cappelli’s most recent book -- Why Good People Can’t Get Jobs: The Skills Gap and What Companies Can Do About It -- has inspired a reaction from just about every group with a stake in today’s workforce: employers employees recruiters academics and media commentators. Cappelli debunks the oft-repeated argument from employers that applicants don’t have the skills needed for today’s jobs. Instead he puts much of the blame on companies themselves. In this interview with Knowledge at Wharton Cappelli talks about his book the current labor market and how the job hunting process can be vastly improved. (Podcast with transcript)

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Emerging Gabon Hinges on Services Industry and the Environment

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:14:40 GMT

Gabon is one of the stable regimes in the African continent and leaders there have a vision of progress based on being both business- and environment-friendly. Liban Soleman is the president’s chief of staff of the government of Gabon. In this interview with Knowledge at Wharton Soleman says there is enormous opportunity for investors in Gabon and in Africa as a whole. (Article with audio)

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Private Equity Heads Down a New Path

Thu, 31 May 2012 20:22:46 GMT

The general approach towards private equity investments has shifted substantially in part to conform with the tougher market conditions prevailing after the financial shocks of the last few years. Gone are the days of earning profits largely through financial engineering and rapid portfolio turnover. In their place — business transformation — where investors park their money for longer terms and generally rebuild under-performing companies. Wharton professor Stephen M. Sammut and Philip Bass global private equity markets leader at Ernst & Young LLP discuss the new landscape in this Knowledge at Wharton podcast. They also take a look at the similarities — and differences — between private equity specialists and entrepreneurs. Ernst & Young: Private Equity Heads Down a New Path

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What Hollande’s Election Means for the Eurozone

Wed, 09 May 2012 15:49:08 GMT

In the aftermath of the election of Socialist Francois Hollande as the new president of France eurozone austerity policies in Europe which many now blame for pushing much of the Continent back into recession appear likely to be loosened. At the same time at least some complementary growth-oriented policies may be introduced. Big questions remain however: What will these changes look like and how much difference will they make? (Article with podcast)

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How Emotional Intelligence Helps the Bottom Line

Thu, 03 May 2012 14:35:39 GMT

In this third and final segment of the interview with Chade-Meng Tan best selling author of Search Inside Yourself Knowledge at Wharton explores the relationship between emotional intelligence and financial performance. According to Meng companies as diverse as GE Patagonia Zappos Genentech American Express and MetLife have seen positive business results through practices based on emotional intelligence. Mindfulness can also help laid off job seekers find work faster.

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How Emotional Intelligence Can Help Resolve Conflicts and Build Tough Kind Leaders

Thu, 03 May 2012 14:35:33 GMT

The second segment of Knowledge at Wharton’s interview with Google’s Chade-Meng Tan author of Search Inside Yourself focuses on the role that emotional intelligence can play in helping managers resolve conflicts within high-performance teams. It also shows how the Google SIY program through compassion training has helped managers become more successful and charismatic.

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Google’s Chade-Meng Tan Wants You to Search Inside Yourself for Inner (and World) Peace

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:51:05 GMT

Chade-Meng Tan (Meng) was among the earliest engineers to be hired at Google. Since 2007 he has been running a seven-week personal growth program called Search Inside Yourself whose mission is to promote peace and harmony through the cultivation of emotional intelligence among Google employees. Meng has now written a book titled Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success Happiness (and World Peace) to share these tools and techniques with companies everywhere. He spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about his conspiracy for world peace. (Podcast with transcript)

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Jon Huntsman Jr. on Republican Politics the U.S. Economy and China’s Transition

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:51:05 GMT

According to Jon Huntsman Jr. former Utah governor and Republican presidential candidate ”partisanship has seeped into campaigning [so much] that breaking through with a message that is beyond party politics ... is a very challenging thing to do.” Yet in an interview with Knowledge at Wharton he spoke about the importance of public service as well as the need for fundamental tax and energy reform the outlook for China in the coming decade the role of the media in covering elections his respect for Ronald Reagan and what he plans to do in the coming months among other topics. (Podcast with transcript)

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Health Care Reform: Life after the Supreme Court Debate

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:27:58 GMT

The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard arguments both for and against President Obama’s health care reform initiative known as the Affordable Care Act. The provision at the center of the legal debate -- the individual mandate -- requires all adults to buy health insurance either through their employers or by purchasing it themselves. Knowledge at Wharton talked with Wharton professors Scott Harrington Jonathan Kolstad Mark Pauly and Arnold Rosoff about the possible outcomes of the court case; the potential implications for businesses and consumers and ways in which health care delivery in this country can be improved. (Video with transcript)

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Does It Make Sense to Have an Industrial Policy? Ask Howard Pack

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:27:58 GMT

Whenever an industry runs into trouble -- and especially when it starts hemorrhaging jobs -- demands for support and subsidies are heard. But does having an industrial policy really make sense? According to Howard Pack a professor of business and public policy at Wharton an interventionist government policy generally plays a limited role in bringing about an improvement. In fact he adds government interventions can sometimes lead to harmful results. (Podcast with transcript)

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The Creative Destruction of Medicine Will Happen -- If Consumers Demand It

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:57:35 GMT

In his new book The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How the Digital Revolution Will Create Better Health Care Eric Topol argues that medicine is set to undergo its biggest shakeup in history pushed by demanding consumers and the availability of game-changing technology. Topol -- a cardiologist director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute and co-founder of the West Wireless Health Institute in La Jolla Calif. -- was recently interviewed for Knowledge at Wharton by C. William Hanson III director surgical intensive care at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. (Podcast with transcript)

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’Restorative Niches’: Author Susan Cain on the Need for ’Quiet’

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:57:08 GMT

Business leaders often look to social activities to generate ideas and innovation from group collaboration and brainstorming to large meetings and open-format offices. Those who are highly verbal bold and outgoing often thrive in these environments. In Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking author Susan Cain challenges the ”Extrovert Ideal” and many common business practices in which the ideas and leadership potential of introverts are often overlooked. Among the researchers she cites is Wharton management professor Adam Grant who recently interviewed Cain for Knowledge at Wharton. (Podcast with transcript)

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Christine Lagarde: Emerging Market Nations Will Get More Power in the IMF

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:04:53 GMT

Christine Lagarde managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) sees no alternative to the strict austerity policies being imposed on many peripheral European countries says the double dip recessions in Italy and Ireland just announced come as no surprise and notes that IMF reforms will shift 6% of current quotas to dynamic emerging and developing countries. Lagarde’s comments came in an exclusive interview with Knowledge at Wharton and media partner ParisTech Review late last week as BRIC countries demanded more voting power in return for the larger financial contributions being requested by the IMF. (Podcast with transcript)

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Channeling Sports: A Conversation with ESPN Founder Bill Rasmussen

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:01:53 GMT

When Bill Rasmussen launched ESPN on September 7 1979 he gave the world its first 24-hour television network and changed the way people viewed both television and sports. His innovations include the creation of ”Sports Center ” wall-to-wall coverage of NCAA regular-season and March Madness college basketball and coverage of the College World Series baseball tournament. Rasmussen who wrote a book titled Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN talked with Knowledge at Wharton about the challenges of founding a 24/7 sports network in the face of nearly universal skepticism what entrepreneurs need to succeed and why he doesn’t ever plan to retire. (Video with transcript)

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Market Update: A Real Recovery or a False Start?

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:01:57 GMT

The Dow has hit its highest level in years loan rates are at record lows and the U.S. economy appears to be gaining momentum. Even the housing market is starting to look inviting. But is this a real recovery -- or a false start like last year’s? Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel and Scott Richard think the economy is showing signs of a true rebound and predict that stocks should do well in the next 12 months. But bonds they warn are in dangerous waters and economic growth will be in jeopardy if oil prices keep rising and the European credit crisis worsens. (Video with transcript)

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In Fashion: How Liz Claiborne Inc. Became One of the Industry’s Biggest Successes

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:55:41 GMT

Jerome Chazen a founder and former chairman of Liz Claiborne Inc. recently wrote a book titled My Life at Liz Claiborne: How We Broke the Rules and Built the Largest Fashion Company in the World. Indeed Liz Claiborne -- now known as Fifth & Pacific Cos. -- grew from revenues of $7 million in 1977 to more than $2 billion in the early 1990s. Knowledge at Wharton asked Chazen who stepped down as CEO in 1996 to discuss the highs and lows of running a successful fashion business in a highly competitive industry. (Podcast with transcript)

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Author Pico Iyer: Seeking Stillness and Silence in the Rush of Business Life

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:42:30 GMT

Pico Iyer -- essayist author and thinker -- has a unique perspective on many things. His physical domain ranges from California (where he lived as a child) and England (where he studied) to Cuba North Korea and Ethiopia (which he visited) and Japan (where he resides). His mental domain knows no limiting boundaries. In this interview with Wharton associate dean Deirdre Woods and Knowledge at Wharton Iyer discusses the value of silence amid the rush of business. If we spend too much time in the MTV rhythm says Iyer we won’t be able to cultivate the parts of us that need more slowness. (Podcast with transcript)

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Flipping the Switch: Who Is Responsible for Getting Employees to Take a Break?

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:29:43 GMT

In the new world of work 5:30 p.m. is far from the end of the day. Smartphones and laptop computers -- devices that ostensibly enable us to work faster more efficiently and more flexibly -- have become 24/7 intravenous hookups to our jobs. Fearing employee burnout from being ”always on ” a number of firms have recently instituted initiatives requiring workers to take breaks and switch off their gadgets. But do such blanket policies really make a difference? Who is responsible for ensuring that employees maintain a healthy work/life balance?

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Google’s New Privacy Policy: When Consumers’ Worlds Collide the Company Stands to Profit

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:29:43 GMT

On March 1 Google plans to toss out more than 60 different privacy policies and consolidate its services under a single set of guidelines. The harmonization will remove separation between Google products meaning that the company will be able to use data it collects from users in one area across all of its platforms. While this move has sparked concerns about privacy Wharton experts note that it also makes business sense for Google which is trying to compete in a tech sector where success often hinges on firms’ ability to leverage and monetize the data trails consumers leave online.

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What’s Wrong with This Picture: Kodak’s 30-year Slide into Bankruptcy

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:41:52 GMT

When new technologies change the world some companies are caught off-guard. Others see change coming and are able to adapt in time. And then there are companies like Kodak -- which saw the future and simply couldn’t figure out what to do. Kodak’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on January 19 culminates a long series of missteps including a fear of introducing new technologies that would disrupt its highly profitable film business.

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Post SOPA What Is the Next Frontier for Internet Copyright Protection?

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:41:52 GMT

The Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act bills aimed at curbing Internet piracy sparked polarizing debate including some websites going dark in protest. Both pieces of legislation have been shelved but the core issues remain unresolved. The overriding question is how to regulate the Internet enough to protect intellectual property while not violating individual freedoms and curbing innovation. Wharton faculty members clarify the issues and offer ideas about how they can be addressed.

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IBM’s Sam Palmisano: ’Always Put the Enterprise Ahead of the Individual’

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:33:22 GMT

As far as a legacy goes says IBM chairman Sam Palmisano ”I just want to leave the company better than I found it.” Judging by IBM’s successes over the past decade Palmisano who was CEO of IBM until he stepped down earlier this month did just that. During an interview with Wharton management professor Michael Useem Palmisano discussed the sale of the company’s personal computer business the PricewaterhouseCoopers acquisition how a big company can encourage innovation and what he learned from his mentors among other observations drawn from almost 40 years at IBM.

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Under New Leadership Will Yahoo Find Its Way?

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:33:22 GMT

When Scott Thompson was named Yahoo’s new CEO effective January 9 he became the fourth person in five years to take charge of the ailing Internet giant. Experts at Wharton say that Thompson who was previously president of eBay’s PayPal unit might be Yahoo’s last hope for becoming relevant again as a player in online display advertising a market which the media company once dominated. But his main challenge they say is the same as his predecessors’: Define what Yahoo wants to be.

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Short-sighted Frugality? Employers Who Rein in Compensation Too Much Could Pay a Price Later

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:33:22 GMT

As economic malaise bleeds into another New Year many employers are making hard-nosed decisions about benefits and compensation. That means salaries remain flat health care premiums are up the 401(k) match has disappeared and bonuses are smaller or nonexistent. The result not surprisingly is a dissatisfied workforce. Yet as Wharton professors and other experts warn excess frugality on employers’ part could backfire in the long run.

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Don’t Mention It: How ’Undiscussables’ Can Undermine an Organization

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:06:34 GMT

Recent high-profile scandals at Penn State MF Global Holdings Olympus and elsewhere raise questions about why organizations often fail to address significant internal problems that at best impede performance and at worst could have devastating effects. In hindsight especially to observers it is clear what should have been done. But for employees exposing such problems is more complicated than telling right from wrong say experts at Wharton and elsewhere.

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Seven Top Leaders on Making Tough Calls and Serving for the Greater Good

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:55:26 GMT

What makes a great leader? At a recent event the seven winners of this year’s Top American Leaders Award from the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard’s Kennedy School and Washington Post Live shared personal observations on how they came by the passion that inspires their work -- and on what irks them about public life. Common in all their views is that leadership is about serving more than one’s self.

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The Customer Lifetime Value Equation: Will It Pay Off for Tech Companies?

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:00:31 GMT

Amazon will lose money on each Kindle Fire it sells. Sprint is not expected to turn a profit selling Apple’s iPhone for at least three years. Both companies are banking on customer lifetime value (CLV) a marketing formula based on the idea of spending money up front to gain customers whose loyalty will reap rewards over the long term. The model is becoming more and more popular among technology companies and as software companies increasingly turn to subscription-based business models through cloud computing CLV will become an even larger issue according to Wharton experts.

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Will a Eurozone Recession Put a Damper on the World’s Fragile Economic Recovery?

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:00:31 GMT

If large parts of Europe fall into a recession as many experts are predicting it is likely to have negative although varied effects on economies around the world. As European leaders hammer out yet another package of solutions this week Wharton faculty weigh in on the impact of a eurozone recession as well as the pros and cons of the recovery measures that are up for debate.

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A Conversation with Outlier Malcolm Gladwell

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:05:51 GMT

While millions of people have read Malcolm Gladwell’s books his ideas have had particular resonance with today’s business leaders. Wharton management professor Peter Cappelli and Gladwell were just named to HR Magazine’s Top 20 Most Influential International Thinkers of 2011.Cappelli spoke with Gladwell by phone about why Gladwell is an ”academic groupie ” the inconvenient truths that can spring from scholarly research and how important decisions -- like going to war or dealing with today’s economy -- might be dealt with differently if we were to draw on the ”extraordinary wisdom” of universities.

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Is Going to College Worth the Investment?

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:21:51 GMT

The value of a college education is under attack. While more U.S. students are enrolled than ever before a perfect storm of soaring costs rising student debt and shrinking job prospects have led more and more critics to challenge whether college remains a worthwhile investment for students. Knowledge at Wharton spoke to experts at Wharton and elsewhere to examine both sides of a debate that is growing increasingly loud.

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Is It Time for a Trading Tax?

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:21:51 GMT

To its advocates the idea is a no-brainer: Charge a tiny tax on each stock bond or derivative trade to raise badly needed revenue discourage dangerous short-term speculation and make Wall Street help clean up its own mess. But critics of the financial transaction tax concept say that it would actually make markets less efficient hurting ordinary investors by raising costs. Wharton faculty and investment experts weigh in.

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Life after Steve Jobs: What to Expect from the Next Generation at Apple

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:52:54 GMT

The death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs jolted the tech industry and prompted questions about where the visionary company goes from here. With Tim Cook now at the helm the company is expected to shift from a focus on one figure at the top to more of a team approach. But can Apple sustain the culture of innovation that Jobs cultivated -- and continue its string of hits in an increasingly crowded market?

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How to Encourage People to Become Organ Donors: An Incentive System with Heart

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:18:25 GMT

While the decision to register as an organ donor is a difficult one no one can dispute the tremendous need for such donors. Approximately 110 000 people in the U.S. are waiting for organ transplants and the donation rate in some states is as low as 7%. Against this backdrop Wharton professor Judd Kessler and a co-researcher set out to see whether a change in the system -- one that gives priority on waiting lists to those who register as organ donors -- could cause a substantial increase in registration numbers.

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When Your Job Makes You Sick: Employees Find Little Leverage in Today’s Workplace

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:16:47 GMT

With millions of people looking for employment the workplace these days is an increasingly unhealthy environment for those who still have and are trying to keep their jobs. One key reason -- a stagnant economy that reduces the leverage employees have when they attempt to negotiate improved working conditions move up in their organization or find better jobs outside the company. What can employees do to make their workplaces less toxic?

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Fair -- or Unbalanced? Decoding the Buffett Rule Debate

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:16:47 GMT

Is the tax system in the United States fair? It’s a question brought to the forefront by President Obama’s call for a ”Buffett Rule” (named for legendary investor Warren Buffett) to make sure the wealthy pay a percentage of income in taxes at least as large as that paid by the middle class. Opponents say raising taxes on the wealthy is unfair because the rich already pay far more in actual dollars. Underlying the fairness debate is a practical issue: Can the federal government get its fiscal house in order without raising taxes?

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The Choice Between Voice and Exit: The Effect of Liquidity on Shareholder Commitment

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:07:07 GMT

Most stock market experts believe shareholder input is good because it presses managers to do their best to maximize returns. But how does liquidity -- the availability of shares to buy and sell -- affect that shareholder involvement? ”It’s something that has inspired both academic debate and policy debate ” says Wharton finance professor Alex Edmans who has co-authored a paper on how liquidity affects governance.

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Is the End Near for the Eurozone?

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:07:07 GMT

Warning signs are flashing red. Bond markets are projecting a 98% chance of default on Greece’s debt. Stock prices for French banks heavily invested in that debt have plunged 10% in recent days. Has the European debt crisis hit the breaking point with Greece -- and perhaps others -- soon to exit the eurozone? Or will officials once more cobble together new agreements that keep Greece in the club and prevent a huge contagion effect likely to cripple an already slowing global economy? Wharton finance professors Franklin Allen and Bulent Gultekin offer their insight.

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Leading on 9/11 and Beyond: New York City Fire Department’s Joseph Pfeifer

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:43:49 GMT

Ten years ago on September 11 2001 New York City Fire Department Battalion Chief Joseph Pfeifer saw the first aircraft hit the World Trade Center’s North Tower and radioed the alarm the first FDNY fire chief to take command. Today Pfeifer is the New York City Fire Department’s Chief of Counterterrorism and Emergency Preparedness and a Citywide Command Chief. Wharton management professor Michael Useem talked with Pfeifer recently about his leadership during the 9/11 rescue efforts and what the New York City Fire Department and other cities are doing to prepare for the unexpected.

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Can South Africa Help Usher in a Continent’s Economic Renaissance?

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:20:29 GMT

South Africa occupies a unique position on a continent that is undergoing a boom. The country is an economic bridge that pairs Western investors with burgeoning business opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa and it is also a source of ideas for other developing countries eager to learn how a fledgling democracy can work in the wake of a trying past. Knowledge at Wharton spoke with South Africa’s ambassador to the United States Ebrahim Rasool about the economic strength of the region its challenges and the common cause South Africa shares with other countries.

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Upheaval at HP and Apple: What’s Next for Tech

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:20:29 GMT

It’s been a month of seismic change for the tech sector. Hewlett-Packard the largest computer and printer maker in the world may begin to transition away from hardware by jettisoning its PC division. Meanwhile Apple is facing the end of an era with the announcement that visionary leader Steve Jobs is relinquishing his role as CEO. Knowledge at Wharton asked Wharton management professors Saikat Chaudhuri and David Hsu to discuss the outlook -- and future opportunities -- for HP and Apple.

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Want to Rent out That Spare Room? The Growing Popularity of ’Collaborative Consumption’

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:24:25 GMT

At the core of the new trend of ”collaborative consumption” is the idea that technologies like the Internet and smartphones can help consumers monetize assets that they own -- their home or car for example -- in ways that were previously difficult or downright impossible. But as these services grow in popularity they face challenges not the least of which is the ability to ensure the safety and security of the assets that consumers are renting out.

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Marshall Fisher on ’The New Science of Retailing’

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:34:03 GMT

In today’s economy retailers are hard pressed to increase revenues. Among the biggest challenges they face is matching supply with demand. In The New Science of Retailing: How Analytics Are Transforming the Supply Chain and Improving Performance Wharton professor Marshall Fisher and co-author Ananth Raman argue that retailers have the data they need to manage supply chains more efficiently and increase sales and profits. Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Fisher about what types of data are most important for retailers to collect how they can use this information to identify home-run products and why the retailing industry might be missing as much as one-third of potential sales.

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Rewards Motivation Competition: How Businesses Can Benefit from the Rise of Gamification

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:42:11 GMT

Gamification may be a new term to most people but for many members of the business community it means a new way to create value for their companies customers and employees among others. What exactly is gamification what is it not and how will it change the way we do business in the next few years? Knowledge at Wharton discussed these issues with professor Kevin Werbach; Rajat Paharia founder of Bunchball a tech company that enables businesses to implement gamification and Daniel Debow co-founder of Rypple a social performance management company. Werbach and colleague Dan Hunter recently organized a two-day conference on gamification titled ”For the Win: Serious Gamification.”

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’Masculine Norms’: Why Working Women Find It Hard to Reach the Top

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:33:48 GMT

Women have been in the workforce for decades but many will acknowledge that it is still a man’s world and that the unwritten rules of the workplace continue to favor men. So how would they structure a professional environment that would help more women reach the corner office?

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Winners and Losers in the Debt Ceiling Deal

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:33:48 GMT

In a last-minute attempt to stop the U.S. from defaulting on its loan obligations Congress voted this week to increase the country’s debt ceiling by at least $2.1 trillion. The deal includes $917 billion in spending cuts over the next 10 years and the establishment of a congressional committee to reduce the deficit further by $1.5 trillion. Questions remain however: Where will these cuts come from? How will social safety nets such as Medicare be affected? And can the country continue to recover from the recession with government spending drastically reduced? Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Wharton professors Olivia S. Mitchell and Kent Smetters.

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’The Happiness Manifesto’: Can a Country Be as Happy as a Duck in Water?

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 10:34:27 GMT

The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister David Cameron plans to create a national well-being index. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has formed a team that includes two Nobel Prize-winning economists to come up with a system for measuring the nation’s well-being. In China happiness indexes have become so popular that cities there compete for the title of China’s happiest city. Many now argue that purely economic measures of a country’s progress -- such as gross national product (GDP) -- fail to count many things people value highly such as personal and community relationships or a healthy environment. To learn more about measuring happiness Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Nic Marks author of the e-book The Happiness Manifesto: How Nations and People Can Nurture Well-Being.

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’Not for Free’: Saul J. Berman on Creating New Revenue Models

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:01:10 GMT

The ”phenomenon of free” has hit many businesses hard particularly media businesses argues Saul J. Berman Global & Americas Leader for the IBM Strategy & Change Consulting Group. In Not for Free: Revenue Strategies for a New World Berman offers lessons from businesses that have integrated successful business model innovations as well as from businesses that have failed to do so. Recently Knowledge at Wharton and Jerry (Yoram) Wind sat down with Berman to discuss his thoughts on who pays for free content and why new models are essential.

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When Engaging with Your Stakeholders Is Worth Its Weight in Gold

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:33:36 GMT

Given two gold mines with the same amount of gold in the ground the same cost of extraction and the same worldwide demand why is one mine valued 10 times more than the other? Because one has local support and the other doesn’t argues Wharton professor Witold Henisz. In a new research paper Henisz and his colleagues show how cooperating with rather than antagonizing external stakeholders generates sustainable shareholder value for companies around the world.

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Get Me Rewrite: What’s Next for Murdoch’s Media Empire?

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:33:36 GMT

Rupert Murdoch chairman and CEO of New York-based News Corp. has built a fortune on the scandals of others. Now at age 80 Murdoch finds himself at the center of his own ever-widening scandal one that threatens his hold on a $40 billion global media empire. According to Wharton faculty and other experts News Corp. needs to address its ethical issues at all levels of the organization -- not just the top rungs. Others note that no matter what happens to Murdoch or his business the scandal itself will cause a thorough reassessment of the boundaries of a free and fair press.

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Parag Khanna on ’How to Run the World’

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:39:58 GMT

Parag Khanna is a leading geo-strategist world traveler and author of the international bestseller The Second World: Empires and Influence in the New Global Order. Stephen J. Kobrin Wharton management professor and publisher of Wharton Digital Press recently spoke with Khanna about his latest book How to Run the World: Charting a Course to the Next Renaissance.

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Can Anyone Create a Hacker-proof Cyberspace?

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:44:24 GMT

Recent hackings at Fox News Apple Citibank and even the CIA have drawn renewed attention to cyber security and accelerated the policy debate on how to protect critical information. The opportunity for cyber attacks grows daily as corporations and governments continue to amass information about individuals in complex networks across the Internet according to Wharton faculty and security analysts. Indeed notes one expert ”hacktivists” -- including those who break into networks not necessarily to steal money but for ideological reasons -- appear to be ramping up activity.

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From Freelancers to Telecommuters: Succeeding in the New World of Solitary Work

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:57:22 GMT

As the economy flirts with a double-dip recession and cost-conscious companies hesitate to re-hire the workplace for many Americans has shifted away from crowded offices to a new world of solitary work. From freelancers to telecommuters to laid-off workers making do with temporary jobs an increasing number of Americans are reporting to work each day from a corner of their home a space in the garage or even a table at the local coffee shop. For some it’s a dream come true. But the transition isn’t smooth for everyone.

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A Recession for Perks? What Companies Offer and What Employees Want

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:58:47 GMT

Until recently most discussions of perks focused on what high-tech companies in Silicon Valley were offering their employees from free gourmet meals and yoga classes to massage therapy and auto detailing. But these days many companies are simultaneously trying to shake off the recession keep costs low retain valued employees and recruit talented new ones. Perks if designed well can help achieve these goals.

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Why ‘Men Can’: Don Unger and the Changing Face of Fatherhood in America

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 09:44:51 GMT

Donald N.S. Unger the author of Men Can: The Changing Image and Reality of Fatherhood in America and lecturer in the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies at MIT writes about representations of men masculinity and fatherhood in popular culture. Just in time for Father’s Day Unger shares his thoughts with Knowledge at Wharton on the changing role of fatherhood.

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Research Round Up: Overconfident CEOs How to Boost In-store Sales and the Role of Nerves in Negotiation

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:55:03 GMT

Are overconfident CEOs also more likely to be overly optimistic when issuing earnings forecasts? Does in-store marketing -- including a product’s location and visibility on store shelves -- make a difference? How does anxiety cripple efforts to negotiate a successful business deal? Wharton professors Holly Yang Wesley Hutchinson and Eric Bradlow and Maurice Schweitzer respectively examined these issues -- and what they mean for business -- in recent research papers.

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The Economy: When Will Happy Days Be Here Again?

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:55:03 GMT

The latest economic reports show the U.S. recovery has faltered. But someday surely there will be a real recovery. What forces will drive that upturn? And will the healthy economy of the future look different from those of the past -- establishing a ”new normal?” Two intertwined factors are critical to any rebound according to many experts: Home prices must stop declining and begin to rise and consumers must spend more freely.

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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Risa Lavizzo-Mourey: The Challenges Facing Health Care Reform

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:24:09 GMT

The landscape for health care in the U.S. continues to shift since the Obama administration passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act last year. Several questions remain unanswered including how to expand health coverage what are the potential minefields for doing so and what are the best ways to ensure that the system performs well. Meanwhile Americans are becoming increasingly unhealthy despite spending more on health care than any other nation. To address these issues Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Risa Lavizzo-Mourey president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation which focuses its efforts on improving the country’s health care. Lavizzo-Mourey will be a speaker at the upcoming Wharton Leadership Conference 2011 which will take place on June 22.

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Why Middle Managers May Be the Most Important People in Your Company

Wed, 25 May 2011 16:03:17 GMT

Wharton management professor Ethan Mollick has a message for knowledge-based companies: Pay closer attention to your middle managers because they may have a greater impact on company performance than almost any other part of the organization. Mollick’s research based on an in-depth analysis of the computer game industry is presented in a new paper titled ”People and Process: Suits and Innovators: Individuals and Firm Performance.”

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Urban Outfitters’ Glen Senk: Look for the Right Culture Diverse Opinions and ’Bad News’

Wed, 25 May 2011 16:03:17 GMT

According to Glen T. Senk the key to success is hiring and cultivating the right people. At a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture the CEO of Philadelphia-based retailer Urban Outfitters underscored the importance of recruiting and developing a team that is a good fit for corporate culture -- and then listening to what those employees have to say even when ”you have to pull [the bad news] out of them.”

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Everything from Oil to Silver: Are Speculators Causing Too Much Volatility?

Wed, 25 May 2011 16:03:17 GMT

Allegations that traders manipulated oil prices in 2008 are reinforcing the buzz -- at the gas pump and elsewhere -- that speculators are driving up the price of oil triggering wild price spikes and nail-biting volatility. Fingering speculators is a popular pastime these days but experts at Wharton and elsewhere say the blame is often misplaced. Although speculation can affect prices most of the recent price swings in oil and other commodities are happening for fundamental economic reasons.

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Wharton’s 2011 Business Plan Competition: Babies High Fashion and Fundraising

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:38:59 GMT

Since the dot.com bubble burst more than a decade ago two popular categories in Wharton’s Business Plan Competition (BPC) have been health care and retail. This year was no exception. With more than $115 000 at stake in combined cash prizes and legal and accounting services the eight finalists of this year’s BPC presented their pitches on April 27 to a panel of judges and an audience of venture capitalists business leaders faculty and students. Read on and see if you can spot the winners.

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Many-stop Shopping? How Niche Retailers Are Thriving on Internet 2.0

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:38:59 GMT

A decade after pets.com and a string of other early Internet specialty retailers collapsed a new wave of start-ups -- enabled by the power of cloud computing advanced delivery systems and deep social relationships with customers -- is shaping e-commerce. From diapers and eyeglasses to pool tables and yes pet products entrepreneurs are developing specialty businesses to compete alongside one-stop shopping giants like Amazon.com and Walmart.com.

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What’s Behind Microsoft’s $8.5 Billion Takeover of Skype?

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:38:59 GMT

Rumors that Facebook or Cisco would buy Skype were proven wrong on Tuesday when Microsoft struck an $8.5 billion deal to acquire the online voice and video chat service. Most analysts welcomed the takeover as a shrewd move on the grounds that it positions Microsoft in a commanding position in the emerging markets of video content and online telephony. Still considering that Skype’s previous acquisition by eBay ended in a $1.4 billion write-down questions remain. Will there be a good cultural fit between Microsoft and Skype? Did Microsoft overpay for a company that continues to lose money? Knowledge at Wharton discussed these questions and more with Wharton professors Eric Clemons and Kevin Werbach.

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What Upheaval in the Middle East Means for Business

Fri, 06 May 2011 12:57:24 GMT

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The Flap over Cisco’s Flip: Why the Company Killed off a Popular Product

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:51:52 GMT

The Flip a quick and easy video recorder that captures spontaneous moments for instant uploading to YouTube is about to fold. Cisco Systems which bought the Flip just two years ago is closing the business in a move that illustrates how rapidly evolving technology and business strategies can force major corporate flip-flops.

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Estée Lauder’s William Lauder: ’The Consumer Still Wants and Needs to Be Touched’

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:51:52 GMT

Estée Lauder -- the $7.8 billion cosmetics and beauty products giant founded in 1946 -- has grown to more than 25 brands in 140 countries. The company clearly knows its customers 95% of whom are women. In a recent interview with Knowledge at Wharton William Lauder the company’s executive chairman and the grandson of founder Estée Lauder discussed the challenges of working in a family-owned business the company’s global growth aspirations and why the key to success is ”getting women to put their hands together.”

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Lowering the Deficit: The Choices Range from Drastic to Draconian

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:51:52 GMT

The United States government spends more than it takes in a practice that is illegal in most state governments and harshly criticized when households and businesses do it. After being the rule rather than the exception for most of the past century why is the country’s deficit spending such a big deal now? Is the U.S. really on the edge of a precipice? Will the deficit-reduction plans under consideration in Washington work? How painful will the remedies be? Wharton faculty and other experts weigh in.

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Former Random House CEO Alberto Vitale: ’Paper Books Will Evolve into More Precious Products’

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:12:20 GMT

Alberto Vitale was running Bantam Books the world leader in paperbacks when the Newhouse family recruited him to become the COO of Random House. In that role and later as the CEO of one of the world’s top publishing firms Vitale oversaw huge changes in the publishing industry. In this interview with Stephen J. Kobrin publisher and executive director of Wharton Digital Press and Knowledge at Wharton Vitale discusses the rise of digital publishing the future of bookstores and the globalization of copyright among other issues.

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Nassim Taleb on Living with Black Swans

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:12:20 GMT

Nassim Taleb is a literary essayist hedge fund manager derivatives trader and professor of risk engineering at The Polytechnic Institute of New York University. But he is best known these days as the author of The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. During a recent visit to Wharton as part of The Goldstone Forum he spoke with Wharton finance professor Richard Herring -- who taught Taleb when he was a Wharton MBA student -- about events in the Middle East the oil supply investing in options the U.S. economy the dollar health care and of course black swans.

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The Ouster of Muhammad Yunus: Can Politics Destroy Grameen Bank?

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:12:19 GMT

”Dismissed.” A single word from Bangladesh’s highest court ended a bitter legal battle that has grabbed world attention. The loser in this case: Muhammad Yunus the 70-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of Grameen Bank the groundbreaking Bangladeshi microfinance institution he is no longer allowed to run. But as with many of the highs and lows of microfinance there is much more than meets the eye to this boardroom shakeout.

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Another Tech Bubble? Separating the Froth from the Facts

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:12:19 GMT

Valuations are growing aggressively for Facebook Groupon and a handful of other social media darlings. But does that growth signal the coming of another tech bubble? Not necessarily say Wharton faculty and other experts who note that the main issues are the extent to which these valuations are supported by real staying power and whether or not these companies are having an undue influence across the tech landscape.

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Keeping Its Distance: Can the Fed Be Effective Innovative -- and Independent?

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:25:28 GMT

The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank played a central role in mounting a response to the financial crisis of 2008. Battling unprecedented disasters the Fed responded with what experts describe as creative even heroic measures. But in the wake of that crisis the Fed faces new challenges including an increasingly critical Congress at a time when the central bank’s responsibilities have expanded in significant ways. Observers question whether the Fed can continue to effectively monitor the financial landscape while also keeping clear of the politicians in Washington.

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In the Health Care Sector Who Should Choose Which Treatment Is Best?

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:25:28 GMT

Each day workers in the health care field debate the most reliable course of action for treating a particular ailment. As part of U.S. health care reform new emphasis is being placed on comparative effectiveness research (CER) which pits remedies against one another to determine which is best. A new paper by Wharton professor Scott Harrington warns that the government should avoid developing a monopoly on CER and offers suggestions for sparking interest from private sector researchers.

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U.S. Energy Policy after Japan: If Not Nuclear Then What?

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:25:28 GMT

As the crisis at Japan’s crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant continues to unfold every bit of news that trickles out deepens the debate about nuclear energy. Anti-nuclear activists point to smoldering reactors and radioactive drinking water; others say the fact that the aging plant survived the earthquake and tsunami without greater damage signals its ability to withstand major disruptions. At issue is whether the expansion of nuclear power in the U.S. gets a green red or yellow light.

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From Virtual Barnyards to Real Dollars: Andrew Trader on Zynga ’Gamification’ and the Power of Analytics

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:25:28 GMT

By combining the might of Facebook with the narrative element of experiential computer games like Oregon Trail or The Sims social gaming developer Zynga was able to become one of the fastest-growing companies on the Internet. Andrew Trader was a member of Zynga’s founding team in 2007 and until last year served as executive vice president of sales and business development. Now an entrepreneur-in-residence at Maveron a venture capital firm Trader recently talked to Knowledge at Wharton about Zynga’s success and the rise of social gaming.

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One Woman’s Advice to Another: It’s Always Time to Speak Your Mind

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:25:28 GMT

While women have indeed come a long way since earning the right to vote in 1920 they still have not achieved wage and income equity compared with their male counterparts notes a government report released this month. The reason according to a series of speakers and panelists at the recent Wharton Women in Business Alumnae Conference 2011 is that women still need to assert themselves more when establishing work relationships seeking sponsors trying to make their presence -- and contributions -- known or negotiating for a raise. As one speaker noted: ”Women don’t ask.”

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Crude Reality: Why High Oil Prices Are Here to Stay

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:44:15 GMT

Oil prices swung wildly this week rising to near 30-month highs after Saudi Arabia sent troops to Bahrain then plummeting to less than $100 a barrel on expectations that an earthquake-ravaged Japan would demand less oil. The ride is not over yet experts say. There may be ups and downs but long term high oil prices are here to stay. On top of volatility caused by natural catastrophes and political upheavals a tight oil supply and increasing demand promise to keep driving prices up steadily over time.

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Dow Chemical’s Andrew Liveris on the Future of Manufacturing -- and Making America Competitive Again

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:44:15 GMT

The head of one of the world’s largest chemical manufacturers is calling for a new American revolution. Andrew Liveris chairman and CEO of Dow Chemical warns that the United States is heading for a dismal future if it does not wake up to global realities and rally to save manufacturing. During a recent speech at Wharton the Australian-born chemical engineer urged Americans to re-think their country’s approach to manufacturing government intervention and economic growth.

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Crisis in Japan: What Will the Costs Be?

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:44:15 GMT

It may be years before the costs -- human and economic -- of the devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 11 in Japan are fully known but they will be enormous. With thousands feared dead throughout the northeastern part of the country and officials scrambling to contain a nuclear disaster there are now more questions than answers. Knowledge at Wharton asked four experts to share their thoughts about the impact of the disaster.

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McCormick’s Alan D. Wilson on Pricing Innovation and the ’Romance of Spice’

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:47:44 GMT

In three years as CEO of spice maker McCormick Alan D. Wilson has been charged with steering the company through difficult economic times and periods of extreme volatility in commodities prices. In a recent conversation with Knowledge at Wharton Wilson discussed McCormick’s efforts to expand internationally why the increased popularity of Food Network and celebrity chefs has been a boon and the company’s aim to create a relationship with customers by playing up ”the romance of spice.”

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Under the Microscope: AIG’s Second Chance

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:47:44 GMT

American International Group (AIG) -- the insurance giant and poster child for the financial crisis -- will once again sell its stock to the public in a ”re-IPO” set for May. The firm which was shaken by soured bets on mortgage derivatives says it is recovering from its near collapse and looking forward to a bright future. Can it return to its former glory? Or should its disparate operations be broken up? Most importantly: What does the AIG story say about how well the government handled trouble at a huge financial services firm whose missteps hurt so many innocent bystanders?

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Union Leaders vs. Republican Legislators: What’s at Stake in the Standoff

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:47:44 GMT

Over the past two weeks public sector unions in Wisconsin and other states have staged protests against some legislators’ attempts to restrict collective bargaining power -- in effect taking away a union’s right to negotiate over salary seniority pensions health care and other work-related issues. The clash has set off debates about budget shortfalls political posturing and most of all the role that unions play in today’s economy. Wharton professors Janice Bellace and Peter Cappelli offer their views on the standoff.

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The NYSE-Deutsche Börse Merger: Building a Powerhouse or a Dinosaur?

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:47:44 GMT

The proposed merger between the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Deutsche Börse (DB) could mean big changes for the American icon which heralds the opening of the markets each day with the ring of a bell. Although experts say an NYSE listing is still the sign of a blue-chip company exchanges are struggling to remain relevant in a high-tech financial world. Similar pacts are proliferating between other exchanges as the organizations try to stay one step ahead of an increasingly interconnected global market. Can a combination of DB’s business might -- and NYSE’s marketing panache -- turn the tide?

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A Bias against ’Quirky’? Why Creative People Can Lose Out on Leadership Positions

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:29:54 GMT

It would be difficult to find a CEO or manager who says creativity isn’t a valued attribute of a good leader. So why do so many once-innovative companies get bogged down over time with continuous original thinking the exception and not the norm? A new study co-authored by Wharton management professor Jennifer Mueller found that although creativity is often named as being important individuals who expressed more creative ideas were actually viewed as having less leadership potential than their peers.

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Risky Business Becomes Riskier: A New Playbook for How Artists Are Compensated

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:29:54 GMT

Making a living as an artist has never been easy -- whether in film music or publishing -- especially now that the digital revolution has transformed the business of content creation. One of the biggest shifts is in how filmmakers musicians and writers are compensated. The trend is toward greater risk sharing with artists’ marketers and publishers and toward pay being based to a greater degree on how the product sells in the marketplace.

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No Easy Answers: Decoding the Economy’s Mixed Messages

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:29:54 GMT

Corporate earnings have surged and stocks have soared but the housing market is still weak. Interest rates remain low but are rising. Many countries’ economies are perking up but a jump in commodities prices is producing inflation. Governments in the United States and Europe are wrestling with huge budget deficits and debt problems. For insight Knowledge at Wharton talks to Wharton professors Jeremy Siegel Franklin Allen and Susan Wachter.

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Logo Overhaul: Will Customers Still Answer the Siren Call of Starbucks?

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:51:26 GMT

Starbucks has emerged over the last 20 years as one of the premier consumer brands in the world. Now the company has decided to give that brand a facelift by revamping its ubiquitous logo. While logo overhauls can successfully communicate a company’s evolution and growth they can also trigger a backlash among loyal customers. In the case of Starbucks the new logo highlights a strategic shift for the company but has sparked criticism from outspoken fans as well.

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Report from Davos: Risk Management Survivors Offer Cautionary Tales

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:51:26 GMT

Wharton management professor Michael Useem joined heads of state politicians CEOs celebrities and others at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland where he says the mood seemed to be one of muted optimism. But as he points out there was also a recognition of how much still needs to be done to prevent the kinds of catastrophes -- both natural and created -- that changed the lives of so many individuals over the past two years. Useem director of Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change Management offers this report on Davos.

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Uprising in Egypt: Rebirth in an Ancient Land?

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:51:26 GMT

The protests in Egypt are likely to lead to long-term benefits for frustrated citizens accustomed to living under the thumb of a corrupt system that has left millions of young adults jobless and instilled a sense of hopelessness for the future say Wharton faculty and other observers. Yet much-needed reforms will take many years to unfold they add and their success will depend in part on how military leaders want events to play out.

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Gross Domestic Happiness: What Is the Relationship between Money and Well-being?

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:05:35 GMT

What exactly is the relationship between money and happiness? It’s a difficult question to pin down experts say. While more money may make us happier other considerations -- such as whether you live in an economically advanced country and how you think about your time -- also play into the equation. An increasing number of economists sociologists and psychologists are now working in the field and most agree that there is a strong link between a country’s level of economic development and the happiness of its people.

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Former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar on Bailouts Protectionism and Why Europe Is a ’Declining Continent’

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:05:35 GMT

Spain is struggling with the highest unemployment rate in Western Europe as well as soaring national debt and a pension shortfall that make many people wonder if the region’s fifth-largest economy will require a bailout similar to those granted to Greece and Ireland. Yet despite these challenges the solution to the country’s problems -- according to former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar who recently spoke at Wharton -- is fairly simple: more fiscal discipline.

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Reborn and Restructured Can the Global Auto Industry Put Customers in Drive?

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:05:35 GMT

The talk coming out of the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit (which opened on January 10 and closes on Sunday) was full of optimism about a turnaround for an industry that suffered a significant beating during the recent recession. The worldwide auto business emerging from the upheaval of recent years is much altered with several brands changing hands and manufacturers like General Motors and Chrysler restructuring after government bailouts and bankruptcy filings. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton management professor John Paul MacDuffie discusses the outlook for 2011 and beyond.

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The Goldman Sachs Facebook Deal: Is This Business as Usual?

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:05:35 GMT

Just six months after paying a record $550 million to settle a federal fraud case Goldman Sachs finds itself in a new controversy over an investment in Facebook the social networking site. Some critics say the deal was designed to skirt securities regulations and is marred by conflict of interest while others argue that this type of investment puts taxpayers at risk since Goldman can support its business with cheap government loans. Wharton faculty and other experts weigh in.

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Open Book: Sir Harold Evans on His Career and the Future of Journalism

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:17:44 GMT

For more than 40 years Harold Evans has been a giant figure in the world of print on both sides of the Atlantic. Starting out as a 16-year-old cub reporter in the north of England Evans was still in his late 30s when he was named editor of The Sunday Times of London in 1967 for what turned out to be a 14-year reign. In 1984 he moved to the United States taking top jobs in magazines and book publishing before deciding to concentrate on writing books. Knowledge at Whartonspoke recently with Evans about his latest book My Paper Chase: True Stories of Vanished Times and about print’s rich past and uncertain future in the new digital age.

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Charles Haldeman’s New Home: CEO of Freddie Mac Tries to Steady an Agency with an Uncertain Future

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:59:44 GMT

Freddie Mac the government-supported mortgage finance company taken over by the government 18 months ago along with Fannie Mae is waiting for the Obama administration to come up with a plan that will revamp the two agencies along with the whole area of housing finance. Waiting in the wings to implement that plan is Charles ”Ed” Haldeman Jr. who was appointed CEO of Freddie Mac last July and has already moved ahead with a strategy to revive the somewhat demoralized 6 000-employee agency. During a recent interview with Knowledge at Wharton he discussed his approach to managing people his views on what’s ahead for the real estate sector and why he feels the work that Freddie Mac does is ”absolutely critical” to the country’s welfare.

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’A Major Transformation’: The Pros and Cons of the Dodd-Frank Act

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:59:19 GMT

According to Wharton experts the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act is a good start toward future financial stability but they warn that significant concerns remain unaddressed and stress that the details of implementation must be handled carefully to avoid creating new problems. ”I don’t think there’s a full appreciation of the major transformation of the financial structure that is upon us ” one faculty member says.

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Slogans and a ’Cheery Face’: Michael Ahn on Rebranding LG

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:12:34 GMT

Patience was the quality that best served LG Electronics during its seemingly rapid transformation from a relatively obscure maker of commodity goods to a premium brand. During a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture Michael Ahn who guided the branding effort for LG Electronics North America before stepping down as the group’s president and CEO last year described how the Korea-based company -- after four decades of marketing low-cost products under the Goldstar name -- successfully went upscale as the re-christened LG brand.

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SAS Institute CEO Jim Goodnight on Building Strong Companies -- and a More Competitive U.S. Workforce

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:12:34 GMT

These should be heady times for Jim Goodnight founder and CEO of SAS Institute an analytics software and services firm. His company bucked the economic downturn to make 2009 its third most profitable year on record and it is currently working on cutting-edge solutions to problems that range from advising Macy’s on product pricing to tracking a handful of endangered hippos in Africa. But during a recent presentation at Wharton Goodnight noted that his biggest priority these days is helping American schools turn out more scientists and mathematicians a goal he said is critical if the U.S wants to remain competitive.

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Wyndham Worldwide’s Stephen Holmes on the Changing Nature of Leisure Travel

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:12:34 GMT

After nearly 20 years in the hospitality industry Wyndham Worldwide chairman and CEO Stephen Holmes says he has seen several ”shifts” in the sector -- from the way that consumers plan their vacations to what they expect to find when they stay at a hotel. The most recent catalyst for change has been the global economic downturn. Wyndham -- one of the world’s largest hospitality companies -- has weathered that storm and has actually grown since the recession began. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Holmes discusses what changes he has witnessed in the industry why timeshares have done surprisingly well during the downturn and what makes his stay at a hotel a happy one.

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GlobalGiving’s Mari Kuraishi: Forging a 21st Century Model for Philanthropy

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:12:34 GMT

Technology is transforming the world of philanthropy in ways that should ultimately give a voice to those people whom the charities aim to help according to Mari Kuraishi co-founder and president of GlobalGiving a nonprofit that connects donors with groups that manage charitable projects via the web. In a keynote speech at the recent Wharton Social Impact Conference Kuraishi outlined the ways in which organizations are becoming more effective and shared insights from the sometimes tough lessons she has learned along the way.

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Under Armour’s Kevin Plank: Creating ’the Biggest Baddest Brand on the Planet’

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:12:34 GMT

Now a billion dollar company Under Armour began with a single product -- a form-fitting moisture-wicking shirt that founder and CEO Kevin Plank developed to remedy his own problems with perspiration after a long day on the football field. At a recent presentation co-sponsored by the Wharton Leadership Lectures and the Jay H. Baker Retailing Initiative Plank discussed the company’s growth trajectory and shared the principles and slogans that guide him in his efforts to build ”the biggest baddest brand on the planet.”

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The Line between ’Confidence and Arrogance’: UBS Americas CEO Robert Wolf on Work and Wall Street

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:38:32 GMT

A ”cowboy”-like confidence propelled UBS Americas CEO Robert Wolf from the football field to Wall Street and up the leadership chain. But much like the industry that supported his 26-year rise Wolf has discovered that brazen bravado has its limits. During a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture Wolf discussed his career in the banking industry why he is stepping down from his current role and why Wall Street is better off now than it was before the crisis.

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Adjusting to the ’New Normal’: The Consequences of Long-term High Unemployment

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:38:32 GMT

Hopes for an accelerated economic recovery in the United States were dealt a blow last week by a dismal jobs report for November -- including an unexpected rise in the unemployment rate. This news adds more fuel to the growing feeling among many economists that it will likely be several years before the jobless rate falls to what is considered a normal level. The continued atmosphere of uncertainty experts say has potential long-term consequences for businesses and employees alike.

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Will Online Streaming Work Out for Netflix?

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:38:32 GMT

Once defined by the red envelopes used to deliver DVDs for its mail order service Netflix has turned its focus toward allowing subscribers to stream movies and other programming directly to their computers and television sets. The move has reaped rewards including an increasing customer base but created friction with the entertainment and technology companies Netflix competes with -- and in many cases relies on for gaining access to content. Wharton marketing professors Peter Fader and Raghuram Iyengar and operations and information management professor Kartik Hosanagar recently spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about what the future may hold for Netflix.

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The WikiLeaks Battle: Should Information Be Shared or Censored?

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:38:32 GMT

Julian Assange the Australian founder of WikiLeaks the controversial website that has been posting classified government documents is now being held without bail in the U.K. awaiting extradition to Sweden on a rape charge. But sensational news aside his site’s recent release of confidential U.S. State Department cables has opened up a fundamental debate over privacy of information versus public access on the open web. It also has implications for businesses and corporations with sensitive information to shield according to experts at Wharton and the University of Pennsylvania.

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Better Faster Customizable: Who Will Win the Browser Battle?

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:27:40 GMT

In the world of web browsers it’s beginning to look a lot like the 1990s. Back then the Internet was just starting to become an integral part of daily life and Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer vied for control of the market. This time around the browser battle includes an increasing number of competitors most notably Internet Explorer Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. Newcomers like RockMelt a start-up that promises to integrate web browsing with social networking are banking on innovative new features to stand out. But does winning the browser space mean much in environments -- like mobile devices -- that increasingly focus on standalone web-connected apps?

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Analyzing Effective Leaders: Why Extraverts Are Not Always the Most Successful Bosses

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:27:40 GMT

Conventional wisdom tells us that leaders are the men and women who stand up speak out give orders make plans and are generally the most dominant outgoing people in a group. But that is not always the case according to new research on leadership and group dynamics from Wharton management professor Adam Grant and two colleagues who challenge the assumption that the most effective leaders are extraverts.

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Why Kenya’s Elkanah Odembo Believes All Roads Should Lead Investors to Africa

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:27:40 GMT

Africa today contributes barely 1.5% to world trade but its future is brighter than that number might suggest. The continent has a growing middle class institutions that are investing heavily in infrastructure and in another decade it will emerge as a market of one billion consumers. Elkanah Odembo Kenya’s ambassador to the U.S. visited Wharton recently and spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about the potential rewards and risks of investing in Africa.

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Fresh Off Its IPO Can GM Stage a Comeback?

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:27:40 GMT

After years of declining market share and unprofitability -- and a multi-million dollar bailout by the United States government -- General Motors is once again a publicly held company. The automaker which raised some $20 billion through last week’s initial public offering is on sounder footing than it has been in years. Yet the new GM still must compete in a tough global market. So the question remains: Can the new GM perform better than the old GM? Knowledge at Wharton posed this question and others to Wharton management professor John Paul MacDuffie.

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America’s Aging Infrastructure: What to Fix and Who Will Pay?

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:15:08 GMT

In the U.S. infrastructure is usually silent and forgotten -- until the power goes off the ATM stops working or a neighborhood is consumed by fire. In September a 54-year-old gas pipeline exploded in San Bruno Calif. killing eight people and damaging more than 50 homes. Seven weeks earlier an oil pipeline rupture in Michigan spilled more than a million gallons of crude. According to experts the country’s infrastructure is a huge market that holds tremendous business opportunities but the bulk of entrepreneurs and investors still wait on the sidelines because the projects are costly complicated and often risky.

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Sino-U.S. Trade Relations: ’They’re Playing Football; We’re Playing Baseball’

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:15:08 GMT

While the dust settles on the U.S.’s midterm elections questions abound about where the country’s international trade and economic policies go from here. As it stands the U.S. is squarely ”at a disadvantage” with countries like China argues economist Clyde Prestowitz a former trade negotiator and author of The Betrayal of American Prosperity. Wharton management professor Stephen J. Kobrin and Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Prestowitz about the elections and beyond how the U.S.’s economic leadership is being undermined whether China’s development is a threat or an opportunity and what options President Obama has to take global economies off the path of ”mutually assured destruction.”

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Power to the People or Just a Fad? Forecasting the Future of Group Buying Sites

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:15:08 GMT

Groupon -- from the words ”group” and ”coupon” -- negotiates deeply discounted deals with businesses and alerts its legion of e-mail subscribers to the offer. Since its founding in 2008 Groupon has amassed 25 million subscribers in 29 countries and a host of competing sites have crowded the market hoping to tap into the potential of ”social” commerce. But are group buying sites just a passing fancy? And what should they do to stand out from the pack and achieve long-term sustainability?

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Not a Lost Generation but a ’Disappointed’ One: The Job Market’s Impact on Millennials

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:14:17 GMT

Members of Generation Y -- a group of approximately 70 million young people between the ages of 15 and 30 -- are starting their careers in perhaps the worst job market since the Great Depression. Experts say the experience creates both immediate and long-term negative impacts including lower salaries now and in the future. And while their reduced spending power is not expected to have a lasting drag on the U.S. economy it does have significant repercussions for how these young people conduct their adult lives and careers.

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The Herd Mentality: Uncertain Returns Raise Questions About the Payback for Cleantech Investment

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:14:17 GMT

Using tax credits low-interest loans and grants the Obama Administration reportedly plans to invest more than $50 billion in electric vehicles renewable energy and a host of other clean technology -- or ”cleantech” -- ventures by the end of next year. But to what extent is today’s fast-paced investment in cleantech a victim of irrational exuberance and the herd mentality often associated with venture capitalism? Quite a lot say experts at Wharton and in the larger investment community.

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Falling Prices Foreclosures and Fear: What’s Next for the Housing Market?

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:14:17 GMT

The U.S. housing market has been wobbly for several years but it has shown some signs of perking up in recent months. The latest reports however indicate a setback with median home prices dropping slightly and sales well below the already depressed levels of 2009. Yet a combination of low mortgage rates and apparent home-price bargains should still be drawing some buyers into the market. Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Wharton real estate professor Susan M. Wachter about the housing market’s slow recovery the prospect of another sharp dip in prices the effect of foreclosures on the economy and what it will take to get the market back on track.

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Europe’s Migrants: ’The World Is a Smaller Place’

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:48:17 GMT

France expels Roma Gypsies; a prominent German economist says migrants are destroying the country; a far-right party with an anti-immigration platform wins its first parliamentary seats in Sweden. Few countries in Europe have escaped the recent heated debates about immigration within their borders. Against this backdrop a growing body of research is helping Europeans understand whether and under what conditions immigration is economically and socially beneficial. As one Wharton expert notes ”It’s not a zero-sum game.”

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Worlds Apart: What’s Behind the U.S.-China Currency Dispute?

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:48:17 GMT

Faced with the possibility of a global currency war Western countries are increasing their scrutiny of China’s currency policies accusing Beijing of intervening in the markets to keep China’s currency weaker than it would be otherwise. In the U.S. politicians and regulators say such tactics undermine efforts to boost exports and thus take away jobs from American workers. But the controversy is more complicated than that and touches on policies and attitudes that go back decades. Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Wharton professors Franklin Allen and Mauro Guillen about what is at stake and why this particular conflict is so difficult to resolve.

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In a Withering Market Where Will Your Investments Grow?

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:30:23 GMT

After losing equity in their homes and stock portfolios Americans are now scrambling to make up lost savings by moving money into bonds and a host of other investments once considered either risky or unattractive. Although the dramatic shift in investment behavior is unlikely to have a long-term impact on the economy analysts warn that the new strategies could have a profound effect on individual investors themselves. Wharton faculty weigh in on the potential upsides and downsides that consumers face as they move into new investment categories.

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Basel III and Risky Banking Behavior: Too Little Too Lenient Too Late?

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:30:23 GMT

As the world haltingly recovers from the recession regulators are struggling to modify the financial system to prevent another crisis. The latest effort: stricter capital requirements to help prevent large banks from collapsing under the weight of unexpected losses. While the new proposals -- called Basel III -- are designed to reduce risk-taking by assuring that banks continue lending in a weak economy Wharton faculty and others are skeptical that the new proposals will accomplish this goal.

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Walking ’on Eggshells’: Corporate Boards Juggle Many Intangibles When Judging Performance

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:42:34 GMT

A board’s primary fiduciary responsibility is to ensure that a CEO is generating profits for shareholders but Mark Hurd’s abrupt departure from the top job at Hewlett-Packard underscores how boards of directors do not judge a CEO’s performance on company prosperity alone. Rather boards use a broad set of intangible criteria -- ranging from how well leaders are able to earn employees’ trust to how well they deal with customers to how they conduct themselves off site -- as a way of evaluating success or failure. But these standards experts say can be extraordinarily difficult for boards to assess.

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Deflation -- Delusion or Danger?

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:42:34 GMT

The collapse in home prices during the past few years is a reminder of the horrors of deflation. Millions of homeowners owe lenders more than their homes are worth making it impossible to sell trade up downsize or move for a new job. What would happen if deflation were to spread across the entire economy driving down wages and the prices of all goods and services?

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Smartphone Credit Cards: Are U.S. Consumers Ready to Trade In Their Plastic?

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:42:34 GMT

AT&T and Verizon are about to throw the dice in a bet that will put billions of dollars on the line. The companies the two largest mobile phone operators in the United States are expected to launch a pilot program to see whether their customers are ready to trade credit cards for smartphones equipped with similar swipe technology for making purchases. But will Americans want to put aside their comfortable relationship with plastic credit cards? And can they overcome security concerns about adopting a new payment system? Industry experts weigh in.

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Anatomy of a Merger: ’Hostile Deals Become Friendly in the End Right?’

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:07:02 GMT

When Roche Holding acquired full ownership of Genentech last year the $46.8 billion deal was the culmination of a more than 20-year relationship between the Swiss pharmaceutical giant and the Silicon Valley biotechnology company. In a recent presentation at Wharton San Francisco Steve Krognes -- a former Roche executive who is now senior vice president and CFO of Genentech -- talked about the pharma company’s decision to pursue the merger efforts to raise capital amid the beginnings of the 2008 recession and the aftermath of the deal.

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Financial Services on Aisle Nine: Wal-Mart Gives Banks a Run for Their Money

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:07:02 GMT

Despite being pilloried by the public lately a banker’s lot can’t be all that bad. At least that’s what Wal-Mart executives must be thinking. Over recent months there has been a flurry of announcements from the world’s largest retailer about the expanding array of banking products sold at its U.S. stores. Company officials insist that their main aim is to reach the ”unbanked” and ”underbanked” with the type of low-cost services that cemented Wal-Mart’s reputation as a retail giant. So do traditional retail banks on Main Street USA have reason to worry?

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Dell’s Diversification Strategy: ’A Day Late and a Dollar Short?’

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:07:02 GMT

It has been a battle of the balance sheets as rivals Dell and Hewlett-Packard continue to wrangle over who will win the right to acquire 3PAR a little known data storage company. While the 3PAR bidding war which HP is expected to win is part of Dell’s ongoing ambition to get a bigger foothold in high-margin enterprise technology services the $53 billion company has also been chasing consumers with lackluster products. As one expert asks: ”Dell sees the need for diversification but does it see the need for transformation?”

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Ranking Employees: Why Comparing Workers to Their Peers Can Often Backfire

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:14:34 GMT

What inspires an employee to work harder? More money more often than not. But what about being benchmarked against peers asks Wharton management professor Iwan Barankay in a new study titled ”Rankings and Social Tournaments: Evidence from a Field Experiment.” With the help of a ”crowd-sourcing” website Barankay set out to discover not only whether workers are interested in how they rank against their peers but also what happens to their performance if they find out how they placed. His conclusion may leave companies thinking twice about the best way to appraise staff performance.

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Shooting the Messenger: Quarterly Earnings and Short-term Pressure to Perform

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:16:28 GMT

While most experts agree that a single-minded focus on the short term can cause negative consequences for companies they also suggest that blaming quarterly earnings reports and the pressure to meet analysts’ targets or company guidance is like shooting the messenger. Although the system of quarterly earnings might be broken fixing it is no easy matter and might create even more pressure to produce immediate results.

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Will the Economic Recovery Run Out of Steam?

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:16:28 GMT

After a year of solid gains the economic recovery is beginning to slow. Demand is trailing off as inventory levels have been restored and emergency stimulus measures withdrawn. Continued high unemployment and a downtick in housing are weighing on consumer confidence and spending. Add unexpected shocks from Europe and a slowdown in China and forecasters are now ratcheting down their expectations for growth over the next year. While many still expect economic expansion to continue in the longer term ”we have definitely hit a soft patch ” one Wharton faculty member notes.

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Why It Pays to Link Executive Compensation with Corporate Debt

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:14:17 GMT

The recent financial crisis triggered primarily by bad bets in the financial sector has added momentum to the idea that executive compensation should be tied more closely to corporate debt rather than equity. Last month for example American International Group (AIG) announced that it will link incentive pay to the value of the troubled insurer’s bonds. In a new paper Wharton finance professor Alex Edmans and doctoral student Qi Liu argue that these types of incentives protect bondholders’ interests and the value of the firm particularly when a company’s solvency is in question.

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Boston Philharmonic’s Benjamin Zander: Tapping into ’The Art of Possibility’

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:14:17 GMT

Whether they are artists or executives every worker has the potential to be excellent. The challenge for any leader according to Boston Philharmonic conductor Benjamin Zander is to tap into employees’ strengths and give them the tools they need to shine. In a speech at the 14th Annual Wharton Leadership Conference Zander described how the same techniques he uses in the concert hall can be employed in creating a happier more successful business environment.

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China’s Renminbi Revaluation: Small Step Big Impact?

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:14:17 GMT

China’s announcement in June that it will abandon the peg tying the renminbi (RMB) to the U.S. dollar and gradually let its currency appreciate was widely applauded in international business and economic circles. The decision is important experts say not only in debates about the future clout of the dollar and the RMB in global trade and politics but also for correcting global economic imbalances. Yet now many observers are wondering what impact the revaluation will have on jobs and prices for the average person -- whether in Boston Beijing or anywhere in between.

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When Do Exaggerations and Misstatements Cross the Line?

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:52:02 GMT

Embellishing stories about one’s accomplishments or qualifications whether by exaggeration or misstatement is part of human nature experts say and almost everyone is guilty of it at one time or another. Left unchecked however exaggerations that seemed innocuous at first can result in serious potentially career-ending consequences. Thanks to the Internet it’s easier than ever to get caught in an exaggeration Wharton experts and others note. But the temptation to embellish has also never been greater as recession-weary workers feel pressured to justify their worth and a 24-hour news cycle demands that leaders have an immediate sound-bite-ready answer for everything.

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Running Faster Falling Behind: John Hagel III on How American Business Can Catch Up

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:52:02 GMT

American companies will continue to fall behind their counterparts in emerging markets such as China or India unless they move toward what Deloitte’s John Hagel III calls ”the edge ” which is where passionate change-driven employees collaborate with others on the kind of innovations that prevent a company from seeing its core business model slowly erode. During a talk at the recent Wharton Leadership Conference Hagel discussed how CEOs can look to sources such as the online game World of Warcraft for inspiration in finding a successful path forward.

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Whither the Euro: Safe Harbor or Fractured Fate?

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:52:02 GMT

With the financial crisis in the United States seemingly under control Europe went into a panic of its own this spring substituting the specter of defaults on sovereign debt for the American penchant for defaults on home-mortgage debt. A stabilization package valued at nearly $1 trillion was put into place in Europe calming markets at least for the moment. But where does the euro wind up amid all this tumult? One view is that the euro is safe bolstered by a sense that it is too important to fail. But others say it is heading for a fall.

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To Boycott or Not: The Consequences of a Protest

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:48:25 GMT

The call for a boycott of BP in the wake of its ongoing disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is hardly surprising. The boycott which in BP’s case was proposed by consumer group Public Citizen is a tactic that has been used for centuries by consumers as a way to express outrage. While research shows many boycotts come up short in forcing their targets to give in to the demands of protest organizers they can have real impact in terms of lost sales and a damaged reputation. In the case of BP however experts say a boycott is likely to be only a nuisance when compared to the outsized legal liability the company is facing from the Gulf spill.

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Phishing Bribery and Falsification: Combating the Complexities of Carbon Fraud

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:48:25 GMT

”Cap and trade” systems in which corporations that exceed their allotment of carbon dioxide emissions are allowed to purchase certificates from those with low emissions were designed to combat global climate change by giving polluters a financial incentive to reduce or offset their impact on the environment. But carbon markets in Europe and elsewhere are increasingly falling victim to fraud in the form of phishing bribery and other schemes. Wharton experts and others say combating these crimes is a complicated problem which thus far has no clear solution.

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Improving Our Financial IQs: Why Managing Money Should Be a Lifetime Skill

Wed, 26 May 2010 16:26:29 GMT

It’s no secret that many Americans are financially illiterate or unable to understand basic principles of money management. To address this situation Wharton Dartmouth and the Rand Corporation have established the new Financial Literacy Center which will develop ”educational materials and programs that help foster saving and retirement strategies over the life cycle.” Annamaria Lusardi an economics professor at Dartmouth who will help lead the new Center and Michelle Greene deputy assistant secretary for financial education and financial access at the U.S. Treasury Department spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about the Center’s goals and why individuals need to be more proactive about their financial health.

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Needed Now: New Approaches to Financing Old Age

Wed, 26 May 2010 16:26:29 GMT

Following the global financial crisis troubled retirement systems around the world face new challenges that may result in sharply reduced income for retirees -- as well as the possibility that younger workers will need to work much longer according to Wharton insurance and risk management professor Olivia Mitchell. In a recent paper titled ”Implications of the Financial Crisis for Long Run Retirement Security ” Mitchell argues that current and future generations must ”build new frameworks [with] public and private partnerships to better educate people about the risks they face to help them work longer ... and to better regulate products and markets for an aging world.”

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The Brave New World of Sovereign Wealth Funds

Wed, 26 May 2010 16:26:29 GMT

Sovereign wealth funds the large investment funds supported by governments are mostly a positive economic force that can provide a shot in the arm to the companies -- and countries -- they invest in. They are also a stabilizing force for the nation where the investment originates. Those are some of the main takeaways from a new Wharton study ”The Brave New World of Sovereign Wealth Funds.” In this interview with Knowledge at Wharton Wharton management professor Mauro F. Guillén who helped to oversee the research and two Wharton MBA candidates present some of their key findings.

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Going Mobile: How iAd and AdMob Move Apple vs. Google to a New Playing Field

Wed, 26 May 2010 16:26:29 GMT

What spending in the mobile advertising industry lacks in heft it more than makes up for in buzz. Witness Google’s recent purchase of AdMob which brings together the two largest mobile ad networks and Apple’s recent efforts to gain a stronger foothold in the market. The battle between the two major players could represent a tipping point for mobile advertising Wharton experts and others say and suggests that the sector could become a significant money-maker in the future.

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Electric Literature Founders Andy Hunger and Scott Lindenbaum: ’Agitating’ for Fiction

Wed, 26 May 2010 13:57:17 GMT

Plenty of people in the publishing world fear that new media and the Internet will kill interest in reading literary fiction. Andy Hunter and Scott Lindenbaum however think of Twitter YouTube and the iPad as opportunities to introduce new audiences to the art of the short story -- and to tell stories in unique ways. They are the founders of Electric Literature a quarterly literary magazine that publishes using a print-on-demand model and enhances its stories through collaborations between authors and animators filmmakers and musicians.

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PARC’s Teresa Lunt: ’Figuring Out What Is Valuable for You to Know Right Now’

Wed, 26 May 2010 13:56:42 GMT

Teresa Lunt who directs the computing science laboratory at the Palo Alto Research Center is involved in a wide range of activities including ubiquitous computing security and privacy and ethnography for organizational environments and technology design. During a talk with Knowledge at Wharton at the recent Future of Publishing Conference in New York she discussed a few of her current projects -- such as research into workplace efficiencies a study on mobile advertising and the creation of a rich media information service for a customer in Japan.

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Postcards from the Vineyard: Exploring the World of Wine Tourism

Tue, 25 May 2010 16:23:25 GMT

In the book In Search of Bacchus: Wanderings in the Wonderful World of Wine Tourism author George M. Taber took on the task (someone had to do it) of visiting a dozen of the most breathtakingly beautiful wine regions around the globe. What he came back with is a travel guide for oenophiles that also serves as a primer on how and why winemakers are increasingly turning themselves into destination sites. In addition Taber’s tour opens a window on the growing segmentation of the travel industry as a whole and offers lessons about competitive advantage and marketing that apply to all consumer-driven businesses.

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Cuil’s Seval Oz Ozveren: Creating the Next Generation of Internet Search

Mon, 24 May 2010 16:40:55 GMT

As use of the Internet grows and changes so has the ability of users to search for specific content or stories photos and videos that relate to certain topics of interest. One of the companies trying to harness and expand the power of search is Cuil which is developing Cpedia -- an engine that promises less repetition an encyclopedia-style summary for each search and results that integrate related topics and input and recommendations from users’ social networks. Cuil vice president of business development and finance Seval Oz Ozveren talked with Knowledge at Wharton during the recent Future of Publishing conference in New York.

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Bruised but Not Out: A Bullish View on the Future of Financial Innovation

Wed, 19 May 2010 16:39:39 GMT

The Great Recession has given a black eye to the tools of financial innovation. Collateralized debt obligations synthetic derivatives and other once-arcane investment vehicles are now the poster boys of what went wrong -- toxic players in the boom-and-doom scenario of the housing implosion and market rout. But these highly opaque and complex instruments are not representative of real financial innovation which stresses transparency and responsible management of risk argues Wharton finance professor Franklin Allen in his new book Financing the Future: Market-Based Innovations for Growth co-written with Glenn Yago executive director of financial research at the Milken Institute. Financial innovation properly used has been the engine of growth through the centuries Allen says and is especially needed now to get the world economy on track again.

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Changing Times at The Washington Post: Engaging Readers Enhancing Content

Wed, 19 May 2010 16:39:06 GMT

At the Wharton-sponsored Future of Publishing conference held on April 30 in New York one of the panels looked at the changing nature of content specifically the increasing popularity of user-generated content spilling forth from an ever-growing variety of sources. The panel included Katharine Zaleski executive producer and head of digital news products for The Washington Post and before that senior editor in charge of special projects at The Huffington Post. Following her participation in the panel discussion Zaleski spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about her role at The Washington Post the importance of packaging stories why news sites need to offer other people’s content and what the future holds for investigative journalists among other topics.

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Ailing Tiger: Why Ireland Isn’t Out of the Woods Yet

Wed, 12 May 2010 15:14:35 GMT

Once dubbed the ”Celtic Tiger” for its transformation from an economic laggard to a growth powerhouse Ireland is now suffering from a stunning reversal of fortune. What once helped drive its economic surge -- a booming real estate market -- has now become the country’s bane. Wharton faculty and other experts weigh in on whether it’s fair to lump Ireland with Europe’s other sick economies such as Greece and what needs to happen for the country to regain its former glory as a magnet for international investment.

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Roger Farah’s Strategy for Polo Ralph Lauren: Weaving ’Left Brain’ Discipline with ’Right Brain’ Creativity

Wed, 12 May 2010 15:14:35 GMT

The recession and pullback by American consumers have dealt serious blows to the retailing landscape. Yet while some big names have gone under Polo Ralph Lauren has emerged relatively unscathed from the wreckage according to company president and chief operating officer Roger Farah who recently spoke on campus during the University of Pennsylvania’s Fashion Week an event co-sponsored by Wharton. He attributes the company’s revival and continued growth -- which includes a major push into the Asia-Pacific region -- to a combination of ”left brain” discipline and ”right brain” creativity.

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How GE Builds Global Leaders: A Conversation with Chief Learning Officer Susan Peters

Wed, 12 May 2010 15:14:35 GMT

In recent years GE has faced severe business challenges -- the company’s $200 billion market cap is half of what it used to be. Still an area of enormous strength is the way the company identifies and builds leaders. Much of the credit goes to GE’s corporate learning programs executed through a learning facility in Crotonville N.Y. As business becomes more global how is leadership development at GE changing? How does GE use technology to teach leadership? What impact will the influx of the Facebook generation have on the way leadership is taught? Susan Peters -- GE’s chief learning officer and vice president for executive development and a speaker at the upcoming Wharton Leadership Conference on June 16 -- discussed these questions and more with Knowledge at Wharton.

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Crisis Contagion and Bailouts: What’s Next for the European Union?

Wed, 12 May 2010 15:14:35 GMT

In the run-up to this week’s announcement of the European Union’s $960 billion stabilization plan Wharton management professors Mauro Guillén and Saikat Chaudhuri and Jean Salmona founder and chairman of the editorial board of ParisTech Review participated in an interview with Knowledge at Wharton on likely outcomes from the financial crisis facing Greece some of its sister countries and the European Monetary Union more generally. How did events spin so out of control? How will the politics of the crisis affect the Eurozone’s economic performance? Guillén Chaudhuri and Salmona addressed these and other questions on May 7 just before the huge financial support package was announced.

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Will Customers Be the Excess Baggage of Airline Consolidation?

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:56:07 GMT

After losing $60 billion in the last decade -- and billions more recently when a cloud of volcanic ash grounded flights across Europe -- airlines are looking to consolidate as a way to return to profitability amid continued struggles with high fuel prices competition from low-cost carriers and a limited customer pool that shriveled even more during the recession. But experts are skeptical about the ”bigger is better” strategy. Many observers say the carriers have proved downright flighty at following through on making changes that improve operations and put the customer first.

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What Does the Drooping Book Business Need? How About a Jolt of Espresso?

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:56:07 GMT

What if you could print a perfect-bound volume for as little time as it takes to brew a cup of coffee? That is the premise behind the Espresso book machine which turns digital PDF files into paperbacks in minutes. Jason Epstein and Dane Neller chairman and CEO respectively of On Demand Books in New York the company behind the Espresso book machine believe their technology has the potential to transform book publishing. Epstein who was editorial director of Random House for 40 years recently wrote a widely read essay in The New York Review of Books about the impact of digital technology on publishing. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton and Stephen J. Kobrin editor of Wharton School Publishing Epstein and Neller discuss their views on where the publishing business is headed.

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Goldman Sachs and Abacus 2007-AC1: A Look Beyond the Numbers

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:56:07 GMT

Goldman Sachs is the Wall Street mega-firm whose money-making prowess leaves many impressed envious or suspicious. Now the firm’s reputation is on the line as it fights a fraud suit brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over a single deal in 2007 the sale of a complex ”synthetic collateralized debt obligation” called Abacus 2007-AC1. The deal lost investors $1 billion but produced $1 billion in profits for Goldman’s collaborator Paulson & Company a hedge fund betting the housing bubble would collapse. Experts at Wharton and elsewhere analyze the financial legal and ethical issues raised by a case that has riveted both Wall Street and Main Street.

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Steve Wilson of FastPencil: Why the Next Chapter of Book Publishing Is ’Going to Be Monumental’

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:36:17 GMT

High-tech e-book gadgets are one thing that is revolutionizing publishing. If companies like Silicon Valley startup FastPencil get their way social-networking-based self-publishing services will be another. FastPencil is what CEO Steve Wilson calls a ”next-gen” publisher which uses social networking and an arsenal of widgets to take authors through their book projects from the drawing board to the bookshelf potentially for as little as $10. In a recent interview with Knowledge at Wharton Wilson discussed how FastPencil’s motto -- ”Write once publish anywhere” -- is turning traditional book publishing on its head.

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Be There or Be Square: The Rise of Location-based Social Networking

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:36:17 GMT

To find the hottest restaurant bar or concert venue in town many young adults are no longer checking in with their friends. They’re ”checking in” virtually via Foursquare a location-based social networking site. While Foursquare is being touted as the Next Big Thing experts say the true potential lies in companies knowing exactly where customers are and pitching offers or services based on the spots these customers frequent. The challenge for Foursquare and others observers suggest is transitioning beyond buzz and finding uses for geo-targeting that are both profitable and practical.

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Passion vs. Profits: Microfinance’s Talent Wars

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:36:17 GMT

When microfinance began its scope was simple: Charitable donor-driven organizations with a mission to eliminate poverty gave out very small business loans to help the world’s poor. Big banks -- deeming the loans too small to be profitable -- steered clear. That is now changing said microfinance leaders who gathered recently at Wharton’s Aresty Institute of Executive Education to participate in the Women’s World Banking Advanced Leadership Workshop. Banks realizing there is money to be made at the bottom of the pyramid are entering microfinance markets they previously ignored. One of their most immediate needs: loan officers and branch managers with knowledge of the field.

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How Much Should You Charge? Why ’Smart Pricing’ Pays Off

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:36:17 GMT

Your company has developed a new product that you think will be a winner. A lot of money has been poured into research and development analysis of the competition and advertising. But there is one key element you may have overlooked: What do you charge for the product? Wharton marketing professors Jagmohan Raju and John Zhang say companies frequently don’t put anywhere near as much thought into pricing as they should. In their new book Smart Pricing Raju and Zhang argue that firms ought to engage in innovative pricing to achieve maximum profitability and they show how companies like Google are doing just that.

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Jeremy Siegel on the Dow Reaching 11 000: ’You’ve Still Got Upside’

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:36:17 GMT

The Dow has closed above 11 000 the European Union is bailing out Greece and the U.S. economy seems to be perking up. Is the future as bright as it looks? In fact it looks pretty good says Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel. While the Dow’s 11 000 close doesn’t mean much to professional market watchers it can give ordinary investors a psychological boost. According to Siegel the U.S. economy is in a self-sustaining recovery no longer dependent on government stimulus. And while the housing market could take years to make up recent losses the economy -- and stocks -- should do well he said in an interview with Knowledge at Wharton.

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Big Game(s): College Basketball’s Full-court Money Press

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:51:19 GMT

The Sweet Sixteen the Elite Eight the Final Four: It’s that time of year again when college basketball fans everywhere are betting on who will win this year’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament. But forget the fans. The big winners in terms of money are spread all over the playing field from the network broadcasting the games to the ticket sellers to the colleges that attract the players. How did the NCAA get to be such a money-making powerhouse?

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Health Care Reform: Not Ready to Be Discharged Yet

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:51:19 GMT

America’s health care reform may be out of the emergency room but its prognosis remains sketchy. Passage of the historic 2 400-page legislation by no means ended the health care debate say Wharton experts: It just splintered one massive question mark into a lot of new big ones. As one Wharton professor noted: ”The current legislation is going to be in play for a good long time.” But he also pointed out that the bill offers new business opportunities in such areas as medical information technology education and methods of delivery. (Video with transcripts)

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Google’s Next Search: A New China Strategy?

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:51:19 GMT

After discovering that hackers based in China had broken into the Gmail accounts of Chinese human-rights advocates Google halted operation of its Internet search engine on the Chinese mainland earlier this month and started directing users to its Hong Kong site. On March 29 Chinese officials retaliated by blocking some of Google’s mobile Internet services. While conflict may have seemed inevitable what does it mean for Google’s long-term plans for operating in China? And what lessons can other multinationals learn as this story plays out? Knowledge at Wharton asked Wharton management professor Marshall Meyer and marketing professor John Zhang these and other questions.

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Linda Katz of Children’s Literacy Initiative: Why Teaching in U.S. Classrooms Isn’t Making the Grade

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:51:19 GMT

”Dire” is one adjective that Linda Katz founder and executive director of Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI) uses to describe the U.S. education system which is leaving an increasingly high number of children without adequate reading and writing skills. For more than 20 years CLI has been working with school systems across the country to overhaul how teachers are trained hired and mentored. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Katz discusses not only why classroom teaching is broken and what can be done about it but also the secret to helping kids learn to love reading.

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Wireless Technology: The Birds and the Bees ... and 4G

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:58:09 GMT

Just when consumers thought they had their 3G wireless gadgets all figured out it’s now time to start getting a grip on the fourth generation of wireless technology -- which will be much faster and far more disruptive than anything we have experienced before according to Scott Snyder in his recent Wharton School Publishing book titled The New World of Wireless: How to Compete in the 4G Revolution. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Snyder who is president and COO of consulting firm Decision Strategies International predicts 4G will revolutionize the way we work and play by creating ”one giant wireless ecosystem” that buzzes with innovation.

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E-textbooks: The New Best-sellers

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:50:03 GMT

While some students may be using notebooks or netbooks to read textbooks these days some experts predict that within the next 10 years most U.S. college students -- and many high-school and elementary-school students as well -- will probably be reading course materials on an electronic device instead of in a paper book. And that will have a broad impact on students and teachers not to mention the $9.9 billion textbook-publishing business.

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’Badge’ Value: Finding and Promoting Products That Inspire Customer Loyalty

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:50:03 GMT

Alex Panos and his colleagues at TSG Consumer Partners a San Francisco-based investment fund believe that consumers will always be interested in products that enhance their lives even if it means paying more than they have in the past. That philosophy has brought impressive results for TSG primarily in the beauty food and beverage areas. Panos who joined the 23-year-old firm in 1998 spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about the company’s strategy why it favors family-owned businesses where to find opportunities in a recessionary economy and how to build up a brand among other topics.

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Brazil’s Gold: How Rio Won Its Olympic Bid

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:50:03 GMT

Last fall after losing previous bids Rio de Janeiro -- Brazil’s second-largest city -- won the approval of the International Olympic Committee to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. According to Carlos Roberto Osorio secretary general of the Brazilian Olympic Committee this time around Rio had learned from its earlier failed bids and had the success of hosting the 2007 Pan American Games under its belt. That combined with Brazil’s ”special circumstances” of economic stability amid the global downturn helped it to beat out rival cities. In an interview with Wharton professors Felipe Monteiro and Ken Shropshire Osorio discussed the winning bid and the challenges that lie ahead.

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Empty Pockets: What Does the Greek Debt Dilemma Mean for the Global Economy?

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:50:03 GMT

Fear is growing that Greece may default on a massive pile of debt creating a ripple effect of problems throughout Europe and beyond. Following pressure from the European Union and the European Central Bank the Greek government on March 3 announced a new round of austerity measures that include spending cuts and tax increases which critics fear will harm Greece’s economy. Meanwhile Wall Street banks are facing scrutiny for the complex financial instruments they used to allegedly disguise the country’s real debt. What caused Greece’s debt problem to spin out of control? And what steps should it take to remedy the situation? Wharton finance professors Richard Herring and Itay Goldstein weigh in.

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How Entrepreneurs Can Create Effective Business Plans

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:37:47 GMT

When an entrepreneur has identified a potential business opportunity the next step is developing a business plan for the new venture. What exactly should the new plan contain? How can the entrepreneur ensure it has the substance to find interest among would-be investors? In this installment of a series of podcasts for the Wharton-CERT Business Plan Competition Wharton management professor Ian MacMillan explains that business plans must contain several crucial elements: They must articulate a market need; identify products or services to fill that need; assess the resources required to produce those products or services; address the risks involved in the venture; and estimate the potential revenues and profits.

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Basics of Entrepreneurship: Why Start-ups Fail at Marketing -- and Possible Solutions

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:37:41 GMT

Why do more than half of all start-ups fail? Because they bungle their marketing according to Leonard Lodish a professor of marketing at Wharton and co-author of two books Entrepreneurial Marketing and Marketing That Works. ”The dogs won’t eat the dog food is the way venture capitalists describe it ” Lodish says. The key lies in how a marketing plan is crafted. In this installment of the podcast series for the Wharton-CERT Business Plan Competition Lodish explains that marketing plans must take into account three critical strategic and tactical factors: positioning targeting and pricing.

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Basics of Entrepreneurship: Dealing with Venture Capitalists

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:37:30 GMT

A critical step in the creation of a new venture is raising the capital to bring the new business to life. What sources of capital can an entrepreneur tap and what factors must she or he keep in mind while going through the process? According to Stephen Sammut a senior fellow and lecturer at Wharton so-called angel investors represent one possible option. Another source is venture capitalists (VCs) who may fund start-ups or invest at a later stage in a company’s growth. In this podcast for the Wharton-CERT Business Plan Competition Sammut explains the promises and pitfalls of dealing with venture capitalists.

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Basics of Entrepreneurship: ’The Act of Being an Entrepreneur Is Indeed an Act of Leadership’

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:37:22 GMT

Who are you? What do you stand for? What do you want? Entrepreneurs usually know the answers to those questions when they start up companies. But do their leadership teams? To make sure they do top entrepreneurs develop a ”blueprint” that will guide their companies as they grow from six to 60 to 600 employees says Michael Useem Wharton professor of management and director of its Center for Leadership and Change Management. In this installment of the podcast series for the Wharton-CERT Business Plan Competition Useem discusses blueprints and other things that entrepreneurs need to develop successful leadership teams including a knack for telling a good story.

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Executive Compensation: More Regulation or Just More Transparency?

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:36:07 GMT

The question of whether CEOs of America’s major companies are overpaid has been a subject of interest for many years. Are the compensation practices for these elite men and women fair and appropriate? Do they provide proper incentives or do they reward excessive caution or risk taking? Wharton accounting professors John Core and Wayne Guay have just completed a study on this topic. Guay along with colleague Chris Armstrong sat down with Knowledge at Wharton to discuss executive compensation and the controversies that it continues to generate.

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Paid vs. Free Content Publishing Pains Apple Tablets and All That ...

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:52:49 GMT

Two recent events have rocked the publishing world. First The New York Times said it would abandon the practice of providing free online content and start charging regular readers beginning in 2011. And second Apple’s much-hyped tablet -- the iPad -- made its appearance. What implications will the Times’ decision have for newspaper publishers and other providers of free online content? How will the iPad re-define what a book means as well as how it is produced marketed and delivered? Wharton professors Peter Fader and Stephen Kobrin weigh in.

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Crisis in Haiti: Where Do We Go from Here?

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:35:09 GMT

The earthquake that rocked Haiti last week has caused unimaginable death and destruction a reminder that catastrophes are usually unforeseeable and therefore almost impossible to prepare for. Can any country or region of the world rich or poor take meaningful steps to avoid the destruction caused by catastrophes ranging from earthquakes and hurricanes to terrorist attacks and pandemics? Knowledge at Wharton asked professors Howard Kunreuther and Michael Useem authors of a new book titled Learning from Catastrophes: Strategies for Reaction and Response and Morris A. Cohen to talk about the situation in Haiti and the challenges of dealing with such crises.

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Global Interdependence: Are the U.S and Other Markets ’Sowing the Seeds’ for the Next Crisis?

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:21:35 GMT

Despite renewed GDP growth and other positive signs the U.S. isn’t out of the woods says Wharton finance professor Franklin Allen. In fact the country could be heading into a ”double dip” scenario that tips it back into a recession. That depends on how a number of factors play out in the coming months -- or even years -- not only in the U.S. but also around the world. Global interest rate policies property markets and public deficits will all demand attention Allen notes in a recent interview with Knowledge at Wharton.

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Jeremy Siegel on 2010: Good for Stocks Bad for Bonds -- and Why Interest Rates Will Go Up

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:21:35 GMT

U.S. stocks boomed in the last nine months of 2009 but remained well below earlier highs. Indeed many people referred to the first 10 years of the 21st century as ”the lost decade ” because stocks returned virtually nothing while investors had been conditioned to expect 10% a year. Meanwhile bonds and commodities experienced a stunning run. Have the rules of investing changed? What’s ahead for 2010? Knowledge at Wharton talked with Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel who sees some hazards especially for bonds but expects a good year for stocks.

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’A Race to the Bottom’: Assigning Responsibility for the Financial Crisis

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:18:52 GMT

The global financial meltdown has been marked by shortages -- of oversight due diligence moral fortitude and common sense. Today approximately two years after the housing bubble burst and world stock markets collapsed possibly the only surplus left from the crisis is that of finger pointing and blame. A panel discussion earlier this week titled ”Responsibility and the Financial Crisis of 2008 ” brought together Wharton and University of Pennsylvania faculty to discuss the causes of the crisis and more importantly to answer the question ”Where do we go from here?”

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Could Dubai World’s Debt Default Spark a Crisis in the Middle East and Beyond?

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:18:52 GMT

When Dubai World announced late in November that it wanted a six-month delay on payments on $26 billion in debt the financial markets were thrown for a loop. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 155 points or 1.5% European stocks dropped and oil prices plunged. The Dubai story is still unfolding -- the emirate’s stock exchange fell for the third consecutive day on December 9 after Moody’s downgraded the ratings of six government-linked companies. Though some investors believe Dubai does not provoke as much fear as other corporate collapses over the past couple of years Wharton professors point out that the world economy could face serious problems if similar financial troubles spread to European economies such as Greece.

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Changes in the Air: What Will Come of the Copenhagen Climate Summit?

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:18:52 GMT

More than 100 world leaders gathered in Copenhagen on December 7 for a two-week summit meeting whose ambitious aim is to renew the Kyoto protocol on climate change. The issues being discussed include reducing emissions of green-house gases and setting a price for carbon among others. What are the likely business implications of these issues? What new challenges and opportunities will they create during the coming months? Knowledge at Wharton discussed these topics with Wharton legal studies and business ethics professor Eric Orts; Howard Kunreuther Wharton professor of decision sciences and public policy; and Erwann O. Michel-Kerjan managing director of the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center. An edited transcript of the conversation follows.

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Comcast-NBC Universal: Will the Marriage of Cable and Content Work?

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:18:52 GMT

In 2001 the merger between America Online (AOL) and Time Warner was accompanied by lofty hopes of synergies between new-world Internet prowess and old-world content delivery. But those hopes were short-lived. Now with a $30 billion deal to take control of NBC Universal (NBCU) Philadelphia-based Comcast is looking to integrate its cable pipes with many of the channels it distributes. But while much of the initial focus on the Comcast-NBCU marriage has revolved around cable programming assets the combined company’s digital properties may ultimately become more important for its long-term survival say experts at Wharton.

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The Road to China: Fresh Insights into the World’s Fastest-growing Economy

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:18:52 GMT

Earlier this year Harbir Singh Wharton’s vice-dean for Global Initiatives launched a series of trips to foreign countries as a way for faculty to gain a deeper understanding of international economies and then use this knowledge in their teaching and research. Six professors recently visited the Chinese cities of Beijing Shanghai and Shenzhen and met with executives from Lenovo Haier and Huawei among other companies. Knowledge at Wharton asked three of the participants – Singh management professor Saikat Chaudhuri and health care management professor Rob Burns – to share insights from their trip.

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Commercial Real Estate Faces Huge Challenges while Some Positive Signs Emerge

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:56:00 GMT

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Workplace Challenges: Managing Layoffs and Motivating Those Left Behind

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:13:30 GMT

The current downturn has left many companies scrambling to manage workplace issues -- ranging from how to avoid a brain drain to how they can provide better value to customers and clients. Employees for their part face the challenges that arise from working in a leaner organization that demands increased productivity with fewer resources. Knowledge at Wharton talked about these issues with Peter Cappelli director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources and Philip Miscimarra a partner in the labor and employment practice in the Chicago office of law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius and managing director of the Center for Human Resources research advisory group.

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M&A Is Back -- But This Time It’s Different

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:13:30 GMT

If the past month is any indicator acquisitions are not only thawing but heating up. In October Comcast made a bid to merge its operations with NBC Universal to create a cable programming giant. In early November Kraft Foods announced a $16.5 billion bid for U.K.-based chocolate maker Cadbury -- also being sought by confectioners Hershey and Ferrero. The activity spans several sectors including technology with Hewlett Packard’s agreement to purchase 3Com for $2.7 billion and Google’s $750 million acquisition of AdMob. What’s behind this shopping spree and is the trend likely to continue? Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Wharton management professor Larry Hrebiniak and finance professor Pavel Savor about M&A strategy in a post-recession environment.

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Apollo Management’s Marc Rowan: ’The Best Returns Follow Chaos’

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:18:47 GMT

Marc Rowan founding partner of Apollo Management one of the world’s largest private equity investment firms makes it sound simple: Stick to the fundamentals -- that is buy a good business at a low price -- and you ultimately will see returns. Of course identifying those businesses is the challenge. Rowan who was in mergers and acquisitions at Drexel Burnham Lambert before starting Apollo spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about how Apollo makes investment decisions the challenges private equity faces in the coming months the recent insider trading scandals and what he looks for in new hires.

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How Entrepreneurs Identify New Business Opportunities

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:20:48 GMT

A key question that all would-be entrepreneurs face is finding the business opportunity that is right for them. Should the new startup focus on introducing a new product or service based on an unmet need? Should the venture select an existing product or service from one market and offer it in another where it may not be available? Or should the firm bank on a tried and tested formula that has worked elsewhere such as a franchise operation? In the first of a series of podcasts for the Wharton-CERT Business Plan Competition Raffi Amit a professor of management at Wharton discusses these questions and more with Knowledge at Wharton. In the process he offers insights into how entrepreneurs can identify new business opportunities and evaluate their potential and their risks.

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Company Stores vs. Independent Retailers: Clash or Peaceful Coexistence?

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:19:29 GMT

Microsoft dipped its toe into retail waters this month by opening its first company store as a way to showcase the latest and greatest in PCs Zunes and Xbox consoles. But computer companies aren’t the only manufacturers moving into the retail space says Wharton marketing professor David Bell. Whether it’s handbags from Coach shoes from Nike or suits from Ralph Lauren consumers increasingly have the choice to buy products either at stores operated by manufacturers or from independent retailers. Bell recently co-authored a research paper looking into competition between company stores and independent retailers in the same market.

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Lippo Group CEO James Riady: ’Money and Power Are a Blessing and a Curse’

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:19:29 GMT

James Riady is the CEO of Lippo Group one of Indonesia’s largest conglomerates with annual revenues of some $3 billion. The Group among the most active property developers in Southeast Asia has expanded into China and Hong Kong and plans to invest $10 billion over the next five years in the Asia Pacific region. It also has interests in media telecommunications retail and health care. Fifteen years ago Riady was responsible for the establishment of Universitas Pelita Harapan in Indonesia and he has a strong interest in the social impact of business. During an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Riady explained the lessons he has learned over the years from successes and failures in business and politics.

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Netflix: One Eye on the Present and Another on the Future

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:19:29 GMT

In a year when DVD sales are falling and studios are facing major shakeups in their executive ranks the movie industry has at least one success story to cheer about: Netflix. Despite the recession the Los Gatos Calif.-based company continues to thrive and is now in a race to transition to a business model focused on streaming content online while continuing to exploit its current model based on physical DVD distribution. According to Wharton faculty Netflix has managed this balancing act deftly so far but growing competition in digital distribution means that it may not have an advantage for long.

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Crackdown on Executive Pay: Too Much or Not Enough?

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:19:29 GMT

Last week the Obama administration’s ”pay czar ” Kenneth Feinberg announced that the government will impose caps on compensation for the 25 highest-paid executives at seven companies that received ”exceptional assistance” through the Troubled Asset Relief Program -- including American International Group (AIG) Bank of America Citigroup Chrysler Chrysler Financial General Motors and GMAC. Under the new regulations salaries will be reduced by an average of 90% and total compensation (including bonuses and stock options) will be lowered by 50%. Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Wharton accounting professor Wayne R. Guay and then with finance professor Alex Edmans about what these changes could mean for Wall Street company shareholders and taxpayers.

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Comcast and NBC Universal: The Rise of a Content King?

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:33:51 GMT

Philadelphia-based Comcast the largest cable company in the U.S. has made a bid to merge its operations with NBC Universal -- home to the NBC television network Universal Studios and popular cable channels including Bravo USA CNBC and MSNBC. If the deal goes through it would create a programming giant allowing Comcast to produce and distribute content throughout its cable networks and on web sites such as Hulu which is partially owned by NBC Universal. Steve Ennen managing director of the Wharton Interactive Media Initiative spoke with Wharton marketing professor Pete Fader and Ken Shropshire professor of legal studies and business ethics about what the deal could mean for content distribution and for consumers.

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New Approaches to New Markets: How C.K. Prahalad’s Bottom of the Pyramid Strategies Are Paying Off

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:33:51 GMT

Five years ago C.K. Prahalad published a book titled The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid in which he argues that multinational companies not only can make money selling to the world’s poorest but also that undertaking such efforts is necessary as a way to close the growing gap between rich and poor countries. Key to his argument for targeting the world’s poorest is the sheer size of that market -- an estimated four billion people. How has Prahalad’s book -- a revised fifth-anniversary edition of which has just been published -- affected the behavior of companies and the well-being of consumers in the years since its publication? Knowledge at Wharton checked in with the author for an update including examples of specific companies that are implementing Bottom of the Pyramid strategies.

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The Impact of High-frequency Trading: Manipulation Distortion or a Better-functioning Market?

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:48:04 GMT

According to some estimates high-frequency trading by investment banks hedge funds and other players accounts for 60% to 70% of all trades in U.S. stocks explaining the enormous increase in trading volume over the past few years. But critics of the practice worry that those profits are coming out of ordinary investors’ pockets. Defenders on the other hand say high-frequency trading improves market liquidity helping to insure there is always a buyer or seller available when one wants to trade. Wharton faculty and others weigh in.

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Micro Insurance: A Safety Net With Too Many Holes?

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:48:04 GMT

Unlike micro lending -- the better-known side of micro finance -- micro insurance has been a hard sell among the world’s poor. The reasons why include a lack of understanding of how insurance products work a general reticence on the part of poor populations to part with their meager financial resources badly designed products and a shortage of localized risk management knowledge among providers. What needs to happen for micro insurance to prove that it can be both socially beneficial and economically viable?

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Five Questions: What’s New with Net Neutrality and India’s Mobile Markets?

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:48:04 GMT

Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski in late September outlined principles of net neutrality to promote more open use of the Internet. What will these developments mean for business in the U.S. and other parts of the world? In a new interview format called Five Questions Rajesh Jain CEO of India-based Netcore asks Wharton legal studies and business ethics professor Kevin Werbach about net neutrality. In the second part of the interview roles are reversed and Werbach poses five questions to Jain about opportunities in the Indian mobile market which is going through explosive growth.

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A Year after Lehman’s Collapse: What Does Wall Street Look Like?

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:45:37 GMT

On September 14 President Barack Obama gave a speech in New York to mark the anniversary of the Lehman Brothers failure. It was a year ago when -- during the course of a single jaw-dropping week -- the investment bank declared bankruptcy; Bank of America took over Merrill Lynch; and the U.S. federal government bailed out American International Group. How has Wall Street changed during the past year and what will these changes mean for investors? What new financial regulations have been discussed and how much longer will it take the U.S. economy to emerge from the woods? Knowledge at Wharton posed these and other questions to finance professors Jeremy Siegel and Richard Herring.

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Bangkok’s Bumrungrad Hospital: Expanding the Footprint of Offshore Health Care

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:37:02 GMT

Thailand’s Bumrungrad International Hospital is one of a growing number of institutions making a name for themselves among ”medical tourists” by offering patients from Boston to Bahrain a combination of lower-cost state-of-the-art medical care along with service worthy of a five-star hotel. But what will it take for such hospitals to gain acceptance among national policy makers major insurers and employers? Mack Banner CEO of Bumrungrad and Kenneth Mays the hospital’s director of marketing recently met with Ravi Aron a senior fellow at Wharton to discuss the future of offshore health care.

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FCC’s Cable TV Ruling: Will the Competitive Landscape Change?

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:37:02 GMT

For cable TV companies in the U.S. August 28 was a day to celebrate. Ending several years of regulatory battles a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals came down in favor of Philadelphia-based Comcast which sought to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s contentious 30% market share limit on cable TV operators. Not everyone is happy about the ruling fearing it will lead to cable monopolies. In contrast Peter S. Fader professor of marketing and co-director of the Wharton Interactive Media Initiative sees this as a ”golden age” for the industry and consumers alike. Fader spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about why the recent ruling is likely to make the landscape more not less competitive.

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Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan: ’There Is No Substitute for Education if We Want to Have a Better World’

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:11:37 GMT

When the United Arab Emirates (UAE) became a nation in the early 1970s it had neither a formal education system nor a university to call its own. Today however with new private and public universities springing up across the emirates the UAE sees a larger role for itself as a promoter of peace and economic development through education according to Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan the nation’s minister of higher education and scientific research. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Sheikh Nahayan discusses various UAE education initiatives the impact of technology in and outside the classroom and what he would envision to be an ideal education system.

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Farhad Mohit: DotSpots and the Wisdom of Crowds

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:11:25 GMT

Entrepreneur Farhad Mohit is hardly resting on his laurels although he could. In 1996 he launched BizRate a consumer rating site and then in 2004 Shopzilla a shopping search engine. His latest venture is DotSpots a service that lets people update the news in real-time with dots or distributed objects of thought. These could include mini-blog posts containing text videos images documents perspectives from the blogosphere or eye-witness accounts from the scene. Mohit talked with Knowledge at Wharton about DotSpots the publishing industry the wisdom of crowds what he learned from his previous successes and the importance of finding the right team among other topics.

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Peter Linneman on Real Estate: The Storm Is Over the Wreckage Remains

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:11:16 GMT

Although some upbeat economic news in recent weeks might indicate the beginning of the end of the recession there’s still plenty of ”wreckage” to deal with says Wharton real estate professor Peter D. Linneman. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the housing and commercial property sectors which have taken one of their worst beatings ever. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Linneman draws on policy missteps of the past to caution the Obama administration to tread carefully and avoid ”trying to cure things they can’t cure ” while contending that the U.S. might have more in common with countries like Venezuela Russia and Japan than most observers think.

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Education as an Export: Tayeb Kamali on the UAE’s Higher Colleges of Technology

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:11:07 GMT

What’s in a name? Plenty when you’re an entrepreneur starting up a new business says Tayeb Kamali who recalls the struggle to convince others in the early days of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) that the United Arab Emirates’ new government-sponsored university needed a name that would be associated with leading-edge education in the Arab region. However as HCT’s Abu Dhabi-based vice chancellor explains in an interview with Knowledge at Wharton that particular challenge was short-lived given the rapid recognition -- in academia and industry -- of the growing importance that the Internet and other technologies have in developing future generations of global business leaders.

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Connecting the Dots at the World Economic Forum: ’We Can No Longer Face Global Issues Alone’

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:11:02 GMT

Economic progress ethics and social entrepreneurship are three themes that have long had a place on the agenda of the World Economic Forum (WEF) well before phrases like ”subprime lending” had crossed the lips of bankers and Wall Street investors. But how can these and other global topics remain relevant during today’s market turbulence? To answer that question Knoweldge@Wharton spoke with Gilbert Probst WEF managing director and dean of the Geneva-based non-profit think tank’s Global Leadership Fellows program; Tiffany West associate director and Global Leadership Fellow Program Development team; and Ana Karinna Sepulveda project manager for the WEF’s Global Education Initiative.

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Michael Steinhardt Discusses Israel’s Place in the World

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:15:40 GMT

Following a high-profile career in finance in which he became one of the first well-known hedge fund managers Michael Steinhardt began the Taglit-Birthright Israel program a philanthropic enterprise which has provided free 10-day trips to Israel for some 220 000 Jewish youth to learn more about their heritage. Steinhardt spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about how the program helps to improve the country’s image and the challenges of what he calls a deteriorating educational system in Israel -- marked by a brain drain in higher education. Steinhardt also discussed the country’s culture of business innovation and how deep democratic roots can sometimes slow progress.

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A New Kind of Campaign: Changing the World’s Perception of Doing Business with Israel

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:15:22 GMT

Anyone who follows current events sees images of Israel that suggest a country defined by conflict and violence. Yet Israel has also made substantial contributions to the global marketplace in such industries as technology and medicine. The challenge for Israel going forward is to make the world more aware of its hospitable business environment. Marketing professor Yoram (Jerry) Wind and David Pottruck former CEO of Charles Schwab & Co. and now chairman and CEO of Red Eagle Ventures talked with Knowledge at Wharton about steps Israel can take to improve its image.

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Unfreezing Securitization: Restoring the Market’s Confidence in Itself

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:41:52 GMT

According to Wharton finance professor Richard J. Herring more than half of the lending to households over the last five to six years ”has come from the securitization market not from banks’ balance sheets.” For that reason Herring and Allen Levinson founder and principal of Credit Risk Advisors say that the Obama administration’s efforts to resuscitate the ailing economy should be focused not only on restoring bank lending but also on enabling ”the flow of securitizations.” This can be accomplished through the establishment of a private-sector oversight committee that ”reflects the full range of stakeholders in the securitization process” -- a market-based solution costing taxpayers nothing they argue.

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In a Recessionary Summer Hollywood’s Fondness for the Familiar Only Grows

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:41:52 GMT

Why is Hollywood in love with tried-and-true sequels and established franchises rather than producing original scripts? According to Wharton faculty the industry’s embrace of the sequel is an attempt to minimize its risk during an uncertain time when the motion picture business finds its usual sources of funding and revenues under pressure from the recession. ”If studio [executives] launch a movie where ... the merchandizing channels already exist they are less likely to walk into a big box office disaster which could bury them financially when they can least afford it ” says one expert.

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Not With the Plan: State Budget Woes Create a Black Hole for U.S. Stimulus Funds

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:41:52 GMT

From California to Connecticut the global recession has squeezed state finances forcing many state governments to slash services raise taxes or find unusually creative ways to close the gap. According to experts the widespread budget shortfalls -- expected to continue through at least 2011 -- threaten to put a drag on the nation’s economic recovery and undermine President Obama’s stimulus plan. ”The states aren’t really playing the game like Obama hoped they would ” says one Wharton finance professor.

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Can ’Cash for Clunkers’ Help Jump-start the Auto Industry?

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:41:52 GMT

Ford reported its first sales gain in 20 months thanks to the U.S. government’s ”cash for clunkers” rebate program that gives consumers a rebate of up to $4 500 to trade in older cars for new and more fuel-efficient models. Other manufacturers said their continuing sales declines would have been worse without the program. All in all the officially named Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) provided taxpayers with a good return on their investment Wharton management professor John Paul MacDuffie says in an interview with Knowledge at Wharton. But he adds the auto industry -- most notably GM and Toyota -- have a lot of work to do to prepare for a marketplace transformed by the financial crisis and growing demand for fuel efficiency.

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Bing Gives Microsoft a Boost but Can It Compete with Google?

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:41:52 GMT

Early reports show that Microsoft’s new search engine Bing has managed to draw more users than its predecessor Live Search. According to Wharton faculty however while Microsoft’s campaign to promote Bing has been successful so far it is unclear whether its well-funded effort will make significant inroads in a market dominated by Google. On the other hand they believe the campaign helped pressure Yahoo into an important partnership agreement after months of fitful negotiations.

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Wall Street Report: Big Profits amid the Ruins

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:41:58 GMT

In separate interviews Wharton finance professors Franklin Allen and Jeremy J. Siegel offered contrasting reactions to the large second-quarter profits at Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan. Allen said that while the firms’ quarterly results reflected overall gains on Wall Street ”by and large you can’t make large sums of money without taking risks.” He worries that the government’s intervention in the financial sector last fall which benefitted these firms and others created an environment of moral hazard. Siegel was less concerned about this issue noting that ”both these firms now have a lot to lose after having recovered a lot.”

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Marketing for Financial Advisors: Harness Data Drill Deep into a Niche -- and Thrive

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:41:58 GMT

Financial advisors face difficult challenges given the global economic and financial crisis. Yet advisors can not only survive the downturn but also thrive during it according to the authors of a new book Marketing for Financial Advisors: Build Your Business Bring in Clients and Establish Your Brand. Indeed Wharton marketing professors Eric T. Bradlow and Patti Williams and Keith Niedermeier director of Wharton’s undergraduate marketing program suggest that the struggling economy provides an opportunity to ”attack” and gain market share. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton the three authors discuss how financial advisors can build their business -- even in a down economy -- by adopting data-driven and niche marketing principles.

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Ten Ways to Judge a President

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:41:58 GMT

Corporate leaders in the United States often draw leadership lessons -- good and bad -- from the examples set by American presidents. But in looking to the White House it’s important to recognize that history’s take on presidential performance is subject to change according to presidential historian Richard Norton Smith who spoke at a recent Wharton Leadership Conference. He offered 10 rules for presidential evaluations that stand the test of time.

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Cable TV Follows Its Subscribers to the Internet

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:41:58 GMT

The cable television industry’s answer to the increasing threat from Internet video sites such as YouTube and Hulu focuses on a clear-cut strategy: Make cable subscriptions portable to any Internet accessible device such as a laptop computer or even a mobile phone for no additional charge. Experts at Wharton say the move is a promising early step in meeting the Internet video challenge but they expect more such experimentation ahead.

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On Shaky Ground: Commercial Real Estate Faces Financial Tremors

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:41:58 GMT

As the global recession drags on new concerns are rising about commercial real estate. Loans taken out during the boom years are coming due but commercial property owners are contending with higher vacancy rates lower rents and a less-than-receptive environment for refinancing their obligations. Industry analysts and politicians suggest that commercial real estate is about to become the next high-profile casualty in the ongoing economic meltdown. ”The shoe has already dropped ” says one Wharton real estate professor.

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How Can You Find the Most Promising New Opportunities? Hold an Innovation Tournament

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:36:43 GMT

In their new book titled Innovation Tournaments: Creating and Selecting Exceptional Opportunities Wharton professors Christian Terwiesch and Karl Ulrich point out that identifying new opportunities shouldn’t be seen as a luxury but a necessity. They note that creativity and process-driven rigor can go hand in hand when it comes to vetting and managing new ideas. One way to do this they explain is by making new ideas compete with one another in numerous rounds of vetting -- that is by running them through ”innovation tournaments” -- so that the strongest and most promising ideas make it to the final round. Rich rewards await companies that make the leap.

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Harnessing Networks to Create Value and Identify New Opportunities

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:36:33 GMT

As the recent financial crisis has showed so dramatically networks exist everywhere. Global inter-linkage of loans and mortgages -- which were intended to distribute risk -- actually ended up spreading it far and wide. Similar network-based impacts are at work in fields as diverse as information security and supply chain management. But while networks create new risks they also generate new opportunities write Paul R. Kleindorfer Yoram (Jerry) Wind and Robert E. Gunther in their new book ”The Network Challenge: Strategy Profit and Risk in an Interlinked World.” In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Kleindorfer and Wind discuss the themes of many of the 28 essays in their book.

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Former Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani: ’We Are on the Razor’s Edge’

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:36:27 GMT

When Nandan Nilekani was the CEO of Infosys one of India’s top IT and outsourcing firms he often found himself being forced to answer questions not just about his company but also his country. Sometimes global business executives who visited the company’s sprawling campus in Bangalore would raise issues to which Nilekani had no answer -- such as ”Why does Infosys have such a beautiful campus but also large slums in other parts of the city?” So when Nilekani decided to write a book unlike other CEOs who write about their favorite leadership or management theories he chose India as his subject. In ”Imagining India: The Idea of a Renewed Nation ” Nilekani tackles themes ranging from education and demographics to investment and infrastructure. Nilekani who was recently recruited by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to head a project to create a national identification card for the country spoke with India Knowledge at Wharton about the book at the recent Wharton India Economic Forum in Philadelphia.

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’Walk the Market’: Tapping into Africa’s 900 Million Consumers

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:36:05 GMT

When multinational companies want to tap into the massive pent-up consumer demand in emerging markets the first countries that they usually think of are China and India. But what about Africa asks Vijay Mahajan author of Africa Rising: How 900 Million Consumers Offer More Than You Think (Wharton School Publishing). Though often overlooked in global corporate growth strategies Africa as a whole has enough consumer power to give China and India a run for their money he argues. Mahajan a marketing professor at the University of Texas in Austin and co-author of an earlier book titled The 86% Solution: How to Succeed in the Biggest Marketing Opportunity of the 21st Century (Wharton School Publishing) talked with Knowledge at Wharton about Africa Rising.

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Eradicating Mud Cookies: Global Executives Try to Connect Profit to Social Good

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:18:09 GMT

Thirty-nine executives -- from countries as diverse as Nigeria India Russia South Africa and The Netherlands -- were challenged to devise a profitable business plan to address social ills around the globe. The effort part of the Aresty Institute of Executive Education’s Advanced Management Program called on participants’ expertise in such fields as oil aerospace finance fashion entertainment and HIV/AIDS education.

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Caught in the Middle: Rising Unemployment Takes Its Toll on Older Managers

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:18:09 GMT

U.S. recessions since the oil crisis in the early 1970s each had their own special causes and victims but they also had something in common: They were over relatively quickly. The current downturn however is deeper and already longer than any since World War II. This spells trouble for one especially vulnerable group -- managers in their 40s and early 50s. What can they do when the industry they made their career in downsizes or goes bust? And how should they go about picking themselves up and getting back into the game? Wharton faculty and employment counselors weigh in.

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One War We Shouldn’t Avoid: A New Approach to Reducing the Cost of Future Catastrophes

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:18:09 GMT

In 2005 three major hurricanes -- Katrina Rita and Wilma -- struck the U.S. Gulf Coast area causing not just death and destruction but also leading to insurance payments and federal disaster relief of more than $180 billion. Today say the authors of a new book titled At War with the Weather: Managing Large-Scale Risks in a New Era of Catastrophes the U.S. is even more vulnerable to catastrophic losses. Written by Howard Kunreuther and Erwann Michel-Kerjan with colleagues Neil Doherty Martin Grace Robert Klein and Mark Pauly At War with the Weather analyzes current thinking about catastrophes and proposes new solutions for reducing loss and providing financial protection against future disasters. Kunreuther co-director of Wharton’s Risk Management and Decision Processes Center and Michel-Kerjan the Center’s managing director recently talked to Knowledge at Wharton about their book.

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’Rewarding Failure’: Will the Crisis Leave a Residue of Moral Hazard?

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:18:09 GMT

The federal government has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into the banking system and most experts seem to agree that the financial crisis is closer to its end than its beginning. But as attention shifts from fire fighting to rebuilding many are worrying about the ”moral hazard” that may remain with an apparent government safety net encouraging a new round of foolish risk taking.

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Jeremy Siegel: ’The Market Will Stage Another Recovery’

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:27:19 GMT

Now that it’s clear the recession will not turn into a depression stocks are poised for a recovery says Wharton finance professor Jeremy J. Siegel. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton he said last week’s market decline in response to rising commodity prices -- especially for energy -- and fear of the ever-growing federal deficit was no more than a short-term setback.

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The New Role of Risk Management: Rebuilding the Model

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:27:19 GMT

Risk managers armed with the most sophisticated quantitative tools available did not foresee the biggest development in a generation -- the systematic breakdown and global contagion of financial markets. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton John Drzik president and CEO of the Oliver Wyman Group Richard J. Herring a finance professor at Wharton and Francis X. Diebold a Wharton professor of economics finance and statistics discussed how to build a more informed risk management model. All three took part in the recent Wharton Financial Institutions Center and Oliver Wyman Institute 12th Annual Financial Risk Roundtable 2009.

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Peter Guber on Sharing Stories not Just Information to Communicate Effectively

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:27:19 GMT

Do you want to communicate a corporate message effectively? Turn it into a story says Mandalay Entertainment Group chairman Peter Guber. He argues that stories are more memorable and engaging than slide presentations memos or sales pitches.

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Raghda Shaheen: Bridging Two Worlds -- America and The Middle East

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:49:21 GMT

Raghda Shaheen who works for the Dubai International Finance Centre recently completed a four-week business and legal fellowship program at Wharton and the University of Pennsylvania law school. The program funded by the U.S. Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and supported by America-Mideast Educational and Training Services (AMIDEAST) teaches management business and legal skills to women from the Middle East and North Africa. This year 22 women from 11 countries attended the program. Shaheen will spend the next three months working at the Chicago Chamber of Commerce before returning to the UAE. She spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about her experiences in Gaza City Canada the U.S. and the Middle East

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The Pink Prescription: Facing Tomorrow’s Challenges Calls for Right-brain Thinking

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:08:51 GMT

In a world where jobs can be sent overseas tasks can be automated and the feverish pace of technology can render even last year’s innovation obsolete students will have to learn how to think differently than their parents in order to survive and prosper says Daniel H. Pink author of three bestselling books about the changing work environment. He spoke at the recent Wharton Evolution of Learning Symposium.

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Ten Commandments from Entrepreneurial ’Evangelist’ Guy Kawasaki

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:08:51 GMT

Venture capitalist consultant and former Apple software ”evangelist” Guy Kawasaki talked about ”the art of innovation” during a recent visit to the University of Pennsylvania. He offered 10 rules for entrepreneurs and innovators. Among them: Make meaning not money.

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Warning: Big Financial Firms May Be Riskier Than They Appear

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:08:51 GMT

Large financial institutions have failed with much higher frequency than is generally perceived says Andrew Kuritzkes a partner at Oliver Wyman and head of the management consulting firm’s public policy practice in North America. In this interview with Knowledge at Wharton Kuritzkes suggests some new guidelines that would greatly improve the financial system’s ability to absorb the inevitable if individually unpredictable shocks of big failures.

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Economic Recovery: Are Happy Days Here Again?

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:08:51 GMT

Stocks have rebounded on Wall Street during the past two months. The pace of job losses seems to be slowing down. Even quarterly reports from banks suggest that the banking sector is slowly struggling back to its feet. Do these signs portend the first indicators of an economic recovery? Not yet according to experts at Wharton and elsewhere who insist that despite some of the hopeful data the recovery will be weaker and take longer to gain momentum than past slowdowns.

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Entrepreneur Elon Musk: Why It’s Important to Pinch Pennies on the Road to Riches

Wed, 27 May 2009 17:28:28 GMT

Superpreneur seems like a better label for Elon Musk. At 38 he has already been a co-founder of PayPal which sold for $1.5 billion and SpaceX which aims to commercialize the launching of payloads into orbit. He is also an initial investor in electric-car pioneer Tesla Motors and solar energy company SolarCity which sells and services solar energy equipment. In the second half of a two-part interview arranged by Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs he tells Knowledge at Wharton the story of his entrepreneurial beginnings and what he learned about the value of pinching pennies.

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Reforming the Ratings Agencies: Will the U.S. Follow Europe’s Tougher Rules?

Wed, 27 May 2009 17:04:13 GMT

New restrictions proposed for ratings agencies -- including Moody’s Fitch and Standard & Poor’s -- could have unintended consequences warn experts in the United States. Europe however has clamped down on the agencies whose stamps of approval on a broad spectrum of subprime mortgage securities helped pave the way to the credit crash of 2007 and the continuing global recession.

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As Smartphones Proliferate Will One Company Emerge as the Clear Market Winner?

Wed, 27 May 2009 17:04:13 GMT

Just as computer operating systems vied for dominance back in the late 1970s and early 1980s smartphone makers these days are jostling for market share hoping that their mix of capabilities -- ranging from web surfing to email to calendar management -- will ensure them a critical mass of customers. What the makers of such mobile devices as the BlackBerry iPhone and Treo are trying to avoid is the outcome of that earlier race when one company -- Microsoft -- ended up the dominant player.

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Incentives for the Long Run: An Executive Compensation Plan That Looks Beyond the Next Quarter

Wed, 27 May 2009 17:04:13 GMT

Executive compensation packages that provide huge payouts for short-term stock-market gains have been blamed for playing a role in the risky behavior that triggered the continuing financial crisis. In a new research paper a Wharton professor and several colleagues say they have come up with something better: A compensation structure based on long-term escrow accounts.

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Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk: ’Great Companies Are Built on Great Products’

Wed, 13 May 2009 16:53:27 GMT

Entrepreneur Elon Musk has three passions: the Internet space exploration and clean energy. The first paid off handsomely for him in 2002 when he sold PayPal to eBay for $1.5 billion in stock. The second is fueled by SpaceX a company that makes space launch vehicles. Musk’s third passion is Tesla Motors which makes the Tesla Roadster an electric sports car that claims to go 244 miles per charge and sells for $101 500 or more. In the first of a two-part interview with Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs and Knowledge at Wharton Musk speaks with management professor John Paul MacDuffie co-director of the International Motor Vehicle Program about electric cars hybrids the Tesla and the mysterious ways of Detroit.

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Sharing the Wealth: Leonard Abess and the $60 Million Gift to His Employees

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:19:24 GMT

When Leonard Abess sold a majority stake in Miami-based City National Bank last fall he did something very unusual. He took $60 million of that money and gave it out as bonuses to 399 current bank employees and 72 former employees. He did it without calling in a public relations firm or the media. He didn’t blog about it. And while he was mentioned in President Obama’s inauguration speech and was ABC News Person of the Week these things were not done at his instigation. In fact he wasn’t even on site when the money was given out. He decided to share the wealth he said as a way to reward the people who had helped make the bank successful. Knowledge at Wharton asked Leonard Abess who remains chairman and CEO of the bank to talk about the motivation behind his gift leadership and the current economic crisis.

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Why Stock-price Volatility Should Never Be a Surprise Even in the Long Run

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:19:24 GMT

Equities are subject to much wider price swings than previously understood according to a recent paper co-authored by Wharton finance and economics professor Robert Stambaugh. The research adds a new perspective to the work of Wharton finance professor Jeremy J. Siegel author of the book Stocks for the Long Run which says stock returns more than offset risks if you stay with the market through its ups and downs. In a recent interview with Knowledge at Wharton the professors described their views about the market’s long-term behavior.

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David Roberts of Private Equity Firm Angelo Gordon on Adapting to Market Transformation

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:27:55 GMT

The world of private equity has been in a shambles since the onset of the financial crisis but some executives see that as an opportunity rather than a threat. Among them is David N. Roberts senior managing director of Angelo Gordon who manages the firm’s private equity business. A 16-year veteran of the firm Roberts also founded the firm’s opportunistic real estate area. During a visit to campus recently Roberts pointed out that while the government’s stimulus programs have not yet had a widespread impact some opportunities are starting to open up that could ease the credit crunch.

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All That Twitters Isn’t Gold: A Popular Web Application in Search of a Business Plan

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:21:37 GMT

The world may be buzzing about Twitter but will the San Francisco-based messaging service with the high cool factor ever be a money maker? Or will it operate at a perpetual loss as one Wall Street analyst suggested ”until the next cool Web 2.0 social networking concept comes along and Twitter tweets no more.”

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Hope Greed and Fear: The Psychology behind the Financial Crisis

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:21:37 GMT

Emotion not only helped lead America into the current economic crisis but may also be helping to keep it there. At a recent conference called ”Crisis of Confidence: The Recession and the Economy of Fear ” sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Psychiatry and the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia an interdisciplinary panel explored the psychology behind today’s economy.

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PR Executive Harris Diamond: Negative Perceptions Can Trump Positive Messages

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:21:37 GMT

Perception matters so don’t bring a politician to a union rally in a Datsun. This was one of the lessons Harris Diamond learned during a career that started with selling peanuts in Yankee Stadium. Now CEO of public relations firm Weber Shandwick Worldwide Diamond shared his thoughts on leadership -- and luck -- during a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture.

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A Thought for Tax Day: The Real Fiscal Crisis Is Yet to Come

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:21:37 GMT

Even the biggest tax hikes will not raise enough money to pay off the national debt or meet coming obligations to retiring baby boomers for Medicare and Social Security. To accomplish the latter politicians must do something they fear even more than raising taxes: Reduce Medicare and Social Security benefits. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton insurance and risk management professor Kent Smetters discussed the impending crisis.

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No Man Is an Island: The Promise of Cloud Computing

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:13:39 GMT

”Cloud computing” promises myriad benefits -- including cost savings on technology infrastructure and faster software upgrades -- for users ranging from small startups to large corporations. That’s an auspicious future considering that not everyone agrees on exactly what cloud computing is or what it can do.

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Making Robots More Like Us

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:13:39 GMT

While military uses have tended to dominate commercial development of autonomous robots in America the business opportunities for smart robots are also sizable according to Daniel Lee an engineering professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Lee who recently spoke about the future of robotics as part of the Executive Master’s in Technology Management program has an ambitious goal: to learn how to make robots think and act like humans.

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Are ’Mark-to-market’ Accounting Rules on the Mark?

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:13:39 GMT

On April 2 the Financial Accounting Standards Board is expected to vote on a proposal to relax a standard at the heart of the financial crisis -- mark-to-market accounting rules that require toxic assets to be carried on companies’ books at fire-sale prices based on recent trades of similar assets for far less than they would command in normal times. Many big banks say the crisis has been made worse by these rules. Not everyone agrees.

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New Rules for a New Age: Creating an ’Economic Stimulus Agency’ out of the FCC

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:13:39 GMT

Wharton legal studies and business ethics professor Kevin Werbach recently worked with the Obama administration’s transition team on a review of the Federal Communications Commission and related technology and telecommunications issues. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton he says that advances in technology and the urgent need to restart the economy require the commission to rethink its role -- not just as a regulator but as an agency that creates jobs and encourages investment.

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After Dodging Many Bullets Hedge Funds Are Back in Regulators’ Sights

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:34:51 GMT

The hedge fund industry’s long history of avoiding tougher regulation may be coming to an end as the Obama administration and Congress look for ways to avoid another financial meltdown. Although it is not clear that hedge funds actually played much of a role in the current crisis the industry’s sagging performance combined with investors’ and regulators’ heightened demand for transparency will likely cause big changes in the way these secretive investment pools operate according to several Wharton faculty members.

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Time for a Data Diet? Deciding What Customer Information to Keep -- and What to Toss

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:34:51 GMT

Heartland Payment Systems a credit card processor may have had up to 100 million records exposed to malicious hackers. Payment processors CheckFree and RBS Worldpay and employment site Monster.com have all reported data breaches in recent months as have universities and government agencies. Experts at Wharton say that personal data is increasingly a liability for companies and suggest that part of the solution may be minimizing the customer information these companies keep.

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Jeremy Siegel: ’Once the Market Has Fallen 50% Your Future Returns Are Even Better’

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:34:51 GMT

U.S. stocks raised eyebrows this week and last closing higher in six of seven trading days including four in a row from March 10 to 13. But how does the market look for the longer term? In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Wharton finance professor Jeremy J. Siegel says he was pleased to see consecutive gains after so many declines. He adds that history provides lots of evidence that stocks remain good long-term investments especially when they are down 50% from their peak.

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How About Free? The Price Point That Is Turning Industries on Their Heads

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:25:43 GMT

Giving products away -- think Adobe Reader or access to online news -- has become a legitimate business model on the Internet and even beyond. Once companies accept that price need not be tied to the cost of production and begin thinking creatively new possibilities emerge -- even for offline products according to Wharton faculty and others. Welcome to the world of ”freeconomics.”

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The Buzz Starts Here: Finding the First Mouth for Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:25:43 GMT

Getting customers to spread the word about a new product through their social or professional networks is a hot strategy in the marketing world. But how do companies find the right individuals to deliver the message? New research by Wharton marketing professors Raghuram Iyengar and Christophe Van den Bulte finds that traditional targets may not be so influential.

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Worries in the West as Eastern and Central European Economies Head South

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:25:43 GMT

The world financial crisis is unraveling the gains made by many Central and Eastern European economies during their post-Cold War resurgence. With the region no longer isolated an economic collapse could reverberate in the West as Central and Eastern European borrowers default on an enormous volume of loans that Western banks were all too eager to grant just a few years ago.

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Givology: Using Social Networks to Connect Education with the Developing World

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:51:20 GMT

Nine months ago a group of Wharton students launched an online site called Givology.org whose purpose is to raise money for scholarships and education projects in the developing world. Givology’s vision according to chief development officer Catherine Gao is that of a global community of individuals connected through their belief in the power of education to change people’s lives. The group which so far has attracted more than 200 lenders has partnerships in China India Uganda Ecuador and Kenya. Gao and Maria Davydenko the site’s chief creative director spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about Givology and why they each donate more than 10 hours a week to this project.

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The Shopper of Tomorrow: Trading Down

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:51:20 GMT

Attention Shoppers: We no longer have the following items -- ”a sense of entitlement ” ”conspicuous consumption” and ”a golden period of luxury.” At least that is the word from Wharton faculty and other experts who point to a new logic that is defining not just what U.S. consumers buy but how they view the shopping experience.

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’Goals Gone Wild’: How Goal Setting Can Lead to Disaster

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:51:20 GMT

Despite evidence that ambitious goal setting can hurt productivity damage a company’s reputation and violate ethical standards its use has become endemic in American business practice and scholarship even spilling over to the debate on how to improve America’s public schools. A new paper by Wharton operations and information management professor Maurice E. Schweitzer and three co-authors documents the hazards of corporate goal setting and concludes that it is overprescribed.

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Trade Wars: Will Protectionism Win out over Recovery?

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:51:20 GMT

When governments around the world spend vast sums to stimulate their economies it seems only reasonable for each to invest at home. Why should the American taxpayer pay for steel from Canada when U.S. steelmakers are struggling? So it was hardly a surprise that the $787 billion stimulus plan just signed by President Barack Obama included protectionist language. But economists and political leaders in the U.S. Europe and elsewhere worry that such sentiments threaten free-trade principles that are crucial to any global economic recovery.

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Hirco Group’s Aniruddha Joshi: ’Long-Term Drivers of India’s Growth Have Not Changed’

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:41:20 GMT

What impact has the global financial crisis had on India’s real estate market? According to Aniruddha Joshi executive director of Hirco Group in Britain which develops residential properties and mixed-use townships in India the credit crisis has affected portfolio allocations. Still Hirco’s strategy toward property development in India will not change Joshi told Knowledge at Wharton in an interview during the recent Knowledge at Wharton Real Estate in Emerging Markets Forum. ”We believe that the long-term India story and the fundamentals are still intact.”

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Take Two Advil and ... What Ills Can the Pfizer-Wyeth Merger Cure?

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:07:39 GMT

When the giant pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced on January 26 that it was acquiring Wyeth for $68 billion analysts started questioning what benefits the deal would bring and for whom. Pfizer executives suggest the acquisition makes strategic sense by expanding the company into a range of new areas and by helping make up for an expected loss of more than $12 billion in annual revenues once its Lipitor patent expires in 2011. But Wyeth also brings some liabilities -- notably continuing lawsuits over its hormone replacement drugs and fen-phen diet pill. Knowledge at Wharton asked Wharton health care professor Patricia Danzon and marketing professor Jagmohan Raju to offer their views on the pros and cons of the deal.

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Outrage over Outsized Executive Compensation: Who Should Fix It and How?

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:07:39 GMT

The contrast is jarring. As thousands of Americans lose their jobs headlines are focused on excessive executive compensation and lavish perks including multi-million-dollar bonuses a $1.2 million executive suite renovation (since repaid) and plans to buy a new corporate jet (since scrapped). It’s not surprising that the harsh economic climate and resurgent role of government in business has turned a spotlight on compensation. Indeed rules announced this week by the Obama administration set new limits on executive pay. But overall what should government do or not do to ensure fairness and accountability in the executive suite?

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Biggest by Default: Toyota May Be Number One But It Still Faces Challenges

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:07:39 GMT

Toyota officially eclipsed General Motors as the world’s largest automaker by sales last year but its strength is only relative: The Japanese automaker like its competitors is struggling against a sharp drop-off in sales and global overcapacity. According to Wharton faculty after years of conservative growth Toyota accelerated its expansion in the past decade making it harder to apply the brakes in the current downturn. The new market dynamics which coincide with a changeover in company leadership mean the road ahead may be especially difficult to navigate they say.

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Carol Bartz’s Challenge at Yahoo: Choose a Path Build a Team and Do It Fast

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:32:55 GMT

New Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz has a long to-do list -- chart the company’s strategy weigh a potential search partnership with Microsoft boost morale and round out her management team -- and not much time to deliver amid a weak economy that is hurting online advertising say experts at Wharton.

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A Trickle in the Pipeline: Renewable-energy Ventures Scramble for Renewed Financing

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:32:55 GMT

The worldwide financial crisis has upended the energy industry slashing oil prices by two thirds and bedeviling financing for wind solar and other renewable-energy projects. But it’s not all doom and gloom according to participants in the recent Wharton Energy Conference. From Big Oil to renewable-energy startups energy industry players are scrambling to find a silver lining in today’s trying conditions.

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Economists to Obama: Get the Government out of the Banking Business

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:32:55 GMT

On the eve of Barack Obama’s inauguration as president of the United States Wharton finance professor Richard J. Herring discussed with Knowledge at Wharton some of the advice offered to the new chief executive by the Shadow Financial Regulatory Committee a group of economists former regulators and lawyers of which Herring is a co-chair. Among the recommendations: As quickly as possible unwind federal investments that helped keep U.S. banks afloat. Herring also assessed the deepening woes at Citigroup which this week named board member Richard Parsons as its new chairman a move intended to provide stronger leadership at the troubled bank.

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The Financial Crisis: Bad and Getting Worse but Put Away that D-word

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:32:55 GMT

It began as the ”subprime crisis” in 2007 and then mushroomed into a full-blown global recession in 2008. And still despite mammoth government intervention the bad news keeps getting worse. Are we now teetering on a precipice ready to plunge into another Great Depression? Can the latest proposals pull the economy out of its nosedive? There is plenty to worry about. But while many experts say this crisis is the worst since the Depression that doesn’t mean it will be as bad.

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Istanbul Mortgage’s Bahadir Teker: Turkey ’Is Ready to Deal with This Kind of Credit Crunch’

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:09:29 GMT

Having bounced back from its own profound financial crises in 1994 and 2000 Turkey is well prepared to ride out the current global economic storm according to Bahadir Teker CEO of Istanbul Mortgage. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Teker noted that the stability of Turkey’s banking system and its dramatic rise in housing demand will help to temper any slowdowns in the country’s real estate industry over the next couple of years.

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Jones Lang LaSalle’s Colin Dyer: Quality Assets at Prices ’Perhaps Available Only Once in a Generation’

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:09:21 GMT

From Colin Dyer’s perspective the worldwide real estate market is in pretty bad shape. As president and CEO of global real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle Dyer has seen firsthand the problems that an absence of liquidity is causing for buyers who need financing for real estate transactions. Yet he is also optimistic that comparatively little competition and some good bargains provide excellent market opportunities for those who know where to look. Dyer expanded on these points during an interview with Knowledge at Wharton.

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MLP’s Bruce Gardner: Five Rules to Live by in Russia’s Real Estate Market

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:09:14 GMT

While Russia initially may have been insulated from the impact of the global financial crisis -- due to the once-high price of oil -- the country is now feeling the impact of the slowdown. What does this mean for the Russian real estate market? How are real estate companies responding to the crisis? And what should international companies look for when doing business there? Bruce Gardner managing director of MLP Russia and a participant in the recent Knowledge at Wharton Real Estate in Emerging Markets Forum offers some answers.

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Wuxi Iparks’ Gilles Assouline: ’The Difference between China and the Rest of the World Is the Demand’

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:09:10 GMT

China’s unsurpassed demand cash reserves and willingness to invest heavily in new infrastructure make it an attractive option for foreign real estate investors according to Gilles Assouline president of Wuxi Iparks Creative Design & Development. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Assouline spoke about why conditions in China are ripe for real estate development and how partnering with the world’s fastest-growing economy may be a requisite for survival in the current economic downturn.

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Equity International’s Gary Garrabrant: ’Bearish’ on the U.S. ’Bullish’ on Emerging Markets

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:09:04 GMT

Those countries that had easy access to debt -- such as the U.S. and Japan -- are taking the biggest hit from the current financial crisis while those countries without access to debt capital -- such as Brazil -- have been somewhat spared according to Gary Garrabrant CEO of Equity International. During the Knowledge at Wharton Real Estate in Emerging Markets Forum Garrabrant spoke about his company’s strategy for weathering the down market how investment decisions are made and what he sees happening in the next 18 to 24 months.

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Mangels Industrial’s Bob Mangels: ’Family Investors Are Different Than Family Businesses’

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:57:05 GMT

Founded in 1928 Mangels Industrial is among Brazil’s leading manufacturers. Its products range from cold rolled steel to gas cylinders. In addition the company is Latin America’s largest maker of aluminum wheels for the auto industry. How are manufacturers such as Mangels Industrial coping with the global recession? In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Bob Mangels company CEO and grandson of the founder shares his insights on managing during the slowdown as well as principles that help family businesses succeed.

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Global Economic Forecast for 2009: Will Demand for Good News Outpace Supply?

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:01:05 GMT

After a year of financial shock and sharp economic loss 2009 is likely to be extremely difficult for the global economy with investors business leaders and policymakers struggling to find signs of recovery. Wharton faculty and other experts interviewed by the Knowledge at Wharton Network discuss the outlook for the U.S. Europe Latin America India China and Japan.

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On the Job Training: Can Obama’s Huge Infrastructure Program Really Work?

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:53:55 GMT

President-elect Barack Obama’s infrastructure plan has drawn considerable debate but mostly over the details -- the size of the stimulus program how to structure the plan to create the most jobs in the shortest time and how to administer such a large program to limit corruption and pork-barrel projects. The bigger questions remain unanswered including to what extent new jobs will actually be created and how all this spending will affect the government’s long-term debt.

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Urgent Deadline for Newspapers: Find a New Business Plan before You Vanish

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:53:55 GMT

It was a tough year for newspapers. The owner of The Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune declared bankruptcy; The New York Times borrowed against its headquarters and even accepted ads on its front page. Detroit’s two dailies announced the end of home delivery on all but three days of the week. According to Wharton faculty if newspapers can’t find a new business model quickly they may soon be printing final editions.

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The Bernard Madoff Case: Trust Takes Another Blow

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:53:55 GMT

Successful marketplaces -- indeed all social systems -- require a level of ethical behavior among their participants. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton professors Maurice E. Schweitzer and G. Richard Shell who have conducted extensive research on the role of trust in markets explain why even the most sophisticated investors put their faith in Bernard Madoff the New York City financier recently accused of running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme. That breach of trust has damaged the broader markets Schweitzer and Shell say.

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Room to Read’s John Wood: Bringing the Power of Education to Children around the World

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:49:09 GMT

After a trek in the Himalayas brought him face-to-face with extreme poverty and illiteracy John Wood left his position as a director of business development at Microsoft to found Room to Read an award-winning international education organization. Under his leadership more than 1.7 million children in the developing world now have access to enhanced educational opportunities. Room to Read to date has opened 725 schools and 7 000 bilingual libraries and funded more than 7 000 scholarships for girls. Wood talked with Knowledge at Wharton about the launch of Room to Read the book he wrote called Leaving Microsoft to Change the World and his personal definition of success.

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Coca-Cola’s John Brock: Sustainability Is No Longer ’Niche’

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:49:09 GMT

John Brock has come a long way since his first jobs working in his uncle’s dime store and later at a paper mill in Moss Point Miss. Today he is chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises the world’s largest marketer producer and distributor of Coca-Cola products. Brock has more than 25 years of experience in the beverage sales industry. In 2003 he was named CEO of Interbrew headquartered in Brussels Belgium. In 2006 he joined Coca-Cola Enterprises where he was appointed chairman in April 2008. Brock talked with Knowledge at Wharton about Coke’s philosophy on selling soda in schools helping the environment and recruiting teens to become devoted customers.

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YouthAIDS’ Kate Roberts: Using Marketing Skills and Media to Keep Young People Alive

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:49:09 GMT

Kate Roberts is the founder and director of YouthAIDS and Five & Alive two marketing programs implemented by Population Services International (PSI) where she is a vice president. Founded in 2001 YouthAIDS is a global education and prevention initiative that uses pop culture music theater movies and sports to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. The program reaches 600 million young people in more than 60 countries with life-saving products and services. In 2002 YouthAIDS partnered with MTV to produce the ”Staying Alive” concert a $3 million event broadcast worldwide and featured on all major news channels. Roberts spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about cause-related marketing the Indian film industry and an event in Africa that changed her life among other topics.

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Seth Goldman: Brewing Organic Tea with a Mission-based Business Model

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:49:09 GMT

In 1998 social entrepreneur Seth Goldman founded Honest Tea the nation’s best-selling and fastest-growing organic bottled tea company with a business professor from the Yale School of Management. Honest Tea sources from organic and fair trade tea estates and has partnered with community development groups ranging from the Crow Reservation in Montana to organizations in South Africa and Guatemala. Goldman talked with Knowlege@Wharton about carving out space in the competitive beverage market helping consumers embrace organics and how tea became the catalyst for following his life’s passion.

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The World Wildlife Fund’s Carter Roberts: How to Connect the Dots between Corporate America and Conservation

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:49:09 GMT

From a childhood spent exploring the woods near his home to a career spent protecting habitats in the far corners of the earth Carter Roberts -- president and CEO of the non-profit World Wildlife Fund -- has fostered a connection to the natural world. His job is as diverse as the ecosystems he visits. One day he may be negotiating with the president of a corporation and the next he is sitting on a dirt floor talking with villagers about the importance of saving tigers.He spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about his passion for nature why companies should care about preserving natural resources and the value of story-telling.

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GP Investments’ Octavio Lopes: ’The Whole World Is Deleveraging’

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:23:07 GMT

Octavio Lopes senior partner of private equity firm GP Investments is in the middle of raising what might be the largest private equity fund ever for Latin America. In a podcast recorded in Sao Paulo Lopes discusses the prospects for investing in Brazil and Latin America where he thinks commodity prices are headed and how the discovery of oil in places like Brazil Colombia and Mexico will affect the local and regional economy.

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Mundivox’s Alberto Duran: ’My Biggest Problem Is Creating Middle Management’

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:39:49 GMT

Alberto Duran founder and CEO of Mundivox Communications of Brazil has seen the world of telecommunications from various perspectives. He worked in the telecom sector for J.P. Morgan in New York and Bain & Company and Monitor Company in Boston and London. He specialized in the development of strategies for major industry players worldwide including privatizations and M&A in North America Europe and Asia. In 1999 Duran founded Mundivox Communications in Brazil. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton he talks about the troubled environment in the wake of the slowdown and the key issues in managing a company that is growing at an astonishing 100% a year.

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Gávea Investimentos’ Arminio Fraga: ’We Are Still in Crisis Mode’

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:39:46 GMT

Arminio Fraga was president of the Central Bank of Brazil from 1999 to 2002. He has sometimes been called the Alan Greenspan of Latin America though that comparison may not sit well these days as Greenspan comes in for his share of the blame for the global financial crisis. In 2001 Fraga founded the Rio de Janeiro-based Gávea Investimentos an independent asset management company. It operates principally in the areas of hedge funds wealth management and illiquid investment strategies. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Fraga draws upon his wide experience and understanding to talk about the financial crisis its causes and future concerns.

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Cyrela Brazil Realty’s Elie Horn: ’My Strategy Now Is to Stay Quiet’

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:39:42 GMT

These are volatile times for Brazilian real estate which mirrors the situation in most countries. But according to Elie Horn chairman and CEO of Cyrela Brazil Realty Brazil’s largest developer of residential properties Brazil doesn’t have the deep-rooted problems of the U.S. market. It’s just a matter of lying low for some time until confidence returns he suggests in an interview with Knowledge at Wharton.

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Braskem’s Bernardo Gradin: ’Our Goal Is to Become One of the 10 Most Valued Petrochemicals Companies’

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:39:37 GMT

Brazil’s petrochemicals industry has been going through active consolidation a phase that is almost at an end. That process however has seen the creation and growth of Braskem a giant of a firm that is the largest petrochemicals producer not just in Brazil but in all of Latin America. Bernardo Gradin who has been part of Braskem since the company’s formation in 2002 took over in July as its CEO. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton conducted at the company’s Sao Paulo headquarters Gradin discussed Braskem’s goal of becoming one of the world’s top 10 petrochemical companies as measured by shareholder value.

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Banco Itaú BBA’s Candido Bracher: ’The Party Will Not Be as Fancy as Before’

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:39:29 GMT

Economic crises around the globe have often hit Brazilian banks hard with capital flight hammering the country’s currency the real. But Brazil’s financial institutions seem better positioned to weather the current worldwide credit crunch although lending there is just as frozen as it is elsewhere according to Candido Bracher president and chief executive officer of the São Paulo-based Banco Itaú BBA one of the country’s largest private banks. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Bracher discusses how the international market turmoil has affected Brazil and how this differs from the financial crises of the 1990s. He also speaks about what a commodity-price ”hangover” could mean for the country’s economy.

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Bailout or Bankruptcy: What Will It Take to Get the U.S. Auto Industry Back on Track?

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:40:48 GMT

A government plan to rescue the U.S. automobile industry with $14 billion in emergency loans to General Motors and Chrysler was approved by the House of Representatives late on December 10 but the proposal continued to face stiff opposition from Senate Republicans. While the lifeline loans would give the Detroit automakers some breathing room legislators and auto executives remain under enormous pressure to come up with a plan to resolve the industry’s deep structural and management problems. Wharton faculty and other experts discuss the merits of the bailout proposal and what the potential alternative -- bankruptcy -- could mean.

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The Financial Crisis Reaches a New Arena: Professional Sports

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:25:28 GMT

For decades sports have existed in a protective bubble. Even in recessions fans could be counted on to keep buying tickets to games and keep beefing up the huge television audiences that draw top dollar from advertisers. But the current recession seems to be bursting the bubble. Says Wharton professor Eric Bradlow: ”Advertising revenue is down. Corporate boxes and corporate sponsorships are going to be down. There’s no question the [financial crisis] is going to affect the economics of the sports industry.”

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The Son Also Rises: Donald Trump Jr. on Real Estate Opportunities in Emerging Markets

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:25:28 GMT

Back in the heady days of the real estate boom property prices in New York City soared along with those in the rest of the U.S. When the subprime mortgage crisis hit and prices collapsed the city’s market held out longer than others -- for two reasons. First it is a major financial center with strong demand; and second the weak dollar made it possible for international buyers and investors to find deals at discounts as high as 40%. Where will the New York market be in 2009? Where are the most attractive deals to be found in emerging markets? In a podcast recorded at the Knowledge at Wharton Real Estate Forum on Emerging Markets on December 2 Donald Trump Jr. executive vice president of development and acquisitions at the Trump Organization speaks about those questions and more. He also discusses how he views his unique contribution to expanding the Trump brand overseas building on the foundation laid by his famous father.

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CEOs and Market Woes: Is Poor Corporate Governance to Blame?

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:25:28 GMT

Many shareholder advocates see the financial collapse and resulting economic woes as stunning proof of their long-held claim that too often the wrong people are in charge of top corporations -- and that attacking this problem demands an overhaul in corporate-governance regulations. But not everyone sees governance as the culprit and some warn that a kneejerk attack on established corporate practices could backfire.

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The Fairness Issue: How to Cope with the Flood of Foreclosures

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:34:08 GMT

Is the cavalry coming to rescue troubled homeowners? Despite soaring foreclosure rates President Bush and other Republicans have not made this a top priority. But this could soon change: President-elect Barak Obama and fellow Democrats say reducing foreclosures is crucial to attacking the financial crisis. As one expert notes: ”The financial sector weaknesses all originate in the housing market. If we don’t solve the housing problem then the weaknesses in the financial sector are going to continue to multiply.”

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In the Global Crisis Coke CEO Muhtar Kent Sees Headwinds -- and Tailwinds

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:18:24 GMT

Although companies around the world are clearly feeling the impact of the economic crisis Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent insists that he will remain focused on moving the company toward an ambitious goal: Increasing global annual revenues for the firm and its more than 300 independent bottlers from $650 billion now to more than $1 trillion by 2020. During a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture Kent talked about his three decades in the beverage industry the ”new equilibrium” facing global brands the challenges of dwindling energy supplies and the opportunities he sees in emerging markets among other topics.

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When the Going Gets Tough the Tough Don’t Skimp on Their Ad Budgets

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:18:24 GMT

With corporate managers under enormous pressure to control costs and maintain liquidity in the current credit crisis advertising budgets often appear to be a dispensable luxury in the struggle to survive. According to Wharton faculty and marketing experts that attitude can result in short-term gains but long-term trouble.

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Jeremy Siegel’s Advice to Banks: Lend That Money Now

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:18:24 GMT

Before the stock market and the broader economy can return to something that looks like normal banks must start to lend the billions they are getting from the U.S. Treasury’s Troubled Asset Recovery Program says Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton he also discusses the government’s rescue of Citigroup and the proposed bailout of the U.S. auto industry.

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As Layoffs Spread Innovative Alternatives May Soften the Blow

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:18:24 GMT

Just how bad will the economy get? For employers facing tough decisions about layoffs the question is far from rhetorical. If the current economic turmoil is contained sooner than expected premature layoffs could be a disaster. If not enough employees are laid off and the recession continues the company’s bottom line could suffer. What options do employers have when it comes to cutting payroll without adversely affecting the talent pool employee morale or the future of the company?

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Finding Opportunities Amid the Wreckage

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:42:53 GMT

At a time when many bulge bracket investment banks are drowning as a result of the financial crisis Moelis & Co. is swimming against the tide. Founded in July 2007 by Kenneth D. Moelis a Wall Street veteran the Los Angeles-based firm has been busy hiring. In just about 15 months it has recruited more than 150 people including some 100 bankers besides opening offices in Chicago New York and Boston. How will the continuing financial turmoil affect the fledgling investment bank’s business? What opportunities can investors find amid the wreckage? In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Moelis discussed these issues and more.

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Digital Network Group’s Innovative IT Approach to Mentoring Both Students and Non-profits

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:42:43 GMT

Jim Smith and Vikrant Kothari each had ambitions to start a company whose focus would be on using information technology as a way to help solve social problems. But it wasn’t until they met in Wharton’s MBA Program for Executives that their idea came together in the form of the Digital Network Group. Two affiliates under the Digital Network Group umbrella include one targeted to helping non-profits develop innovative and long-term IT strategies; the other is a service program that shows how IT and mentoring can help disadvantaged young people from middle school on up become productive members of society. Smith and Kothari spoke to Knowledge at Wharton about these initiatives.

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Job Survival Advice: Don’t Fear the Whitewater

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:45:28 GMT

Change is the new status-quo and success at work will require agility talent and the ability to learn from -- rather than fear -- failure according to Gregory Shea adjunct professor of management at Wharton and business writer Robert Gunther. The two recently co-authored a book titled Your Job Survival Guide a Manual for Thriving in Change.

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Think the Credit Crisis Is Bad? Coalition Sees Bigger Problems Down the Road

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:34:46 GMT

A ”Fiscal Wake Up Tour” is warning voters that today’s financial crisis is a mere ripple compared to the tsunami that will wash over the U.S. Treasury as millions of Baby Boomers demand what they have been promised by Social Security and Medicare. The tour sponsored in part by Wharton’s Business and Public Policy Department was organized by a bipartisan coalition concerned about the unchecked growth of entitlement programs and ever-deepening federal debt.

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Show Me the Money: Aura of Top M&A Banks Often Obscures Low Returns for Clients

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:34:46 GMT

In merger-and-acquisition advice an investment bank’s market share does not seem to equate with value delivered to clients two scholars from Wharton and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology conclude in a research paper. Indeed the opposite may be true: The more market share an investment bank has the less value it will deliver to clients.

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Feeling the Pain: How the Financial Crisis Is Affecting Brazil Russia India and China

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:34:46 GMT

As the financial crisis continues to roil credit and stock markets around the globe it seems that no country or continent is being spared the consequences. Brazil Russia India and China -- the BRIC countries -- are no exception. In this Knowledge at Wharton podcast Shiv Khemka vice chairman of SUN Group based in London New Delhi and Moscow; Silas K.F. Chou president and CEO of Novel Holdings based in Hong Kong; and Odemiro Fonseca founder of Viena Rio Restaurantes in Rio de Janeiro discuss their countries’ response to the crisis its impact on specific sectors the decoupling hypothesis and the dangers of protectionism among other topics.

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Opportunities -- and Obstacles -- for the B2B Market in Tough Economic Times

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:34:46 GMT

While discussion at the recent Erin Anderson B2B Research Conference at Wharton focused on cutting-edge research in the field of business-to-business relationships participants also acknowledged the impact on marketers of the ongoing financial meltdown. Along those lines three university professors and a moderator took part in a panel that analyzed the effect of the economic downturn on the B2B global marketplace. The Conference sponsored by the Wharton INSEAD Alliance was held in honor of Erin Anderson a marketing professor at Wharton from 1981 to 1994 and at INSEAD from 1994 until her death in 2007.

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Pajamas and Popcorn: Retailers Face a Less-than-Festive Holiday Shopping Season

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:34:46 GMT

As Wall Street unravels and the economy confronts its crucial holiday spending season consumers cannot be expected to prop up retailers as they have in past downturns. Even luxury stores whose customers have been immune in recent years to retail price sticker shock are expected to take a hit this time according to Wharton faculty and consumer analysts. As one commentator notes: ”It will be a lean Christmas.”

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A Billion Here A Trillion There: Calculating the Cost of Wall Street’s Rescue

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:34:46 GMT

How will the U.S. pay for its plans to prop up the financial sector? Answer: by borrowing -- raising worries about how the country’s ballooning annual budget deficits and aggregating debt will affect the economy and financial markets. Some guidelines such as interest rates and the ratio of debt and deficits to gross domestic product suggest the new debt will be digested easily. But some experts think those guidelines are misleading warning that obligations are piling up like tinder on a forest floor.

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Richard Marston and Jeremy Siegel: Will the Bank Plan Revive Global Markets?

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:08:35 GMT

With stock markets in free fall U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced on Tuesday that the government’s effort to unlock credit markets would include direct investments of $250 billion in bank equities. He also warned bankers not to hoard the money but to use it to make the loans that lubricate the nation’s economy. In separate interviews Wharton finance professors Richard Marston and Jeremy Siegel tell Knowledge at Wharton that while the investment is not without risk it appears to be the best hope for restoring confidence in credit and stock markets -- and reducing the severity of a recession that is all but certain to come.

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Finding Opportunity in a Bear Market

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:48:07 GMT

Despite the rash of bad economic news the recent 11th annual Wharton Investment Management Conference offered its audience some hope for relief or at least a few possible bargains in selected industries. And while no one -- including keynote speaker David McCormick undersecretary of the U.S. Treasury -- felt the crisis would be over anytime soon some still found reasons to be optimistic. Said one conference panelist: Eventually ”people will get bored with being afraid.”

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MAC AIDS Fund’s Nancy Mahon: Tying the Cause to the Brand

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:48:07 GMT

Nancy Mahon doesn’t consider herself a glamour girl but she believes in the power of lipstick -- Viva Glam shades 5 and 6 in particular. Mahon is a senior vice president of MAC Cosmetics and executive director of the MAC AIDS fund which last year donated $20 million to programs in 57 countries. During a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture Mahon offered her perspective on what it takes to launch and sustain a successful corporate social responsibility program.

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How the Credit Crisis Could Forge a New Financial Order

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:48:07 GMT

As officials worldwide scrambled to contain the spreading financial virus hopes are rising that the latest government plans to purchase equity stakes in banks may finally offer the right medicine. And with the patient showing intermittent signs of improving thoughts turn towards next steps including new restrictions on the markets. In addition expect individuals and business to have a tougher time getting loans for years -- not just months. And watch for authorities to prescribe greater transparency stricter capital requirements to reduce leveraging and more standardized financial contracts to push opaque securities into the sunlight.

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Public vs. Private Company Managers: Which Are More Likely to Impact the Bottom Line?

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:48:07 GMT

Executives who hone their skills at the helm of private companies tend to be more driven more bottom line-oriented and have much more flexibility than CEOs at publicly owned companies who are constrained by their need to balance multiple objectives in a corporate ecosystem. That was the consensus of four panelists who discussed the management challenges at private equity-backed firms during the recent Wharton General Management Conference.

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It’s a Breeze: European Firms Bring Years of Experience to U.S. Wind Power Market

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:48:07 GMT

European wind-power firms see an opportunity in the United States’ increasing interest in alternative energy. Indeed the inroads that electricity-generating wind turbine technology has made in the U.S. are due in large part to the efforts of companies based in Europe. Gamesa Siemens and others ply their expertise in a country where public policy has not consistently encouraged domestic investment.

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Ebb without Flow: Water May Be the New Oil in a Thirsty Global Economy

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:54:21 GMT

Is water the new oil? The answer is yes according to a number of economists business leaders scientists and geopolitical strategists who argue that it’s time to stop taking for granted the substance that covers 70% of the planet and makes up a similar proportion of the human body. Just as the late 20th century saw an oil shock the early 21st century may feature a water shock where scarcity leads to a sharp price hike on a resource that has always been plentiful and cheap. Such a scenario could have an even bigger impact than peak oil transforming markets governments and ecosystems alike.

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’Feeling the Love’ (or Anger): How Emotions Can Distort the Way We Respond to Advice

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:54:21 GMT

Here’s a piece of advice: Don’t read this story if you have just had a fight with your spouse or a co-worker. You will probably ignore it despite its grounding in solid academic research. At least that’s what Maurice Schweitzer a Wharton professor of operations and information management would suggest. In a recent co-authored paper he shows that emotions not only influence people’s receptiveness to advice but they do so even when the emotions have no link to the advice or the adviser.

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3D Movies: Adding Depth or Falling Flat?

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:54:21 GMT

Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg called the latest 3D movie technology ”the greatest innovation to occur in the movie business in 70 years.” A bevy of theater chains are exploring or installing digital cinema and 3D systems in the second half of 2008 into 2009. Intel and others are creating tools for companies to make a new generation of 3D animation films. Experts at Wharton say 3D movies are back in vogue but it’s unclear whether the latest greatest technology can give theaters a sustainable competitive advantage over other forms of entertainment.

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Wanted: A President Who Can Lead During a Time of ’Daunting’ Challenges

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:54:21 GMT

The new president’s job says one Wharton professor ”will be as hard as any job any person has ever had.” For the 44th president of the United States extraordinary managerial and cognitive abilities will be needed to tackle unprecedented challenges including wars being waged in two countries and a financial system on the verge of collapse. Wharton and University of Pennsylvania faculty members offer their views on which leadership qualities will be most important over the next four years and why. This article is the third in a series about economic and leadership issues focusing on the November 4 election.

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On the Clock: Are Retail Sales People Getting a Raw Deal?

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:54:21 GMT

Ann Taylor Stores -- a New York-based retailer of upscale women’s clothing -- is using a new computer scheduling system that assigns the busiest and most desirable hours to employees with the strongest sales numbers. Those with less success on the selling floor get far fewer and less desirable hours when new schedules are posted. While systems like these can help improve productivity Wharton faculty and others warn that they are no substitute for hands-on management when it comes to dealing with workers.

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BCG’s Hal Sirkin on ’Globality’ and the New Two-way Street of Global Business

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:32:44 GMT

According to Hal Sirkin senior partner and managing director at The Boston Consulting Group ”The age of globalization is over.” In its place is a new reality that Sirkin and BCG colleagues Jim Hemerling and Arindam Bhattacharya define in their recently published book GLOBALITY: Competing with Everyone from Everywhere for Everything. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Sirkin describes how rapidly developing economies like India and China have changed global business from a ”one-way street” benefitting Western multinationals to a two-way competition in which ”blending the best of the East with the best of the West is most likely the winning formula.”

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After the Bailout: How Can the Fed Clean Up the Fannie and Freddie Mess?

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:25:57 GMT

The government’s refusal to save Lehman Brothers begs a question: Why did it step in only a week earlier to risk up to $200 billion in taxpayer money to shore up mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Wharton faculty say the government made the right move -- and offer suggestions for the next step.

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Eyes on the Wrong Prize: Leadership Lapses That Fueled Wall Street’s Fall

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:25:57 GMT

Executives at AIG Bear Stearns Lehman Brothers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may have ignored or failed to see the level of risk their companies were taking on in a crusade to enhance results and their own compensation according to Wharton faculty and industry analysts. In some cases the management crisis was fueled by managers simply choosing not to lead.

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Note to Investors: Don’t Play Games with Asset Allocation

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:25:57 GMT

Big market downturns and jarring volatility have left small investors feeling whipsawed -- and nervous. But it would be a mistake to abandon classic long-term personal finance principles in the face of recent challenges. The 60% stocks 30% bonds and 10% cash approach remains the best strategy. Wharton finance professors Jeremy Siegel Richard Marston and Franklin Allen explain why.

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Will the Levee Break? An Ocean of Bad Debt Rises despite Fed Rescues

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:25:57 GMT

The rescues bankruptcies and dizzying write-downs for Fannie Mae Freddie Mac Lehman Brothers Merrill Lynch AIG and other giants of international finance signal a reckoning for Wall Street wizards who engineered the ongoing credit crisis with opaque securities based on risky subprime home loans and the assumption that housing prices would never decline according to a panel of Wharton professors. The flood of bad debt they add won’t subside anytime soon.

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AIG Rescued: Was an $85 Billion Loan the Right Answer?

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:25:57 GMT

After refusing to bail out Lehman Brothers the government agreed to an $85 billion loan to insurance giant AIG effectively taking over the company. Knowledge at Wharton talked to Wharton insurance professors Olivia Mitchell and Kent Smetters to find out how the world’s largest insurer got into this situation and how it can be prevented from happening again.

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Jeremy Siegel on the Market: Rough Going for Now but Stocks Still a Good Bet

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:25:57 GMT

The government’s rescue of Fannie Mae Freddie Mac and AIG demonstrated clearly that the financial turmoil continues on Wall Street. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel says there are some positive signals in stocks and corporate earnings but that it’s too soon to conclude the market has hit bottom. Siegel also talked about inflation and commodities.

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Will Its ’Chrome’ Web Browser Put a Shine on Google’s Long-term Strategy?

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:08:01 GMT

Casual observers may have concluded that Google’s introduction this week of its ’Chrome’ web browser was a direct assault on the dominance of Microsoft’s Explorer. But Wharton professors David Hsu and Kevin Werbach see a longer-term strategy at work.

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Africa’s ’Cocoon’ Phase: Can Private Investors and Entrepreneurs Transform the Continent?

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:03:03 GMT

In the past business in Africa behaved like a ”caterpillar” -- uninteresting slow moving and easy to step on says Eric Kacou managing director of OTF Group a U.S.-based consulting firm focused on emerging economies. Today the continent is poised for a metamorphosis that requires a ”new mindset” relying less on natural resources and more on innovation and private sector growth. At the Wharton Global Alumni Forum in Cape Town South Africa Kacou was among the speakers on two panels exploring the potential for new business models and ”smart” capital to change Africa’s economy.

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Costs Regulation and a Touch of Corporate Responsibility Put More Green into IT

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:03:03 GMT

One research firm estimates that at least 2% of global atmospheric carbon emissions can be traced to the information technology industry because of the electricity consumed by PCs servers cooling systems telecommunications gear and printers. Now under pressure from tightening global anti-pollution standards the threat of environmental lawsuits and more awareness of corporate responsibility many technology firms are racing to place a ”green” stamp of environmental approval on their operations and products.

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Hiring from Outside the Company: How New People Can Bring Unexpected Problems

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:03:03 GMT

Rather than hire experienced people from outside many companies might be better off training fresh recruits with little experience in the industry. That approach can give the firm more control over how the new workers adapt to their employer’s corporate strategy and culture according to a research paper by Wharton management professor Nancy Rothbard titled ”Unpacking Prior Experience: How Career History Affects Job Performance.”

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Tuning in a Post-merger Strategy: Sirius XM Must Cut Costs and Build Its Case

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:03:03 GMT

Now that the FCC has approved a merger of the two satellite radio companies Sirius XM’s big challenges are to stop the flow of red ink and settle on a strategy to compete with the myriad of other portable music providers. Says one Wharton professor: ”They may have one more shot at a Hail Mary pass.”

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Hot Today Not Tomorrow: Retailers Face the Terrible Teens

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:03:03 GMT

New York-based teen apparel retailer Aéropostale has had a bullish summer with second-quarter net income rising 43% over the previous year. Meanwhile other teen-focused retailers including The Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch have suffered losses. Experts from Wharton and elsewhere suggest that teen retailers are competing intensely for attention in hard economic times even as these new conditions are giving rise to a changing landscape of winners and losers.

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Of Cell Phones Maps and Mental Models: Why Doing What Was Right Is Sometimes Wrong

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:17:15 GMT

Why don’t we see the truck racing toward us or the treasure of gold beneath our feet? Are these just invisible events? In this excerpt from the book It Starts with One: Changing Individuals Changes Organizations authors J. Stewart Black and Hal B. Gregersen offer examples from the mobile phone industry and from the Spanish exploration of America in the 16th century to explain why organizations and individuals fail to see the need for change. ”Why do we fail to see the need for change?” the authors ask. Their answer: ”Fundamentally we fail to see because we are blinded by the light of what we already see.”

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’The Objective of Education Is Learning Not Teaching’

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:17:15 GMT

In their book Turning Learning Right Side Up: Putting Education Back on Track authors Russell L. Ackoff and Daniel Greenberg point out that today’s education system is seriously flawed -- it focuses on teaching rather than learning. ”Why should children -- or adults -- be asked to do something computers and related equipment can do much better than they can?” the authors ask in an excerpt from the book. ”Why doesn’t education focus on what humans can do better than the machines and instruments they create?”

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The Power of Momentum: Companies That Build Their Wave and Ride It

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:17:15 GMT

How can a company deliver continuous exceptional growth year after year? J. C. Larreche a professor of marketing at INSEAD answers that question in his book The Momentum Effect: How to Ignite Exceptional Growth. According to the author’s research momentum-powered firms delivered 80% more shareholder value than their slower rivals. ”Momentum leaders are not lucky -- they are smart ” he writes in this excerpt. ”They have discovered the source of momentum and with it the beginnings of a smarter way to exceptional growth. Managers often talk about ’riding the wave.’ Momentum leaders aren’t that passive. They live by this motto: First build your wave then ride it.”

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Unbound Prosperity: Unlocking ’Unreal Estate’ through Institutional Reform

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:17:15 GMT

Does reforming institutions always result in benefits to the system regardless of when and how they take place? Are some institutions more important than others? Elena Panaritis’s debut work Prosperity Unbound not only answers these questions but targets what the writer believes to be the most valuable institution necessary for growth -- the property system and its underpinning laws and regulations. Panaritis who heads Panel Group a Washington D.C. based organization that works with governments to unlock illiquid markets also offers a diagnostic tool to give policy makers guidelines in reforming a property system.

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’Inventing the Movies’: The Epic Battle between Innovation and the Status Quo in Hollywood

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:17:15 GMT

While many companies are scrambling to gain competitive advantage by finding ways to innovate using technology the film industry -- as characterized in Scott Kirsner’s book Inventing the Movies -- has had a century-long history of shunning innovation and eschewing technological progress. Subtitled Hollywood’s Epic Battle Between Innovation and the Status Quo from Thomas Edison to Steve Jobs the book is a case study in the difficulties of introducing technological change in an industry that carefully guards its well-entrenched business models.

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Is a Medical Intern’s ’Initiation’ Harmful to Your Health?

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:17:15 GMT

Sandeep Jauhar’s book Intern: A Doctor’s Initiation is the unsettling account of his medical residency at a New York hospital largely focused on his first year. It represents his take on his internship interweaving that experience with something of his childhood family history previous studies and work experiences. In the process Jauhar tells us about himself medical education and health care.

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Whether You Agree with Globality or Disagree Don’t Ignore It

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:17:15 GMT

In a year when airlines all over the world are reeling from the double whammy of high oil prices and a faltering economy Embraer -- the Brazil based aircraft maker -- doubled its net income in the second quarter. The company’s growth during difficult economic times offers an example of the way that companies from rapidly developing economies are reshaping global business say Harold L. Sirkin James W. Hemerling and Arindam K. Bhattacharya in their new book Globality: Competing with Everyone from Everywhere for Everything. Sirkin and his co-authors identify 100 such ”challenger” firms that are expanding rapidly spell out the reasons why and analyze the implications for the way business will be done in the future.

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War of the Words: Scrabulous Is off Facebook but Did Hasbro Win the Game?

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:34:27 GMT

Scrabble -- the board game in which you compete with other players in making words -- has become a familiar household name since it was introduced in 1948. Its unofficial online double Scrabulous has become one of the most popular applications on Facebook since it was launched in July 2007. Now both games are making waves as Hasbro the copyright holder for Scrabble in the U.S. and Canada has filed a lawsuit against the creators of Scrabulous -- following which Scrabulous was yanked off Facebook in late July. But in today’s fast-changing social networking environment Hasbro’s lawsuit and its attempt to control its online image may not be the right move Wharton faculty say.

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Green from Green: Rising Energy Costs May be Good News for ’Clean Tech’ Firms -- and Their Investors

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:31:38 GMT

Despite warnings of a bubble investors and entrepreneurs see long-term promise for firms that make efficient technology and alternative energy. Unlike the vaporware of the tech bubble that burst in 2001 these technologies are up running and proven say participants at a recent conference sponsored by Wharton’s Mack Center for Technological Innovation.

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File-sharing Networks Return with Legitimate Ways to Share Music -- and Make Money

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:31:38 GMT

After the U.S. Supreme Court declared in 2005 that Internet file-sharing sites Grokster and StreamCast had illegally aided their customers’ efforts to share pirated copies of copyrighted music and video files many commentators predicted the demise of businesses that depended on online file-sharing. But new start-ups say they have found ways to make peer-to-peer (often called P2P) file-sharing legal and perhaps profitable. Still their business plans need tweaking according to a paper published recently by Wharton professor Kartik Hosanagar and two University of Washington colleagues. One suggestion: The networks should sometimes be willing to pay more than they get for content.

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A Lot to Learn: Many Sovereign Wealth Fund Managers Come up Short in Measures of Sophistication

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:31:38 GMT

Many public funds don’t adhere to basic norms of modern money management and most don’t even appear to make an effort to match their investment strategies with their future financial obligations. ”As [sovereign wealth funds] have grown they appear to be demonstrating an increasing risk appetite very little transparency and virtually no clarity of objectives ” write three researchers including Wharton professor of insurance and risk management Olivia Mitchell in a soon-to be-published paper titled ”Managing Public Investment Funds: Best Practices and New Questions.”

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On the Verge of Change: Giving Muslim Women the Confidence to Lead

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:31:38 GMT

Managing the forces arrayed against them -- hostility against Islam in the Western world resistance to change among Muslims and hostility to the West among Muslim populations -- is no easy task for Muslim women in positions of leadership. As one of the participants in a recent leadership conference noted: ”A Muslim woman must prove not just that she is as good or better than a man but as good as a Western woman.” Two Wharton leadership experts were among the presenters at the three-week event.

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A Precarious Road: How Retailers Can Navigate Inflation’s Hazards

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:31:38 GMT

Retailers are in a tough situation locked between rising product costs and a limited ability to raise their prices. Even cost-savvy market leaders such as Costco are having a difficult time. But Wharton faculty say that handled carefully the current inflationary period may actually be a business opportunity for some companies. The key: Forgetting some of the old rules of retailing.

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Doha Debacle: What’s Next for Global Commerce

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:31:38 GMT

Progress toward unfettered international commerce stumbled last week with the collapse of the World Trade Organization’s Doha talks a seven-year effort to establish new global trade rules. The lengthy talks were complicated by the rapid emergence of China and India as major economic powers with commercial and strategic interests to protect and the clout to do so. Many observers say the talks’ collapse is a setback for poorer nations which need access to larger markets in order for their economies to grow. Wharton professors Stephen Kobrin whose research interests include globalization and Marshall Meyer an authority on China’s economy recently spoke to Knowledge at Wharton about the talks’ collapse global commerce and China’s interest in the rules governing trade.

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Procurement -- Performance-based Logistics

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:13:41 GMT

These days when the U.S. Department of Defense buys a fighter jet from Lockheed Martin it doesn’t simply pay Lockheed for the physical product. Instead the government has a ”performance-based contract” with the defense supplier according to Serguei Netessine professor of operations and information management at Wharton. This contract says in effect that the government’s reimbursement to Lockheed hinges on the jets’ performance -- that is how often the planes are able to fly. In this interview Netessine describes how performance-based contracts are becoming more common in a variety of industries.

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Behind the Curve: Have U.S. Automakers Built the Wrong Cars at the Wrong Time -- Again?

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:42:19 GMT

Gasoline at more than $4 a gallon has proved to be the price point at which U.S. consumers make big changes in their driving habits. With SUVs and pickups suddenly out of favor in the world’s biggest automobile market Asian manufacturers who invested heavily in fuel-saving technologies -- and European car makers who sell to markets where expensive gas is nothing new -- are better positioned to meet new consumer demands. Just how dire is the situation for U.S. auto manufacturers and is there any relief in sight?

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Jeremy Siegel on the Bear Market Sky-high Oil Prices and Other Bad News

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:41:20 GMT

The stock market’s June swoon has carried into July with key indicators pointing to a bear market weighed down by rising oil prices the credit crisis and more bad news from Detroit as the Big Three auto manufacturers reported substantial losses. Meanwhile the G-8 gathered in Japan to discuss global warming and the economy but didn’t include the two largest emerging economies -- China and India -- in the talks. Knowledge at Wharton spoke to Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel about these developments and others.

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’Regulation-induced Innovation’: The Role of the Central Bank in the Subprime Crisis

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:41:19 GMT

When are investors like termites? When they are trying to avoid government rules. And that is one reason a host of new regulations won’t prevent a crisis like the subprime housing mess from happening again according to a speaker at the recent annual financial risk roundtable held by the Wharton Financial Institutions Center and the Oliver Wyman Institute. He and others focused their discussion on the causes of and possible solutions to the housing and banking crises.

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’Not a Site but a Concept’: Tapping the Power of Social Networking

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:41:19 GMT

Companies like Hewlett-Packard Ernst & Young and Del Monte Pet Foods have more in common than one may think: They are all savvy participants in the growing trend of consumers’ use of social networking technologies to access information and get what they need. According to speakers at the recent Supernova conference in San Francisco too few companies study how people actually interact with the Internet and utilize online collaborative tools and are therefore not using the social networking phenomenon to their advantage.

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The New Global Middle Class: Potentially Profitable -- but Also Unpredictable

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:41:19 GMT

A new global middle is rising up in emerging economies around the world providing competition for labor and resources along with enormous promise for multinationals eager to sell to the burgeoning ranks of first-time consumers. But don’t expect this new group to act in the same way -- and have the same preferences -- as prior generations of middle-class consumers suggest Wharton faculty and analysts.

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Two Companies Two Different Blueprints for Reducing Global Warming

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:41:19 GMT

Companies spend too much time worrying about the burdens brought by global warming -- the possibility of carbon taxes and greater regulation of emissions -- and ignoring the potential commercial upside according to participants in a recent Wharton conference titled ”Winners and Losers in Green Technologies ” sponsored by the William and Phyllis Mack Center for Technological Innovation. To showcase a proactive approach to the issue two companies -- DuPont and NetJets -- shared their tales of ”going green.”

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Steve Loranger CEO of ITT: Aiming for Long-term Growth

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:38:47 GMT

Since 2004 Steven R. Loranger has been chairman president and CEO of ITT a diversified high-technology engineering and manufacturing company that plays a key role in global defense and security. The company had $9 billion in 2007 sales $4.2 billion of which were generated by its defense electronics and services business and it ranks among the top 10 U.S. defense contractors. Loranger recently spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about how ITT has positioned itself for growth despite the economic slowdown the company’s response to environmental concerns and long-term trends for the defense industry.

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Procurement -- Managing Commodity Risk

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:59:43 GMT

Managing commodity risk has emerged as a key issue in today’s economy. Consider airlines which have seen fuel costs rise seven-fold over the last few years says Bob Tevelson a partner and managing director at BCG. In this interview Tevelson says commodity risks are associated with both price volatility and supply availability. More and more companies may wish to turn to hedging strategies to manage commodity risk he notes but such strategies can pose risks themselves unless they are properly implemented.

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Procurement -- Subcontracting and Product Quality in China

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:23:30 GMT

Marshall W. Meyer professor of management at Wharton has made many trips to China to research the rapid growth of its economy and the successes and difficulties it has had in growing so quickly. In this interview Meyer discusses the recent controversy surrounding China’s exports of substandard toys and pharmaceuticals to the United States and the implications for supply-chain management.

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Obama and McCain: Different -- and Evolving -- Visions for the U.S. Economy

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:56:24 GMT

Presidential candidates John McCain Republican senator from Arizona and Barack Obama Democratic senator from Illinois are staking out contrasting positions mostly along traditional party lines in their campaign to win election in November as the 44th president of the United States. One thing they have in common: Both offer tax and spending plans that would deepen the deficit. Wharton professors as well as commentators from around the globe weigh in on the economic views of each candidate.

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To Love Honor Cherish and Consume: The Selling of the American Wedding

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:40:07 GMT

Money to paraphrase the Beatles can’t buy you love. But it can certainly buy a lavish wedding as noted in Rebecca Mead’s new book One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding. Indeed according to Mead America’s wedding industry exceeds $161 billion annually -- an enormous sum that suggests how much weddings have become not only big business but big fantasy. Yet as our reviewer notes the wedding boom is not just confined to wealthy Western nations but has become a global phenomenon concerned with ”displaying and solidifying social position in a world where such things are fluid and changeable.”

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The Credit Crisis and Failed Risk Analysis: ’We’re Nowhere Near the End Here’

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:40:07 GMT

When you sit down you probably don’t check under your seat for a bomb. Even though it could kill you chances are slim that it’s there. A similar view of risk led bankers their regulators and other government officials to overlook dangerous investments and business models that contributed to the global credit crisis according to speakers at the financial risk roundtable held by the Wharton Financial Institutions Center and the Oliver Wyman Institute.

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Privacy on the Web: Is It a Losing Battle?

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:40:07 GMT

What if you visited an investment site and found advertising messages suggesting therapies for your recently diagnosed heart condition? Chances are you would experience what Fran Maier executive director of TrustE a nonprofit advocate of online privacy calls the ”creepiness factor.” Maier and several others discussed the challenges of maintaining online privacy -- amid rising Internet use and plummeting costs of data storage and tracking -- at the recent Supernova conference in San Francisco.

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Judgment Character and Ambition: David Gergen on Leadership in the 2008 Presidential Race

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:40:07 GMT

According to David Gergen the man elected president of the United States in November will face the most daunting foreign and domestic challenges since Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s. Gergen who has been an advisor to four U.S. presidents and who currently directs the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government equated the presidency to ”feeling a little like Gulliver in Lilliput.... Giant accomplishments are expected” even as presidential powers are not always what they seem. Gergen discussed today’s presidential candidates as well as former presidents at the recent Wharton Leadership Conference.

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Will Technology Firms Bridge the Chasm Between Computer and TV?

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:40:07 GMT

Hewlett-Packard Netflix Apple and others want to move content from the Internet to that big flat-screen TV in the living room. Wharton experts wonder if there is a market for this and indeed whether consumers are even willing to accept interactive television. The best advice to companies for now: Hedge your bets.

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Johnson & Johnson CEO William Weldon: Leadership in a Decentralized Company

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:40:07 GMT

Consumers tend to associate Johnson & Johnson with Band-Aids and baby shampoo but those well-known products are only part of a much larger picture according to William Weldon chairman and CEO. In fact Weldon has the mind-boggling task of overseeing more than 200 operating companies across three sectors including consumer products pharmaceuticals and medical devices. On June 18 Weldon spoke at the 2008 Wharton Leadership Conference about the challenges of running the J&J family of companies. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton he elaborated on J&J’s decentralized structure and on what he sees as key issues for the health care industry in the coming decade among other topics.

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Procurement -- China Sourcing

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:27:36 GMT

Multinational corporations have been sourcing from China for years but that doesn’t mean that all the questions have been answered about how to engage in procurement activities in the world’s fastest-growing economy. In this interview David Lee a partner and managing director at BCG says that plenty of challenges remain. Among them: finding good suppliers that offer products at relatively low costs and being willing and able to outsource a sufficient volume of one’s business to Chinese suppliers.

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Credit Crisis Interview: Jeremy Siegel on Ignoring Risks

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:29:56 GMT

The subprime crisis ”was a wreck that could have been predicted ” Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel says in this interview. Siegel is one of seven Wharton professors interviewed by Knowledge at Wharton for this special report on the credit crisis.

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Procurement -- Customer-Supplier Relationships

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:21:09 GMT

In the never-ending quest for cost savings many companies have reduced the number of suppliers they use consolidated their purchases and negotiated better prices. So where can chief procurement officers and other managers now turn for savings? In this interview Bob Tevelson a BCG partner and managing director says firms must segment suppliers to identify those that can deliver what he calls ”partnership value” by establishing relationships that move beyond the transactional level.

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Yanked from Obscurity: Why Finance Experts Are Rethinking LIBOR

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:37:46 GMT

First U.S. Bankers raised questions about how the daily London Interbank Offered Rate was calculated and then The Wall Street Journal demonstrated that the rate was inexplicably diverging from what the data suggested it ought to be. Getting it right is important because LIBOR is the basis for many kinds of loans. The British Bankers Association says it will make changes.

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Growing Value and Activism Bring New Scrutiny to Public Pension Funds

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:25:47 GMT

Controlling about $3 trillion public pension funds are too big to ignore. Some use their influence to boost shareholder rights or support social causes. In the face of ”pension envy” from private sector workers some governments have adopted defined contribution plans – and some of those have regretted the decision. The issues were explored at a Wharton Impact Conference called ”The Future of Public Employee Retirement Systems.”

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Russia’s Best-known Investment Banker Ruben Vardanian on Building Trust in a Fast-moving World

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:25:47 GMT

When 22-year-old Ruben Vardanian became General Director of Troika Dialog in 1992 he applied international banking standards stressed transparency and built a young multicultural and cooperative workforce. It wasn’t easy in the rough-and-tumble Russian economy of the 1990s but his company is now Russia’s oldest and largest private investment bank. Wharton management professors Valery Yakubovich and Michael Useem spoke with Vardanian about entrepreneurship education -- and staying honest -- in Russia.

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Bridging the Global Digital Divide One Laptop at a Time

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:25:47 GMT

On May 20 the non-profit One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program unveiled the second version of its XO laptop which is designed to bring affordable modern technology to children in developing countries. In April Intel announced its next-generation Classmate PC which targets the same market. Meanwhile Microsoft has been tweaking its Windows XP operating system for these educational devices which also run on the open source Linux operating system. Experts at Wharton say that the focus on third world countries is promising but they question whether these efforts will be effective.

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Clearing the Air: How Companies Operate in a Climate-conscious Era

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:25:47 GMT

Where to locate a new headquarters how to close a supply-chain loop how to anticipate customer demands: These are all decisions that companies must wrestle with as they respond to increasing concerns about global warming. Given the rush to be environmentally friendly where do companies turn for dependable information and good advice? Wharton faculty and other experts say companies have to rely on a combination of internal and external resources as they try not only to manage the risks of climate change but also to gain a competitive edge.

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Google’s Joe Kraus on How to Make the Web More Social

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:25:47 GMT

Joe Kraus director of product management at Google believes every killer app on the web -- instant messaging e-mail blogging photo-sharing -- has succeeded because it helps people connect with one another. For Kraus this means the Internet has an inherently social character but it can be enhanced further. Wharton legal studies professor Kevin Werbach spoke with Kraus recently about the socialization of the Internet. Kraus will speak about social computing at the Supernova conference in San Francisco on June 16.

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Secrets of the Private Equity Trade

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:25:47 GMT

Private equity firms manage some $1 trillion of global capital yet because they are highly secretive much remains unknown about their internal economics. How do PE firms organize themselves for example and how do they capitalize on their success? Some answers emerge from a paper by Wharton finance professor Ayako Yasuda and Yale School of Management finance professor Andrew Metrick presented at a recent Wharton conference sponsored by the Weiss Center for International Financial Research.

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Procurement -- Global Supply Chain Strategy

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:00:56 GMT

Marshall L. Fisher director of Wharton’s Fishman-Davidson Center for Service and Operations Management has been researching issues related to retail supply chain strategy for many years. In this interview Fisher highlights some of the challenges facing global procurement and he discusses the example of Luen Thai a Chinese company that built a giant ”supply-chain city ” becoming a one-stop shop for clothing manufacturers looking to outsource to low-cost producers.

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Procurement -- Challenges Facing Procurement Organizations

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:01:11 GMT

Procurement has become an integral part of corporate performance and is drawing increased attention from senior management. In this interview Andreas Gocke a BCG partner and managing director spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about the most critical challenges facing procurement organizations over the next five to 10 years including training and employee development managing global sourcing offices and ensuring collaboration across corporate departments.

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Procurement -- The Strategic Perspective

Wed, 28 May 2008 17:09:26 GMT

Procurement has taken on greater strategic importance in multinational companies in recent years -- and it will assume even greater significance in the years to come according to Hal Sirkin senior partner and managing director at The Boston Consulting Group and global leader of BCG’s operations practice. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Sirkin discusses procurement in the context of global business and the ways in which companies from rapidly developing economies are challenging traditional multinationals.

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What’s Behind the Flare-ups in Oil Prices? Jeremy Siegel and Witold Henisz Weigh In

Wed, 28 May 2008 14:40:09 GMT

Memorial Day which marks the beginning of the summer driving season in the U.S. saw gas prices at nearly $4 a gallon all over the country -- and even higher in states such as Florida. Globally the picture looks more worrisome: Oil prices crossed a record $135 a barrel during the weekend of May 24-25 although by Tuesday prices had come down to $131. What’s behind these regular flare-ups in oil prices? What are the major economic and geopolitical factors at work? How does expensive oil affect the U.S. and world markets and what can we expect over the coming months? Knowledge at Wharton discussed these questions and more with finance professor Jeremy Siegel author of The Future for Investors and management professor Witold Henisz.

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Kevin Lynch on Adobe’s AIR: Extending the Web beyond the Browser

Wed, 28 May 2008 14:38:10 GMT

On February 25 2008 Adobe Systems launched version 1.0 of the Adobe Integrated Runtime or ”AIR ” which allows software programmers to use web-development tools to create desktop software applications that run on all the major operating systems: Windows Mac and -- coming soon -- Linux. For Adobe AIR is a big bet. At the launch event CEO Shantanu Narayen described AIR as Adobe’s ”fourth platform ” the next link in the chain that includes PostScript Acrobat and Flash. Adobe’s point man for AIR is Chief Technology Officer Kevin Lynch who recently spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about AIR’s importance to developers consumers and business users.

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Doing a Sports Deal? Get Personal

Wed, 28 May 2008 14:38:10 GMT

As in any negotiation money and performance will usually make or break a sports contract deal. But emotions can be a wild card according to Wharton Sports Business Initiative director Kenneth L. Shropshire. During a recent Wharton presentation he talked about the non-financial incentives that helped seal contract deals with star athletes Alex Rodriguez Reggie White and others; his relationships with boxing promoter Don King and 1984 Olympics organizer Peter Ueberroth and the importance of personal relationships in getting deals done.

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Kiva: Improving People’s Lives One Small Loan at a Time

Wed, 28 May 2008 14:38:10 GMT

Nearly everyone told Matt and Jessica Flannery that their idea -- a website where people could make micro loans to individual borrowers in the developing world -- wouldn’t work. Venture capitalists couldn’t see how anyone could make big money on tiny loans. Foundations wouldn’t support something that they saw as commerce not charity. But the Flannerys persisted and today the website that they created -- Kiva.org -- has so far assisted about 40 000 borrowers in 40 countries and provided a total of $27 million in funding. Matt Flannery Kiva’s CEO and Premal Shah its president spoke about their business at the recent University of Pennsylvania Microfinance Conference.

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Caught in the Middle: Why Developing and Retaining Middle Managers Can Be So Challenging

Wed, 28 May 2008 14:38:10 GMT

Middle managers are often referred to as the ”glue” that holds companies together bridging the gap between the top management team and lower level workers. They implement strategy and organizational changes keeping workers engaged during both good times and bad. Yet according to a recent survey of middle managers around the world 20% report dissatisfaction with their current organization and that same percentage report that they are looking for another job. How do middle managers fare in an uncertain economy and what should companies be doing to keep them happy?

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Why the Credit Crunch Should Help Corporate M&A

Wed, 28 May 2008 14:38:10 GMT

Credit market turmoil is altering the global playing field in buyouts and acquisitions a field rife with complaints in recent years about too much money chasing too few good deals. The credit shortage puts pressure on pricing and transactional quality while also giving public companies a better shot at acquisitions that the more aggressive private equity firms might previously have snatched away. These are some practical implications of a paper presented at a recent Wharton conference sponsored by the Weiss Center for International Financial Research. The paper documents the pricing anomalies that have characterized private equity transactions in recent years. Chief among them: The greater the leverage applied to a deal the greater the price it has tended to command.

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An Earful on Ethanol: Rising Food Prices Inefficient Production and Other Problems

Wed, 28 May 2008 14:38:10 GMT

Just a year ago ethanol was the renewable fuel of the moment. Derived mostly from corn grown in America’s heartland it was promoted as a home-grown ticket to energy independence for the U.S. and other oil-importing nations. Today however ethanol’s prospects look somewhat cloudy. Critics around the world are crying foul over rising food prices while others say that it takes more resources to create ethanol than the alternative fuel provides. According to experts at Wharton and elsewhere ethanol underscores the hazards involved in the development of any new energy source where failure to understand the broader impact of production can result in unintended consequences.

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It’s Biotech’s Year: ’Eight Great’ Business Plans to Help People Live Longer and Better

Wed, 14 May 2008 17:16:52 GMT

A decade ago when the Wharton Business Plan Competition (BPC) began the Internet dominated discussions about entrepreneurship. That was before the bubble burst and many dot.coms were revealed to be in the words of New Yorker writer John Cassidy little more than dot.cons. These days the new arena of interest is healthcare specifically biotech as evidenced by the number of biotech-related business plans submitted by the student entrepreneurs who competed in this year’s event. Knowledge at Wharton offers brief descriptions of the BPC’s ’Eight Great’ finalists. Good luck picking the winner.

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Microsoft’s Vista: New Horizon or the End of the Road for PC Operating Systems?

Wed, 14 May 2008 17:05:58 GMT

After Microsoft announced on May 3 that it will drop its $44.6 billion bid to acquire Yahoo many -- including experts at Wharton -- declared the decision to be a smart move. Microsoft they say has more pressing issues including the need to make its flagship operating system Vista more popular among customers as it competes for attention against its predecessor Windows XP and rivals such as Apple’s OS X.

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An Ideal Marketplace: For-profit Businesses Helping Not Exploiting the Poor

Wed, 14 May 2008 17:05:58 GMT

Can a company make money from the work of impoverished people in the developing world without taking advantage of them? For Patrick Byrne the answer is a qualified yes. Byrne believes that he has found a way for his company Overstock.com to benefit while it helps developing-world artisans connect with developed-world customers. But for Chuck Waterfield creator of Microfin -- a software program he wrote for microlenders -- the answer is a qualified no at least as it applies to Compartamos a well-known microfinance lender operating in Mexico. Both men spoke at this year’s University of Pennsylvania Microfinance Conference.

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Cleaning up Its Act: How China Can Convert to More Environmentally Friendly Energy

Wed, 14 May 2008 17:05:58 GMT

If China doesn’t take steps to prevent it a big black cloud may soon engulf its economic boom. The country is growing at a torrid rate but pollution from its hard-chugging industrial engine is expanding even faster according to energy experts at the recent 2008 Wharton China Business Conference. Chinese leaders however have some options including a method to capture the pollutants released when coal burns and coal gasification which transforms coal into a synthetic fuel that burns as cleanly as natural gas.

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ExxonMobil’s Donald Humphreys Defends Big Oil and Its Role in a Global Economy

Wed, 14 May 2008 17:05:58 GMT

The controversy over carbon emissions is just one of several surrounding ExxonMobil -- a list that includes gasoline prices surging towards $4 a gallon the company’s push for expanded oil exploration and drilling and its high-profile war of wills with the president of Venezuela Hugo Chavez. Yet during a presentation as part of the Wharton Leadership Lecture series Donald D. Humphreys senior vice president and treasurer of the Irving Texas-based behemoth set out to erase what he said are widely held misconceptions about the powerful company that traces its roots back to the 19th century and John D. Rockefeller.

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Conspicuous Consumption and Race: Who Spends More on What

Wed, 14 May 2008 17:05:58 GMT

Fashionable clothes jewelry flashy cars.... They are all items of conspicuous consumption that give their owners status on the street. Some groups such as blacks and Hispanics seem to spend more on such emblems of success than others. Or is that just a stereotype? In a new research paper Wharton finance professor Nikolai Roussanov and two co-authors found some truth to the ethnic stereotypes on spending but concluded that the explanation lies in economics not culture.

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SFOs in Action: How the Richest Families Manage Their Wealth

Wed, 14 May 2008 17:05:58 GMT

For many of the world’s richest families SFOs -- Single Family Offices -- play an essential role in their investment strategy. SFOs manage the family financial portfolio and often provide other services such as handling children’s college applications or managing the family fleet of jets. Up until now however little has been known about these powerful entities. Yet new Wharton research shows that they play an important role in managing major investment portfolios guiding significant philanthropic endeavors and maintaining a core set of values across generations of extremely wealthy families.

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Jeremy Siegel on the Fed’s Latest Cut $4 Gasoline and the Best Strategy for Investors

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:57:32 GMT

The economy seems to be sinking toward recession with new home sales at their lowest since the early 1990s. At the same time inflation is picking up. Some Americans are paying $4 for a gallon of gas and coming home from the supermarket with sticker shock. Today the Fed deemed recession the bigger worry and cut short-term interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point from 2.25% to 2%. Was this the right choice? How will it affect the financial markets? Should investors bet on a stock market rebound or hide on the sidelines? Knowledge at Wharton put these questions to Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel author of The Future for Investors.

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Sea Change: What’s on the Horizon for Royal Caribbean’s Richard Fain

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:36:16 GMT

Richard Fain is chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises the Miami-based global cruise company that operates 36 ships under the Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International brands among others. He joined the company in 1981 as an outside director and became chairman and CEO in 1988. He spent 13 years before that at Gotass-Larsen Shipping Corp. a London-based owner and operator of cargo ships. Knowledge at Wharton asked him to update us on the cruise business.

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Gold May Glitter but It Doesn’t Stack up as a Long-term Investment

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:36:16 GMT

Call it a gold rush of sorts. Gold topped out at more than $1 000 an ounce in mid-March up from about $680 a year ago. Although it dipped to just under $900 late in April it has had a tremendous run up from $350 five years ago. What has driven these price gains? What does gold tell us about the economy’s future? Should ordinary investors buy it? Knowledge at Wharton talks to the experts.

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Bad Business: Why Companies Shouldn’t Trade with Abusive Regimes

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:36:16 GMT

Is selling police equipment to a notoriously brutal government tantamount to assisting in torture? William Schulz believes that it can be and that these types of sales are one of the principal ways in which businesses find themselves tangled up with torturers. During a presentation sponsored by Wharton’s Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research Schulz former executive director of Amnesty International and now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress spoke about the challenges that companies face doing business with repressive governments.

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Do China’s Financial Markets Need More Freedom and Less Government Regulation?

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:36:16 GMT

While China’s manufacturing sector booms and people sock away money in savings accounts the country’s financial markets remain in their infancy according to international finance experts who gathered at the recent 2008 Wharton China Business Conference. One reason for the relative underdevelopment of China’s capital markets they note is the role of the country’s powerful central government. ”Regulators are not comfortable letting the market do its own work ” noted one conference participant.

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Cost-effective Medical Treatment: Putting an Updated Dollar Value on Human Life

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:36:16 GMT

A thorny question lies at the heart of meaningful health care reform. How much is human life worth? New Wharton research based on Medicare kidney dialysis data shows that the average figure -- $129 090 per additional year of quality life -- is higher than prior studies have shown. Perhaps more important the study also puts a value on the cost-effectiveness of treatment across percentiles of the entire dialysis population in an attempt to develop a benchmark for coverage decisions. Chris P. Lee a Wharton professor of operations and information management co-authored the paper titled ”An Empiric Estimate of the Value of Life: Updating the Renal Dialysis Cost-effectiveness Standard.”

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The Hard Sell: How to Market Products That Are No Longer Popular

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:36:16 GMT

Condos in Miami traditional music stores gas-guzzling cars pharmaceuticals that get unfavorable press foods made with trans fats: All marketers from time to time confront products that for whatever reason become difficult to sell. What strategies should companies follow to reposition their products in ways that might attract new audiences or at least retain existing ones? One answer: segmenting. ”There are so many different kinds of customers out there. You just need to find them ” says one Wharton expert.

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’No Place to Hide’: The Pressure on Companies to Address Global Warming Heats Up

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:36:16 GMT

The scientific community now overwhelmingly agrees that earth’s 6.5 billion inhabitants are contributing to global warming through heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions. While various industries are yielding to public pressure to address climate change new carbon emission regulatory regimes are coming soon and they will likely carry significant costs according to experts from business and academia who spoke at the recent First Annual Conference-Workshop on Business and the Environment which was organized by the Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL) at Wharton/Penn.

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The Talent Hunt: Getting the People You Need When You Need Them

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:12:02 GMT

Ask any CEO or senior level executive what his or her biggest challenge is and the answer is almost always finding and keeping good people. Yet most executives fail to manage their company’s needs in a way that recognizes the unpredictability of the global marketplace. In a book titled Talent on Demand: Managing Talent in an Age of Uncertainty Peter Cappelli director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources proposes a new approach to this issue based on applying the principles of supply chain management to people. He and Joyce Bradley senior vice president and general manager Delaware Valley region of Lee Hecht Harrison spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about talent management including the challenges of managing employees in a recessionary economy.

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Mergers in the Air? Microsoft/Yahoo and Delta/Northwest

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:54:55 GMT

The ongoing takeover battle between Microsoft and Yahoo has taken several surprising turns over the past few weeks. After rejecting Microsoft’s unsolicited $44.6 billion offer in late February Yahoo has announced a two-week ad testing program with its main search rival Google and has reportedly entertained a possible merger with Time Warner’s AOL. Meanwhile Microsoft was rumored to be considering News Corp. as a possible ally in acquiring Yahoo. While spectators wait for the next twist in this saga another headline-making deal has been announced: a merger between Delta and Northwest Airlines to become the world’s largest airline. Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Wharton management professor Saikat Chaudhuri and Wharton legal studies and business ethics professor Kevin Werbach to find out whether these deals make sense and for whom.

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Trading Up: Canada and the U.S. Have More in Common than Their Border

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:43:25 GMT

With a healthy economy that is benefiting from its economically troubled neighbor to the south Canada has little to complain about these days regarding its relationship with the United States -- although there is always room for improvement on both sides. That was the message from Canadian Ambassador Michael Wilson during a recent visit to Wharton during which he addressed a wide range of topics including border security energy trading rebuilding Afghanistan and political posturing in the U.S. presidential campaign over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

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Gadgets at Work: The Blurring Boundary between Consumer and Corporate Technologies

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:43:25 GMT

The boundaries between work and play are beginning to disappear as consumer technologies -- including social networking tools user generated content and wikis -- are increasingly adopted by corporate America. For technology companies this emerging ”consumerization” trend represents an opportunity but it also brings new management challenges as companies struggle to embrace these technologies in a way that doesn’t limit their usefulness but also doesn’t result in lost time or money. And while there may be productivity gains for corporations that experiment with integrating the latest consumer gadgets security remains the deal breaker say experts at Wharton.

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Navigating Olympic Sponsorship: Marketing Your Brand without Alienating the World

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:43:25 GMT

Images of Chinese guards and local police protecting the Olympic torch on its journey to Beijing were hardly the kind of publicity the IOC or the Chinese government were hoping for. Nor can the 12 ”Worldwide Olympic Sponsors” be thrilled at the latest images of hand-to-hand street fighting. How can sponsors make the August Olympics a brand builder for their products rather than a public relations nightmare for their companies? Wharton professors suggest they figure out a way to reap the benefits of associating with the event while maintaining reputations for corporate social responsibility outside China.

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’Bear Raid’ Stock Manipulation: How and When It Works and Who Benefits

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:43:25 GMT

When Bear Stearns collapsed in March some insiders argued it was wrong to blame the firm’s risky bets on mortgaged-backed securities. They had another culprit: malevolent traders working together in the upside-down world of short sales -- making money by knocking down Bear’s stock. There has however been little academic research to explain the forces at work. Now Wharton finance professor Itay Goldstein and a colleague have shed some light on the process in a paper titled ”Manipulation and the Allocational Role of Prices.”

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Microfinance Grows Up: Success Brings New Challenges for Investors Practitioners in Emerging Economies

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:43:25 GMT

Microfinance -- the business of providing financial services in small transaction amounts to poor underserved markets -- has taken off in recent years. With financial sectors in many developing countries maturing and microfinance institutions (MFIs) themselves growing rapidly capital markets have been quick to enter the fray providing ample funding for expansion. But microfinance’s evolution in countries throughout Asia and Eastern Europe has cast a spotlight on changes now buffeting the industry as private investors arrive in force and traditional microfinance values are questioned.

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Compensation Consultants and Conflicts of Interest: Two Different Views

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:43:25 GMT

Companies that use compensation consultants end up paying more to their CEOs leading to allegations that these consultants push for excessively high CEO packages because many of them profit from doing other work for the company. A recent Congressional committee report supported the idea that such conflicts drive up CEO pay. But a new Wharton study by accounting professor Mary Ellen Carter and two colleagues suggests that conflicts of interest between the consultant and the firm aren’t to blame.

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The Use -- and Misuse -- of Statistics: How and Why Numbers Are So Easily Manipulated

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:52:07 GMT

When a report prepared by former Senator George J. Mitchell indicated that Roger Clemens and others used illegal performance-enhancing drugs a marketing agency prepared a voluminous report that relied on statistics to make the case for Clemens’ innocence. But an article written by four Wharton faculty -- Justin Wolfers Shane Jensen Abraham Wyner and Eric Bradlow -- questions the methodology used by the marketing agency noting that the validity of any statistical analysis is only as good as its individual components. And these components they add can be easily misinterpreted.

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MeadWestvaco’s John Luke: ’Change Simply for the Sake of Change Is an Abdication of Leadership’

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:52:07 GMT

John Luke Jr. chairman and CEO of global packaging giant MeadWestvaco was a U.S. Air Force pilot in Southeast Asia during the tail end of the Vietnam era. Since coming home to join and eventually run the company he has been responsible for steering a steady course even as flak comes in from all sides. Speaking at a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture Luke said that during MeadWestvaco’s transformation into a business focused on packaging solutions he had to push for a radical change in focus while continually resisting pressure for quick short-term results.

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Getting Engaged: Advertisers Search for Their Voices on YouTube

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:52:07 GMT

The video-sharing site YouTube is currently running a comedy sketch contest sponsored by Toyota’s 2009 Corolla. It’s just one of the latest examples of companies using this advertising hot spot to target customers who spend a lot of their time watching online videos. But finding a home in the medium is not so easy Wharton professors say. In a digital world of instant feedback and ruthless honesty a company can either score major brand points or look as ridiculous as any adult trying to hang with the cool kids.

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Gaming the System: Are Hedge Fund Managers Talented or Just Good at Fooling Investors?

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:52:07 GMT

Hedge funds are key players in the world’s financial markets but no one knows exactly what they’re up to. Critics and supporters tend to share an assumption however that hedge funds are run by talented people who merit their hefty management fees. But new research by Wharton statistics professor Dean P. Foster and Brookings Institution senior fellow H. Peyton Young questions that idea arguing that it’s easy for hedge funds to fool their investors into believing the managers are better than they really are. The industry ”risks being inundated by managers who are gaming the system ... which could ultimately lead to a collapse in investor confidence ” they say.

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Market Manipulation or Just Business as Usual?

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:52:07 GMT

The financial markets are in turmoil. Inflation is picking up. Home prices are falling. More companies are laying off workers. Oil prices are sky-high. It’s getting harder and harder to borrow money. It seems like a nest of conspirators is preying on America. Even Washington is reinforcing the impression with talk of sweeping reforms to the system of economic oversight. Indeed economic commentator Ben Stein has promoted the notion of market manipulation from the shadows largely in the form of hedge funds. Yet Wharton faculty reject that idea saying instead that the market is suffering a hangover from the easy-money excesses of recent years.

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Coming Soon ... Securitization with a New Improved (and Perhaps Safer) Face

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:52:07 GMT

Securitization is often blamed for aggravating -- if not causing -- the subprime mortgage crisis that keeps roiling U.S. real estate and credit markets. By repackaging pools of mortgages into securities that could be resold to investors the argument goes securitization permitted unscrupulous underwriters to offer housing loans to poor borrowers and transfer the risk to Wall Street. How then will the present credit crisis affect the future of securitization? According to professors from Wharton’s finance and real estate departments securitization will not disappear -- but it is in for radical changes.

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Saatchi & Saatchi’s Kevin Roberts: ’It’s All about Getting to the Future First’

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:52:07 GMT

Kevin Roberts has been CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi since 1997 and in the space of 11 years has cemented the ad agency’s reputation as one of the most successful and creative companies in the industry. Roberts is perhaps most well known for an idea he came up with called ”lovemarks” -- which means creating a brand for which the consumer has ”loyalty beyond reason.” During a visit to campus last week he talked with Knowledge at Wharton about lovemarks and other initiatives. In addition as part of the Wharton Leadership Lecture series he spoke about the skills needed to be a successful marketer what consumers really want his personal management style and the need to have a dream.

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Pumas Planets and Pens: How Cues in the Environment Influence Consumer Choice

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:03:40 GMT

In a new research paper titled ”Dogs on the Street Pumas on Your Feet: How Cues in the Environment Influence Product Evaluation and Choice ” Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger suggests that what you see in your everyday world can influence what you buy. For example participants in one study who were shown more images of dogs liked sneakers from the Puma brand more than those who had not seen the images -- because dogs are associated with cats and cats with Puma. ”Marketers ... think they have to come up with a catchy slogan or slick advertisement to create a buzz ” Berger says. Instead companies can get a payoff by creating a link between their product and a cue in the environment.

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RealNetworks’ Rob Glaser and Time Warner Cable’s Glenn Britt: A Focus on Innovation Passion and Luck

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:03:34 GMT

Innovation timing a good idea and luck are all ingredients of success in the technology industry according to speakers at the recent Wharton Business Technology Conference titled ”Enterprise Agility: Lead with Speed.” Former Microsoft executive Rob Glaser who went on to found RealNetworks and Glenn A. Britt CEO of Time Warner Cable both said strong technology businesses are built on firm technical footings but shaped by business forces that are not always predictable. ”Any successful entrepreneur who says luck did not play a role is either lying or lacks self-awareness ” stated Glaser.

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Jeremy Siegel on Bear Stearns Rate Cuts and the Looming Threat of Inflation

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:20:58 GMT

The ongoing credit crisis in U.S. financial markets has claimed a huge and high-profile victim: Bear Stearns. After being slammed by what amounted to a run on the bank during the week of March 10 the Wall Street firm agreed to be acquired -- for $2 a share -- by JP Morgan Chase over the weekend in a deal overseen by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. The Federal Reserve lowered interest rates the same day -- and did so again on March 18 by three-quarters of a percentage point. Are other Wall Street firms likely to follow Bear Stearns into oblivion? Will the Federal Reserve’s efforts help to boost confidence in the financial system? Finance professor Jeremy Siegel author of The Future for Investors discussed these questions and more with Knowledge at Wharton.

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ETFs Evolve -- For Better or Worse?

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:05:04 GMT

With their low fees all-day trading and tax efficiency exchange-traded funds have captivated investors. There were no ETFs before 1993; today there are nearly 700. While most experts think ETFs were a good innovation -- built like index-style mutual funds but traded like stocks -- some worry that the increasingly specialized ETFs introduced in recent years stray from the faith encouraging too much risk-taking. That concern is heightened by recent Securities and Exchange Commission proposals to let new funds come to market with less oversight and to invite proposals for introducing actively managed ETFs. Knowledge at Wharton looks at the recent action and angst surrounding ETFs.

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Driving Lessons: Dieter Zetsche’s Experiences behind the Wheel of Daimler-Chrysler and Beyond

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:57:40 GMT

The toughest leadership task for Dieter Zetsche chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars was engineering last year’s breakup of Daimler and Chrysler. But the experience taught him valuable lessons such as the importance of making timely decisions and the need to avoid information overload. Leadership Zetsche told his audience during a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture isn’t always ”fun and games.”

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’Dead-tree Medium’ No Longer: For Many Marketers Print Outperforms Digital

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:57:40 GMT

Paper costs are rising mail rate hikes are looming and competition from new media continues to grow. Yet marketers’ use of direct mail and other printed materials is stronger than it’s been in years. Thanks to variable-data printing companies can now tap purchase-history databases to design create and print entirely personalized catalogs that cross-sell products and services to individual consumers. They can also combine print with other media in the evolving discipline known as cross-channel marketing. But whatever strategy a company adopts experts note the challenge is the same: Finding the right way to communicate with customers.

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Scott Guthrie on Microsoft’s Play for Rich Internet Applications

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:57:40 GMT

Earlier this month Microsoft unveiled Silverlight 2 a platform akin to Adobe’s Flash designed to advance the software giant’s push into the arena of rich Internet applications. One week earlier Adobe Systems launched its ”Adobe Integrated Runtime ” which allows web programmers to move their software out of the browser and onto the computer’s desktop. Both companies hope to establish their software as the foundation for the next generation of software development. Spearheading Microsoft’s efforts is corporate vice president Scott Guthrie who spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about his company’s aspirations for Silverlight and the future of the web.

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The Experts vs. the Amateurs: A Tug of War over the Future of Media

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:57:40 GMT

A tug of war over the future of media may be brewing between so-called user-generated content -- including amateurs who produce blogs video and audio for public consumption -- and professional journalists movie makers and record labels along with the deep-pocketed companies that back them. The ultimate outcome: a hybrid approach that features entirely new business models say experts at Wharton.

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Biased Expectations: Can Accounting Tools Lead to Rather than Prevent Executive Mistakes?

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:57:40 GMT

Accounting techniques like budgeting sales projections and financial reporting are supposed to help prevent business failures by giving managers realistic plans to guide their actions and feedback on their progress. At least that’s the theory. But when Gavin Cassar a Wharton accounting professor tested this idea he found something troubling: Some accounting tools not only fail to help businesspeople but may actually lead them astray. He analyzes these conclusions in two separate research papers.

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’A Race to the Starting Line’: Diagnosing What’s Holding Biotechnology Back

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:57:40 GMT

New strategies will be necessary for biotechnology companies to thrive in the new era of personalized medicine but the healthcare system itself will also have to change according to a panel of biotechnology company representatives at the 2008 Wharton Health Care Business Conference. Leaving behind the ”blockbuster drug” mentality must be part of a new mindset for biotech companies going forward suggested one panelist. Others discussed stem cell research regulatory hurdles and competition within the industry.

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Physician and Administrator: How Surgeon Larry Kaiser Navigates Two Different Worlds

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:43:53 GMT

Larry Kaiser chairman of the department of surgery and surgeon-in-chief for the University of Pennsylvania Health System is responsible for more than 110 surgeons in his own department and he leads one of the largest thoracic services in the country. Michael Useem director of Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change Management recently spoke with Kaiser about the challenges of playing a leadership role -- not just in a major medical center but also in a health care environment that has experienced radical changes over the last decade.

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Mortgage Crisis Bailout: Relief for Some Risk for Others

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:03:39 GMT

Does the mortgage crisis demand a government bailout? A year ago most experts thought not. Sad as the situation was for some homeowners many felt the problem would be confined to those who had gambled on risky loans with eyes open. But things have changed. The mortgage crisis is behind a nationwide drop in home values that is impeding all types of lending. More and more experts now say some sort of government response is necessary to avert a prolonged recession. But what kind of bailout is affordable and fair?

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A Great Bargain or a Big Rip-off? Consumers’ Perceptions of Price Fairness in the U.S. and China

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:48:59 GMT

How do consumers react when they discover someone else bought the same product they did at a cheaper price? Do they feel differently if that someone else is a friend versus a stranger? Wharton marketing professor Lisa Bolton and two colleagues explore pricing and fairness perceptions in a new research paper and document how attitudes are different or in some cases similar between consumers in China and those in the United States. The paper is titled ”Culture and Marketplace Effects on Perceived Price Fairness: China and the USA.”

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Are Overconfident Executives More Inclined to Commit Fraud?

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:48:59 GMT

No one makes it to the top ranks of corporate management without a healthy amount of self-assurance. Confidence underlies decisive strong leadership but does overconfidence lead managers to cross the line and commit fraud? New research by Wharton accounting professor Catherine M. Schrand and doctoral student Sarah L. C. Zechman examines patterns in frauds to determine if some frauds evolve not out of pure self-interest but because executives are overly optimistic that they can turn their firms around before fraudulent behavior catches up with them. Their paper is titled ”Executive Overconfidence and the Slippery Slope to Fraud.”

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Forget Those Big Deals (and Headlines): Private Equity Firms Are Shopping the Middle Market

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:48:59 GMT

Big buyout firms like the Blackstone Group and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts do headline-grabbing transactions and collect eye-popping paychecks. But when the economy slows down and lenders turn wary those mega-deals are the first to dry up. Meanwhile the modest middle market -- typically deals in the $500 million to $1 billion range -- keeps plugging along. In fact according to panelists at the 2008 Wharton Private Equity Conference middle-market investors are to some extent insulated from the current credit crisis and other economic ups and downs. ”We’re delighted with the credit crunch ” one speaker said.

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Siemens CEO Peter Löscher: A Company Is Only as Good as Its Values

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:48:59 GMT

It would be hard enough under any circumstances to become the first outsider named to lead a 161-year-old global conglomerate but Peter Löscher faced a unique challenge last summer when he assumed the reins at Siemens AG -- the German-based engineering and healthcare giant. During a recent Wharton leadership lecture series Löscher openly acknowledged that his first and most difficult task was dealing with the aftermath of a scandal that included allegations of bribes to foreign governments and union leaders. In his presentation Löscher emphasized the importance of corporate culture and standards. Corruption he said at one point ”is not a sustainable business model.”

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Put on Hold: Why Telecoms Can’t Get Consumers to Bond More with Their Cell Phones

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:48:59 GMT

As the price of wireless transmissions drops telecom carriers need to focus on new applications that will engage consumers more deeply with their mobile devices -- and encourage them to pay a premium for wireless services according to speakers at the recent Wharton Business Technology Conference whose theme was ”Enterprise Agility: Lead with Speed.”

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When Are Emerging Markets No Longer ’Emerging’?

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:48:59 GMT

The term ”emerging markets” is now more than 25 years old and has come to define wide swaths of the world undergoing rapid economic change. Dozens of countries fall under the label even though they are evolving at their own pace and with their own twists on economic development. Now as many emerging markets show signs of a strong and growing middle-class population observers wonder whether the term has lost some of its meaning. What qualifies a country as ”emerging”? While some say measures based on income or other statistics are critical factors others place an increasing emphasis on the way business is conducted with rules that are transparent and apply equally to all participants.

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Jeremy Siegel on Politicians Prices and a Potential ’Buying Opportunity of the Decade’

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:48:59 GMT

The U.S. presidential race has reached a critical juncture. The Republicans have a confirmed nominee in John McCain; as for the Democrats Hillary Clinton has bounced back while Barack Obama retains a marginal lead in terms of delegates. How the presidential race evolves will be shaped in part by the increasingly worrisome state of the U.S. economy. Though it has not yet gone through two consecutive quarters of negative growth -- the common definition of a recession -- signs of a slowdown are evident everywhere. What lies ahead for the U.S. and world economies? What is the right strategy for investors in this environment? Knowledge at Wharton discussed these questions and more with finance professor Jeremy Siegel author of The Future for Investors.

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The Economic Stimulus Package: Will It Work and for Whom?

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:24:45 GMT

Congress and the White House recently settled on an economic stimulus package with unusual speed pushing the throttle to pull the economy out of a nosedive. Is this just election-year grandstanding or does economic stimulus really work? While some experts argue that priming the economy now is unnecessary or even counter-productive others support the $168 billion package and its emphasis on low and moderate-income recipients. As for the health of the economy overall experts agree that no economic boom is in the near-term forecast.

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The Domino Effect: Will Airlines Follow One Another in the Consolidation Game?

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:18:03 GMT

Delta Airlines is reportedly about to merge with Northwest Airlines in a deal that’s likely to set off a major round of consolidation in the airline industry. Wharton experts say that other major airlines are likely to fall in line with their own consolidation plans. Or so the speculation goes. But this scenario has been talked about before. Is the latest consolidation dance for real? And what are the implications of such mergers for consumers low-cost carriers and the economics of the airline industry overall?

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’Talent on Demand’: Applying Supply Chain Management to People

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:18:03 GMT

Failing to manage your company’s talent needs says Wharton management professor Peter Cappelli ”is the equivalent of failing to manage your supply chain.” And yet the majority of employers have abysmal track records when it comes to the age-old problem of finding and retaining talent. In a book coming out in April titled Talent on Demand: Managing Talent in an Age of Uncertainty Cappelli offers a fundamentally different paradigm for thinking about talent management one that takes many of its lessons from just-in-time manufacturing.

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A Piece of Cake? Hardly but Autumn Bayles Helped Herself and Others Rise to the Top

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:18:03 GMT

In 2005 about two years after Autumn Bayles became the first chief information officer at Philadelphia-based Tasty Baking Company a supply chain executive quit the company. ”As a part of my technology work I was very involved with that side of the operation ” said Bayles who was hired to be part of president and CEO Charles Pizzi’s turnaround team. ”I raised my hand and said ’Why don’t you let me do this?’” They did and she succeeded. Volunteering for new responsibilities and continuously growing in your job were two of the suggestions that Bayles now senior vice president strategic operations offered her audience at the recent Wharton Women’s Conference.

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Victimizing the Borrowers: Predatory Lending’s Role in the Subprime Mortgage Crisis

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:18:03 GMT

As fallout from the subprime lending crisis continues a number of remedies have been proposed to deal with it. One is legislation to curtail predatory lending which is generally thought to be a factor behind the issuing of so many subprime loans to borrowers with poor credit. What qualifies as predatory lending? And what are the conditions that make it flourish? Wharton finance professors David Musto Philip Bond and Bilge Yilmaz analyze predatory lending in a new paper titled ”Predatory Lending in a Rational World.”

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Baseball Steroids and Business Ethics: How Breaches of Trust Can Change the Game

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:18:03 GMT

When former Senator George Mitchell finally released his report on performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball last December many of its conclusions came as no surprise to baseball fans most of whom had heard the allegations of steroid use for years. With fans aware of such egregious behavior why has attendance at games continued to climb? Are baseball’s ”consumers” impervious to ethical lapses? No say Wharton professors but the case demonstrates how bias competition and a lack of oversight can work together to create an ethically toxic atmosphere -- in any field.

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Philips Lighting CEO Rudy Provoost: Innovation Means Putting Consumers’ Needs First

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:18:03 GMT

Approximately 19% of the world’s electricity bill comes from lighting according to Rudy Provoost CEO of Philips Lighting. As such Philips the world’s largest producer of industrial and consumer lighting products has a big role to play in the ongoing transformation from incandescent to solid-state lighting using LED technology. Provoost who until last year was CEO of Philips Consumer Electronics is no stranger to new technologies which he says are ”just a vehicle to respond to needs.” Figuring out what those needs are weeding out needless complexity and innovating with an eye on the bottom line are the keys to growth Provoost says. He recently spoke with Wharton marketing professor George Day and Knowledge at Wharton about the challenges of staying ahead in a rapidly changing industry.

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Taking Work-based Learning to the Next Level

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:20:52 GMT

In the mid-1990s a new C-suite title was born when General Electric CEO Jack Welch dubbed Steve Kerr the company’s ”chief learning officer.” Since then CLOs have sprouted up at major firms in several industries. But what does this new breed of ”learning leaders” bring to the table that traditional human resources departments and employee training programs do not? How does an increased emphasis on learning improve an organization? And do new technologies like distance learning simulations and online portals enhance or impede work-based education? To answer these questions Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Ed Betof former vice president of talent management and CLO at Becton Dickinson and Company who is a senior fellow and academic director of Wharton Executive Education’s Executive Program in Work-Based Learning Leadership; Mike Barger vice president and CLO at JetBlue University; and Ann Schulte vice president of global learning at MasterCard Worldwide.

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The Liberian Widows Initiative: A Helping Hand that Stretches from the U.S. to Africa

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:42:47 GMT

Kristin King and Kate Brubacher are founding members of Liberian Widows Initiative (LWI) an organization to aid women devastated by the Liberian Civil War. LWI provides small business loans and savings accounts to members of the extreme poor -- Liberian refugee women who struggle to feed their families and send their children to school. LWI was an outgrowth of Brubacher’s residence in West Africa during 2004-2005. Brubacher is now at Yale Law School and King is a second year MBA student at Wharton. King and Wharton management professor Keith Weigelt talked to Knowledge at Wharton about the challenges of running a grass-roots microfinance initiative several thousand miles away.

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Microsoft and Yahoo: Does It Make Sense (and Will It Work)?

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:51:59 GMT

On Friday February 1 Microsoft announced it was making an unsolicited bid to acquire Yahoo for $44.6 billion in cash and stock a 62% premium over Yahoo’s stock price at the time. Yahoo is officially ”evaluating” the offer and according to reports is talking to other companies as possible suitors. Meanwhile Google seems determined to derail the deal stating that it finds the proposed acquisition ”troubling” and offering to help Yahoo come up with other options. Does the deal make sense and if it goes through how difficult will it be to meld these two giant technology companies into one? Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Wharton management professors Larry Hrebiniak and David Hsu to get their views on Microsoft’s offer.

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For New CEO John Donahoe ’It’s eBay’s Game to Lose’

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:51:11 GMT

On January 29 online auctioneer eBay unveiled plans to revamp the fees it charges sellers reduce fraud and increase the volume of transactions. It’s the first move by CEO-elect John Donahoe who will take over the reins of eBay on March 31 in the wake of long-time CEO Meg Whitman’s announcement that she plans to step down. Donahoe’s mission is to reinvigorate a company that remains dominant in online auctions but is vulnerable to increased competition from both large and small rivals. Wharton faculty and others offer Donahoe a game plan for moving forward.

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David Rubenstein: Private Equity’s ’Purgatory’ Phase and the ’Combat Sport’ of Capitalism

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:51:11 GMT

Private Equity has passed through a Golden Age but will now spend a year or so in ”purgatory” before entering an even greater period of expansion or ”Platinum Age ” according to David Rubenstein co-founder and managing director of The Carlyle Group the Washington D.C.-based private equity firm with more than $70 billion in assets. In a keynote address at the 14th annual Wharton Private Equity and Venture Capital Conference titled ”Harnessing the Winds of Change ” Rubenstein talked about the effect of the subprime credit crisis on the industry and how ”the private equity world needs to spend much more time letting people know what [we] do to create value.”

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Missing the Big Gains: Foreign-Stock Funds and the Benefits of International Diversification

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:51:11 GMT

In 2007 mutual funds specializing in non-U.S. stocks returned a fat 16% while funds with diversified holdings in U.S. equities returned just over 6%. In fact the foreign-stock funds have beaten domestic-stock funds over periods of two three five 10 and 15 years. Moreover owning foreign stocks helps a U.S. investor diversify risk by reducing a portfolio’s volatility. Why then does the typical U.S. investor do little more than dabble in foreign stocks? Wharton finance professor Karen Lewis studies this issue in a paper titled ”Is the International Diversification Potential Diminishing for Foreign Equity inside the U.S.?”

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If Online Marketing Is the Future Why Are Some CMOs Stuck in the Past?

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:51:11 GMT

Americans spend an average of 14 hours a week online and 14 hours watching TV. But marketers spend 22% of their advertising dollars on TV and only 6% online according to data compiled and analyzed by Google. Why are some chief marketing officers and major advertisers reluctant to add digital technology to the marketing mix despite the Internet’s ability to help target huge audiences and build brand awareness? Wharton faculty and marketing experts offer a number of answers but they also note that CMOs and others will soon have no choice but to start taking advantage of an increasing number of online advertising options.

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Lessons from Davos One of Globalization’s Best Classrooms

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:51:11 GMT

Deliberations at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month did not go entirely as planned but few of the 2 400 people attending the meeting were deterred by the plunging market. In this opinion piece management professor Michael Useem who directs Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change Management and who attended the forum discusses how Davos has emerged as a ”classroom on globalization.” Among the key lessons from this year’s class: Central bankers have lost their way; sovereign wealth hedge and private equity funds are the new power brokers; and no new authority should be put in control.

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Bridging Your Goals with Their Goals: A ’Context-driven Approach to Leadership’

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:51:11 GMT

While changing jobs and shifting careers is hardly unusual in today’s business world Russ Palmer is somewhat unique in that he has been the leader of three very different organizations over the past several decades. He was CEO of Touche Ross (now Deloitte & Touche) for 10 years dean of Wharton for seven years and now owner chairman and CEO of The Palmer Group a corporate investment firm. Each of these positions required very different skills and the ability to adapt to a unique set of challenges -- what Palmer calls ”a context-driven approach to leadership.” In his new book Ultimate Leadership: Winning Execution Strategies for Your Situation Palmer describes how today’s leaders can adapt to and succeed in any business environment.

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It’s a Bird...It’s a Plane...It’s a Recession or Is It?

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:51:55 GMT

It’s been quite a week. Stock markets around the world showed sharp declines on Monday; on Tuesday the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point. The rate cut helped stem the losses on some indexes but by January 23 the volatility had returned. The obvious fear is one of recession -- a possibility that the White House and Congress are trying to avert by coming up with a stimulus package that will keep the economy off life support. How effective will the Fed’s interest rate cut be and what is the outlook for the Asian and European economies? Knowledge at Wharton asked finance professors Jeremy Siegel and Franklin Allen to comment on these issues.

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Digital Rights Management: Dead or Just Evolving?

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:49:57 GMT

On January 10 Amazon.com announced a partnership with Sony BMG Music Entertainment to offer music downloads without digital rights management software which typically limits how content can be used. Amazon now has all four major music labels along with thousands of independent ones selling songs without DRM technology. While DRM may be all but dead in the music industry experts at Wharton point out that it is still widely used in the online video industry due to what one faculty member calls ”a different market dynamic.”

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Scrabulous and the New Social Operating System: How Facebook Gave Birth to an Industry

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:49:57 GMT

Most industries do not begin on a single day but it’s easy to see Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s presentation on May 24 2007 as the starting gun in an entrepreneurial race that some have dubbed ”the Facebook Economy.” Zuckerberg announced that the social networking site would open to third-party developers transforming itself into a platform on which other businesses can operate. Eight months later more than 14 000 applications from third-party developers are live on Facebook including Scrabulous an online version of the word game Scrabble. But Scrabulous one of Facebook’s biggest hits may also become a victim of its own success.

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Advice to Investors: Sit Tight and Batten Down the Hatches

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:49:57 GMT

The worldwide collapse of stock prices has many victims -- pension funds insurance companies hedge funds financial services firms. But those are players who if they are smart have the wherewithal to withstand a steep sell-off. What about the small investor the individual who is socking away modest sums for retirement or college costs? Should small investors rush for the sidelines? Or should they view this as a buying opportunity? Knowledge at Wharton asked six experts for advice on investment strategy.

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Super Bowl Showstoppers: Despite the Economy the Big Game Is Still on for Advertisers

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:49:57 GMT

Even against the backdrop of an increasing likelihood of recession television advertising spots for February’s Super Bowl XLII were nearly sold out by early January -- several weeks sooner than in the past -- and advertisers are paying record prices. While the power of television has waned as new media compete for consumers’ attention the Super Bowl appears to have retained -- and solidified -- its position as the ultimate in television marketing according to Wharton faculty and industry analysts.

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The Global Auto Industry: New Cars Old Problems

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:49:57 GMT

The rise in delinquencies on auto loans is one sign that America’s auto industry is in trouble -- along with the rest of the economy. How hard are the auto makers being hit and what should the Big Three do to stem the damage? Meanwhile the global auto industry has seen some interesting developments including the introduction in India of Tata Motors’ Nano and the arrival of five Chinese auto manufacturers at the Detroit auto show earlier this month. Will China and India be big players in the global market for cars? What is the current state of Europe’s auto industry? Knowledge at Wharton asked Wharton management professors John Paul MacDuffie and Mauro Guillen to steer us through the turmoil.

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Green Technology Offers Opportunities for Discerning Investors and Entrepreneurs

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:33:48 GMT

Most energy experts agree that global warming is a serious threat and they also agree that green technology has the power to fundamentally reshape how business gets done. But at this early stage these experts -- including investors -- are finding it hard to separate truth from exaggeration when it comes to the benefits that green technology can offer. That was the consensus of industry speakers at the recent Wharton Energy Conference who participated in panels on renewable energy oil and gas energy finance and power.

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Illusion Not Quality: The Transformation of the Luxury Niche into a Global Mass Market

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:16:47 GMT

When Givenchy dressed Audrey Hepburn for her role in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s luxury was still exclusive the particular provenance of the refined social elite. By 1980 all that was changing. When Brooke Shields announced that nothing came between her and her Calvins the message was not that Calvin Klein jeans were for her alone; it was that they were for everyone. In the 20-year span between the film and the ad luxury entered the mass market -- and quite arguably stopped being truly luxurious as Dana Thomas cultural correspondent for Newsweek suggests in her book Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster.

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’Framing Contests’: When Companies Face Uncertainty Internal Wrangling Can Lead the Way

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:45:58 GMT

After riding a wave of unprecedented industry growth an established technology manufacturer experiences a sudden market downturn. What should it do? Whereas managers often push for quick bottom-line analysis when facing uncertainty Wharton management professor Sarah Kaplan says that the best move might be to encourage employees to engage in ”framing contests ” in which they champion alternative strategy scenarios. In a new research paper titled ”Framing Contests: Strategy Making under Uncertainty ” Kaplan looks at how employees’ frames shape strategic decisions calling into question traditional notions about hierarchy and power in firms.

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What’s Ahead for the Global Economy in 2008? Reports from the Knowledge at Wharton Network

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:49:19 GMT

Though the subprime mess and rising oil prices slammed the U.S. economy during much of 2007 other emerging markets -- especially China and India -- seem to be on a roll. China’s growth rate of more than 11% is likely to continue and India too should be able to sustain a high rate of GDP growth even if it slows from last year’s 9%. Latin America meanwhile is cautiously optimistic but could see a moderate decline in 2008. The Knowledge at Wharton Network sites -- including Universia Knowledge at Wharton China Knowledge at Wharton and India Knowledge at Wharton -- spoke with Wharton faculty and other experts about what to expect during the coming year.

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’What Are You Giving Away?’ The Challenges of Marketing in Asia

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:30:15 GMT

Western companies looking to do business in Asia especially in China don’t always confront a homogenous market and the ways that consumers make decisions about what to buy aren’t always predictable according to a group of marketing experts who spoke at the 2007 Wharton Asia Business Forum. Like developed-world consumers many urban Chinese people are technologically savvy and comfortable seeking product information on the web. But unlike them they don’t typically show brand loyalty and are often more motivated by price than perceptions of product quality or prestige. Panelists included executives from Estee Lauder Bain & Co. Colgate Palmolive and Swain Tours.

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How Investing in Intangibles -- Like Employee Satisfaction -- Translates into Financial Returns

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:30:15 GMT

Contrary to management theories developed in the Industrial Age employee satisfaction is an important ingredient for financial success according to a new research paper by Wharton finance professor Alex Edmans. His findings also challenge the importance of short-term financial results and may have implications for investors interested in targeting socially responsible companies. The paper is titled ”Does the Stock Market Fully Value Intangibles? Employee Satisfaction and Equity Prices.”

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Marketing Presidential Candidates on the Web Goes Mainstream: But Does It Get Votes?

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:30:15 GMT

The January 3 Iowa caucuses and the January 8 New Hampshire primary showcased the 2008 presidential campaign’s ongoing political dogfight as candidates battled for their parties’ nominations. Under the surface however the scrum represents a tipping point in the use of the Internet as a campaign tool say experts at Wharton. In many respects the 2008 race resembles any sophisticated Internet marketing campaign that lets consumers swap information connect with friends and perhaps make a purchase -- or in this case a donation. Indeed selling a candidate may not be much different than selling any other high-end item although possibly less effective.

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The World Wildlife Fund’s Carter Roberts on the Bushwhacking Theory of Life

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:30:15 GMT

The ability to ”connect the dots” -- work the connections between local conditions and global forces and between the non-profit private and government sectors -- is necessary whether you work in the private sector or for a conservation group according to Carter S. Roberts president and CEO of the U.S. World Wildlife Fund (WWF). During a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture Roberts spoke about corporations’ responsibility to promote environmental initiatives the need for communication skills the WWF’s latest successes and the importance of thinking about in advance ”what you want your legacy to be.”

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From Incentives to Penalties: How Far Should Employers Go to Reduce Workplace Obesity?

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:30:15 GMT

This month more than half of Americans probably made health-related New Year’s resolutions but few are likely to stick to them. Employees at CFI Westgate Resorts in Orlando Fla. might consider themselves lucky: They have an incentive to get healthy. If they join in the company-wide weight-loss contest and reach their goals they could win cash prizes or a luxury vacation. Westgate isn’t the only employer trying to push employees especially obese ones into healthy lifestyles. But using incentives and in some cases penalties to change employee behavior raises a host of legal moral and practical questions according to Wharton experts and others.

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Is One Global Model of Corporate Governance Likely or Even Desirable?

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:30:15 GMT

In Germany labor unions traditionally have had seats on corporate boards. At Japanese firms dozens of loyal managers cap off careers with a stint in the boardroom. Founding families hold sway on Indian corporate boards. And in China Communist Party officials are corporate board fixtures. But as companies continue to globalize should they consider adopting one uniform model of corporate governance? Or do global investors benefit from diverse governance structures? Wharton faculty and others offer their opinions.

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How Arab Countries Are Coping with Globalization

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:30:15 GMT

At the beginning of 2008 crude prices are at record highs creating immense wealth for oil-exporting nations in the Middle East. Yet the Arab economies also face what economists call ”a demographic bulge of a fast-growing labor force” -- and the challenge of creating enough jobs for the population. This is happening at a time when the arrival of China and India is raising the competitive stakes for other emerging economies that want to make their mark on the global economic stage. How are the Arab economies dealing with these challenges? Howard Pack a professor of business and public policy at Wharton and Marcus Noland a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics address these issues in a book titled The Arab Economies in a Changing World. Knowledge at Wharton recently spoke with Pack about his book.

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Jeremy Siegel on the Interest Rate Cut: The Fed May Be ’Behind the Curve’

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:47:25 GMT

For the third time in the past few months the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee has chosen to cut short-term interest rates by a quarter percent or 25 basis points. The Fed cut its main short-term rate target to 4.25% and the ”discount rate” charged on direct Fed loans to commercial banks to 4.75%. In its statement justifying the decision the Fed noted ”Incoming information suggests that economic growth is slowing reflecting the intensification of the housing correction and some softening in business and consumer spending. Moreover strains in financial markets have increased in recent weeks. Today’s action combined with the policy actions taken earlier should help promote moderate growth over time.” Will the Fed’s decision help promote ”moderate growth?” Knowledge at Wharton asked Jeremy Siegel a professor of finance at Wharton and author of The Future for Investors to analyze the Fed’s decision and its impact on the markets.

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Social Marketing: How Companies Are Generating Value from Customer Input

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:42:27 GMT

Fansumers viral videos and social computing -- these are just some of the many buzzwords pinging around the marketing world today. While making sense of them isn’t easy the concept behind them is clear: Online technologies allow customers to communicate in new ways with one another and companies must decide whether to ignore co-opt or dive into these new waters of interactivity. ”Consumers want to feel they are being heard and they love having an impact on the future development of products ” says one Wharton professor. ”To the extent that they can air grievances or understand the company’s position that can be beneficial for the company itself.”

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Who Owns You? Finding a Balance between Online Privacy and Targeted Advertising

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:42:26 GMT

On November 6 Facebook outlined a strategy to integrate more targeted advertising into its popular social networking website. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg saw the new initiative as an opportunity for users to refer products to each other and allow friends to share information as they shopped online and visited other websites. The system called Beacon was also intended to lead to more relevant -- and profitable -- advertising through precise targeting based on a user’s buying habits social circle and geography. But on December 5 after receiving numerous complaints Zuckerberg issued an apology and changed the way Beacon operates. The whole incident according to Wharton experts raises questions about privacy marketing tactics and what consumers can expect in the future.

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Marrying Marketing Science with the Front Lines: One Book Publisher’s Winning Combination

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:42:26 GMT

The event was a contest designed to highlight the ways that advanced marketing science can improve the bottom line. The place was the recent Practice and Impact of Marketing Science 2007 conference held at Wharton. And the winner was the National Academies Press (NAP) the book-publishing arm of the National Academy of Sciences which presented information on how marketing research had helped it realize a common but often elusive goal -- reaching as many customers as possible at the highest attainable price.

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Forget Endorsements: Sports and Entertainment Stars These Days Want Equity

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:42:26 GMT

A generation ago the only financial goal for a superstar African-American athlete at the peak of his career -- beyond a large contract -- was to nab a lucrative endorsement deal with a big sneaker company like Nike or a national brand such as McDonald’s. The idea was to earn several million extra dollars before his skills began to wane. Those short-term goals remain but today many in the National Basketball Association or the National Football League want something more substantial -- like a long-term piece of the action. A panel at the recent 34th Annual Whitney M. Young Jr. Memorial Conference looked at the business deals and humanitarian activities that today’s stars are conducting well after their days on the playing field are over.

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A Closer Look at Sovereign Wealth Funds: Secretive Powerful Unregulated and Huge

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:42:26 GMT

The Abu Dhabi government is buying a 4.9% stake in Citigroup for $7.5 billion. UBS is selling a 10.8% share to the government of Singapore and an unnamed Middle Eastern investor for $11.5 billion. Two Middle Eastern government funds now own a third of the London Stock Exchange. Governments through investment pools known as sovereign wealth funds have put tens of billions of dollars into Western financial firms this year. But is foreign ownership -- or more precisely foreign government ownership -- really a good thing? Many experts think this mushrooming trend bears watching especially for any sign that these funds are evolving from pure investment vehicles into tools for exerting political pressure on the ”target” countries.

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Why Firing Your Worst Customers Isn’t Such a Great Idea

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:42:26 GMT

Fire your bad customers. That piece of advice has become widely accepted in recent years as companies have sought to manage their relationships with customers in more sophisticated ways. The rationale is clear-cut: Low-value customers end up costing more money than they provide. So why not jettison them and focus your customer-relationship efforts on more profitable individuals? Or as an alternative why not try to increase the worth of the low-value customers to your firm? Not so fast suggests a new study by two Wharton marketing professors -- Jagmohan Raju and Z. John Zhang -- which concludes that firing low-value customers actually decreases firm profits and that trying to increase the value of these customers may be counterproductive.

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To Cork or Not to Cork: The Wine Industry’s Battle over the Bottleneck

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:09:44 GMT

Anyone who has popped open a bottle of wine will agree with George Taber that it is one of the few sounds in the world that brings true joy to the listener. But if the opponents of cork have their way that sound might disappear as Taber a veteran business journalist and author explains in his new book To Cork or Not to Cork: Tradition Romance Science and the Battle for the Wine Bottle (Scribner). As Taber tells it although cork has been used to seal virtually every bottle of wine for nearly three centuries that dominance is now under attack by other forms of closure including screw caps plastic seals and glass stoppers. Taber talks with Knowledge at Wharton about the battle and his book.

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The Soul of the Corporation: Managing Your Company’s Identity

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:09:32 GMT

McDonald’s operates the biggest restaurant chain in France. The company’s franchisees are French as are their employees and they also source their supplies from France. And yet most people in that country regard McDonald’s as an American firm that is undermining the French way of life. That is a good example of how the question of corporate identity has become complex and confused today because of globalization according to Hamid Bouchikhi professor of management and entrepreneurship at ESSEC and Wharton management professor John Kimberly. The two are authors of a new book titled The Soul of the Corporation: How to Manage the Identity of Your Company (Wharton School Publishing). How can a company cut through this confusion and use the notion of identity as a source of competitive advantage? Kimberly answers that question and others in an interview with Knowledge at Wharton.

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The Subprime Drama Continues but for How Long?

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:03:13 GMT

Almost every day a new twist seems to appear in the subprime crisis drama. This week the investment arm of the government of Abu Dhabi announced an infusion of $7.5 billion to acquire a 4.9% stake in Citigroup which has been slammed by enormous losses in the credit market. The announcement came on the heels of a report from Bank of America that the subprime mess is about to get messier as interest rates ”reset” -- or rise -- on more than $360 billion worth of adjustable rate subprime mortgages. Has the crisis run its course? Knowledge at Wharton asked that question and several more to Richard Herring a Wharton finance professor and co-director of the Wharton Financial Institutions Center.

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CEO Succession: Has Grooming Talent on the Inside Gone by the Wayside?

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:54:07 GMT

The recent departures of two chief executives -- Stanley O’Neal of Merrill Lynch and Charles Prince of Citigroup -- in the wake of major financial losses at their firms have focused renewed attention on the issue of succession planning. Published reports speculated that both positions would be filled by outside candidates and on November 14 Merrill Lynch announced that it had chosen John Thain CEO of NYSE Euronext to succeed O’Neal. While such a move is not surprising for a board wanting to signal a fresh start to investors Wharton faculty say that increasingly companies are looking to fill top spots with external candidates while spending less time on grooming future leaders and managing talent in general.

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The Benefits and Potential Side Effects of Sharing Medical Records Online

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:54:07 GMT

On October 4 Microsoft launched HealthVault a free web-based service that allows users to store their medical records online and eventually share them with doctors. On October 17 an executive at Google noted the company’s interest in health information services. And on November 19 23andMe announced a program that will allow consumers to pay $999 for the privilege of exploring their own genomes. These efforts could give patients more control over their medical records and let them share information with doctors nutritionists or athletic trainers among others. But the concept also faces serious hurdles such as privacy concerns the absence of an accepted standard for sharing medical information and a health care industry that is reluctant to change according to experts in the field.

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Ted Leonsis: ’It’s the Greatest Time to Be an Entrepreneur’

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:54:07 GMT

Meet the new consumers of the new media age. They want things to be better faster cheaper and even more important free according to AOL vice chairman emeritus Ted Leonsis who is considered an Internet pioneer and whose business portfolio over the years includes an impressive array of online companies. ”We’re living in a world where consumers have taken control of everything ” he noted. Leonsis a keynote speaker at the recent Wharton Entrepreneurship Conference 2007 offered his thoughts on making money the Internet age contradictions in today’s consumers the global marketplace blogs and philanthropy among other topics.

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African Aid Projects That Work: Partnerships on the Ground Not Donations from a Distance

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:54:07 GMT

Not long ago a global corporation decided it wanted to help children in the southern African nation of Namibia -- and so it spent millions to donate scores of new computers and television sets for the classrooms in a particular region of the country. They should have talked to someone like Jonathan Johnnidis first. The rural aid worker had information the large corporate benefactor apparently did not -- that there is no electricity grid in that area. Johnnidis and others talked about aid initiatives in Africa during a panel discussion on ”New Partnerships in Business and Leadership Development ” part of the recent 15th annual Wharton Africa Business Forum.

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Getting a Read on Amazon’s New Kindle

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:54:07 GMT

On November 19 Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos announced the launch of an e-book device called Kindle. It weighs 10.3 ounces costs $399 and can be used without a computer offering instead a free high-speed wireless data network from Sprint. Users can download books in less than 60 seconds as well as newspapers magazines and blogs (for a fee). The device uses an eye-friendly screen and lets readers increase the type size as needed. Will it be a hit even though most other e-book efforts have been unsuccessful? We asked marketing professor Peter Fader Don Huesman senior director of information technology and management professor Dan Raff to give us their reviews.

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Do International Financial Reporting Standards Live Up to Their Promise?

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:54:06 GMT

At a time when many barriers to global trade have fallen countries all over the world are taking steps to harmonize their accounting standards and develop a truly global language of business. Under the lead of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) more than 100 countries have either implemented International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) or plan to do so. Yet while proponents of accounting harmonization say that IFRS will ultimately benefit firms and investors Wharton accounting professor Luzi Hail says that there are reasons to be skeptical about these high hopes. He and three co-authors present their views in a new paper titled ”Mandatory IFRS Reporting Around the World: Early Evidence on the Economic Consequences.”

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’Men Buy Women Shop’: The Sexes Have Different Priorities When Walking Down the Aisles

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:54:06 GMT

When it comes to shopping women are from Nordstrom’s and men are from Sears. Women are happy to meander through sprawling clothing and accessory collections or detour through the shoe department. For men shopping is a mission. They are out to buy a targeted item and flee the store as quickly as possible according to a new study by Wharton’s Jay H. Baker Retail Initiative and the Verde Group a Toronto consulting firm. The study’s findings have implications for retailers that are looking for ways to tailor their goods and services to specific segments of the shopping population.

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Good Bad or Ugly --Is It Impossible to Predict What’s Ahead for the U.S. Economy?

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:21:26 GMT

At the end of October the Federal Reserve gave the financial markets just what they had been asking for: a 0.25% cut in the federal funds rate. But in early November stocks plunged and the dollar hit a new low. Applause turned into hand-wringing -- then back to applause as the markets rebounded in the middle of the month. Why can’t the experts make up their minds? Is the outlook good or bad? According to Wharton faculty forecasting is particularly hard now because some of the key factors -- such as the credit crunch arising from the subprime mortgage mess spiking oil prices and the plunging dollar -- have little historical precedent. The result: Finance experts including the Fed may not be able to see too far down the road.

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Innovation Networks: Looking for Ideas Outside the Company

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:20:43 GMT

According to Larry Huston managing partner of consulting firm 4INNO future competitive advantage will depend on ”innovation networks” -- individuals and organizations outside a company that can help it solve problems and find new ideas for creating growth. A senior fellow at Wharton’s Mack Center for Technological Innovation Huston was vice president of knowledge and innovation for many years at Procter & Gamble where he was the architect of its Connect + Develop program an approach that helped extend the company’s innovation process to include 1.5 million people outside of P&G. Huston spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about how innovation networks function.

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The Holiday Shopping Outlook: I Saw Mommy Dissing Santa Claus

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:20:43 GMT

When Wal-Mart starts its holiday markdowns three weeks before Thanksgiving you know it will be a tough Christmas season. The Arkansas-based discount chain a bellwether for U.S. retailing usually holds off on its ”door buster” sales until the day after Thanksgiving traditionally the year’s busiest shopping day. This year Wal-Mart decided that it couldn’t afford to wait. No wonder say scholars at the Wharton School and retail analysts. A host of economic worries -- plus concerns over toy recalls -- has this year shaping up to be a lump-of-coal shopping experience. Here is what retailers -- and shoppers -- can expect.

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Google: In Search of Itself

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:20:43 GMT

In a span of four days earlier this month Google launched an initiative to enable social networking tools to work across dozens of web sites and rounded up 33 partners to develop software to power a new generation of cell phones. While these efforts illustrate Google’s determination to keep expanding its territory they also increase the challenges faced by the $200 billion company. And they pose a question that seems to crop up more and more these days: Where is Google headed?

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From Pastor to Executive: Equipping Faith Leaders for Economic Development

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:20:43 GMT

”One thing that makes my heart beat is the smell of drywall ” says Pastor T.L. Rogers whose Maryland-based congregation once turned a strip mall into a church complex. Having completed that renovation his church is now thinking about even bigger projects. But for Rogers whose advanced degree is in Bible studies meeting with bank executives can be a challenge. ”Finance is a whole different language ” he says. ”They use acronyms I’ve never heard of.” Rogers and others will take part in a new Wharton executive education program to teach pastors the financial skills they need to carry out economic development projects in their local communities.

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Does Knowledge Sharing Deliver on Its Promises?

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:20:43 GMT

For nearly two decades consulting firms technology companies R&D-driven corporations and other knowledge-intensive organizations have made significant investments in ”knowledge management” initiatives. These initiatives are intended to facilitate the capture and transfer of company expertise as a way to spur learning and innovation. But research by Wharton management professor Martine Haas and a colleague indicates that knowledge sharing efforts often fail to result in improved task outcomes inside organizations -- and may even hurt project performance. Their research is presented in a paper titled ”Different Knowledge Different Benefits: Toward a Productivity Perspective on Knowledge Sharing in Organizations.”

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Polling the Polling Experts: How Accurate and Useful Are Polls These Days?

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:20:43 GMT

Turn on the Internet pick up your telephone or cell phone read a newspaper or watch television: No matter what the communication vehicle is polls and the reporting of poll results are ubiquitous. Yet how accurate are polls? Can they be manipulated? How do the Internet and the proliferation of cell phone users affect both marketing and political polls? And which polls are the most reliable? Knowledge at Wharton interviewed the experts.

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Lloyd Blankfein and Ken Moelis on Wall Street Risks Rewards and Opportunities

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:20:43 GMT

When Merrill Lynch reported solid second-quarter earnings last July chairman and CEO Stan O’Neal sent employees a memo boasting about the firm’s risk management prowess. Only three months later Merrill Lynch took its historic $8.4 billion write-down for losses in mortgage-related securities with Citigroup and others soon reporting unprecedented credit losses as well. If the capital markets are models of efficiency it is fair to ask how could such staggering losses happen? Two Wall Street titans -- Lloyd Blankfein chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs and Kenneth Moelis of Moelis & Co. -- addressed that question at the recent Wharton Finance Conference in New York City.

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Software’s Future: Melding the Web and the Desktop

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:08:31 GMT

It’s been a busy few weeks for Adobe Systems Microsoft and Google. All three have announced plans or new technologies that will address the latest vision of software’s future -- one that combines the features of web-based applications with desktop software to create a hybrid model offering the best of both worlds. Indeed the question today is not so much whether this desktop/webtop model will be adopted but rather which company will provide the best platform for implementing it. Knowledge at Wharton looks at both the opportunities and the limitations of this new approach.

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Leadership Patagonia-style: Changing the Criteria for Success

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:49:19 GMT

Kristine Tompkins former CEO of outdoor apparel company Patagonia pulled no punches with the audience attending her recent Wharton Leadership Lecture. Tompkins said that when she began working full-time at Patagonia in 1972 she didn’t understand how the actions of the business world as well as the behavior of individuals ”affected the very underpinnings” of the individual the family and the community. ”You know that now ” she said and ”the choices you make count more and more.” People who can manage ”the tough decisions and incorporate” difficult issues into their lives she said ”are the future leaders.”

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’The Resource Curse’: Why Africa’s Oil Riches Don’t Trickle Down to Africans

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:49:19 GMT

In an era of rising petroleum prices African oil is drawing new interest from major companies around the globe according to John Ghazvinian author of Untapped: The Scramble for Africa’s Oil who spoke at a recent event sponsored by the Wharton African Students Association. Companies Ghazvinian says see the continent as the most promising place in the world for new production. Yet due to an economic paradox known as the ”Resource Curse ” most Africans are realizing little benefit from this influx of oil drillers and investment: Between 1970 and 1993 the author notes ”countries without oil saw their economies grow four times faster than those of countries with oil.”

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’A Fragmenting of the Audience’: The State of Business Journalism

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:49:19 GMT

Consolidation cutbacks and competition from the web -- these are the headlines grabbing the attention of business journalists around the world. Concerns about the quality of reporting and information have risen steadily as the industry has undergone dramatic changes. How has global expansion affected the standards of news organizations? What impact have blogs and ”citizen journalism” had on the industry? And what role does investigative journalism play in an age of around-the-clock cable news updates and shrinking budgets? To answer these and other questions Knowledge at Wharton spoke with four news professionals from the U.S. and abroad who attended the 2007 Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists.

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The Inventory Code: New Ways Investors Can Cash In on Volatile Commodities

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:49:19 GMT

Oil is marching toward $100 a barrel largely due to China’s boom. Demand for ethanol is pushing corn prices up. Soybean prices are rising because so many bean fields have been switched to corn. In short prices of commodities worldwide are soaring making for frenzied action in commodities futures markets. New research by Wharton finance professor Gary Gorton and two colleagues shows how spot and futures prices are good indicators of low-inventory commodities which in turn can offer outsized investment gains. Their research is presented in a paper titled ”The Fundamentals of Commodity Futures Returns.”

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In Global Entrepreneurship One Small Initiative Can Make One Huge Difference

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:49:19 GMT

Entrepreneurs love to grumble about the roadblocks and delays created by bureaucrats. Government officials they say are slow bumbling and concerned only about sticking to the rules and clocking out at 4:55 p.m. But in a study of global entrepreneurship Raffi Amit and Mauro Guillen both Wharton management professors have found that a simple if smart bureaucratic initiative mattered critically in determining a country’s level of entrepreneurship.

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Brand Managers’ High-wire Act: Going Global and Staying Local

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:49:19 GMT

For marketers the Internet changes everything -- and nothing at all. For example it enables companies to instantly reach consumers in different countries and economically tailor messages to them based on demographics buying habits and other information. Yet it doesn’t free these companies from the constant challenge of building distinct durable brands. At the 2007 Wharton Marketing Conference participants on a panel titled ”The Challenge of Going Global and Staying Local ” debated the potential pitfalls of global marketing. A second panel discussed new media strategies and asked whether traditional off-line media are no longer effective.

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What Does It Take to Compete in a Flat World?

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:49:19 GMT

When Thomas Friedman wrote his popular book The World Is Flat one of its central arguments was that geography might soon become history. The proliferation of information technology and telecommunications networks has integrated the world in ways that were unimaginable in the past -- and this has transformed how companies produce and distribute products and services. One result of this transformation is the rise of networks of companies that are bound together through IT and logistics. How can firms strive for and gain competitive advantage in such an environment? Victor and William Fung group chairman and managing director of Hong Kong-based Li & Fung and Yoram (Jerry) Wind a professor of marketing at Wharton deal with this issue in their new book Competing in a Flat World: Building Enterprises for a Borderless World. They recently spoke with Knowledge at Wharton.

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Presidential Candidates Push Health Care Reform but Who Will Pay?

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:23:27 GMT

As medical costs escalate and the number of Americans without health insurance continues to rise the 2008 presidential candidates have responded by putting health care near the top of their agendas. Indeed many candidates have already laid out detailed programs to address the nation’s health care problems. As a result meaningful change in the system seems likely to occur once a new president takes office. As Mark V. Pauly Wharton professor of health care systems notes: ”I’m optimistic this time that we’ll get something.... There is actually a chance of doing more good than harm and I wouldn’t have said that in some other years.”

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CIO Balancing Act: Keeping IT on the Forefront of Creating Value

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:23:20 GMT

Long gone are the days when firms expected their chief information officer to function as ”chief technology mechanic.” As companies look for ways to maintain a competitive edge in new markets CIOs are playing a more central leadership role taking on increasing responsibility for corporate strategy and other duties outside of core technology. Even so CIOs are still expected to ensure the quality and performance of the IT organization. How can CIOs balance these priorities? To answer that question and others Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Mark McDonald group vice president and head of research for Gartner Executive Programs Michael Shannon chief information officer of international law firm Dechert LLP and Tony Habash chief information officer of the American Psychological Association.

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The ’Eldercare Generation’ Cares About Continuing to Work: Are Companies Interested in Keeping Them?

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:24:43 GMT

When the AARP recently announced its seventh annual ”Best Employers for Workers over 50” awards the winners didn’t get there by offering the traditional fringe benefit trio of health life and disability insurance. Instead the AARP recognized companies for providing workers over 50 with ”forward-looking” benefits packages that include for example alternative work schedules and lifelong learning and career training opportunities. But are companies interested in offering jobs or job security to older workers? And why aren’t these workers following the retirement path their parents did?

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’The Art of Woo’: Selling Your Ideas to the Entire Organization One Person at a Time

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:24:43 GMT

Former Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca once noted ”You can have brilliant ideas; but if you can’t get them across your ideas won’t get you anywhere.” In their new book The Art of Woo: Using Strategic Persuasion to Sell Your Ideas Wharton legal studies and business ethics professor G. Richard Shell and management consultant Mario Moussa provide a systematic approach to the problem Iacocca identified. Using relationship-based emotionally intelligent persuasion to secure both individual and organizational buy-in everyone from CEOs and entrepreneurs to team leaders and mid-level managers can sell their ideas -- a skill that everyone needs to learn if they want to be effective in their organizations the authors say.

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The Subprime Blame Game: Where Were the Realtors?

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:24:43 GMT

It is a scene millions of Americans have been in -- sitting next to a real estate agent at closing to sign the papers for a new home. Often the buyer has spent months with the agent. And to hear agents tell it they are indispensable guides through the hazardous home-buying terrain. How is it then that millions of borrowers took on toxic subprime mortgages that could cost them their homes? Why did their agents not warn them off? While much criticism has been leveled at subprime lenders and mortgage brokers some experts say that real estate agents have managed to escape their share of blame for the subprime mess.

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Traditional vs. Western Medicine: Which One Is Easier for Chinese Consumers to Swallow?

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:24:43 GMT

”He who takes medicine and neglects to diet wastes the skills of his doctors.” This proverb highlights the findings of a new study by Wharton marketing professor Lisa Bolton and two colleagues that explores how consumers in China choose between traditional Chinese remedies and Western medicine when seeking treatment. According to the study Chinese consumers tend to prefer traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) but will opt for Western medicine in particular situations such as when they are hoping to quickly alleviate their symptoms. While the study has implications for marketers of Western medicine and TCM alike the researchers found that remedy choices also have broader consequences for consumer health and well being.

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’Whose Company Is It?’ New Insights into the Debate over Shareholders vs. Stakeholders

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:24:43 GMT

It is perhaps the core question in the ongoing debate over corporate governance: Does the corporation exist for the benefit of shareholders or does it have other equally important stakeholders such as employees customers and suppliers? A new study by Wharton finance professor Franklin Allen and two colleagues does not claim to provide a definitive answer but it does show the various benefits of the stakeholder approach. It also demonstrates that the issue is not as settled as some researchers and business people in the United States United Kingdom and other shareholder-oriented nations might think.

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What’s Ahead for Financial Markets? Perspectives from Jeremy Siegel and Jacob Wallenberg

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:55:04 GMT

After a terrible August when the U.S. stock market appeared to be headed for the pits October 1 saw a massive rally that sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average soaring above 14 000. The following day however stocks began to fall again mainly due to a sharp drop in home sales. In short Wall Street still seems to be sending out mixed signals. What will be the long-term effects of the Fed’s decision to cut interest rates? Will the U.S. economy move past the sub-prime mortgage mess? How will these developments affect the European market? Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel and Jacob Wallenberg chairman of the board of Investor AB and vice chairman of Sweden-based SEB.

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The Price Is Right but Maybe It’s Not and How Do You Know?

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:47:58 GMT

When Apple dropped the price of its iPhone by a third after only two months on the market even its most loyal buyers complained bitterly forcing CEO Steve Jobs to apologize and offer a partial rebate. According to Wharton faculty and analysts the iPhone episode reflects an evolving marketplace where innovation fierce competition and globalization are changing strategic approaches to pricing. Meanwhile pricing is gaining new interest as management looks for ways to increase revenues after years of focusing their attention on downsizing and cost-cutting.

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In the Growing Market for Online Video TV Networks Want a Piece of the Action

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:47:58 GMT

CBS launches an online editing studio called EyeLab so fans can edit short versions of video programming. ABC distributes full versions of its television shows on its own site and via AOL for free. NBC Universal teams up with Amazon.com to distribute its shows. The frenetic wheeling and dealing for digital distribution of TV programs -- just as the fall season is gearing up -- reflects the television networks’ attempts to find Internet business models that can be profitable and still protect both their intellectual property and brand identity.

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Colgate-Palmolive’s Reuben Mark: On Leadership and ’Moving the Bell Curve’

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:47:58 GMT

After an unusually long 23-year tenure as chief executive Reuben Mark who is still chairman of Colgate-Palmolive sees corporate leadership like a baseball game that is won not by spectacular homeruns but by singles and doubles. In a recent Wharton leadership lecture titled ”The Essence of Colgate’s Leadership Training ” Mark said effective leadership at the $12.2 billion consumer products company pays off in incremental and consistent gains. ”The essence of leadership is the idea of continuous improvement. No matter what you can always coach people to do a little better and if everyone does that the whole organization moves up.”

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Rewriting Econ 101: Teaching the Shortcomings of Market Allocation

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:47:58 GMT

Forget what you learned about markets in your introductory economics class. In a new book titled The Tyranny of the Market: Why You Can’t Always Get What You Want Wharton professor Joel Waldfogel challenges the conventional thinking that markets will provide adequately if left to their own devices. His book makes the case that while markets do a good job of offering products that a majority of people desire they can fall short in meeting the needs of consumers with less prevalent preferences. Potentially left by the wayside are African Americans Hispanics people with unusual medical conditions and residents of remote areas among others.

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Career Crisis: Monster.com Has Choices to Make as It Approaches ’Middle Age’

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:47:58 GMT

When the Internet was young pioneering online job recruitment firm Monster.com rocked the way people look for work. Now Monster itself has hit a rocky patch marked by the resignation of three top officers a major security breach and the rise of new competitors including Craigslist. According to Wharton faculty and analysts Monster is confronting the ”middle age” that all veteran firms of the Internet’s early days must face. The company remains a force in employment advertising they say but as it settles into maturity Monster must find new ways to protect its established markets and expand overseas.

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’Reinforcing the Blockbuster Nature of Media’: The Impact of Online Recommenders

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:47:58 GMT

Online retailers may be shooting themselves in the tail -- the long tail that is according to Kartik Hosanagar Wharton professor of operations and information management and Dan Fleder a Wharton doctoral candidate in new research on the ”recommenders” that many of these retailers use on their websites. Recommenders -- perhaps the best known is Amazon’s -- tend to drive consumers to concentrate their purchases among popular items rather than allow them to explore and buy whatever piques their curiosity the two scholars suggest in a working paper titled ”Blockbuster Culture’s Next Rise or Fall: The Impact of Recommender Systems on Sales Diversity.”

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Human Resources Challenges on a Global Scale

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:47:58 GMT

The 57 members of AHRMIO the Association for Human Resources Management in International Organizations range from the UN UNICEF and OECD to the World Health Organization the World Bank and the International Labour Organization. Mary Jane Peters executive director and Roger Eggleston president emeritus were at Wharton recently for the group’s 7th annual conference. They talked with Knowledge at Wharton about their successes -- such as the introduction of paternity leave and policies regarding sexual harassment -- as well as their major challenges starting with the lack of qualified young people to carry out the missions of AHRMIO’s member organizations.

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How We Got into the Subprime Lending Mess

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:05:05 GMT

When mortgage default rates started to climb earlier this year many experts thought the damage would be confined to the minority of issuers that had binged on subprime lending. It hasn’t turned out that way. Consumer spending is off the credit crunch is spreading and the housing market is in a slump. ”The degree and the extent of the harm done were not expected. It surprised me. But the fact that this would end badly was not surprising ” says Wharton real estate and finance professor Susan Wachter. Wachter and colleague Richard K. Green trace the evolution of the home-financing market over the past decades in a new paper titled ”The Housing Finance Revolution.”

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The U.S. Auto Industry: Dangerous Curves Ahead?

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:45:03 GMT

Among the U.S. auto industry’s many challenges are the ongoing negotiations between General Motors and the United Automobile Workers union aimed at coming up with a new contract to replace the one that expired on September 15; the recent takeover of Chrysler by private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management; and a possible slowdown in consumer spending as a result of fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis. Meanwhile industry watchers are awaiting the outcome of reported efforts by India’s Tata Motors to take over two of financially plagued Ford Motor’s luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover. Wharton management professor John Paul MacDuffie co-director of the International Motor Vehicle Program spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about these and other issues.

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Move Over Beanie Babies Webkinz Are Coming to a Store -- and Virtual World -- Near You

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:42:32 GMT

If you don’t yet know about the Webkinz craze you soon will especially if you have children of your own or at least know one or two on your block. Webkinz are essentially stuffed animal ”pets ” but what makes them different from other hot toys of years gone by -- Cabbage Patch Kids Beanie Babies Tickle Me Elmo and even the century-old teddy bear -- is the business model behind them. By melding the old-fashioned bricks-and-mortar world of toy retailing with an opportunity to participate in an online community Webkinz taps into the kiddie zeitgeist and shows a deep understanding of how to use the concept of virtual worlds to full advantage according to marketing experts at Wharton and elsewhere.

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A Primer for Presidential Candidates in a Wired World: Be Cool Consistent -- and Yourself

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:42:32 GMT

Pop singer Britney Spears would seem to have little to teach candidates for the U.S. presidency. But her lame performance at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 9 -- she forgot the words to a lip-synched song -- is a cautionary tale about the speed with which news travels in a wired world. Indeed news reports and video clips of political gaffes travel just as fast as bad music reviews and elicit judgments just as quickly. For presidential candidates it leaves little room for error in how they package themselves and their message.

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Can’t Run Can’t Hide: New Rules of Engagement for Crisis Management

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:42:32 GMT

The corporate apologies are piling up. Mattel CEO Robert Eckert apologized on September 12 for lead paint found in millions of the company’s toys. TD Ameritrade CEO Joe Moglia apologized on September 14 for a database breach. Apple CEO Steve Jobs apologized on September 6 for cutting the price of the high-end iPhone. Dell executives apologized in August for delayed deliveries of certain models. JetBlue apologized in February for canceling flights and leaving passengers stranded during an ice storm. While executives moved quickly to stem damage to their companies’ reputations it takes more than speed to manage a crisis. As Wharton experts and others point out the rules governing crisis management have changed.

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In the Push for Global Gender Equality Is Rhetoric Beating Out Reality?

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:42:32 GMT

Because the U.N. has an aggressive agenda for gender equity you might think it would ensure that women play a prominent role in its high-profile peacekeeping arena. According to Rachael Mayanja an assistant U.N. secretary-general and special advisor on gender issues and advancement of women you would be wrong. At the 2007 annual conference of the Association for Human Resources Management in International Organizations (AHRMIO) held at Wharton this month Mayanja noted that none of the U.N.’s 18 peacekeeping missions around the globe is currently directed by a female. Her message: ”It’s high time HR examines itself and does something to make sure that gender balance becomes a reality.”

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Real Estate Developer and ’Grave Dancer’ Sam Zell: ’It’s All about Supply and Demand’

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:42:32 GMT

Sam Zell the master real estate investor has built a fortune on the cycles that shape his industry. These days he believes the current turmoil in financial markets is more an emotional reaction to yet another period of excess rather than a true credit collapse. In a talk at Wharton moderated by real estate professor Peter Linneman the Chicago-based investor said markets currently are spooked by problems with U.S. subprime lending. However they still have capital to deploy unlike other real estate downturns. ”We’re not really in a ’credit crunch.’ I think what we are in is a ’confidence crunch ’” Zell told his audience.

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Are You a Tightwad or a Spendthrift? And What Does This Mean for Retailers?

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:42:32 GMT

Men are bigger tightwads than women; younger people are more likely to be spendthrifts than older people; and the more educated a person is the more likely he or she is to be a tightwad. While ”tightwad” and ”spendthrift” are not exactly labels that most people would welcome in a discussion of their spending habits they are valuable as predictors of consumer behavior. Indeed Scott Rick a visiting professor at Wharton and two colleagues recently came up with a scale to determine the extent to which people are tightwads or spendthrifts -- and what the implications are for retailers trying to more accurately target potential buyers in their stores and on their websites.

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Home Truths about the Housing Market

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:55:12 GMT

The sub-prime mortgage crisis and the credit crunch that has followed in its aftermath are taking their toll on the housing market. On August 28 the S&P Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index showed that home prices fell 3.2% in the second quarter. According to the National Association of Realtors the inventory of unsold homes is at a record high. As sales have fallen many home builders have seen their stock prices drop by more than 60% during the past year. How serious is this situation? Is there light at the end of the tunnel? Joseph Gyourko director of Wharton’s Samuel Zell and Robert Lurie Real Estate Center and Todd Sinai a professor of real estate spoke to Knowledge at Wharton about these questions and more.

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When a Black Tee Shirt Is More than a Black Tee Shirt: Why Brands Aren’t Losing Their Luster

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:46:23 GMT

As sales of Apple’s iPod Coca-Cola and North Face clothing show despite serious challenges from private label manufacturers and low-price global production branding remains an important way for consumers to choose among products in a crowded marketplace. Brands are a short-hand means of conveying quality and lower risk according to Wharton faculty and marketing analysts and they also play a growing role in building consumers’ identities. But these experts add with little room to compete on cost brands will need to be vigilant when it comes to differentiating themselves from increasingly sophisticated competitors.

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Can Dell’s Turnaround Strategy Keep HP at Bay?

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:46:23 GMT

In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton one year ago Michael Dell declared his support of then-CEO Kevin Rollins indicated that supply chain efficiencies and direct sales gave the company a competitive edge and added that his namesake company was making great strides in customer service. What a difference a year makes. Michael Dell took over the reins from Rollins on January 31 and set out to remake the $57 billion Round Rock Tex. PC manufacturer. The effort comes as the company has lost its worldwide market share lead to Hewlett-Packard and faces competition from other PC manufacturers as well. While experts generally agree that Dell has made progress in some areas questions about its turnaround remain.

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A Prescription for Healthier Medical Care Decisions: Begin by Defining ’Risk’

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:46:23 GMT

”Risk” is a term that comes up frequently when people discuss medicine and health: What’s my risk of heart attack? Breast cancer? What’s my risk of dying from a complication of surgery? Or having a dangerous reaction to a drug? But according to Mark V. Pauly Wharton professor of health care systems consumers don’t necessarily use that term in the same way that medical and insurance experts do -- which is a potential pitfall that can lead to less than optimal health care decisions and faulty policymaking.

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Are Franchises Bad Employers? A Closer Look at Burger Flippers and Other Low-paid Jobs

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:46:23 GMT

The idea of ”McJobs”-- low-paying positions with little chance of advancement -- bothered the CEO of McDonald’s so much that when Merriam-Webster included the term in its dictionary in 2003 he wrote a public letter of protest. His plea went unheeded. ”McJobs” stayed. As this anecdote suggests the idea that franchises especially those in the fast-food sector create dead-end jobs is widespread. Yet in a new study Peter Cappelli director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources and colleague Monika Hamori challenge conventional wisdom and offer evidence that franchise jobs tend to be better than those in equivalent non-franchise operations.

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From Cool to Passé: Identity Signaling and Product Domains

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:46:23 GMT

The quest for cool is never-ending. Accountants rev up their Harleys to the dismay of hard-core bikers. Soccer moms trade in minivans for hipper Land Rovers. Yellow rubber wristbands appear instantly then just as quickly disappear. There is a fine line between cool and not-so-cool -- a topic explored in a new paper Where Consumers Diverge from Others: Identity Signaling and Product Domains by Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger and co-author Chip Heath from Stanford. The researchers look at how consumers use products to signal membership in social groups but swiftly abandon those same products when the original message is diluted as other groups co-opt the trend.

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Who’s the Winner in the Tug-of-War between ’Walled Garden’ and ’Open Plain’ Strategies?

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:46:23 GMT

In August less than three months after the introduction of Apple’s iPhone a New Jersey teen announced that he had ”hacked” into the mobile-communications device. The hacker was clearly expressing the frustration that many consumers feel towards Apple for adopting a ”walled garden” -- as opposed to an ”open architecture” or ”open plain” -- corporate strategy. While the walled garden approach often restricts consumers’ ability to modify devices or marry them with other firms’ products and services the open architecture approach has its drawbacks as well. Wharton faculty and others look at the advantages and disadvantages -- for both consumers and companies -- of these two strategies.

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What’s Ahead for the Stock Market -- and Quant Funds

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:35:36 GMT

After weeks of skittishness and fear investors showed signs on Tuesday of settling down. ”Yesterday was one of the dullest days in the market that we’ve had in a while and that’s good in many ways ” says Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel. Investors have been reeling from widespread problems in the subprime sector stocks have fallen yields on Treasury securities have dropped and some companies are finding it hard to borrow money -- all of which spurred the Federal Reserve last week to announce a cut in interest rates. Meanwhile the upheaval has shown that quant funds despite their computer power aren’t immune to mistakes and market downturns. So what can we expect in the weeks ahead?

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Looking for a Company to Run? Search Funds Could Be the Answer

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:35:31 GMT

For those entrepreneurs who want to run a company but prefer to skip the start-up stage search funds offer a possible alternative. A specialized form of private equity first launched in the mid-1980s search funds are becoming increasingly popular -- and their supporters claim they can offer investors attractive returns and business owners a compelling exit strategy. What does this trend in private equity mean for investors and for small businesses that might be acquisition targets for these funds? Robert Befidi Jr. and Mark Sinatra managing directors of Gordian Capital in New York City spoke to Knowledge at Wharton about the pros and cons of search funds.

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’If Brands Are Built Over Years Why Are They Managed Over Quarters?’

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:17:32 GMT

Wharton marketing professor Leonard Lodish admits he is somewhat to blame for the erosion in brand pricing power that has hit many consumer-goods companies -- but not entirely to blame. In 1993 as store-level scanning data started to become widely available Lodish coauthored an article outlining its power to gauge the effect of price promotions on revenue. But he also warned that these tools were not the only determinant of brand power. Now in a new paper Lodish and co-author Carl F. Mela show how widespread adoption of easy-to-harness short-term measures has altered consumer behavior and made it harder for brand managers to compete.

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A Fish Tale on a Macro Scale: How Sushi Has Changed Globalization (and the World)

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:17:32 GMT

Over the past two decades sushi -- a familiar accessible and immensely desirable food that can be found in supermarket aisles and fast food outlets as well as high-end restaurants -- has become a staple of cultures around the globe. Indeed far from signaling the snobbery of those who eat it sushi today belongs to the masses. Yet sushi also says something important about how wealth taste and markets interact according to Sasha Issenberg. In his new book The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy Issenberg argues that sushi reveals the ”complex dynamics of globalization” and shows against all odds that ”a virtuous global commerce and food culture can exist.”

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Talking with the Receptionist Pausing When You Speak and Other Secrets of Leadership Success

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:17:32 GMT

Several years ago while visiting a regional branch of Lee Hecht Harrison a global career management services company then-president Stephen Harrison was stopped short by ”Ray ” his COO. ”You didn’t greet the receptionist ” said Ray who went on to explain that ”a receptionist is a corporate concierge. They will talk to more important people in a day -- suppliers customers even CEOs -- than you will talk to all year.” Harrison speaking at the recent 11th annual Wharton Leadership Conference contends that small acts like this are part of what makes for an ethical corporate culture. He was joined at the conference by public speaking coach Richard Greene author of Words that Shook the World: 100 Years of Unforgettable Speeches and Events.

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The Art and Science of Measuring CEO Performance

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:17:32 GMT

The long-term performance of a company’s stock may be the ultimate test of a CEO’s talents. But that’s not the only measurement used by boards of directors to gauge how well the boss is doing. Experts at Wharton and elsewhere say that companies use many different metrics -- all of which can be fine-tuned to fit a company’s circumstances.

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Rivals Set Their Sights on Microsoft Office: Can They Topple the Giant?

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:17:32 GMT

It’s open season on Microsoft Office. Google is distributing Sun Microsystems’ StarOffice and also has its own web-based productivity suite. Apple has a new spreadsheet called Numbers to compete with Microsoft’s Excel. Open source suite OpenOffice along with several web-based products are attacking as well. All these challengers emerge at a time when Microsoft’s dominance in productivity software -- Microsoft Word PowerPoint and Excel -- remains strong. So why try to overthrow the leader? And how vulnerable is Microsoft to this assault?

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Trouble in Toyland: New Challenges for Mattel -- and ’Made in China’

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:17:32 GMT

Mattel’s recall of more than 10 million toys in the U.S. over the past three weeks has done more than focus attention on the company’s wide array of products which include such household names as Elmo Ernie Big Bird Barbie and Batman. It has also further raised public awareness of quality control problems in China and the relentless push to cut costs along every step of the supply chain. Knowledge at Wharton looks at Mattel’s response to the crisis its potential liability and the consequences for China.

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Eyes on China: The Costs of Progress

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:08:27 GMT

On August 1 Mattel recalled approximately 1.5 million toys made by a manufacturer in China because of dangerous levels of lead in their paint. Four days earlier the Chinese government ordered the country’s banks to increase their reserves as part of an effort to cool down its red-hot economy. But quality concerns and rapid growth aren’t China’s only worries. There is also the government’s need to keep forging ahead on preparations for the Olympics next August in Beijing despite criticism about overdevelopment and unsafe levels of pollution. Knowledge at Wharton asked management professor Marshall Meyer for his perspective on these issues.

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The Movies Meet Web 2.0: Lance Weiler on the New Economic Model for Independent Cinema

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:43:21 GMT

Producing a feature-length motion picture is a daunting task especially if you do it without the support of a major studio using money you have raised yourself. But according to independent filmmaker Lance Weiler ”the real struggle” comes after the film is completed. Distributing a theatrical feature -- and doing so profitably -- poses an even greater challenge. As Weiler noted during a recent interview with Knowledge at Wharton ”making the film is easy in comparison.” Yet Weiler believes he has a solution. By expanding the movie into an interactive theatrical event Weiler has carved out a niche that he believes offers an economically viable model for independent cinema.

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Leading for the Next Act: Why CEOs Must Evolve or Step Aside

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:43:21 GMT

The secret to long-term CEO success according to David Nadler is conceiving of a CEO’s tenure as a performance with a series of distinct acts. ”Each act requires the CEO to lead think and behave in fundamentally different ways. The successful ones are those who are able to make the transitions ” says Nadler a consultant to boards and senior executives who spoke during the recent 11th annual Wharton Leadership Conference. The theme of the conference sponsored by the Center for Leadership and Change Management the Center for Human Resources and Wharton Executive Education was ”Developing Leadership Talent.”

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Playing Favorites -- Romantic or Otherwise -- Is a Messy Game in the Workplace

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:43:21 GMT

This spring World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz was forced out after being accused of arranging a big raise and promotion for a woman with whom he was having a relationship. As anyone who works in an office knows though favoritism isn’t confined to love and sex: Family relationships and close friendships can upset co-workers’ sense of fairness too and end up undermining an organization’s performance. What’s the solution? There’s no one answer according to Wharton faculty and other experts but companies would be well-advised to keep their rewards systems transparent and to have clear policies regarding conflicts of interest.

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Predictions and Perceptions: Downloading Wisdom from Online Crowds

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:43:21 GMT

Prediction markets where people bet on everything from the likelihood that a movie will be a hit to the chance that a politician will become president to whether the stock market will go up or down are in vogue. But because prediction markets have to be managed they aren’t always the ideal way to get information. Wharton professors Albert Saiz and Uri Simonsohn have found a cheaper way to deliver some of the same benefits. It’s called an Internet search. The two professors argue in a new paper that the likelihood that a topic is discussed online in relation to a given location correlates with its relative prevalence in the real world.

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Venture Capital Firms Set Their Sights on New Ideas -- Not New Technologies

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:43:21 GMT

Fast-growing social networking site Facebook and mobile messaging service Twitter didn’t introduce break-through technologies but they have become phenomenal success stories nonetheless. Increasingly ”web 2.0” companies like these are altering the traditional venture capital formula which used to count technology differentiation as a key requirement when evaluating new targets. In many cases technology has become a commodity but a big idea can go a long way provided there’s a rapidly growing audience. As VC firms look for new investments several questions come into play: How should companies be evaluated when they rely on technology that is easily replicated? How much value does a big audience carry? What is the preferred exit strategy? Wharton faculty and VC experts weigh in on these and other questions.

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Retail Price Maintenance Policies: A Bane for Retailers but a Boon for Consumers?

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:43:21 GMT

In June a high-profile Supreme Court case held the attention of retailers and manufacturers alike. In a five-to-four ruling the high court overturned a lower-court decision to award $1.2 million to a Dallas-area clothing store that was cut off by a supplier Leegin Creative Leather Products because the retailer refused to abide by the manufacturer’s retail price maintenance (RPM) or no-discount policy. The decision means that manufacturers no longer face a blanket prohibition against implementing an RPM policy. The case has spurred concern among consumer groups who claim it overturns a century of precedent and will lead to price fixing and unjustifiably higher prices. But Wharton faculty suggest that any changes will be gradual and may ultimately benefit consumers.

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Jeremy Siegel: Sit Tight During the Sell-Off

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:32:16 GMT

U.S. stock markets are in a tizzy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 311 points on July 26 and most media companies interpreted this to mean the end of the buyout boom. Buyout firms such as the Fortress Investment Group and the Blackstone Group were hit especially hard. How long will the turmoil continue? Could the trouble spread overseas to international markets? What is the right strategy for investors in these times? In an update to the podcast that Knowledge at Wharton published on July 25 Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel offers his insights on these questions. In the earlier podcast he discussed the continuing crisis involving sub-prime housing loans and other issues -- including economic growth in China and the impact of the strong Indian rupee -- with Knowledge at Wharton.

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’Quality Fade’: China’s Great Business Challenge

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:40:29 GMT

Recent media reports detailing a series of quality problems with Chinese-made exports -- pet food tainted with prohibited chemicals toys covered with lead paint and tires that fall apart at high speed -- have alarmed the American public and resulted in a number of international product recalls. In this opinion piece Paul Midler founder and president of China Advantage a services firm that provides outsourcing and supply chain management to U.S. and European companies discusses what he calls ”quality fade” and a number of related challenges that face Chinese manufacturing.

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Some Free Advice for Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:40:29 GMT

Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang is about to find out that being a CEO is a lot different than being the ceremonious Chief Yahoo as he was called until last month. Yang who became Yahoo’s new CEO on June 18 faces a daunting to-do list that includes reinvigorating the company closing a performance gap with Google thwarting challenges from social media sites such as Facebook delivering financial results that make Wall Street cheer and charting a course for the future. His first deadline comes in about 100 days. Knowledge at Wharton asked faculty members for advice on how Yang should handle this management challenge.

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Robbing the Cradle? If Marketers Get Their Way That Bundle of Joy Can Cost a Bundle

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:40:29 GMT

Just a decade ago a company called Baby Einstein helped launch a new line of educational videos and toys that many parents believed would put their toddlers in the fast lane to success. The company was soon joined by others that promoted educational and entertainment products for babies and the under-three-year-old set including The Baby Prodigy Company and Brainy Baby. But recently some child advocacy groups -- and the author of a new book -- are warning parents to rethink the products and the messages behind these campaigns.

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IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond on What’s Next for the Big Screen

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:40:29 GMT

For big-screen movie company IMAX the past several weeks must have seemed like the best of times and the worst of times. The recent opening of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was the largest and most successful in IMAX history. Yet despite the record box office the company’s stock price remained moribund as it delayed its financial filings to restate its revenue recognition for the years 2002-2005 and responded to an informal inquiry from the SEC. This was not the first challenge faced by Richard Gelfond and Bradley Wechsler who share the titles of chairman and CEO. Knowledge at Wharton recently spoke with Gelfond at IMAX’s corporate headquarters in New York about the company’s plans for the future.

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Feel Free to Move About the Airport: Turbulence Continues to Roil the Airline Industry

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:40:29 GMT

Wharton professor Serguei Netessine who recently had to spend the night in an airport hotel after being kicked off an overbooked evening flight is one of thousands of airline passengers this summer who have been stranded on runways or sleeping in airports. While airline service is no longer the white-glove experience it once was it has recently gone beyond bad food and snappish flight attendants. ”Previously airlines worried about dissatisfied customers. Now I don’t think they worry about it because the customer service at all airlines is so horrible ” says Netessine. Knowledge at Wharton looks at the current state of the airline industry.

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The Impact of Good Governance on International Investing: The ’Home Bias’ Effect and Other Issues

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:40:29 GMT

Following accounting and governance scandals at Enron and other U.S. companies policymakers in the United States and elsewhere responded by establishing new corporate governance rules including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Now after complaints from the business community that regulations are hurting profits some countries are taking a second look at post-Enron reforms. But according to research presented during a recent conference on international corporate governance -- sponsored by the Weiss Center for International Financial Research at Wharton -- countries should think twice about loosening governance regulations.

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Craigslist’s Craig Newmark: ’100% of What We Do Is Based on Community’

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:23:53 GMT

Jon Spector a former Wharton vice dean and now CEO of the Conference Board spoke with participants at the Community 2.0 conference in Las Vegas earlier this year to explore how companies are trying to harness communities to reshape their businesses. In this podcast Spector speaks with Craig Newmark founder and ”customer service rep” of Craigslist.com. Spector is a co-author with Barry Libert of the forthcoming Wharton School Publishing book We Are Smarter Than Me: How to Unleash the Power of Crowds in Your Business.

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Is Your Workforce Strange Enough to Guarantee Competitive Advantage?

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:16:33 GMT

According to Daniel M. Cable what characterizes successful companies these days is ”a strikingly different obsessively focused” workforce one that -- compared to competitors’ workforces -- is ”downright strange.” Cable a management professor at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina makes his case in a new book titled Change to Strange: Create a Great Organization by Building a Strange Workforce (Wharton School Publishing). To get the best results Cable says companies have to build a workforce ”that is extraordinary in a way that customers care about.”

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Avoiding the Traps That Can Cause Your Company to Self-Destruct

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:16:33 GMT

In The Self Destructive Habits of Good Companies ... And How to Break Them (Wharton School Publishing) Jagdish N. Sheth a marketing professor at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University analyzes why companies that are at the top of their industry suddenly disappear from the landscape. He maintains that successful companies fall prey to complacency arrogance competency dependence competitive myopia territorial impulse volume obsession and denial and he then goes on to suggest ways companies can change course and avoid these traps. As Sheth notes in his introduction ”My view is that most companies can survive forever if they recognize and take steps to counter self-destructive habits or set up processes to keep them from arising in the first place.”

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Making the Most of Every Marketing Dollar

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:16:33 GMT

In Marketing That Works: How Entrepreneurial Marketing Can Add Sustainable Value to Any Sized Company (Wharton School Publishing) the focus is on optimizing investments in every aspect of marketing whether it’s targeting the right customer delivering added value or generating better product ideas. Authors Leonard M. Lodish Howard L. Morgan and Shellye Archambeau offer tools tactics and strategies that companies can use to differentiate themselves in today’s marketplace. As the authors note ”Marketing more than technology is most often the reason for the success or failure of new ventures or new initiatives” in mature corporations.

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To Marshall Goldsmith: Thank You for Writing This Book (And We’re Not Sucking Up)

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:16:33 GMT

Marshall Goldsmith the founder of executive coaching firm Marshall Goldsmith Partners has worked closely with more than 70 CEOs during his career. Forbes has named him one of the five most respected executive coaches. The Wall Street Journal ranks him among the top 10 executive educators. Now Goldsmith has assembled a book that distills the wisdom he and his stable of coaches usually dispense in person. Listed at $23.95 What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful written with Mark Reiter is a bargain compared to the six-figure cost of receiving Goldsmith’s wisdom in person.

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’Life Behind the Veil’: Launching a Beauty School in Kabul Afghanistan

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:16:33 GMT

From Reading Lolita in Tehran an award-winning account of an underground Iranian women’s book group to The Kite Runner a best-selling novel about modern Afghanistan tales of Islamic culture have entranced Western readers eager for a glimpse into a world that is at once far removed from theirs and yet fundamentally intertwined with it. A recent book adds to this genre. In Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil author Deborah Rodriguez opens a window onto the private lives of Afghan women by explaining what it’s like to try and launch a business -- in this case a beauty school -- in a remote unfamiliar area. The tale according to our reviewer is heartwarming eye-opening and ultimately chilling.

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A Novel on Genetic Research: It’s ’Fiction Except for the Parts That Aren’t’

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:16:33 GMT

A mathematical parrot. A Dutch-speaking orangutan. A chimp that can pass for a boy. These are the otherworldly characters -- and provocative thought experiments -- that anchor best-selling author Michael Crichton’s most recent novel Next. The book weaves together several storylines in order to trace the complex interplay of scientific innovation legal loopholes and economic opportunity. Along the way Crichton creates a troubling portrait of a biotech industry marred by corporate greed and moral uncertainty. Both thriller and policy piece the book is also a compelling contribution to the debate over genetic research according to our reviewer.

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WebEx’s Diane Davidson: ’We Defined a Community Ecosystem’

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:16:33 GMT

When Google bought YouTube recently for $1.65 billion the world of business sat up to take serious notice of social networks. Today many companies are looking into how they can tap into -- or develop -- communities as a way to make better decisions and increase profits. Jon Spector a former Wharton vice dean and now CEO of the Conference Board spoke with participants at the Community 2.0 conference in Las Vegas earlier this year to explore how companies are trying to harness communities to reshape their businesses. In this podcast Spector speaks with Diane Davidson director of customer marketing at WebEx. Spector is a co-author with Barry Libert of the forthcoming Wharton School Publishing book We Are Smarter Than Me: How to Unleash the Power of Crowds in Your Business.

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Finding That ’Sweet Spot’: A New Way to Drive Innovation

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:16:33 GMT

Larry Huston was vice president of knowledge and innovation for many years at Procter & Gamble. During that time he was the architect of its Connect + Develop program the creator of P&G’s Brand Bootcamp operation and innovation leader for the company’s global fabric and homecare business among other initiatives. He is now managing partner of 4INNO and recently joined Wharton’s Mack Center for Technological Innovation as a senior fellow. Knowledge at Wharton asked Huston to talk about innovation and its role in the global economy.

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David Marshall: China’s ’Wake-up Call’ for American Real Estate

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:16:28 GMT

David G. Marshall CEO of Amerimar Realty in Philadelphia has made a career of seeking out bitter lemons and turning them into sweet -- and profitable -- lemonade. Through the years he has taken over distressed properties -- such as The Rittenhouse in Philadelphia Pier 39 in San Francisco and Denver Place in Colorado -- and made them into successful enterprises. Marshall recently went to Shanghai as part of the Wharton Fellows program and came to the conclusion that what is happening in Chinese real estate ought to be a wake-up call for the U.S. market. Knowledge at Wharton spoke to Marshall about his visit to China and other issues.

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Many Family Firms Rely on a Largely Invisible CEO -- Chief Emotional Officer

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:13:32 GMT

When your family business involves an extended network of 52 family shareholders as it does for Bukit Kiara Properties a Malaysian real estate development firm simply pulling everyone together for family dinner can be hard work. But N.K. Tong who co-founded Bukit Kiara with his father says there’s just one person to call: ”My auntie.” Tong’s aunt plays a role some scholars describe as ”chief emotional officer ” an informal position usually filled by a family member or close advisor. But the topic is not as warm and fuzzy as it sounds: Not only can the job be stressful it can fall by the wayside as businesses are passed on to succeeding generations.

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’Harry and Louise ’ the Sequel? The Universal Health Care Debate Is Back

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:13:32 GMT

In 1993 a television ad featuring ”Harry and Louise” -- a ”typical” American couple dismayed by the Clinton administration’s universal health care proposal -- helped to kill health care reform in the U.S. for the next decade. With the 2008 presidential election in sight the debate has resurfaced but are the prospects for universal health care any better today? In an ongoing study of health care systems spanning five countries Arnold J. Rosoff Wharton professor of legal studies and business ethics has identified a set of factors that in one combination or another come into play when a country commits to adopting universal health care. This time he says one thing seems likely: Instead of a health care ”revolution” in the U.S. change will come in increments.

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Good News about Bad Press: For Corporate Governance Humiliation Pays Off

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:13:32 GMT

In 2000 Bill Browder manager of The Hermitage Fund sifted through reams of obscure Russian securities registration data to piece together a presentation outlining how managers of the Russian oil company Gazprom were shifting corporate assets to entities controlled by friends and relatives. Browder shared his findings with journalists who then wrote about the case leading to the firing of the firm’s CEO and subsequent reform. Hermitage’s role in the Gazprom shake-up is the basis of new research exploring the role of public shame in corporate governance. The research was presented at a recent Wharton Impact Conference sponsored by the Weiss Center for International Financial Research.

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’Getting the Models Right’: How to Value Hard-to-Price Assets

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:13:32 GMT

Trying to determine what things are worth is a huge challenge in today’s business world where companies are increasingly being pressed to account for the changing values of complex financial instruments -- from insurance policies to employee stock options to exotic derivatives. Consequently firms are turning to ever more intricate financial models that attempt to deduce values using an array of indicators even though such models are complicated and can be easily manipulated. This dilemma was the topic of the Tenth Annual Wharton/Oliver Wyman Institute Risk Roundtable held on May 31-June 1.

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Turning Around the London Subway System: From Terrorism to the Olympics

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:13:32 GMT

The bombs rocked the London Underground within 50 seconds of each other near the end of rush hour on July 7 2005 killing dozens of passengers and injuring hundreds more. It was the worst attack on London since World War II. But the majority of the Underground or the Tube as it’s known locally was operating again by the next morning according to Tim O’Toole the Underground’s managing director and chief executive who spoke at the recent 11th annual Wharton Leadership Conference. What made that possible O’Toole said was the response from the Underground’s frontline employees not just at the bomb sites ”but across the entire network.”

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To Increase Charitable Donations Appeal to the Heart -- Not the Head

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:13:32 GMT

One pitch for charity described the needs of Rokia a young girl in Africa who is desperately poor and faces starvation. Another pitch talks about food shortages affecting more than three million children many of whom are homeless. Which pitch is more effective? Not surprisingly it’s the first but Wharton marketing professor Deborah Small and two co-authors delve deeper into the issue of sympathy and how it relates to charitable giving. Their paper is titled ”Sympathy and Callousness: The Impact of Deliberative Thought on Donations to Identifiable and Statistical Victims.”

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Jeremy Siegel: Rising Bond Yields Mean Trouble for All Markets

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:07:52 GMT

U.S. financial markets were battered at the end of last week because of a dramatic sell-off of Treasury bonds. The yield on 10-year bonds which has been rising since May neared the critical barrier of 5.25% on June 8 -- the highest level in five years. Media reports suggest that turmoil in the bond market could continue this week making investors anxious about whether interest rates might go up and bring to an end the period of cheap money that has buoyed up asset markets and also funded a world-wide boom in mergers. Why are bond yields so high? What do these developments mean for stocks and other asset classes? Knowledge at Wharton discussed these questions with Jeremy Siegel a professor of finance at Wharton and author of The Future for Investors.

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New Products (Like the iPhone): Announce Early or Go for the Surprise Rollout?

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 14:33:58 GMT

When it comes to rolling out new goods and services companies tend to choose one of two strategies as a way of generating interest in their products whether it’s Apple’s iPhone or Microsoft’s Surface Computing effort. One is pre-announcing the product to give customers partners and even competitors advance notice of what’s to come. The second approach is the surprise unveiling where a company hopes to make a big splash by giving few advance hints about an upcoming release. Which approach is best? It depends -- on the product the company and its position in the market say experts at Wharton.

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Do’s and Don’ts for Investors in Global Distressed Asset Markets

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 14:33:58 GMT

Lucrative deals are hard to come by these days for investors looking to extract value from distressed companies around the world. As global markets become increasingly sophisticated success will be determined by those who know how to navigate local corporate legal and cultural terrains. At the 2007 Wharton Restructuring Conference turnaround consultants and distressed asset investing experts noted that calibrating strategies for individual markets obtaining accurate information and building trust are more important for a successful outcome than spreadsheets and financial models. ”What you don’t know will kill you ” one panelist said.

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On the Fence: Are Illegal Immigrants Good or Bad for the U.S. Economy?

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 14:33:58 GMT

Last week the United States’ first major immigration reform bill in two decades collapsed in the Senate. Buried in the ongoing debate was the potential economic impact of a measure that could change the composition of America’s workforce in significant ways: By cracking down on illegal immigration the legislation could constrict the future supply of low-skilled workers while a move to skill-based visa evaluations could provide more workers for booming high-tech industries. Meanwhile it isn’t exactly clear what impact the country’s 12 million illegal residents have on its economy. Experts from Wharton and elsewhere weigh in.

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You’ve Worked Hard Saved and Just Retired: How Do You Manage Your Finances Now?

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 14:33:58 GMT

As baby boomers retire and start spending their nest eggs they will need new financial products to make their money last according to speakers at a recent Wharton Impact Conference titled ”Managing Retirement Payouts: Positioning Investing and Spending Assets.” The conference explored emerging patterns in spending during retirement and debated new ideas to help retirees manage their finances after leaving the workforce.

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Beware the ’Walking Dead’: Analyzing Customer Data from a Multi-Service Firm

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 14:33:58 GMT

Think of them as the ”walking dead ” a type of customer who currently maintains service with a particular company but whose next action will most likely be to discontinue that relationship according to a new study that examines how the customers of a telecommunications firm acquire and discard services over time. The paper -- ”Modeling the Evolution of Customers’ Service Portfolios ” by Wharton marketing professors Peter Fader and Eric Bradlow and a former Wharton PhD student -- focuses in part on whether it is possible to predict future purchasing patterns by looking at past buying behavior.

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Can Anyone Make Sense -- or Money -- Out of Personal DNA Testing?

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 14:33:58 GMT

It seemed only right that James Watson who co-discovered the structure of DNA with Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin was the first to receive a DVD holding the sequence of his own DNA produced by 454 Life Sciences a division of the Swiss drug giant Roche and academic researchers. While DNA mapping technology under development at Roche and other companies has the potential to bring the long-awaited era of personalized medicine closer there are enormous ethical legal and investment hurdles to building successful business models based on decoding an individual’s DNA according to Wharton faculty and executives in the industry.

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Murdoch and Dow Jones: Is This Good News or Bad?

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 14:33:58 GMT

In April Rupert Murdoch made a $5 billion offer to buy Dow Jones and Co. which publishes the Wall Street Journal and also owns Dow Jones Newswires and Marketwatch.com. The Bancroft family majority owners of Dow Jones initially rejected the offer but came back several weeks ago to say it would consider it along with offers from any other groups. Murdoch’s move has dismayed some Journal staffers who worry that the paper’s editorial quality and objectivity will suffer. Murdoch though seems to have more in mind for this acquisition than just getting control of the Journal. Knowledge at Wharton has asked Wharton management professor Larry Hrebiniak and Joseph Turow professor of communication at the Annenberg School for their thoughts on this possible deal.

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Changing Course: The Chrysler Deal Rising Gas Prices and Other Car Talk

Wed, 30 May 2007 16:34:39 GMT

Earlier this month Cerberus Capital Management bought 80.1% of Chrysler Group from German auto maker Daimler-Chrysler effectively ending a nine-year marriage between the two that never quite worked out. The expectations created by this acquisition are huge and revolve in part around Cerberus’s ability to make a deal with the United Auto Workers union that would include restructuring billions of dollars of retirement and health-care benefits -- a burden that both Ford and GM -- but not Toyota -- also carry. We asked Wharton management professor John Paul MacDuffie co-director of the International Motor Vehicle Program to give his views about Chrysler Cerberus high gas prices and other auto-related issues.

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Media Moves: Will the New Online Advertising Models Click?

Wed, 30 May 2007 15:38:15 GMT

Microsoft buys aQuantive; Google acquires DoubleClick for $3.1 billion; Yahoo purchases the 80% of Right Media it doesn’t already own and ad firm WPP gets 24/7 Real Media for $649 million. And that’s just in the last six weeks. The common thread: All the takeover targets are online advertising companies. The race to consolidate the online advertising industry is heating up at the same time that advertisers are demanding more return on their marketing dollars. Wharton professors and others analyze how this will play out for tech companies ad companies and consumers.

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Dana Gioia on the Close Connection between Business and Poetry

Wed, 30 May 2007 15:38:15 GMT

Dana Gioia (pronounced Joy-a) claims to be the only person in history who went to business school to be a poet. Having earned a degree from Stanford’s graduate school of business he worked 15 years in corporate life eventually becoming vice president of General Foods. In 1991 Gioia wrote an influential collection of essays titled ”Can Poetry Matter?” in which he explored among other themes the nexus between business and poetry. Since 2002 he has been chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts where he has overseen programs aimed at making Shakespeare and poetry recitation more popular in the U.S. Gioia who is a speaker at the Wharton Leadership Conference in Philadelphia on June 7 talked about these ideas with management professor Michael Useem and Knowledge at Wharton.

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U.S. Securities Law: Does ’High Intensity’ Enforcement Pay Off?

Wed, 30 May 2007 15:38:15 GMT

”The U.S. pursues securities law violations with a regulatory intensity unmatched elsewhere in the world ” according to John C. Coffee Jr. director of the Center on Corporate Governance at Columbia University Law School. At a recent Wharton Impact Conference on international corporate governance Coffee said that although securities law enforcement can lower the cost of capital it may deter some foreign firms from cross-listing in U.S. markets. Still he argues strong enforcement is critical for creating good governance and adding value to corporations and investors stand to gain from it.

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In South Africa Poor Health Can Kill Small Businesses

Wed, 30 May 2007 15:38:15 GMT

According to estimates micro and small businesses contribute almost 50% of South Africa’s total employment and 30% of its gross domestic product. Until recently however the impact of poor health and in particular HIV/AIDS on these enterprises -- ranging in size from single owner-workers to companies with 100 employees -- has been largely overlooked by researchers. A new study by Li-Wei Chao from the University of Pennsylvania’s Population Studies Center Mark V. Pauly Wharton professor of health care systems and others examines how owner health determines the fate of small businesses in South Africa and impacts the larger economy as well.

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Chief Receptionist Officer? Title Inflation Hits the C-Suite

Wed, 30 May 2007 15:38:15 GMT

We’re all familiar with titles like chief executive officer chief financial officer and chief operating officer. We have even grown used to chief technology officer chief marketing officer and chief diversity officer. But what about chief talent officer chief cultural officer chief innovation officer chief privacy officer chief apology officer and chief geek to name just some of the more contemporary titles in today’s companies? On the surface this looks like title inflation -- an overabundance of C-level jobs that cheapen the prestige that used to go along with promotions. Yet according to several Wharton faculty members there is more to this story than inflated egos.

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Documenting the Impact of Hedge Funds on Target Companies’ Share Prices: The Returns Are Impressive

Wed, 30 May 2007 15:38:15 GMT

With an estimated $1.2 trillion under management it’s clear that hedge funds must have an effect on the financial markets. The question is: How? In one of the first studies to shed light on that subject researchers at Wharton and three other business schools find that hedge funds’ efforts to improve companies they hold big stakes in have spillover benefits for all shareholders: a quick 5% to 7% jump in stock prices. The gains measured as an ”abnormal return” on top of the broad market’s were nearly 11% when a hedge fund pushed for the targeted company to be sold.

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Here Today Discounted Tomorrow: Strategic Shoppers Know When to Buy and at What Price

Wed, 30 May 2007 15:38:15 GMT

Some shoppers just can’t help themselves and buy mostly on impulse without regard to price. Others are die-hard bargain hunters who only open their wallets for a discount. Then there are the strategic consumers who are willing to buy full-price sometimes but at other times they will wait for a bargain. According to new research by Gérard P. Cachon professor of operations and information management at Wharton and doctoral student Robert Swinney it’s these customers that retailers need to focus on in order to reap the full benefits of lean retail inventory management and variable pricing.

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Next Moves in a Global Economy: Podcasts from the 2007 Wharton Economic Summit

Wed, 23 May 2007 17:16:03 GMT

During the recent 2007 Wharton Economic Summit Knowledge at Wharton recorded nine podcasts with speakers and panelists at the event whose theme was ”Next Moves in a Global Economy.” The interviews are with Jeffrey R. Lurie owner of the Philadelphia Eagles Football Club; Shellye L. Archambeau CEO of MetricStream; Ramkrishan (Remi) Hinduja chairman of HTMT Global Solutions together with Sashi P. Reddi CEO of Applabs Technologies; Marc Utay managing director of Clarion Capital Partners; Kenneth Shropshire director of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative; Shiv V. Khemka vice chairman SUN Group; Clark Callander managing director of Savvian; Amy Errett CEO of Olivia and William L. Mack senior principal Apollo Real Estate Advisors.

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Presidential Politics: What to Expect from France’s Nicolas Sarkozy

Wed, 16 May 2007 15:58:31 GMT

On May 6 conservative Nicolas Sarkozy won the French presidential election defeating socialist Segolene Royal and taking over from Jacques Chirac who had held the positon for 12 years. The election drew a very high 85% turnout which many saw as a sign that French voters recognize the need to get out from under their economic stagnation and social unrest. Sarkozy is depicted as a friend but also a critic of the U.S.; as a supporter to some degree of the European Union; and as a reformer bent on changing France’s burdensome labor laws but also willing to meet with union leaders. Knowledge at Wharton asked Jeff Weintraub a visiting scholar with the University of Pennsylvania’s political science department to give us his views on the possible consequences of Sarkozy’s election.

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Wireless Broadband Utopia: Are We There Yet?

Wed, 16 May 2007 15:58:25 GMT

The wireless broadband pieces appear to be falling in place: Sprint Nextel says its next-generation high-speed network will be launched in a few markets by the end of 2007. Intel plans to embed so-called ”WiMAX” enabled semiconductors in laptops by the end of 2008 and startups like Craig McCaw’s Clearwire hope to blanket much of the nation with WiMAX service. Other companies are supporting hybrid wireless networks so that devices can hop between technologies. Where is all this heading and what does it mean for the ”Anywhere Consumer”?

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Are Your Customers Dissatisfied? Try Checking Out Your Salespeople

Wed, 16 May 2007 15:35:19 GMT

The sales associate noticing the approach of a customer is suddenly intent on restocking merchandise or discussing when she will take her next break -- anything to avoid actual contact with the shopper. It’s the type of behavior that dominates the list of complaints cited in the second annual Retail Customer Dissatisfaction Study. The study conducted by Wharton’s Jay H. Baker Retail Initiative and the Verde Group found that disinterested ill-prepared and unwelcoming salespeople lead to more lost business and bad word-of-mouth than any other management challenge in retailing.

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Workplace Loyalties Change but the Value of Mentoring Doesn’t

Wed, 16 May 2007 15:35:19 GMT

In Homer’s poem ”The Odyssey ” Odysseus had a tough time finding his way home after the Trojan War what with all those monsters threatening to derail his journey. But Odysseus at least had left a wise and trusted fellow named Mentor to be the guardian and teacher of his son Telemachus. Modern employees need mentors as much as Telemachus especially in these times of upheaval. In fact mentoring is just as important as ever for younger workers -- and for organizations themselves -- according to experts at Wharton and elsewhere.

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Serving Up Smaller Restaurant Portions: Will Consumers Bite?

Wed, 16 May 2007 15:35:19 GMT

The average person according to the experts makes 200 food-related choices a day. Actually make that 201 choices. Courtesy of a new campaign by a leading restaurant chain diners who are used to choices that make their meals bigger can now actually choose to order portions that are significantly smaller. This spring T.G.I. Friday’s announced what it called an ”unprecedented move in the casual dining industry” when the restaurant chain began offering smaller portions at lower prices for select dishes. The question now becomes: Will consumers bite? Or in this case bite less?

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Business Plan Competition 2007: The ’Eight Great’ Make Their Pitch

Wed, 16 May 2007 15:35:19 GMT

In a perfect world there would be faster computers less lower back pain more accurate ways to detect the warning signs of a heart attack and even better-fitting business attire for female executives. And that would mean more comfort and time to enjoy the sweet things in life like a gourmet chocolate bar. If the ”Eight Great” finalists in the 2006-2007 Wharton Business Plan Competition -- who recently competed for more than $70 000 in prize money -- are able to achieve their entrepreneurial schemes the world would indeed become such a place. Knowledge at Wharton summarizes the presentations and announces the winners.

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Middle Eastern Businesswomen Discuss Challenges They Face at Home and Abroad

Wed, 16 May 2007 15:35:19 GMT

This spring Wharton and the Penn law school hosted 37 professional women from the Middle East for a four-week legal and business fellowship program funded by the U.S. Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative and supported by America-Mideast Educational and Training Services (AMIDEAST). The women studied management and business skills at Wharton executive education and legal skills at the law school. Knowledge at Wharton asked three women from the program to talk about their experiences in the U.S. as well as in their home countries including their views on such topics as workplace ethics business opportunities for women and the role of Islam in society.

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Shantanu Narayen on Adobe’s Future Direction: Product Strategy for the Next Generation of the Web

Wed, 16 May 2007 15:35:19 GMT

A key element of what has been called ”web 2.0” -- along with ideas such as user-generated content and social networks -- is the concept of ”rich Internet applications ” which use the web as a platform for innovative types of online experiences. A new generation of Internet-connected applications is beginning to emerge led by such companies as Adobe Systems. Knowledge at Wharton recently interviewed Adobe president and COO Shantanu Narayen about the company’s latest product introductions. In the second part of this interview published in India Knowledge at Wharton Narayen talks about the key role that India will play in the company’s global growth strategy.

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Investing in the Fragmented Entertainment Industry: Is Safe Better than Sexy?

Wed, 02 May 2007 09:59:26 GMT

Trying to predict the next hit -- whether it’s an independent horror film a new recording group or a popular video game -- entails a high amount of risk in an industry that has been turned upside down by the Internet and the reconfiguration of longstanding distribution channels according to panelists at the recent 2007 Wharton Economic Summit. For that reason they noted many of the most successful equity players in Hollywood tend to look for broad-based venues -- a comprehensive film library vs. one director’s avant-garde film for example -- as the best investment vehicles for an industry in transition.

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Current Controversies in Executive Compensation: ’Issues of Justice and Fairness’

Wed, 02 May 2007 09:59:26 GMT

Although mammoth executive compensation packages at hedge funds -- hundreds of millions of dollars a year for some managers with a select few topping $1 billion -- have recently been disclosed in the business press public outrage over soaring CEO pay has been growing for years. Do executive compensation figures reflect an efficient market or a failed one? Are pay levels adequately disclosed? Should shareholders have more say? And if top executives are overpaid what’s to be done about it? Executive compensation was the subject of a panel at the 2007 Wharton Economic Summit.

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Scouting for the Best Athletes (or Analysts): Character vs. Performance

Wed, 02 May 2007 09:59:26 GMT

The world of pro sports may look a lot more exciting than life in the office but in reality -- when you strip away the glamour and media attention -- the bottom line for success is not too different on the playing field than it is in the business world. Character is what counts the most whether you are scouting for a new quarterback in the NFL draft or hiring a young commodities trader. That was the message from top sports executives who participated in a 2007 Wharton Economic Summit panel called ”Leadership Lessons Learned from Sports ” sponsored by the Wharton Sports Business Initiative.

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The Real Estate Industry though Volatile Offers Riches to Those Who Know Where to Look

Wed, 02 May 2007 09:59:26 GMT

While many Americans are worried that real estate prices have flattened and may even turn downward some of the country’s top commercial developers say there always is opportunity for those who manage their projects efficiently in a global market focus on areas with growing demand and have the staying power to wait out the downturns. This was the consensus of a 2007 Wharton Economic Summit real estate panel which included executives from Apollo Real Estate Advisors Sherwood Equities and Morgan Stanley’s Direct Investing Group.

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For Globalization to Succeed ’Business Needs to Reinforce Its Compact with the Public’

Wed, 02 May 2007 09:59:26 GMT

Globalization is pulling tens of millions of people out of poverty annually and creating worldwide wealth unimaginable a generation ago. But its benefits are being shared unequally resulting in widespread public dissatisfaction that business leaders ignore at their peril two top executives told participants at the 2007 Wharton Economic Summit. Stan O’Neal chairman and chief executive of Merrill Lynch and Rajat Gupta a senior worldwide partner with McKinsey both called on their colleagues to pay attention to their social responsibilities as assiduously as they watch their bottom lines.

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In Oil Producers’ Brave New World a Key Word Is ’Partnerships’

Wed, 02 May 2007 09:59:26 GMT

In Venezuela President Hugo Chavez is threatening to take control of several major projects from American and European firms. In Russia the government recently strong-armed Royal Dutch Shell into relinquishing control of a large oil field. Across the oil-producing world governments are responding to higher petroleum prices by imposing new taxes on oil companies and forcing the renegotiation of contracts. According to speakers at the 2007 Wharton Economic Summit such developments augur a new age for oil producers where both the style and substance of doing business have changed.

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Where the Next Big Bets Lie for Venture Capitalists

Wed, 02 May 2007 09:59:26 GMT

Blockbuster deals -- like YouTube’s recent sale to Google for $1.65 billion and Skype’s sale last year to eBay for $2.6 billion -- are giving venture investors new confidence in their ability to cash out said a group of venture capitalists who spoke on a panel at the 2007 Wharton Economic Summit. In addition new sectors like ”clean tech ” an umbrella term for environmentally friendly technologies and trends like the aging of populations in the developed world are creating promising investment opportunities. Even so times remain challenging for many venture capitalists the panelists warned. According to one participant ”15% of the firms have provided [about] 90% of the returns.”

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Aging Populations Can Prosper or Not: Making the Right Investment Choices

Wed, 02 May 2007 09:59:26 GMT

The U.S. population is getting older as the ”age wave” of baby boomers nears retirement. Will their 60s 70s and 80s be happy years marked by prosperity good health and fulfilling activities? There’s every chance of that according to two keynote speakers at Wharton’s 2007 Economic Summit: Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel and Michael Milken head of The Milken Institute a non-partisan think tank. But both men cautioned that their optimism relies on taking steps to ensure among other things open markets and an educated healthy workforce.

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Martin Varsavsky on How U.S. Tech Firms Differ from Their European Counterparts

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:27:16 GMT

Martin Varsavsky’s fans see him as a rebel who has often disrupted the telecommunications industry. An Argentine/Spanish entrepreneur who has launched seven companies in the past 20 years Varsavsky’s current venture is FON which he describes as a ”community-empowered company dedicated to building the world’s largest global WiFi network.” He has a few partners helping him get there -- Skype eBay and Google. In a podcast interview with Kevin Werbach a professor of legal studies and ethics at Wharton Varsavsky discusses how he invented the ”call back” (a cheap way of making international phone calls) the differences between American and European technology companies and several other issues. Varsavsky will speak at the Supernova conference that will be held in San Francisco on June 20-22.

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Will the SEC Embrace a Softer Sarbanes-Oxley?

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:25:13 GMT

When the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act was signed into law in 2002 its goal was to protect investors through increased disclosure and tougher internal controls in the wake of accounting frauds at Enron WorldCom and other U.S. companies. But on April 4 2007 the Securities and Exchange Commission announced it will revisit some of SOX’s rules. The primary focus will be the financial costs of Section 404 which requires auditors of most publicly listed companies to verify the effectiveness of internal procedures for financial reporting. Knowledge at Wharton asked accounting experts for their opinions on possible SOX revisions.

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Managing Emotions in the Workplace: Do Positive and Negative Attitudes Drive Performance?

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:05:25 GMT

You know the type: coworkers who never have anything positive to say whether at the weekly staff meeting or in the cafeteria line. They can suck the energy from a brainstorming session with a few choice comments. Their negativity can contaminate even good news. ”We engage in emotional contagion ” says Wharton management professor Sigal Barsade. ”Emotions travel from person to person like a virus.” Barsade is the co-author of a new paper that looks at the impact of employees’ moods emotions and overall dispositions on job performance.

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Who’s Your Big Brother? NAFTA the EU and International Trade and Development

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:05:25 GMT

The similarities between Poland and Argentina were striking. By the time the Soviet Union collapsed the two countries were beacons of reform in their regions. Each had a largely Roman Catholic population of about 36 million. Both were introducing free-market reforms. And after decades of authoritarian rule both were establishing democracies. But since then countries in Eastern Europe have been pulling ahead of their counterparts in Latin America mainly because of the different international economic integration schemes that are in place in each region: The European Union and NAFTA. In a new research paper Wharton management professor Gerald McDermott and two co-authors look at the impact of these trade agreements on developing nations.

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All Politics Is Local and So Are Sales Leads: The Birth of an Internet Search Company

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:05:25 GMT

Some technology companies have been founded in a garage. Local Internet search company Natpal was hatched in a Connecticut car dealership. That’s where Wharton undergraduate student and future Natpal CEO Nate Stevens first realized that Internet search wasn’t exactly friendly to small businesses looking for sales leads. The discovery led Stevens along with Penn alumnus Ben Rubenstein and Wharton professor Kartik Hosanagar to found Natpal which brings local businesses online and helps them find sales leads via web searches. The goal is not just clicks but phone calls says Stevens.

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A New Plan to Insure the Supply -- and Safe Use -- of Uranium in the Nuclear Energy Market

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:05:25 GMT

Experts at Wharton and Harvard University have unveiled a proposal that they say addresses both global security and the future of energy markets. In a new study Erwann O. Michel-Kerjan and Debra Decker argue that interest in nuclear power has escalated as countries become increasingly concerned about climate change and energy security. To avoid dangerous uncontrolled nuclear proliferation they say the international community must ensure reliable supplies of uranium-based fuel for nuclear reactors to all nations even unstable ones. The way to accomplish this is to involve the private sector specifically those who deal with risk on a daily basis: insurers and financial experts.

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How to Succeed in the Multi-faceted Diamond Business: The Gospel According to De Beers

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:05:25 GMT

During a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture De Beers managing director Gareth Penny presented the history strategy and mystique of the international diamond company and offered his views on what it takes to be a leader in today’s global society. In response to questioning from the audience he also addressed the issue of ”conflict diamonds” and noted De Beers’ efforts to eliminate the sale of these products as well as to improve the health of communities where diamonds are mined.

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AdMob’s Omar Hamoui: ’Mobile Is Going to Be a Larger Market Than Internet Advertising’

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:05:25 GMT

Omar Hamoui could be called a ”serial entrepreneur.” Immediately out of college he started his first business a consulting company that grew to between 20 and 25 people. Then came what he characterizes as the one job he has ever had: a two-year stint working at Sony. After that Hamoui created a series of startups built around the expanding ecosystem of mobile devices. While he was a first-year MBA student at Wharton in 2006 he came up with the idea for AdMob a company that sells advertising for phones’ mobile browsers. In the space of a year AdMob claims to have become the ”world’s largest mobile advertising marketplace.” Knowledge at Wharton spoke to Hamoui about the evolution of mobile advertising.

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Short-Circuited: Cutting Jobs as Corporate Strategy

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:37:12 GMT

When Circuit City announced last week that it was laying off 3 400 workers so it could rehire new ones at lower salaries it raised the question of just what strategic benefits the company -- or any company -- expects to achieve through employee downsizing. Clearly these benefits depend on the underlying strength of the organization and the specific reasons behind the cost-cutting but most experts agree that unless layoffs are part of a well-planned strategy the move could cause as many problems as it was intended to cure.

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The Man Who Would Change Microsoft: Ray Ozzie’s Vision for Connected Software

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:13:23 GMT

Microsoft’s Ray Ozzie has a long and storied history of technological innovation with accomplishments that include creating Lotus Notes and founding Groove Networks. But Ozzie may now be facing the most daunting challenge of his career: coordinating the work of Microsoft’s various product groups to keep the world’s largest software company agile enough to address the challenge of the next generation of Internet-enabled software. Knowledge at Wharton recently met with Ozzie to talk about his vision for the future of networked computing.

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Web vs. Print: Online Successes at One Newspaper Raise More Questions Than They Answer

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:13:23 GMT

The newsroom at washingtonpost.com the website of The Washington Post is not so different from that of a print newspaper with one notable exception: At a time when newsrooms across the country have empty desks from recent buyouts and layoffs staff numbers here are expanding to fill every available nook and cranny. Washingtonpost.com is a success story in an industry where the divide between vibrant online ventures and shrinking print products is increasingly sharp. But even the Post has no idea how long that success will last how much money it can make from the venture or who exactly its competition is.

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Love Those Loyalty Programs: But Who Reaps the Real Rewards?

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:13:23 GMT

At American Airlines’ AAdvantge e-shopping site more than 200 vendors -- including Bergdorf Goodman Home Depot and Petco -- offer bonus miles to shoppers. At the Apple Store a dollar spent earns one mile while Hallmark pays 10 miles for each $1 in sales. Continental’s OnePass program allows members to earn two miles for every $1 paid for electricity from Gexa Energy of Houston. The list goes on. But while the number of programs is increasing they don’t always provide a big payout for all their participants according to Wharton marketing faculty.

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’Microfinance 2.0’: New Tools New Goals and New Ways to Lift People out of Poverty

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:13:23 GMT

A system to gauge whether loan recipients are escaping poverty an overhaul of the loan making system and a bold plan to use the infrastructure of microfinance to tackle other social woes are some of the ways that microfinance is evolving despite continuing criticism from those who doubt its effectiveness in the struggle against poverty. Alex Counts CEO of the Grameen Foundation and keynote speaker at the recent Wharton Social Impact Conference 2007 explained the progress that both the Grameen Bank and the Grameen Foundation are making in promoting entrepreneurship around the world.

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Out of Stock? It Might Be Your Employee Payroll -- Not Your Supply Chain -- That’s to Blame

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:13:23 GMT

Attention shoppers: Did you find everything you were looking for? Retail customers who answer ”yes” to this question might very well represent the Holy Grail to retail operators who want to increase their sales with only a modest increase in costs or in some cases increase sales by merely reallocating staff within a store at no extra cost. Impossible? Not according to a new study on retail store execution by Wharton operations and information management professors Marshall L. Fisher and Serguei Netessine and Wharton doctoral student Jayanth Krishnan.

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Will the SEC’s National Market System Stifle the Innovation It Hopes to Promote?

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:13:23 GMT

In the best possible marketplace all buyers see the prices asked by all sellers and all sellers see the prices offered by all buyers -- and little guys are treated the same as big ones. The result: competition that insures the most efficient interplay of supply and demand. In theory it sounds great. And indeed this is the idea behind the Security and Exchange Commission’s push for an integrated stock market called the National Market System or NMS. But could the best intentions backfire? Wharton finance professor Marshall E. Blume answers that question in a new research paper titled ”Competition and Fragmentation in the Equity Markets: The Effect of Regulation NMS.”

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Deals on Wheels: It’s Rush Hour for Germany’s Auto Industry

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 13:10:43 GMT

For the last couple of years auto analysts and others have focused most of their attention on the troubles in Detroit home of General Motors and Ford two American car companies that have been struggling to regain their footing in the auto industry. But what has been going on in Wolfsburg the headquarters of Volkswagen a quintessential German automaker and in Stuttgart headquarters of DaimlerChrysler a German-American hybrid? Quite a bit actually. Knowledge at Wharton looks at the situation at VW now that Porsche has upped its ownership stake in the company and also at Chrysler acquired by DaimlerBenz nine years ago in a partnership deal that may finally be coming to an end.

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Bill George’s ’Authentic Leadership’: Passion Comes from People’s Life Stories

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 13:10:36 GMT

Bill George probably best known in the business community for his former position as chairman and CEO of Medtronic is also an author. In 2003 he published a book called Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value. This month he published his second book titled True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership described by George and his co-author Peter Sims as a way to ”locate the internal compass that guides you successfully through life.” George is also a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School. He and Michael Useem director of Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change Management recently talked with Knowledge at Wharton about authentic leadership both the book and the concept.

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Falling Behind: Working Women in Germany Grapple with Limited Child-Care Options

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 13:10:32 GMT

Although the German government provides its citizens with a generous family-leave policy being a working mother in Germany is harder than in many other industrialized countries according to faculty members at Wharton and German business schools as well as German corporate officials. This is partly because the culture still to some degree frowns upon the idea of mothers not taking care of their small children at home. But changes are on the way led by corporations German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the women themselves.

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Hit by an Earthquake: How Scandals Have Led to a Crisis in German Corporate Governance

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 13:10:27 GMT

German corporations have long prided themselves on being above-board but scandals at some of the country’s multinational icons have seriously tarnished that reputation. The scandals allegedly involve hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes the procurement of prostitutes and misbehavior by some of the country’s most senior executives including officials at Siemens Volkswagen Deutsche Bank and other firms. The situation is so grave that it may prompt German executives to adopt Anglo-American style corporate-governance principles according to governance and business ethics experts at Wharton and in Germany.

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Once Called the ’Sick Man’ of Europe Germany Is Showing New Signs of Vitality

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 13:10:22 GMT

Talk about good timing. With Germany assuming the rotating presidencies of the European Union and the Group of Eight (G8) developed nations the country is enjoying an economic resurgence. It remains a formidable exporter of goods worldwide its unemployment rate has eased and a recent major tax increase has not dampened economic activity as much as many had feared. Still there is some question whether the recovery is sustainable and whether Germany is up to meeting such long-term challenges as an aging population and a declining birth rate according to faculty members at Wharton and German business schools as well as other experts.

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Jeremy Siegel: ’We Can Look for More Gains in the Stock Market’

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 19:52:02 GMT

All eyes and ears were on the two-day meeting of the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee (FOMC) that ended on March 21. While most observers did not expect interest rates to change the markets were keen to know what language the Fed would use about inflation in its statement on economic and monetary policy. The U.S. economy has seen mixed signals lately and concerns about recession have been replaced by worries about ”stagflation” -- or stagnation combined with inflation. Is stagflation really looming and if so what will it mean for investors? To answer these questions Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel.

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Subprime Meltdown: Who’s to Blame and How Should We Fix It?

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 16:34:51 GMT

Troubles in the subprime mortgage industry seem to be spreading. The stock market is in turmoil. Alan Greenspan and others say the economy is being hurt. Consumer groups predict that up to two million Americans will lose their homes. Should the government do something? A growing list of people say it should from Democratic senators Christopher Dodd and Hillary Clinton to a string of advocates for the poor. But Wharton faculty including those who have studied the mortgage market and past government bailouts aren’t convinced.

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When Local Risks Become Global Risks and How We Can Minimize Them

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:21:30 GMT

Climate change. Middle East instability. International terrorism. Oil price shocks. Weapons of mass destruction. The world is fast becoming a riskier place and the days of wait-and-see are no longer an option says the World Economic Forum’s recently released Global Risks 2007 report. The report published in cooperation with Wharton’s Risk Management and Decision Processes Center identifies 23 core risks -- most of which have worsened over the last year despite growing awareness of their consequences. It also underscores a growing disconnect between the power of these risks to disrupt the world and our ability to mitigate them.

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Building a Modern Economy: How the ’Dubai CEO’s’ Big Bet Is Paying Off for Now

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:21:30 GMT

The announcement that Halliburton the Houston Tex.-based oil services company was moving its headquarters to Dubai may have surprised many Americans. But for people in Dubai it simply ratified decades of hard work. Led by the billionaire known today as ”Dubai’s CEO ” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Dubai’s ruling family has invested heavily in the infrastructure of a modern economy. So far their efforts have been impressive although observers warn of a possible real estate bubble among other concerns.

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More Confident Less Careful: Why Office Romances Are Hard to Manage

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:21:30 GMT

If everything you knew about office life came from NBC’s serial mockumentary ”The Office ” you would be forgiven for thinking romance is the main spice of workplace life. Yet the hit show confirms with satire what recent studies have demonstrated with numbers: Romances shape office life and human resource departments don’t have much to say about it. But given the potential fallout from workplace relationships companies retreat on this issue at their own risk suggest a number of experts. As one HR professional puts it: ”There is a feeling of resignation among HR people. Mostly they close their eyes and hope for the best.”

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Are Hedge Funds out of Control?

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:21:30 GMT

If you go to Amazon.com and search for books about venture capital you get 14 114 responses which include many text books. Andrew Metrick a professor of finance at Wharton has just written a new book on the subject titled Venture Capital and the Finance of Innovation. Unlike the thousands of other books though this one offers a different approach especially in areas such as valuing startup companies and IPOs by bridging the gap between finance fundamentals and venture capital practice. Knowledge at Wharton spoke to Metrick about his new book and also about the increasing power and presence of hedge funds.

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Ongoing Innovation: Tom Malloy on Sustaining the Relevance and Impact of Adobe’s Advanced Technology Labs

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:21:30 GMT

Throughout its 25-year history Adobe Systems has introduced a series of innovations that the company has turned into successful commercial products -- from its PostScript printer language to leading software applications like Illustrator Photoshop and Adobe Acrobat. Now Adobe may be poised to transform the next generation of web technologies. How does Adobe remain innovative? Can innovation be systematically sustained? How does the company organize its exploration of new technologies? Knowledge at Wharton recently spoke with Adobe senior vice president and chief software architect Tom Malloy to learn how Adobe has sustained innovation for two and a half decades.

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Verizon’s High-Speed Network: If They Build It Will You Come?

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:21:30 GMT

Verizon is betting billions of dollars on a new fiber-optic network that could transform it from a telephone company to a cutting-edge technology player. If the strategy works the company could leapfrog over rivals such as AT&T and Comcast by offering faster Internet service and potentially richer video on demand. But if Verizon’s fast network fails to entice consumers the company will have created a multi-billion-dollar boondoggle. Wharton faculty and others examine the two different scenarios.

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Perk Place: The Benefits Offered by Google and Others May Be Grand but They’re All Business

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:21:30 GMT

Free gourmet food 24-hour gym yoga classes in-house doctor on-site haircuts dry cleaner nutritionist swimming pool ... .These are just some of the perks Google -- and many other organizations -- offer employees. Companies have their reasons of course: They want to attract and retain the best knowledge-workers they can help them work long hours by feeding them gourmet meals on-site and handling time-consuming personal chores and show them that they are valued members of the team. But as Wharton faculty point out there may be a potential downside to all this largesse.

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China Stumbles Markets Tumble: Will the Volatility Continue?

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 15:18:06 GMT

The Economist called it ”a snort from a dragon’s nostrils.” At the end of February as China’s stock market index fell by more than 8% stock markets tumbled around the globe in their steepest decline since the attacks on September 11 2001. Adding to the anxiety were concerns about a possible shakeout in the U.S. sub-prime mortgage market and former chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan’s comment that the U.S. economy could face a recession. Since then markets have recovered only to drop again and then climb once more. What is causing this volatility and what does it mean for investors? Knowledge at Wharton asked for comments from Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel whom we spoke with first and Wharton management professor Marshall Meyer who closely follows China’s economy.

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The Con Man in ’Catch Me If You Can’ Is Now Out Chasing High-Tech Fraudsters

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 14:51:20 GMT

In one sense Frank Abagnale Jr. might seem an odd choice as a featured speaker at a cutting-edge computer-ruled event like the Wharton Technology Conference 2007. That’s not just because Abagnale -- the subject of the 2002 Steven Spielberg movie ”Catch Me If You Can” -- was one of the most notorious con men of the 20th century but also because his technique was so decidedly low-tech. But that was in fact part of Abagnale’s message: Vigilance against fraudsters and con artists he said should be even more of a priority now than it was then because Abagnale’s 1960s schemes were harder work.

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At Google the Search Is On for a New Approach to Old Media

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 14:51:20 GMT

Viacom and CBS have pulled videos from Google’s YouTube. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently requested that some Oscar footage be taken down from YouTube as well. And Google’s efforts to sell radio and print advertising have not met expectations. In short Google’s ability to navigate the traditional media landscape doesn’t seem to be going particularly well. What’s the problem? While Google has the resources to create deals with content companies it still must contend with a number of confounding crosscurrents including content owners’ concerns over intellectual property and a clash of advertising models.

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Hedge Funds Escape Regulation: Should Investors Be Worried?

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 14:51:20 GMT

When the Lilliputians came upon the sleeping Gulliver they didn’t know if he was friendly or hostile but he was so big it seemed prudent to tie him down. Should the 9 000 hedge funds -- the secretive investment pools controlling $1.4 trillion in assets -- be treated the same way? The President’s Working Group on Financial Markets doesn’t think so. In a late-February report the group urged vigilance but concluded that new regulations are not needed. Was this the right decision? Wharton faculty weigh in on the issue.

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The Legacy of Sugar Ray Robinson: Boxer Celebrity and Businessman

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 14:51:20 GMT

Kenneth Shropshire knows sports. He is director of Wharton’s Sports Business Initiative president of the Sports Lawyers Association a former executive with the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee and a football player during his undergraduate days at Stanford. He has written The Business of Sports; In Black and White: Race and Sports in America and Basketball Jones: America Above the Rim. His newest book is titled Being Sugar Ray: The Life of Sugar Ray Robinson America’s Greatest Boxer and First Celebrity Athlete. He spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about why he wrote the book and what impact Sugar Ray Robinson has had on sports society race relations and business.

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Why Teens Aren’t Finding Jobs and Why Employers Are Paying the Price

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 14:51:20 GMT

As recently as 1990 nearly 70% of newspaper carriers in the U.S. were teens. But that number dropped to 18% in 2004 and more declines are likely. Although reasons for teens being edged out of this formerly youth-dominated profession are specific to the newspaper industry the end of the boyhood (or girlhood) paper route reflects a dramatic but little-noticed trend: Teen unemployment has hit historic highs in the last three years. Experts in the field say employers who want to ensure a quality workforce down the line should sit up and take notice.

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I Do’s and Don’ts: How Changes in Marriage Divorce and Childbirth Are Redefining the Workplace

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 14:51:20 GMT

According to a new study by Wharton professors Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers marriage and divorce rates in the United States are both at historic lows. When Stevenson and Wolfers began to analyze the changing market forces behind these new statistics one thing became clear: The same forces that play a role in marriage and divorce statistics -- namely birth control partial closing of the gender wage gap the rising age of first marriages and dramatic changes in home technologies -- have also had a significant impact on businesses and employees.

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The Entrepreneurship Challenge in Nigeria

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 13:59:53 GMT

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has set an ambitious goal: He wants the country to become one of the world’s top 20 economies during the next two decades. To accomplish this he has mandated that all university students in Nigeria study entrepreneurship. That is one of the factors that brought Peter Bamkole General Manager Enterprise Development Services at Lagos Business School to Wharton where he recently spent time with The Wharton Small Business Development Center exploring how to set up an entrepreneurship program in Nigeria. Bamkole -- who often goes by the more informal ”Banky” -- spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about the challenges that entrepreneurs face in his home country.

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Steve Jobs’ Most Recent Vision for the Future: A World without DRM

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 13:59:46 GMT

The issue of using hardware- or software-based digital rights management or ”DRM” to restrict how music and movies can be copied or shared has spurred fierce debate between those who think DRM is essential to protect content from unauthorized use and those who believe it undermines consumers’ rights to do whatever they want with the content they purchase. On February 6 Apple CEO Steve Jobs added to the controversy by posting an open letter on Apple’s web site in which he proposes that the recording industry simply do away with DRM all together. Knowledge at Wharton asked marketing professor Peter Fader and Don Huesman senior director of information technology for their views on the subject.

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Sirius and XM: Can Two Archrivals Sing the Same Tune?

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 15:01:25 GMT

On Monday the country’s two satellite radio services -- Sirius and XM -- announced that they had finally agreed to merge. The move raises a number of questions not the least of which is whether they can get this deal approved by the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department. But regulatory issues aside what prompted these two archrivals to embrace each other what do they expect to get out of it and what does a combined company mean for consumers who currently pay a subscription fee of $12.95 a month? Knowledge at Wharton asked for comments from Wharton marketing professor Peter Fader whom we talked with first and business and public policy professor Gerald Faulhaber.

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Private Equity Players Hit the Big Time: An ’Out-of-Body Experience’

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:55:13 GMT

Stephen A. Schwarzman CEO and co-founder of The Blackstone Group was doing sit-ups and watching CNBC when he suddenly heard his name mentioned on air. It was a signal to him that the private equity business had gone ”into a weird zone of visibility.” Schwarzman David A. Brandon chairman and CEO of Domino’s Pizza and Timothy Draper the Silicon Valley venture capitalist examined the recent explosion in private equity deals and discussed its impact on business and investors at the recent Wharton Private Equity and Venture Capital Conference.

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Sustaining Corporate Growth Requires ’Big I’ and ’small i’ Innovation

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:55:13 GMT

All companies from major multinationals to start-ups face a common challenge: how to keep growing. These firms find it difficult to sustain growth because they become risk averse opting for safer incremental product and service improvements instead of more rewarding but riskier major initiatives according to a study by Wharton marketing professor George S. Day. Companies Day says need to better understand the risks inherent in different levels of innovation and achieve a balance between BIG I innovation and small i innovation.

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Make Room Wikipedia: Internet-based Collaboration Could Change the Way We Do Business

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:55:13 GMT

It sounds like something from a futuristic TV thriller: American spies thwarting a terrorist plot through a shared online community modeled after Wikipedia the free user-created web-based encyclopedia. But Anthony D. Williams co-author of the new book Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything recently told a conference at Wharton’s Mack Center for Technological Innovation that this online community of spies already exists -- along with a host of other activist-oriented web sites that are changing the rules of the global economy.

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Could Tremors in the Subprime Mortgage Market Be the First Signs of an Earthquake?

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:55:13 GMT

For months the steady drip of news about troubles in the subprime mortgage market didn’t seem too bad and many economists started to feel reassured about the health of the general housing market. But now some experts wonder whether those feelings of reassurance came too soon. They suggest that the growing number of borrower defaults in the ”aggressive lending” market which includes various types of risky mortgages besides subprime loans could shock the broader housing market and economy after all.

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’Power by the Hour’: Can Paying Only for Performance Redefine How Products Are Sold and Serviced?

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:55:13 GMT

Imagine paying for your car only when it works. Or your television. Or even your high-end toaster. That might sound far-fetched but it could be the future model for purchases requiring service over time. According to research by two Wharton professors of operations and information management Morris Cohen and Serguei Netessine and doctoral student Sang-Hyun Kim this new approach to service supply chains is already reshaping customer-supplier relationships in defense and aerospace contracting under the name ”Performance-based Logistics” (PBL). It could have implications for certain retail sectors as well.

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Jeremy Siegel: Stocks Will Continue Their Upward Trend

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:55:13 GMT

Some media reports called it a Valentine’s Day gift to Wall Street. When Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke appeared before Congress on February 14 and 15 he gave an upbeat view of inflation and the economy setting off a strong rally in stocks. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 87 points to 12 741.86. Bernanke told Congress that the economy seems to be moving to a slower but more sustainable rate of growth which suggests that the Fed will hold short-term interest rates steady at 5.25% where they have been since last summer. Will stocks continue to perform strongly? Knowledge at Wharton talked to Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel who predicted in his last podcast that the Fed was unlikely to raise interest rates anytime soon.

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’Dude You Need a CEO’: The Return of Michael Dell

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 16:03:58 GMT

It’s a common occurrence in Corporate America: An entrepreneurial founder starts a successful business builds it to a certain size and hands it over to a CEO to run. But then when things don’t go well the founder steps back in to take direct control of the organization. That essentially is what happened last week when Michael Dell returned to become the CEO of Dell replacing Kevin Rollins. What will it take to turn Dell around? Wharton management professor Peter Cappelli is the director of the school’s Center for Human Resources. He spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about these issues.

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The World Economic Forum: A Call to Exercise Global Leadership Not Just Self Interest

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:59:14 GMT

This year’s convening of The World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland brought together approximately 2 400 corporate executives heads of government and leaders of organizations like the World Bank and Human Rights Watch to debate issues ranging from global warming to the rise of the Internet and the future of the Middle East. Michael Useem director of Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change Management attended the five-day event. He offers his report on what he calls Davos’ ”culture of transcendent leadership ” which he defines as ”a willingness by those with company or country responsibilities to make decisions that benefit those far beyond the decision maker’s own organization or nation.”

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Do Americans Save Enough? It Depends on What Calculator You Use

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:59:14 GMT

Every week one financial services firm or another releases findings of its latest retirement study: Americans aren’t saving enough. Americans are saving too much. The savings rate is abysmal. People are borrowing against their homes to pay for luxuries and so forth. Who’s right? It turns out not surprisingly that the future is hard to predict and that many calculators designed to make those predictions are flawed in their basic assumptions. Wharton experts try to help navigate the challenges of planning for retirement.

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Why Software Business Models of the Future Probably Won’t Come in a Box

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:59:14 GMT

Microsoft’s Vista operating system should give the company a revenue stream that will run for years but experts at Wharton say the January 30 launch of the consumer versions of Microsoft’s flagship software may be among the last of its kind -- a product sold for a flat fee in a shrink-wrapped box. Indeed many wonder if the software business model that has made Microsoft so dominant may begin to fade as new software business models -- from open source to advertising supported -- gain increasing traction.

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Mike McCue’s Vision for the Convergence of the Phone and the Web

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:59:14 GMT

When Mike McCue founded Tellme in 1999 its initial product was a voice-driven information service what might be termed a ”voice portal.” Today the company’s voice-recognition systems power directory assistance services from AT&T Verizon and Cingular along with automated 800-number customer help lines at companies like Merrill Lynch and Federal Express. But McCue still harbors dreams of a broader voice-driven web one which will provide consumers with new ways of using the phone to interact with the universe of information. He discussed this vision and others during a recent interview with Knowledge at Wharton in Tellme’s Mountain View Calif. offices.

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It’s Not Easy Going Green: Environmentalism May Help Your Corporate Image but Will It Keep You in the Black?

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:59:14 GMT

On February 2 a long-awaited report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was released citing ”unequivocal” proof of global warming. Meanwhile some of the biggest corporations in the world including Wal-Mart Ford General Electric and BP have adopted highly visible ”green” strategies. But what does ”going green” mean for the bottom line? Whether motivated by desire to do what is right or to polish their public image and fend off government regulation companies can profit from environmental initiatives according to Wharton faculty and analysts.

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Fantasy Sports: The Players the Platforms and the Profits

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:59:14 GMT

According to some industry estimates fantasy sports is now a $4 billion industry and growing quickly. What is fantasy sports who provides fantasy sports platforms what are the most popular fantasy sports and -- coming off the Indianapolis Colts’ recent Super Bowl win -- can we assume there will be a Super Bowl for fantasy football or for baseball basketball or hockey? Knowledge at Wharton asked Kent Smetters professor of insurance and risk management to bring us up to speed on the future of this industry.

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The Auto Industry: On the Road to Disaster or Recovery?

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:59:14 GMT

Last May Knowledge at Wharton spoke with John Paul MacDuffie a management professor at Wharton and co-director of the International Motor Vehicle Program about the state of the auto industry. It seems that not much has changed since then except maybe for the worse. 2006 was the first year since 1991 that Detroit’s Big Three were all in the red. Ford’s situation seems direr than ever; Chrysler which was profitable until mid 2006 is now preparing a restructuring plan to roll out this month; and Toyota has claimed the number-two spot in the U.S. auto market just behind GM. Knowledge at Wharton asked MacDuffie whether he expects any surprises or new strategies in 2007.

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Big Deal(s): What’s Driving the M&A Frenzy?

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:35:11 GMT

2006 set a record for mergers and acquisitions worldwide. Deals totaled $3.79 trillion 38% higher than in 2005 and 55 of the transactions were valued at more than $10 billion each according to data from Thomson Financial. Private equity firms were major movers in this trend responsible for 20% of global M&A activity and 27% of activity in the U.S. according to Thomson. How long will this M&A binge continue and when it does come to an end what will be the factors behind the retreat? Knowledge at Wharton asked management professor Harbir Singh an expert on corporate acquisitions and restructuring to offer his views on the M&A landscape.

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Jeremy Siegel: Interest Rates Look Stable but Beware the China Bubble

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:35:06 GMT

The U.S. economy may be getting stronger but that doesn’t mean interest rates will go up when the Federal Reserve meets next week on January 31. According to Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel interest rates should hold firm at their current level for quite a while. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Siegel discusses the current balance ”between strength and moderate inflation ” where the housing market is headed and why investors should be cautious about emerging markets like China which ”looks like a bubble.”

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What’s in a Name? For Apple a Focus on the Digital Living Room

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:12:24 GMT

Apple’s name change from Apple Computer to Apple on January 9 highlights the company’s new reality: CEO Steve Jobs’ strategy today revolves around converged consumer devices much more than around personal computers. How successful will this new strategy be in the face of competition from Microsoft Sony Motorola Samsung Nokia and others who are looking to dominate the digital convergence domain?

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Brand It Like Beckham: Can the Soccer Star Sustain the Hype?

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:12:24 GMT

The sports world went into overdrive this month when it was announced that soccer star David Beckham had signed a landmark five-year sports contract worth an estimated $250 million to play soccer with the Los Angeles Galaxy. But what many Wharton sports and marketing experts are wondering is whether Beckham can live up to the hype surrounding the deal and produce enough star power to not only boost the team’s revenue but also raise the profile of Major League Soccer in the U.S.

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How E*Trade’s Caplan Brokered a Turnaround for a Once-doomed Company

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:12:24 GMT

There’s a saying in show business: Never follow an animal act. Yet that was the tough task facing Mitchell Caplan CEO of E*Trade Financial Corp. when he took the floor to deliver a speech at Wharton -- with the audience still laughing over a clip from a notorious E*Trade ad that aired during the 2000 Super Bowl. Caplan didn’t falter however and went on to discuss how he had helped rescue a company that four years ago seemed on the brink of extinction.

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Toppling a Taboo: Businesses Go ’Faith-Friendly’

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:12:24 GMT

Do your Hindu Sikh and Jain coworkers need a three-day weekend in November to celebrate Diwali? Have you ever asked Muslim employees to help design products destined for a Southeast Asian market? Did you know one colleague urging another to accept Christ as a personal savior is a legally protected act? In the world of corporate diversity and inclusion first there was race then gender and ethnicity then sexual orientation. Now religion is knocking at the door and according to some experts and practitioners it isn’t likely to go away anytime soon.

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The ’Myth of Market Share’: Can Focusing Too Much on the Competition Harm Profitability?

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:12:24 GMT

Business has long been likened to warfare according to Wharton marketing professor Scott Armstrong so it is hardly surprising that companies strive to beat their competitors and wrest away as much market share as possible. But such efforts not only waste time and energy they can actually be detrimental to the firm’s profitability according to Armstrong. Based on new research and examples from today’s business environment Armstrong and co-author Kesten Green suggest that overemphasis on market share is the wrong approach.

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Peter Fader on the New iPhone and Matching Technology to Consumer Demand

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:12:24 GMT

Announcements at the Consumer Electronics Show and Apple’s MacWorld conference both held earlier this month heralded the arrival of a number of products at the center of technology convergence trends. Among the most eagerly awaited are Apple’s iPhone -- which brings together the capabilities of a cell phone and an iPod music player along with other features associated with personal computers -- and Apple TV which allows users to play the movies and TV shows they download from iTunes on their big-screen TVs. But are computer companies like Apple hitting the right notes? Wharton marketing professor Peter Fader spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about whether iPhone Apple TV and other products are delivering features that consumers really want or if this is simply technology in search of a market.

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BCG’s Harold Sirkin on How Firms can Reap the Rewards of Innovation

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:53:06 GMT

These days almost every company worth its balance sheet insists that it invests in ”innovation.” But does it make or lose money on these investments? That is the question that James Andrew and Harold Sirkin tackle in their new book titled Payback: Reaping the Rewards of Innovation. According to the authors who are senior vice presidents and directors of The Boston Consulting Group a new idea is just an invention -- and not a true innovation -- unless it generates financial returns. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Sirkin discusses the challenges companies face as they seek to innovate and -- hopefully -- make a few bucks along the way.

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CEO Richard Fuld on Lehman Brothers’ Evolution from Internal Turmoil to Teamwork

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:47:06 GMT

When Richard ”Dick” Fuld took charge of Lehman Brothers as CEO in 1994 the firm was famous on Wall Street for the bitter internal feud between traders and investment bankers that had cost Lehman its independence a decade earlier. Fuld who had sided with fellow traders in the battle knew he would have to make peace with the bankers and create a culture based on teamwork if the firm wanted to compete in a new era of integrated financial services. ”The early Lehman Brothers was a great example of how not to do it ” he said in a recent Wharton Leadership lecture.

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For Estee Lauder’s Thia Breen a Successful Career Is Made up of ’People Passion and Performance’

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:47:01 GMT

In her keynote address at the 28th Annual Wharton Women in Business Conference in Philadelphia Thia Breen president of Estee Lauder Americas and head of Global Business Development told the audience that she was nearly fired from her first job. ”That was the moment I started to understand: I am totally responsible for my own success ” said Breen whose first job out of college was unloading shipments of toys at Marshall Fields.

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Home Unimprovement: Was Nardelli’s Tenure at Home Depot a Blueprint for Failure?

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:46:57 GMT

After years of a declining stock price Home Depot announced the resignation of CEO Robert Nardelli on January 3. Wharton faculty members and other experts say Nardelli a talented former executive at General Electric who came within a hair’s breadth of replacing Jack Welch as head of the giant conglomerate brought the wrong toolbox to the job after he was recruited for Home Depot’s top spot in December 2000. With strategic missteps an outsized compensation contract and a knack for alienating employees and shareholders Nardelli turned out to be a star-crossed leader.

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Richard Syron Aims to Strengthen Freddie Mac’s Foundation -- and Its Accounting Practices

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:46:49 GMT

Richard F. Syron chairman and CEO of mortgage-securities giant Freddie Mac says he remains ”bearish” on the housing market and sees a rising tide of mortgage defaults and foreclosures on the horizon. He doesn’t believe a rebound will happen until late summer 2007 when the nation’s housing inventory bloated from weak sales gets whittled down. Syron spoke with Knowledge at Wharton before delivering a Wharton leadership lecture.

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Steve Ballmer Speaks Passionately about Microsoft Leadership ... and Passion

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:46:45 GMT

For Microsoft 2006 was a year of new product introductions: the Windows Vista operating system a new version of Office and the Zune music player to name a few. For Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer -- who spoke at Wharton recently as part of the school’s Leadership Lecture series -- these new products serve as a reminder of his goals: Convince customers that Microsoft’s latest products are ground-breaking transform a company with $44 billion in sales into an agile innovator compete against new business models and recruit enough talent to keep the software giant relevant 25 years from now.

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Tackling Poverty and Climbing Mountains in Chile and Beyond

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:46:41 GMT

Rodrigo Jordan a management professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile is a world-class mountaineer. He has led written about and filmed Chilean expeditions to Mount Everest K2 and Antarctica and has drawn on these experiences to found Vertical S.A. a company that uses outdoor education to teach leadership and teamwork. Jordan was recently named chair of Chile’s National Poverty Foundation a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to social development. Knowledge at Wharton offers an edited version of an interview with Jordan on leadership tackling poverty and his recent climb up Lhotse the world’s fourth-highest summit.

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’The Overachievers’: A Look at High School Competition Misses the Bigger Problem -- Underachievers

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:27:02 GMT

Alexandra Robbins’ study of contemporary American high school culture entitled The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids is based on a visit to the high school she attended more than a decade ago and which she says has now changed for the worse. These days Whitman High School in Bethesda Md. promotes a ”competitive frenzy” that the author argues has taken root in high schools across the country and has led to overstressed over-scheduled teenagers growing up in a culture that is excessively focused on achievement.

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Will the 2008 Olympics in Beijing Showcase Pollution as Well as World-class Athletes?

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:27:02 GMT

For many the 2008 Beijing Olympics are seen as a ”coming-out” party for the world’s most populous nation. China is investing billions of dollars in sports venues such as the Bird’s Nest in Beijing the modernist national stadium currently under construction; subway-line extensions and other infrastructure improvements to make the games a world-class spectacle. But some wonder whether air pollution will crash China’s Olympic party and focus world attention on deepening environmental problems that threaten the country’s economic growth.

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Is There a Business Case for Diversity? Yes -- But It’s Not in the Numbers

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:27:02 GMT

Try applying traditional metrics like cost and return on investment to find the value of diversity and you are likely to come up empty handed according to a panel of African-American executives at Wharton’s 33rd Annual Whitney M. Young Memorial Conference. Still they noted diversity has a growing importance in the workplace and minority workers need to focus on their own development in such critical areas as mentoring and balancing corporate identity with activism.

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Network-based Marketing: Using Existing Customers to Help Sell to New Ones

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:27:02 GMT

Marketers have long used all sorts of demographic and geographic data to target potential customers -- age sex education level income zip code. But there’s another variable that companies may want to consider: Who is connected to whom? A study co-authored by Wharton professor of operations and information management Shawndra Hill found that consumers are far more apt to buy a company’s product if they are ”network neighbors” with existing customers.

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Corporate Philanthropy Inspires Trust: Does It Also Prompt Higher Profits?

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:27:02 GMT

Your mother probably told you that it pays to be nice but that may not necessarily be true when it comes to corporate philanthropy. Wharton finance professor Vinay B. Nair and Columbia University’s Raymond Fisman and Geoffrey Heal looked at whether being charitable -- such as donating money to medical research or to organizations that promote economic self-sufficiency -- helps a company’s financial picture. The answer: It all depends on the type of industry.

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Private Equity Is on a Roll but Are Investors in for a Let-down?

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:27:02 GMT

With private equity investors of all types flush with cash -- from venture capitalists and hedge funds to large leveraged buyout (LBO) firms such as The Blackstone Group and The Carlyle Group -- private financing hit record levels in 2006 and is likely to remain strong in the new year according to Wharton faculty and industry analysts. Nearly a third of the dollar value of all U.S. acquisitions last year involved private equity firms up from 3% five years ago. But just how long can this boom continue and what changes may be in store for private equity models?

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Retailers Are Trying to Avoid the Christmas Crunch but Consumers Aren’t Buying It

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 15:19:43 GMT

”Black Friday” -- the day after Thanksgiving that signals the start of the holiday shopping season in the U.S. -- was particularly charged this year marked by midnight store openings and brawls over scarce sale items. Despite the hoopla retailers are expected to post only modest gains this month according to Wharton faculty and retail analysts. A key problem they note is that shoppers continue to procrastinate on holiday purchases despite highly visible early-season marketing promotions. The one area where sales are moving at a brisk pace: online retail.

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Dos and Don’ts for Entrepreneurs from Those Who Have Actually Done It

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 15:19:43 GMT

Fortune 500 companies claim to be ”entrepreneurial ” as do charities and government agencies. Members of many Washington think tanks dub themselves ”policy entrepreneurs.” Even children who mow lawns and run lemonade stands get the ”entrepreneur” label. But as the term has come into wide use its meaning has gradually eroded leaving open the question of who entrepreneurs really are and what distinguishes their ventures from conventional ones. The recent 2006 Wharton Entrepreneurship Conference invited a group of well entrepreneurs to debate the issue.

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To Diversify or Not to Diversify: What’s at Stake for Online Giants in Growth Mode

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 15:19:43 GMT

Amazon plans to sell computing power like a utility company sells electricity. Google is building a suite of productivity software programs connected to the web to take on Microsoft. And Yahoo has launched or acquired so many properties that they run the risk of competing with each other. Such efforts could represent new growth areas and smart diversification moves. Or they could prove to be costly distractions. The big question: Should a company stay focused on its core competencies or should it diversify to keep up with or attempt to surpass its peers?

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How and Why Chinese Firms Excel in ’The Art of Price War’

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 15:19:43 GMT

When it comes to price wars Wharton marketing professor Z. John Zhang can’t help but notice that companies in the West and companies in China are quite literally worlds apart. In the West Zhang says the outbreak of a price war is viewed as the failure of managerial rationality. In China the outbreak of a price war is considered a legitimate and effective business strategy. In a recent paper Zhang and Dongsheng Zhou a marketing professor at the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai analyze two price wars that took place in China in the mid-1990s.

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How John Wood Left Microsoft to Change the World -- through Books (Including His Own)

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 15:19:43 GMT

In 1998 Microsoft executive John Wood decided to take a rare and hard-won vacation. He started out trekking in Nepal and ended up establishing a foundation Room to Read that has created nearly 3 000 libraries in the developing world and stocked them with more than one million books. His experiences are chronicled in a recently-published book that offers his corporate-based perspective on how to raise money market the product leverage relationships and ultimately maximize results.

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Indian Companies Are on an Acquisition Spree: Their Target? U.S. Firms

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 15:19:43 GMT

Reliance Gateway Net VSNL Scandent and GHCL aren’t exactly household names in the U.S. but they may be signs of bigger things to come. These are only a few of the growing number of Indian businesses that have acquired U.S. firms in the past few years. And the U.S. merger-and-acquisition activity is just part of a bigger picture. Indian companies -- usually quietly but sometimes with media fanfare -- have been on a buying spree in continental Europe Great Britain and Asia in attempts to become key players in global markets.

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A Combined US Airways-Delta Air Lines Might Fly but Consumers Could Face Unfriendly Skies

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:29:57 GMT

Although far from a done deal US Airways’ hostile bid to acquire bankrupt Delta Air Lines would result in a strong combined company and would be a feather in the cap of the chief executive of US Airways. But it would also be a mixed blessing for passengers resulting in more flight choices but most likely higher fares as well according to faculty members at Wharton and industry analysts who also note that the overture could lead to further consolidation in the industry.

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The ’Traveling Salesman’ Goes Shopping: The Efficiency of Purchasing Patterns in the Grocery Store

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:45:38 GMT

If a traveling salesman has to visit a set number of cities in a set number of days what is the shortest route he can take to cover all his stops and then return home? And does the answer to this question relate in any way to the manner in which a shopper navigates her way through a grocery store? In a new paper Wharton marketing professors Peter S. Fader and Eric T. Bradlow and doctoral student Sam K. Hui use a concept known as the ”Traveling Salesman Problem” to study the efficiencies -- and inefficiencies -- of grocery shoppers.

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’Revenge of the Nerds ’ Part V: Can Computer Models Help Select Better Movie Scripts?

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:45:38 GMT

Wharton marketing professor Josh Eliashberg has a message for Hollywood: Get geeky. The use of statistical analysis and computer models he says can help managers in the movie industry understand why ratings on a given film will vary from country to country. Even more radically they can lead to the better evaluation of scripts. And using these sorts of techniques he insists won’t dim the magic of the silver screen. Eliashberg Wharton colleagues John Zhang and Sam Hui and Mark Leenders from the University of Amsterdam explore these topics in two research papers.

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Global Hotspots in the Real Estate Business

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:45:38 GMT

Emerging real estate markets in India and China along with recovering property industries in Germany and Japan are among the top destinations for global real estate investors according to panelists at the Samuel Zell and Robert Lurie Real Estate Center’s fall meeting. During a session titled ”Global Hot Spots -- How to Think about Hot Foreign Markets ” Wharton real estate professor Peter Linneman called on each panelist to describe the markets they find most intriguing.

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Pitney Bowes’ Michael Critelli: Not Your ’Celebrity CEO’

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:45:38 GMT

Michael J. Critelli isn’t one of the business world’s high-profile CEOs. But his tenure at Pitney Bowes has lasted over 10 years more than twice the average survival rate for Fortune 500 company heads. And those two facts he noted during a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture are probably not unrelated. ”I have deliberately downplayed my role as a leader ” he said in describing how he helped take the firm from ”a hardware company” to a diversified technology company. ”I went the route of not being out front.”

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Online Companies Want a Piece of Old-style Media Business

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:45:38 GMT

After conquering the advertising frontier in cyberspace Google Yahoo and eBay are now turning to traditional media for future growth by brokering ad sales for offline media like radio television and print. The Internet players’ foray into offline advertising could drive down rates but advertisers and media companies may not completely abandon the current system of relationship-based sales for Internet auctions according to Wharton faculty and industry executives.

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Activist Mamphela Ramphele: ’The Upside of Investing in African Markets’

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:45:38 GMT

Africa’s political leaders are taking major steps to build a better foundation for investment one of its most influential business leaders told the recent 14th annual Wharton Africa Business Forum. Mamphela Ramphele a former managing director of the World Bank said that the continent ”has made historic efforts to affirm good governance build strong institutions and fight corruption.”

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Podcast: Cisco’s Graeme Wood: Acquisitions Happen Quickly but Integration Is a ’Slow Steady Process’

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:25:42 GMT

Graeme Wood is director of acquisition integration at Cisco the leading worldwide supplier of networking equipment and network management for the Internet headquartered in San Jose Calif. Since In this role he has overseen the integration of 30 Cisco acquisitions -- the most notable of which is Scientific Atlanta. The $7 billion deal completed earlier this year allows Cisco to offer an end-to-end data voice video and mobility solution for carrier networks and the digital home. During a recent visit to campus Wood spoke with Wharton management professor Saikat Chaudhuri about how acquiring a global company like Scientific Atlanta fits into Cisco’s overall acquisition strategy and the lessons learned about integrating on a large scale.

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Jeremy Siegel on the Impact of the November 7 Elections

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:32:21 GMT

As the polls had widely anticipated Democrats defeated the Republicans in Congress and also gained control of the Senate by a narrow margin in the U.S. mid-term elections in early November. As attention now turns to the Presidential elections of 2008 President George W. Bush will need to find ways to increase bi-partisan cooperation with Democrats like Nancy Pelosi who is poised to become the first female Speaker in U.S. history. What do the mid-term elections mean for investors and the stock markets? How will they affect American relationships with emerging economies like China and India? What will be the fate of Bush’s tax cuts? To discuss these questions and more Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel who leads Wharton Executive Education’s Securities Industry Institute program spoke with Knowledge at Wharton.

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More than Job Demands or Personality Lack of Organizational Respect Fuels Employee Burnout

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:21:19 GMT

One of the biggest complaints employees have according to Wharton management professor Sigal Barsade is that ”they are not sufficiently recognized by their organizations for the work they do .... When employees don’t feel that the organization respects and values them they tend to experience higher levels of burnout.” Barsade and doctoral student Lakshmi Ramarajan look at the role of respect in a paper titled ”What Makes the Job Tough? The Influence of Organizational Respect on Burnout in Human Services.”

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Business Roundtable Chairman Terry McGraw: ’Strengthening Competitiveness Remains a Bipartisan Challenge’

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:21:19 GMT

The recent elections have made Business Roundtable chairman Harold (Terry) McGraw III hopeful that a less partisan political atmosphere can lead to real progress in addressing America’s economic challenges. In a Wharton Leadership Series talk two days after the November 7 elections McGraw who is chairman president and CEO of The McGraw-Hill Companies called for measures to lower trade barriers improve the competitiveness of the country’s work force modernize health care and ”level the playing field” for U.S. companies abroad -- subjects he elaborated on during an interview with Knowledge at Wharton before his talk.

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Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD: Knocking Each Other Out?

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:21:19 GMT

High definition televisions are expected to be hot sellers this holiday season but consumers are likely to have a tough time sorting out the newest generation video discs and the players that go with them. The culprit: Two competing high definition DVD formats -- Blu-ray and HD-DVD -- and no sign of a clear winner.

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Out of Shanghai’s Shadow: Why Hong Kong Is Becoming China’s New Financial Services Center

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:21:19 GMT

Contrary to rumors about its imminent ”death” following the transfer of power from the British Hong Kong has emerged as the financial intermediary through which foreign investors seek to invest tens of billions of dollars into mainland China. Meanwhile once-booming Shanghai’s star is starting to fade. What happened? According to Wharton faculty and other experts while Hong Kong was crafting a strategy to position itself as both a legal and financial services center for China Shanghai was weighed down by corruption and a largely state-run financial services sector.

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Unilever’s Michael Polk: It’s All about ’Dislocating Ideas’

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:21:19 GMT

To drive home the subject of his speech at the recent third annual Wharton Marketing conference Michael Polk president of Unilever United States flashed up a definition straight from the dictionary: ’Innovation: a new idea or method; a change in something established.’ Polk who manages such brands as Dove Axe Slim-Fast Country Crock Wishbone and Q-Tips said innovation not invention lies at the heart of successful marketing campaigns.

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Product Placement in the Pews? Microtargeting Meets Megachurches

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:21:19 GMT

Church pastors last year had a chance to win a free trip to London and $1 000 cash -- if they mentioned Disney’s film ”The Chronicles of Narnia” in their sermons. Chrysler hoping to target affluent African Americans with its new luxury SUV is sponsoring a Patti LaBelle gospel music tour through African-American megachurches nationwide. Advertising has begun to seep into churches according to religious marketing and academic experts pushing the boundaries by selling products with no intrinsic religious value.

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What’s in Your Future(s)? The Merger of the Chicago Exchanges

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 16:20:23 GMT

In mid-October the Chicago Board of Trade agreed to be purchased by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange for about $8 billion topping a wave of exchange mergers in the U.S. and Europe. Two factors drove the deal: the enormous growth in the use of futures options and other derivatives to hedge risks and speculate and the need for economies of scale to compete with exchanges that have grown through mergers. Wharton professors analyze the deal.

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What’s Next for Netflix?

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:04:42 GMT

Ever since Netflix launched its online video rental service in 1999 conventional wisdom has suggested that the clock was ticking on its business model. First there were worries that Blockbuster would squash Netflix. Then it was Wal-Mart’s DVD rental service which Netflix absorbed in a partnership arrangement last year. Today Netflix is under fire from movie download services offered by powerhouses such as Amazon.com and Apple. Looking ahead what kind of sequel is likely for Netflix?

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Michael Porter Asks and Answers: Why Do Good Managers Set Bad Strategies?

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:04:42 GMT

Errors in corporate strategy are often self-inflicted and a singular focus on shareholder value is the ”Bermuda Triangle” of strategy according to Michael E. Porter director of Harvard’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness. Porter who recently spoke at Wharton as part of the school’s SEI Center Distinguished Lecture Series challenged managers to stop trying to be the best company in their industry and instead deliver ”a unique value” to their customers.

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Can’t Find That Dress on the Rack? Retailers Are Pushing More Shoppers to the Web

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:04:42 GMT

Shoppers with tastes or sizes that fall outside the mainstream may have more trouble finding what they want in stores as retailers attempt to shift low-volume items to Internet sales. According to Wharton faculty and industry analysts retailers are paring back in-store selections in order to save inventory handling costs as well as precious floor space. The strategy however has its drawbacks.

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How Some Firms in India Succeed by Bypassing Entrenched Financial and Legal Systems

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:04:42 GMT

In India regulatory protections for investors are weak banks don’t lend much money to small- and medium-size businesses and the country’s legal system is highly corrupt. Yet when it comes to economic growth India seems to be doing everything right. How can this be? According to a new study by professors at Wharton and three other business schools owners of small- and medium-size firms have found ways to finance growth and settle legal disputes outside the system.

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Making the Global Grade: Chinese Managers Are the Latest Enrollees in Western Executive Education Classes

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:04:42 GMT

As Chinese firms increasingly turn their attention to strengthening their ability to compete in the global economy they have a new challenge -- developing international expertise. One way they are doing this is by turning to Western executive education programs which can include everything from courses in finance marketing and corporate governance to a visit to Bloomingdale’s and meals at noted Western restaurants.

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Efforts Are Growing to Trim the Fat from Employees -- and Employers’ Health Care Costs

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:04:42 GMT

With all the statistics showing how many adults in the United States are obese (30%) how many deaths are caused each year by obesity (365 000) and how bad the problem is (getting worse not better) it’s no surprise that obesity is definitely on employers’ radar screens this year. But Wharton experts and others point out obesity is not just bad for the individual; it also weighs heavily on companies’ rising health care costs.

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Executive Compensation: Over the Top or On Track?

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:12:33 GMT

A recent issue of the Wall Street Journal had two front page stories one on executive compensation and the other on backdating of stock options. The headline for the first was ”Behind Soaring Executive Pay Decades of Failed Restraints ” the implication being that executive compensation is out of control and seems to resist all attempts to rein it in. Wharton accounting professor Wayne Guay talks with Knowledge at Wharton about his views on executive compensation including the role of stock options in rewarding top managers.

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Podcast: Humana CEO Mike McCallister: Letting the Consumer Drive Innovation

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 16:12:21 GMT

Mike McCallister CEO of Humana one of the United States’ largest publicly traded health benefits providers is leading the company’s change from a traditional ”one-size-fits-all” health care delivery model to one in which product innovation is driven by consumer needs. McCallister spoke with Wharton management professor Michael Useem and Stephen Wilson engagement director in George Group Consulting’s Conquering Complexity practice about managing complexity while innovating in a rapidly changing industry.

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What Hewlett-Packard’s Spying Scandal Tells Us about the Limitations of Corporate Boards

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 16:54:18 GMT

The crisis at Hewlett-Packard over allegations that its chairwoman Patricia Dunn authorized illegal surveillance of HP board members in order to find out who leaked sensitive company information to the press is dragging on perhaps longer than most people first expected. And it has raised a number of important issues about corporate governance privacy protection and surveillance of employees. Tom Donaldson professor of legal studies and business ethics at Wharton joins Knowledge at Wharton to talk about HP’s woes as they relate to business practices both in the U.S. and abroad. Donaldson’s research areas include business ethics leadership risk management and corporate compliance. He has consulted with companies ranging from Goldman Sachs and Wachovia to Exelon and KPMG and is currently working on articles about corporate risk management programs and cash management practices at non-profit organizations.

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Jeremy Siegel on Why the Fed Won’t Raise Interest Rates Soon

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 16:54:11 GMT

Next week the Federal Reserve meets to decide whether to increase interest rates or to keep them unchanged -- but the picture on inflation looks unclear. On October 17 the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the Producer Price Index for finished goods fell by 1.3% in September. Much of this was driven by the drop in energy prices -- which have seen the sharpest decline in nearly three years. Core wholesale prices however went up by 0.6% because of a recovery in the cars and light trucks business. What do these mixed signals mean for the economy? Will the Fed’s Open Market Committee keep rates steady or will there be an increase? Jeremy Siegel a professor of finance at Wharton spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about why the Fed is unlikely to raise interest rates at least until the end of the year.

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Microfinance at a Crossroads: How Best to Create Value for the World’s Poorest Citizens

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 16:48:45 GMT

The business of making loans to poor people in underdeveloped countries is entering a critical period of development according to panelists at this year’s Wharton Finance Conference. On one hand they say foundations and other non-governmental groups have shown the private sector that there is money to be made in lending to these population segments. But they also warn that the drive for profit could leave behind some of the world’s neediest citizens. Meanwhile as an indication that microfinance is indeed on the global agenda economist Muhammad Yunus founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on October 12.

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To Blog or Not to Blog: Report from the Front

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 16:48:45 GMT

Kevin Werbach Wharton professor of legal studies and business ethics is a dedicated blogger especially when it comes to technology news and innovation. He sifts through 300 to 400 blogs using NetNewsWire for the Mac a blog management tool that allows him to quickly scan new posts. ”I look for blogs that tell me something I don’t already know including in areas where I am an expert ” he says. Knowledge at Wharton asked several faculty members and technology experts to comment on the appeal and usefulness -- or lack thereof -- of blogs.

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How Can Employers Improve Defined Contribution Plans?

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 16:48:45 GMT

If 401(k)s and similar plans are the main way Americans invest for retirement how can employers improve them? By making enrollment automatic minimizing the use of the employer’s stock expanding the role of annuities and improving employees’ financial knowledge according to a set of recommendations issued by the Financial Economists Roundtable a group of about 50 prominent economists including several Wharton faculty members.

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Burgers and Other Goods in the Blink of an Eye: How Effective Are Short Ads?

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 16:48:45 GMT

Clear Channel Communications which owns more than 1 200 stations and is the nation’s largest radio company has begun selling five-second two-second and even one-second spots that they hope will appeal to cost-conscious marketers. But how much can an advertiser communicate in a five-second ”adlet” or a two- or one-second ”blink ” as these super-short ads are called?

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Carly Fiorina Reviews Her Career and We Review Her Book

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 16:48:45 GMT

Tough Choices Carly Fiorina’s new book about her rise to the top of corporate America as CEO of Hewlett-Packard and later her firing at the hands of the HP board is almost like two books in one: A story about the passion and dedication that drove her to succeed along with an unwillingness to fully address why her tenure at HP was so short-lived. Knowledge at Wharton reviews Tough Choices and in an interview conducted earlier this week talks to Fiorina about her book her image the leadership at HP and what’s in store for the future.

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Netcore CEO Rajesh Jain: ’In India the Future of the Internet Will Be Built around the Mobile Phone’

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 16:48:45 GMT

Seven years ago Rajesh Jain ignited a dot-com storm in India when his portal IndiaWorld was sold to Sify an Internet service provider for $115 million. Today he is CEO of Netcore a Linux-based messaging software firm and also maintains an active blog emergic.org. Jain met with Knowledge at Wharton at his offices in Mumbai to discuss how mobile phones could hold the key to the Internet’s evolution in India and other emerging economies.

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’A Crucible of Competition’: The Emerging Chinese Company

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 22:17:23 GMT

Despite the hurdles they face in entering the global market companies emerging from the highly fragmented and competitive domestic market in China will have distinct advantages that many Western competitors are unprepared to deal with according to experts from Wharton and Boston Consulting Group. Among them: steep cost savings in wages and safety requirements and a widespread lack of concern or clear regulation regarding intellectual property protection.

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Navigating the Labyrinth: Sales and Distribution in Today’s China

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 22:17:17 GMT

Experts from Wharton and Boston Consulting Group say that firms should not underestimate the skills they will need to navigate the labyrinthine networks of state-owned distribution companies and small private wholesalers in China -- particularly as they try to expand outside the country’s largest 30 or 40 cities into its 500-plus other large markets.

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One Billion Three Hundred Million: The New Chinese Consumer

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 22:17:12 GMT

Despite rapid urbanization and the emergence of a strong status-conscious middle class experts from Boston Consulting Group and Wharton point out that China is still ”a country of extremes ” where it pays to understand the differing habits and mindsets of the rich and poor as well as the subtleties of consumer rationales for trading up and down when making purchases.

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Selling to the Local Chinese Market: An Interview with Lenovo’s Deepak Advani and BCG’s Hal Sirkin

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 22:17:07 GMT

Because it is so difficult to generalize about Chinese consumers multinational companies using global ”one-size-fits-all” marketing strategies seem destined to fail in China. Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Deepak Advani senior vice president and chief marketing officer of computer manufacturer Lenovo and Hal Sirkin senior vice president of BCG and leader of the firm’s Global Operations Practice about strategies for selling to Chinese consumers. The key they point out is to tailor products and messages to local markets.

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Dot-Com Bubble Part II? Why It’s So Hard to Value Social Networking Sites

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 15:16:03 GMT

Less than three years after emerging from nowhere the hot social networking website MySpace is on pace to be worth a whopping $15 billion in just three more years. Or is it? And is the much smaller Facebook really worth the $900 million or more Yahoo is reported to have offered for it? The problem say Wharton experts is a dearth of information -- including data on expected revenue generation and cost structure -- to plug into the standard valuation models.

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Michael Useem’s ’The Go Point’: Knowing When It’s Time to Decide

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 15:15:56 GMT

In writing his latest book The Go Point: When It’s Time to Decide -- Knowing What to Do and When to Do It Michael Useem asked more than 100 leading decision-makers to analyze decisions they had made to name their best and worst decisions to describe how they reached them and to comment on what if anything they would change about how the decisions were arrived at. Useem director of the Center for Leadership and Change Management at Wharton talks with Knowledge at Wharton about The Go Point.

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Plateauing: Redefining Success at Work

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:39:32 GMT

It’s not work/life balance and it’s not career burnout. Instead some employees are starting to set career paths based on their own needs values and definitions of success. They are otherwise talented and energetic workers who are ”plateauing” -- setting boundaries around their ambitions rather than striving to climb the next step up the corporate ladder. Some companies are beginning to take notice providing new options and opportunities in the ongoing war for talent.

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The Social Network Benefit: Losing an Employee Doesn’t Have to Mean Losing Knowledge

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:39:32 GMT

It’s always been assumed that when employees leave their companies to join other ones that all their knowledge and experience leave with them. But new research suggests that at least in the high-tech field firms can wind up gaining access to the knowledge being generated at their former colleague’s new place. The results of this research are presented in a paper titled ”Learning from Those Who Left: The Reverse Transfer of Knowledge through Mobility Ties ” by Wharton management professor Lori Rosenkopf and Wharton doctoral student Rafael A. Corredoira.

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Unwitting Exposure: Does Posting Personal Information Online Mean Giving Up Privacy?

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:39:32 GMT

People who access the Internet for what have become routine functions -- sending emails writing blogs and posting photos and information about themselves on social networking sites -- do not realize how much of their personal privacy they put at risk according to Wharton faculty and legal experts. Nor they add have the courts fully addressed the ways in which the Internet can be harnessed for questionable purposes that encroach on privacy.

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Coming Attraction: YouTube’s Business Model

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:39:32 GMT

A deal between YouTube and Warner Music Group to share music videos and revenue could usher in an era where the interests of content copyright holders and freebie-loving consumers align. Or it could wind up being just another stab at a business model for YouTube. The outcome will be determined by how the revenue between copyright holders and distributors like YouTube gets shared say experts at Wharton.

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Connecting the Dots between Innovation and Leadership

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:39:32 GMT

At a recent Wharton roundtable discussion on leadership and innovation panelists were asked how the two are linked and what single factor they think is most critical to innovation in their industry. The answers (in a word): culture passion marketing among others. The event during which panelists also reflected on their career choices was part of Wharton’s 125th anniversary celebration.

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Henning Kagermann: Balancing Change and Stability in the Evolution of SAP’s Enterprise Software Platform

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:39:32 GMT

When Henning Kagermann became the sole CEO of SAP in 2003 a position he had formerly shared with company co-founder Hasso Plattner he faced a number of challenges including an economic slowdown that hurt SAP’s growth. Kagermann quickly reshaped the company’s product offerings and adjusted its market focus to position SAP for the next generation of software. But because SAP’s software is critical for many businesses change requires a delicate balance between progress and stability. Knowledge at Wharton recently sat down with Kagermann in New York City to discuss his vision of SAP’s future.

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Strategies for Dealing with the Risks of 9/11 Katrina and Other Disasters: A Conversation with Wharton Experts

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 18:51:30 GMT

In the five years since the attacks on September 11 2001 Howard Kunreuther Wharton professor of operations and information management has collaborated with members of the private and public sectors to determine how individuals and firms can be motivated to enhance security in our interconnected world. In a new book titled Seeds of Disaster Roots of Response: How Private Action Can Reduce Public Vulnerability Kunreuther and other contributors argue that the United States will continue to be at risk for low-probability high-consequence events like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina until the private sector and public leadership develop strategies to persuade individuals and firms to invest in cost-effective protective measures. The book is edited by Erwann Michel-Kerjan managing director of Wharton’s Center for Risk Management and Decision Processes and three others.

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Novartis’s Alex Gorsky: Ensuring that Patients Get Access to the Medicines They Need

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 18:51:22 GMT

Alex Gorsky was named head of Pharma North America and CEO of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. the U.S. affiliate of Swiss drug giant Novartis in the fall of 2005. Since joining the company in 2004 as chief operating officer and head of general medicines Gorsky has overseen the continued growth of Novartis’s industry-leading cardiovascular franchise notably the blockbuster drugs Diovan and Lotrel. The company sells a variety of products including those that treat endocrine and respiratory disease gastrointestinal illnesses cancer and blood disorders and bone and joint conditions among others. Prior to joining Novartis Gorsky was company group chairman for Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical business in Europe the Middle East and Africa. Before that he spent 15 years in sales marketing and management at Janssen Pharmaceutica. Gorsky was recently on campus to take part in a Wharton business roundtable on leadership and agreed to talk with Knowledge at Wharton about trends in the pharmaceutical industry.

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Podcast: Jeremy Siegel on Interest Rates the Amaranth Implosion and the Thai Baht

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 15:52:44 GMT

Optimism seems to be everywhere just as the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee gets ready once again to pass judgment on where interest rates are headed. The consensus is that Fed chairman Ben Bernanke will keep the federal funds rate unchanged. Part of the reason is that oil prices are down and inflation seems to be under control. Still the bursting of the commodities bubble has not been a universal blessing -- as investors in the Connecticut-based hedge fund Amaranth Advisors discovered after it lost $5 billion in value. The coup in Thailand also raises questions about international business risks. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel spoke about these issues and more.

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Podcast: Online Music and Movies: Which of the New Digital Entertainment Models Offers the Best Value?

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 15:52:35 GMT

It’s been an exciting couple weeks for fans of digital downloads of music and movies with Microsoft’s official announcement of its Zune portable music player along with the Zune Marketplace download service; Apple’s announcement of several new models of its iPod music player and the new availability of movie downloads from iTunes; and Amazon.com’s introduction of its ”Unbox” service offering rent-or-own movie downloads. Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Wharton marketing professor Peter Fader and legal studies and business ethics professor Kevin Werbach to find out which of these approaches will deliver the best entertainment options to consumers and the most value for their companies’ shareholders.

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Can China Gear Up to Sell Its Cars to U.S. Consumers? Quality Is Key

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 15:51:08 GMT

First it was textiles and consumer electronics. Next may be cars. China is once again looking to target a key consumer market in the U.S. Can China become a powerhouse in the global automotive industry and if so when?

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Vigilant vs. Operational Leaders: Changes at Ford the Coke-Pepsi Fiasco and Other Management Moments

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 15:51:08 GMT

As Wharton marketing professors George Day and Paul Schoemaker see it the recent and well-publicized travails of Ford Motor Coca-Cola and Pepsi offer clear examples of the distinction between vigilant leadership and operational management. To explain that distinction Day and Schoemaker have identified four leadership traits: external focus conceptual ability organizational role and time horizon.

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Does Your Web Browsing Create a Unique ’Clickprint’?

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 15:51:08 GMT

On August 21 2006 Time Warner’s America Online revealed that it had released three months of search queries from 658 000 subscribers which contained enough data to possibly identify some of the users. The privacy breach underscored the perils of supposedly ”anonymous” Internet profiling. Yet a different type of anonymous Internet profiling is highlighted in a new research paper by Wharton professor Balaji Padmanabhan and Catherine Yang.

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Losing Their Cool: The Downside of Expanding Hot Social Networking Sites

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 15:51:08 GMT

Facebook a social networking site known as an online meeting place for college and high school students is opening its doors to more people in an effort to grow beyond its current nine million registered users. Could such a move end up blurring the company’s focus and diluting its brand? Are there better ways to expand?

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’Stale’ or ’Sticky’ -- What Motivates Late Trading and Market Timing in Mutual Funds?

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 15:51:08 GMT

Three years ago mutual funds were accused of allowing favored customers to engage in late trading and market timing that hurt ordinary investors. The scandal has subsided but questions remain: Is short-term trading encouraged by the use of out-of-date or ”stale ” stock prices in valuing fund shares? And what remedies will work without penalizing ordinary investors?

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HCL’s Shiv Nadar: ’Transformation Is Beckoning and It Is Right around the Corner’

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 15:51:08 GMT

Shiv Nadar is chairman and CEO of HCL Technologies a subsidiary of Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL) a firm he co-founded in August 1976 and which includes HCL Infosystems. While most Indian IT firms have made their mark in software HCL has been a pioneer in hardware (although it is also the fifth-largest Indian software maker). In the first of a two-part interview with Knowledge at Wharton and Ravi Aron a senior fellow at Wharton’s Mack Center for Technological Innovation Nadar discusses issues ranging from HCL’s origins to future challenges.

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What Impact If Any Will Higher Minimum Wages Have on Retailers and Low-income Workers?

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:05:02 GMT

The struggle to raise pay for low-income workers once fought in agricultural fields and on factory floors is moving to the aisles of big retailers in Chicago where large national chains like Wal-Mart and Target may be forced to offer higher wages along with every-day low prices. While retailers complain the legislation may lead them to stall plans for new downtown stores Wharton faculty say Chicago’s proposed living wage law is largely symbolic and would have little real impact on large retail chains or their employees. Some argue that it also won’t have much impact on poverty.

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The Move to Vertical Product Integration: Can Microsoft Succeed Here Too?

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 14:30:41 GMT

Given Microsoft’s efforts to create a music player and service dubbed ”Zune ” and its offer of design assistance to PC makers in preparation for the company’s new Vista operating system it appears that the software giant is increasingly dabbling in hardware and playing a bigger role in product design. The big question is: Why? While some analysts dismiss Microsoft’s efforts as Apple envy experts at Wharton say there is a bigger picture. Microsoft wants more control over integrating its software with the gadgets that could open new markets. Its real mission: Find new vertical markets to dominate so it can continue to grow even if its Windows monopoly erodes.

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Michael Dell: Still Betting on the Future of Online Commerce and Supply Chain Efficiencies

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 14:30:41 GMT

The day after Michael Dell’s visit to Wharton on August 29 2006 the Wall Street Journal published a front-page article entitled ”Consumer Demand and Growth in Laptops Leave Dell Behind.” The article replayed the drumbeat of bad news that has recently hit the $56 billion PC maker -- a 51% decline in second quarter earnings from the same period a year ago a stock price that is down 60% from its high in 2000 the exodus of key executives to rival manufacturers -- and suggested that the company’s strategy of ignoring the consumer market plus its failure to maintain an efficient customer service operation have hurt its competitive position especially with respect to rival Hewlett Packard. But Dell himself in an interview with Knowledge at Wharton brushed aside the numbers and focused on the upside. He highlighted the company’s success in emerging markets its record market share new tools and training to beef up customer service and his confidence that the preference of consumers to buy online will continue to grow.

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In Brazil Roberto Civita Applauds New and Old Media a Free Press and the Coming Tide of Investors

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 14:30:41 GMT

Roberto Civita is chairman and CEO of The Abril Group one of Latin America’s largest and most influential communications companies. Based in Sao Paulo Abril publishes nearly 100 magazines including its flagship Veja launched by Civita in 1968 and now the world’s fourth largest news weekly. The publication well-known for exposing political corruption in Brazil has been instrumental during the past year in bringing about the resignation of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s inner circle. At the recent Wharton Global Alumni Forum in Rio Civita spoke on ”The Role of the Press in an Emerging Economy.” In an interview last week with Knowledge at Wharton he talked about corruption in Brazil old media vs. new media the U.S.’s obsession with quarterly earnings the importance of education and the coming tide of investors among other topics.

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The Lowdown on Customer Loyalty Programs: Which Are the Most Effective and Why

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 14:30:41 GMT

When making a purchase a consumer has a choice between using frequent-flier miles cash or some combination thereof. Which will he or she choose? Another consumer has an opportunity to participate in a special program to get a free car wash after paying for a certain number of washes. What’s the best way for the car-wash owner to motivate the customer to participate? Such questions are serious business for airlines hotel chains credit-card companies and other corporations that offer loyalty programs to customers. Wharton marketing professor Xavier Drèze and Joseph C. Nunes of the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business have spent several years studying how these programs can be structured to generate the most revenue for companies offering them.

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’Influentials’ and ’Imitators’: How to Better Forecast the Sale of New Products

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 14:30:41 GMT

Two Wharton researchers have developed a mathematical model that they say will allow companies for the first time to predict at what pace new products will gain acceptance in markets where purchasing decisions by knowledgeable influential customers sway the buying habits of others. Wharton marketing professor Christophe Van den Bulte and doctoral student Yogesh V. Joshi say their model can be put to use in industries as diverse as movies music pharmaceuticals and high-technology. Their findings are presented in a paper titled ”New Product Diffusion with Influentials and Imitators.”

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Star Blight: The Perils of Celebrity Endorsements

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 14:30:41 GMT

Floyd Landis’s potential as a product endorser dropped faster than a cyclist speeding down a mountain road when he tested positive for synthetic testosterone after winning this summer’s Tour de France. Sports columnists denounced him even as the companies that had invested tens of millions in him and his team dropped their sponsorships. Landis of course isn’t the only celebrity or athlete who managed to misbehave this summer. Consider sprinter Justin Gatlin French soccer player Zinedine Zidane actor Mel Gibson and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Brett Myers. Yet as marketing experts and others note celebrity wrongdoing is more than just fuel for gossip columns. Athletes and celebrities push all manner of products and services and their downfalls can tarnish the brands and companies they endorse. ”The perils of these endorsements are consistently underestimated ” says one expert.

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Podcast: Jeremy Siegel on the Fed’s Decision to Pause Interest Rate Hikes

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 16:14:36 GMT

After 17 consecutive interest rate hikes during the past two years the Federal Reserve’s open market committee decided on August 8 to leave the federal funds rate unchanged at 5.25%. While stocks immediately rallied in response they fell back as it became clear that inflationary pressures persist and they could prompt more rate hikes in the future. What does this mean for markets and investors? Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel told Knowledge at Wharton that Fed chairman Ben Bernanke met expectations and ”meeting expectations is very positive for stocks.”

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The Billion-Dollar Body Parts Industry: Medical Research alongside Greed and Corruption

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 16:13:52 GMT

Body parts are big business in the United States. Tissue organs tendons bones joints limbs hands feet torsos and heads culled from the dead are the cornerstones of the lucrative and important business of advancing scientific knowledge and improving medical technique. Few people however think to ask where the material that sustains this enormous industry comes from. Journalist Annie Cheney is a timely exception. In Body Brokers: Inside America’s Underground Trade in Human Remains (Broadway) Cheney chronicles her quest to find out how human remains are procured processed marketed and used. It’s a complicated detailed and disturbing tale.

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Made to Break: Are We Sinking under the Weight of Our Disposable Society?

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 16:13:52 GMT

Canadian writer Giles Slade was checking out a touring exhibit called ”Eternal Egypt” with his 10-year-old son a few years ago when he had an epiphany. The Egyptians he realized designed great monuments to endure for countless generations while here in North America nearly everything produced is made to break. And that’s no accident. Slade’s Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America (Harvard University Press) looks at 20th century technology through the lens of disposability a concept born bred and nurtured in America. Made to Break traces the history of an industrial strategy that has come to define this country -- a strategy that has taught us to buy throw away and buy again and that now must change because we have run out of room to safely dump all our unwanted used-up or obsolete possessions.

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Americans Once Again Are Skewered for Bad Eating Habits: This Time It’s Corn

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 16:13:52 GMT

The tired old adage ”You are what you eat ” acquires new life in Michael Pollan’s compelling book The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (The Penguin Press). Tracing our food back to its sources in feedlots and fields Pollan convincingly argues that modern Americans are made of corn -- and that this is a very bad thing for our health our economy and our environment. According to Pollan corn underwrites a national eating disorder even as Americans’ lack of a centuries’ old cuisine makes us exceptionally vulnerable to fad diets trendy nutritional advice and fast food.

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Must-Win Battles: Lessons from Successful and Failed Journeys

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 16:13:52 GMT

Peter Killing and Thomas Malnight are professors of business strategy at IMD the Switzerland-based business school and Tracey Keys is a consultant. In their book Must-Win Battles: How to Win Them Again and Again published by Wharton School Publishing they argue that rather than spreading their resources too thin companies must focus on three to five key challenges -- must-win battles (MWBs) that are crucial to achieving their business goals. A well-chosen MWB the authors say must make a real difference be market focused create excitement be specific and tangible and be winnable. An excerpt from the book’s conclusion highlights what can be learned from successful and failed MWB journeys.

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Three Factors That Can Turn Success into Failure

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 16:13:52 GMT

Lars Kolind is the former CEO of Oticon a leading Denmark-based maker of hearing aids. In his book The Second Cycle: Winning the War Against Bureaucracy published by Wharton School Publishing he argues that size age and success can make mature companies deaf to signals that portend future decline. He summarizes his views in an excerpt from the book.

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Idealized Design: How Bell Labs Imagined -- and Created -- the Telephone System of the Future

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 16:13:52 GMT

In their book Idealized Design: How to Solve Tomorrow’s Crisis...Today (Wharton School Publishing) authors Russell L. Ackoff Jason Magidson and Herbert J. Addison build upon a simple notion. They argue that ”the way to get to the best outcome is to imagine what the ideal solution would be and then work backward to where you are today.” An excerpt based on Ackoff’s experience shows how the process worked at Bell Labs in the 1950s.

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From Confrontation to Experimentation: The Music Industry Is Playing a New Tune

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 12:06:19 GMT

EMI Music backs a label that turns the traditional economics of the recording industry on its head. Vivendi’s Universal Music Group creates multiple pricing schemes for CDs. Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Yahoo decide to sell a single without digital rights restrictions. These moves typify a flurry of experimentation by major record labels in recent weeks and stand in stark contrast to earlier behavior by an industry that six years ago was best known for launching anti-piracy lawsuits against Napster -- a network that originally swapped music files for free -- and individual users. Today according to experts at Wharton the recording industry is actively trying to create new business models as it navigates the emerging Internet-enabled landscape.

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Will the New Nike+iPod Sport Kit Hit the Ground Running or Hit the Wall?

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 12:03:13 GMT

Music physical movement technology and being cool have long gone hand in hand. Now two iconic brands Apple Computer and Nike are collaborating on a new system of gizmos that take exercising and digital-music players to a new level. The Nike+iPod Sport Kit allows runners and walkers to listen to songs and to record store and share information (such as speed distance covered and calories burned) with others about their exercise sessions. The system also ”talks” to runners in real time providing information as they jog along. Members of Wharton’s marketing department say it’s a winning combination that will bolster each company’s image and open the door to other co-branding opportunities. But they disagree as to whether the joint effort will actually sell more iPods and Nike shoes.

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Reluctant Vacationers: Why Americans Work More Relax Less than Europeans

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 12:03:13 GMT

As most travelers to Europe know French workers tend to take the month of August off shutting down many of their shops and cutting back the hours of some museums. But the French aren’t alone. People in much of Western Europe can afford to check out for a month because they receive an average of nearly two months a year in paid leave a combination of vacation and government holidays. That distinguishes them from citizens of the United States who despite a similarly productive economy and a comparable standard of living enjoy about half as much paid time off. What gives? Why are Americans reluctant or unable to extricate themselves from their jobs and sign up for some serious vacation time?

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ICICI’s K.V. Kamath Shapes a Business Plan in Rural India’s Uncertain Financial Terrain

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 12:03:13 GMT

K. V. Kamath CEO of India’s second largest banking and financial services conglomerate ICICI is a man in a hurry. When he occupied the driver’s seat at ICICI more than a decade ago it was a financial institution hamstrung by political constraints. As a key member of the top team at ICICI that led the organization into new businesses such as insurance and banking Kamath used technology effectively to pry open market expansion. Today his top challenge is to retain the talent ICICI trains which is keenly sought by other financial services players. In an interview with Michael Useem Wharton professor of management and director of the school’s Center for Leadership & Change Management Kamath discusses ICICI’s foray into rural banking and other challenges.

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Waking Up on the Wrong Side of the Desk: The Effect of Mood on Work Performance

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 12:03:13 GMT

While a lot of research has been done in the past two decades on work-family conflicts few studies have looked closely at how mood affects workers’ performance. Wharton management professor Nancy Rothbard and co-author Steffanie Wilk wanted to find out which mood-altering events have the biggest effect if any -- those that influence one’s outlook at the start of the day or those that nudge one’s mood up or down as the workday advances. The results of Rothbard and Wilk’s study are reported in their paper ”Walking in the Door: Sources and Consequences of Employee Mood on Work Performance.” Among their key findings: The mood you bring with you to work has a stronger effect on the day’s mood -- and on work performance -- than mood changes caused by events in the workplace.

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Promises Lies and Apologies: Is It Possible to Restore Trust?

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 12:03:13 GMT

In the workplace trust is essential to day-to-day business whether it’s one colleague trusting that another will do her share of a project an employee trusting that his boss will reward him for working long hours to meet a deadline or a customer trusting that a company will fill an order correctly and deliver it on time. The intertwining issues of trust deception apologies and promises are explored in a new research paper titled ”Promises and Lies: Restoring Violated Trust ” by three Wharton professors who came up with a unique laboratory experiment to see what happens when trust breaks down. ”While deception may be tempting because it can be used to increase short-term profits for the deceiver ” the researchers note ”we find that the long-term costs of deception are very high.”

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Longer Lives and the ’Lump-Sum Illusion’ Are Just Two of the Challenges Retiring Baby-Boomers Face

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 12:03:13 GMT

In the United States alone an unprecedented 77 million baby-boomers will be living the next 20 to 30 years in retirement. With long lives ahead of them -- and without adequate planning -- what are the risks they are facing? According to Olivia Mitchell Wharton professor of insurance and risk management and Christopher ”Kip” Condron president and CEO of AXA Financial the world’s largest financial services firm the rising tide of boomers in the U.S. and around the world needs to meet challenges that previous generations never faced including changes to key retirement institutions as well as medical-care cost inflation and the ”lump-sum illusion.” Knowledge at Wharton spoke with Mitchell and Condron about how the financial services industry is working to meet the needs of this next wave of retirees.

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Does a GM-Nissan-Renault Alliance Make Sense? Skepticism Abounds but Let’s Hear What Carlos Ghosn Has to Say

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:48:49 GMT

On July 7 General Motors’ board of directors voted to study the pros and cons of entering into a three-way alliance with automakers Nissan and Renault. The alliance was proposed by GM shareholder Kirk Kerkorian who sees it as a way to revive the struggling company and expedite the restructuring taking place under GM’s current chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner. Another central figure in this drama is Carlos Ghosn CEO of Nissan and Renault who is credited with turning around Nissan and who is seen by Kerkorian and others as holding the keys to GM’s future. What would a three-way alliance mean for GM and for the auto industry in general?

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Podcast: Is the Economy in for a Soft Landing? Yes. Will it Become a Recession? No.

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:48:42 GMT

In a recent newsletter Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel noted that ”everything is coming up roses for the equity markets -- except for the latest developments in the commodities markets.” What does that imply for the economy and stock markets? Siegel who is also the author of the book The Future for Investors notes that the economy is heading for a soft landing which means it is slowing down. ”But we’re not going to a recession by any means ” he told Knowledge at Wharton in a recent discussion.

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Aditya Mittal: ’Arcelor and Mittal Steel is the Best Combination within the Steel Industry’

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:28:21 GMT

The biggest takeover battle in the global steel industry came to an end in late June when Mittal Steel the world’s biggest steelmaker acquired Arcelor the industry’s second-largest company. For five months before shareholders signed off on the $32.2 billion transaction both sides were engaged in an acrimonious fight. At times it seemed as though the deal would collapse but finally after Mittal Steel significantly increased its offer it went through. What was Mittal Steel’s strategy in pursuing this acquisition? When the company encountered resistance how did it frame its negotiation strategy? What will the deal mean for the world steel industry? Aditya Mittal president and chief financial officer of Mittal Steel -- and son of founder Lakshmi Mittal -- spoke recently with Knowledge at Wharton.

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Mexico’s Split Vote: What Will It Mean for Sustainable Economic Growth?

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:28:21 GMT

For the 41 million Mexican voters who went to the polls on July 2 the major decision was whether they were going to continue to follow the same free-market model with limited spending and greater foreign investment that the country has had for the past six years or opt for change. Ultimately in one of the most expensive and contentious elections in the history of the country Mexicans chose the continuity represented by Felipe Calderón -- by a mere margin of 236 000 votes. Now that the election is over tensions are running high and the defeated candidate leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador has rejected the results announcing that he will appeal the election in the courts. Scholars and other analysts believe that Calderón has no other course but to sit down and negotiate with the opposition so that the country can move forward on the most urgent reforms that it needs. In the process Calderón also has to try to convince the half of the population that did not vote for him that he can redistribute wealth more effectively create jobs and foster stable economic development.

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Commercial Real Estate’s Perfect Storm: What Lies Ahead?

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:28:21 GMT

The commercial real estate market has been on a tear in the last few years. Banks insurance companies and institutional investors have funneled money into the market because its returns in an environment of low interest rates exceeded those of other asset classes. As interest rates begin to climb how will that situation change? Experts discussed those issues at a recent conference on Innovation and Risk Management in Real Estate Markets organized by the Wharton Financial Institutions Center and Mercer Oliver Wyman.

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In Biotech Startups Knowledge Bridging Can Be the Key to Creativity

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:28:21 GMT

In 2004 engineers at Massachusetts-based Bose Corp. a maker of stereo speakers and other audio equipment introduced a startling new product that had nothing to do with sound: an automobile suspension. Bose’s founder Amar Bose had suspected that his company’s knowledge of the physics of acoustics could also help drivers defeat bumps and potholes. The suspension now ready for the mass market exemplifies a technique known as knowledge bridging -- taking expertise from one field applying it to a completely different one and thus creating an unprecedented product or service. A recent study co-authored by Wharton management professor David Hsu ”Knowledge Bridging by Biotechnology Startups ” suggests that knowledge bridging can help companies bring products to market faster and raise money more quickly.

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Online Video: The Market Is Hot but Business Models Are Fuzzy

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:28:21 GMT

On July 11 Sony Pictures Home Entertainment became just the latest media giant to put its heft behind a small startup as the white-hot online video market has players both big and small placing bets on digital distribution. Add up the venture capital dollars funding online video startups the technology advances the willingness of established players like ABC CBS and NBC to try new distribution models and the increasing web viewership and it’s clear that the video market is at an inflection point say experts at Wharton and media research firms. However several questions remain: What will ultimately become of all the wheeling and dealing in the online video market? What are the most important technologies needed to expand online video? Can online video startups find viable business models? And aren’t all parties simply hedging their bets since it’s unclear which online video distribution models will win?

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Creating a Sustainable Business among South Africa’s Poor ’One Bite at a Time’

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:28:21 GMT

When she worked on Wall Street launching IPOs Alicia Polak helped generate new wealth. Now she is working to build wealth in the dirt-poor black township of Khayelitsha 30 minutes down a dusty road from Cape Town South Africa. Two years ago Polak founded The Khayelitsha Cookie Co. which now employs 11 women from the sprawling shantytown to bake high-end cookies and brownies that are distributed to top hotels restaurants and coffeehouses throughout South Africa. Working in conjunction with the Societal Wealth Generation program in Wharton’s Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Research Center which explores ways to apply entrepreneurial business models to social problems such as healthcare education and unemployment Polak says her ultimate goal is to change the lives of the women she employs ”using this company as the vehicle.”

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Podcast: Ian MacMillan on the $60 Billion Question

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 15:16:09 GMT

Earlier this week Warren Buffett made a $31 billion gift to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help find cures for the world’s 20 worst diseases and to improve the educational opportunities for all Americans. Buffett’s contribution -- in the form of 10 million shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock to be transferred in increments over a number of years -- will more than double the size of the existing Foundation which is already the world’s largest. But questions have immediately arisen as to how $60 billion can be effectively managed what impact the donation will have on other donors and whether the Foundation has come up with the best approach to solving systemic health problems in developing countries. Ian C. MacMillan Wharton professor of innovation and entrepreneurship and director of the Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Research Center talked with Knowledge at Wharton editorial director Robbie Shell and senior editor Steve Guglielmi about this gift. MacMillan’s areas of interests include societal wealth creation technology strategy and managerial and entrepreneurial approaches to knowledge management.

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Will It Pay Off or Become a Write Off? Managing Risk in Venture Capital Investing

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 15:11:00 GMT

Risk is part of the landscape when investing in start-up firms and venture capitalists need to approach this peril across a range of dimensions including geography industry and the timing of investments in the product development cycle according to speakers at a Wharton conference titled Innovation and Organic Growth: Balancing Risk and Reward hosted by the Mack Center for Technological Innovation. ”We have generated a lot of wealth for people and also created our fair share of losses ” noted one firm’s principal. In a panel discussion called ”Financial Perspectives on Managing Risks ” he and others from the industry described how their firms determine which new technologies -- whether from the energy high-tech or healthcare sectors -- are good investments and what strategies they employ to manage and mitigate risk.

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Follow the Sun: Predicting Population Growth in the U.S.

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 15:11:00 GMT

The greatest future growth in the United States is likely to take place in the West the Sunbelt and along the I-85 corridor between Raleigh N.C. and Atlanta Ga. In a literal sense Americans are following the sun since factors such as the number of ”bright” or ”sun” days in January and the absence of winter heating costs are significant aspects of this anticipated redistribution of population note Wharton real estate professors Peter Linneman and Albert Saiz in their study ”Forecasting 2020 U.S. County and MSA Populations.” The areas that can expect the largest drop in population or a slow-down in their rate of growth are mostly in the Northeast Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. ”Americans are rapidly leaving cold damp and snowy areas for sunnier and drier climates ” the authors write.

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Leadership Lessons from Survivors: ’Climbing on the Mountain’s Schedule Not Ours’

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 15:11:00 GMT

At Wharton’s 10th annual leadership conference on June 13 the theme of ”Leading with Resilience: Coming Back from Challenge and Adversity” brought together speakers who had faced hardships in a number of different areas. Perhaps none of the speakers however had experienced as much physical danger as David Breashears filmmaker and mountaineer who recounted how he and his team survived one of the deadliest accidents in the history of Mt. Everest. ”So where does a mountaineer and filmmaker fit into this conference?” Breashears asked. ”Resilience excellence determination conviction resolve” -- words that are often used to describe a successful team anywhere whether on Wall Street or on a cliff. Another speaker at the conference -- organized by Wharton’s Center for Human Resources and The Center for Leadership and Change Management -- was Sylvia M. Montero who recounted her own journey from a farm in Puerto Rico to a position as senior vice present human resources at Pfizer.

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Something Old Something New: How Will Microsoft’s Changing of the Guard Play Out?

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 15:11:00 GMT

Ray Ozzie is in. Bill Gates is heading out (but not entirely). And Steve Ballmer is staying right where he is (at least for now). What does this game of musical chairs among the members of Microsoft’s high command portend for the world’s biggest software company? Far from being a source of confusion and uncertainty Gates’ recently announced decision that he will relinquish his full-time day-to-day involvement in the company in July 2008 may be just the breath of fresh air needed for a firm facing major challenges to its core business according to Wharton experts. At the same time it’s not yet clear just how successful Gates will be in removing himself from a company that has been his life for three decades.

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Two Investment Gurus Square Off on the Future of Indexing

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 15:11:00 GMT

Over the past three decades index-style investing has moved from the fringes to the mainstream with an estimated $3 trillion now committed to this simple strategy -- to match broad market returns and give up as little as possible to fees and taxes. Clearly indexing has served investors well and is here to stay. But can it be made even better? Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel thinks so. The standard index which gives more weight to stocks of bigger companies should be replaced by ”fundamental indexing” that assigns each stock a role based on factors like corporate sales or dividend payments Siegel says. But many index-investing experts are unconvinced. ”I don’t believe in new paradigms ” says John C. Bogle founder of the Vanguard Group mutual fund company which specializes in traditional index investing. Siegel and Bogle offer their different views on indexing.

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Finding New Opportunities to Market ’Lost’ and Other TV Shows

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 15:11:00 GMT

In the spring of 1980 ”Dallas” ended its season with the biggest network television cliffhanger ever. Viewers waited all summer to discover who shot conniving oilman J.R. Ewing; when CBS finally provided the answer that fall a record 76% of American TVs in use were tuned into the show. In that pre-Internet pre-podcast pre-TiVo world networks had only each other to compete with. Today under pressure from on-demand media networks are using new tricks to retain viewers. Their strategy this time around? Turn shows into communities and viewers into cult-like fanatics. ABC’s ”Lost” is probably the most visible example of this recent phenomenon but it’s not the only one. What strategies are networks and advertisers using to gain the attention of that ever-important consumer?

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Getting a Fix on Network Neutrality

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 18:59:45 GMT

On June 8 the House of Representatives squashed an amendment that would prevent telecommunications companies from charging Internet content companies more to deliver enhanced services such as high quality audio and video content. The amendment would have required ”network neutrality ” an often-debated term that means different things to different people. To its supporters like Google Yahoo and eBay it means that telecommunications companies should be required to treat all Internet traffic -- whether bandwidth-hogging video or a brief email message -- the same. To companies like Verizon and AT&T imposing network neutrality would mean that they could not charge for enhanced services on networks that cost them billions of dollars to build. Experts from Wharton and elsewhere weigh in on the issue.

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Podcast: Autonomy’s Michael Lynch on Meaning-based Computing

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 18:59:37 GMT

Almost everyone these days will agree that an organization’s intellectual capital or knowledge assets are as important as its physical assets. The challenge of how to track organize and use knowledge assets however is easier said than done. How can companies tackle this challenge? Michael Lynch founder and CEO of Autonomy a company with offices in Cambridge England and San Francisco believes that his company’s technology can help organizations extract meaning from reams of unstructured data. Autonomy even has a name for this process -- meaning-based computing. Lynch and Kevin Werbach a Wharton professor of legal studies and business ethics who has written extensively on this subject spoke with Knowledge at Wharton editor Mukul Pandya about these issues.

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Has Major League Baseball Hit a Foul in Its Recent Skirmish with Online Fantasy Leagues?

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 15:41:34 GMT

Major League Baseball’s decision to square off with CBC Distribution and Marketing an online baseball fantasy-league operator based in St. Louis Mo. might make good legal sense but it’s bad for business according to Wharton faculty and baseball industry spectators. For several years CBC paid a fee to the Major League Baseball Players Union for the right to use players’ names and stats for its virtual leagues in which fans draft pro players onto imaginary teams and then compete with each other based on their players’ statistics. But last year Major League Baseball Advanced Media bought the Internet and wireless rights to the names and stats from the union and informed CBC that it wouldn’t renew its license. CBC has filed a law suit in response but the league isn’t backing down. By picking a fight with CBC -- and the $1.5 billion fantasy league industry -- baseball risks alienating fans damaging its brand and sacrificing future revenues for a small gain experts say.

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Companies That Use Combative Advertising May End Up with a Black Eye

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 15:41:34 GMT

John Zhang has a message for Cingular Wireless and Verizon Wireless or for that matter any company that uses its ads to attack a competitor. Instead of luring away your competitor’s customers you may just be hurting yourself. Zhang a Wharton marketing professor has found that combative ads -- the sort of comparative spots that beer makers particularly Anheuser-Busch and Miller are famed for -- may backfire. Instead of pulling consumers to an advertiser they may just make people indifferent to all offerings in a product category. ”Combative advertising a characteristic of mature markets is defined as advertising that shifts consumer preferences toward the advertising firm but does not expand the category demand ” Zhang says in his research paper titled ”A Theory of Combative Advertising.”

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The Millionaire down the Street Was Right But Now What’s in Store for Real Estate?

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 15:41:34 GMT

In recent years when interest rates in the U.S. were low hordes of homeowners and investors in real estate grew wealthier as they watched their home values increase or their investment properties sell for multiples of their purchase price. But now with interest rates rising the run-up in real estate may be ending. What will happen next? Experts from Wharton and elsewhere debated this question at a conference on innovation and risk in real estate markets organized by the Wharton Financial Institutions Center and Mercer Oliver Wyman.

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Wal-Mart: Is There a Downside to Going Upscale?

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 15:41:34 GMT

After saturating its target market of working class bargain-hunting consumers Wal-Mart is ratcheting up its low-price strategy to appeal to more upscale shoppers by expanding its merchandise lines to include organic foods better wines high-end consumer electronics and new fashion-oriented apparel. It’s an approach that carries some risk say Wharton faculty and analysts but that is dictated by intense competition and the lack of other opportunities for growth.

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Connecting the Corporate Dots: Social Networks Reveal How Employees and Companies Operate

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 15:41:34 GMT

With the recent disclosure of wiretapping by the National Security Agency and the booming success of sites like MySpace and Friendster social networking is much in the news today. But serious interest in social networks can also be found among academics consultants and corporations seeking to deepen their knowledge of how companies operate. While organizations have been aware of the power of social networks for some time now researchers at Wharton note that mapping these connections can yield some potent insights about identifying key employees how board members interact within and among companies and how employee relationships can be better understood to improve productivity and the dissemination of ideas.

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Is Your Team Too Big? Too Small? What’s the Right Number?

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 15:41:34 GMT

When it comes to athletics sports teams have a specific number of team players: A basketball team needs five baseball nine and soccer 11. But when it comes to the workplace there is no hard-and-fast rule to determine the optimal number to have on each team. Should the most productive team have 4.6 members as suggested in a recent magazine article? What about naming five or six individuals to each team which is the number of MBA students chosen each year by Wharton for its learning teams? Is it true that larger teams simply break down reflecting a tendency towards ”social loafing” and loss of coordination? Or is it that the best number of people for a team is driven by the task at hand and by the roles each person plays? Research by Wharton faculty offers some insights.

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Podcast: Thomas Dunfee on the Enron Verdict

Wed, 31 May 2006 14:58:33 GMT

On May 25 a federal jury convicted former Enron CEO Kenneth Lay and former Enron president Jeffrey Skilling on conspiracy and fraud charges with sentencing to be decided on September 11. As has been repeatedly noted in press coverage of this trial Enron is the incredible story of a once powerful company done in by a group of top executives whose greed and fraud was breathtaking even by post dot-com standards. But it is by no means the only high-profile criminal trial in recent days nor is it likely to be the last case brought by the government against CEOs who abuse their positions their stockholders their employees and the public trust. Thomas Dunfee chairman of Wharton’s legal studies and business ethics department and an expert on social contracts and the social responsibility of business talked to Knowledge at Wharton’s Mukul Pandya and Robbie Shell about the Enron verdict.

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Podcast: Jeremy Siegel on Dangers of the Commodities Bubble

Wed, 31 May 2006 14:58:28 GMT

The cover photograph in the latest copy of The Economist says it all. The May 25 edition has a picture of a bear peeping out of the woods with a headline that asks ”Which Way is Wall Street?” The magazine notes in an editorial that after nearly three years of gains international stock markets tumbled by more than 10% during the past couple of weeks. Emerging markets have been volatile as have markets in Europe. Is this likely to lead to the kind of bearish slump that followed the dot-com bust in the spring of 2001? Or will the volatility pass? Jeremy Siegel a finance professor at Wharton and author of the book The Future for Investors spoke with Knowledge at Wharton’s Mukul Pandya and Robbie Shell about the commodities market the appointment of Henry Paulson as the new Treasury Secretary and the challenges faced by Fed chairman Ben Bernanke among other topics.

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May’s Market Collapse: What’s an Investor to Do?

Wed, 31 May 2006 14:58:22 GMT

American investors have poured money into foreign stocks in recent years lured by the hope of outsized gains. They have been well rewarded in the past 12 months but in May markets plummeted around the world. Mutual funds investing in foreign stocks for example lost more than 8% in the two weeks ending May 25 although their previous stunning performance left them up nearly 31% for the 12 months ending on that date. The late-May plunge was especially severe in emerging markets. Is this another bubble bursting the way the tech-stock bubble collapsed several years ago? Wharton professors offer their take on the downturn and its implications for nervous investors.

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Aligning the Organization with the Market: Focusing on ’The Customer’s Total Experience’

Wed, 31 May 2006 14:49:23 GMT

When Lou Gerstner became chief executive of IBM in the early 1990s Big Blue was on a course to be broken up into smaller companies each responsible for separate IBM business units such as PCs software and the like. But Gerstner concluded the strategy was ”wrong-headed” because it was contrary to the wishes of customers according to Wharton marketing professor George Day. Rather than assemble their computer systems from a variety of vendors customers wanted help putting everything together. So IBM embarked on a multi-year journey to align its organization with the marketplace. For IBM the experiment was successful. But in a forthcoming paper titled ”Aligning the Organization with the Market ” Day reports on a survey that found only mixed results among 347 medium- to large-size firms that attempted customer-focused reorganizations.

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Epidemics in an Integrated Global Society: An Economist’s View

Wed, 31 May 2006 14:49:23 GMT

When Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) broke out in Hong Kong in 2003 some media outlets predicted economic calamity for the city. But by one financial measure -- real estate prices -- Hong Kong hardly suffered according to research by Grace Wong a Wharton real estate professor. In two papers titled ”Has SARS Infected the Property Market? Evidence from Hong Kong” and ”Is SARS a Poor Man’s Disease? Socioeconomic Status and Risk Factors for SARS Transmission ” Wong looks at SARS’ impact on real estate values and analyzes the role of income in determining who contracted the disease. Underlying her research is the recognition that in a global economy infectious diseases such as SARS will likely spread farther and faster as people travel all over the world in search of new business opportunities.

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Employee Incentive Systems: Why and When They Are So Hard to Change

Wed, 31 May 2006 14:49:23 GMT

In the late 1980s as part of an effort to beef up its core IT business Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) began to hire specialist strategy consultants from outside the company. These consultants were more experienced than the usual Andersen employees and they were accustomed to ”much more aggressive individual performance incentives” than was the norm among Andersen’s existing IT staff according to Wharton management professor Sarah Kaplan author of a recent paper titled ”Inertia and Incentives: Bridging Organizational Economics and Organizational Theory.” In the paper co-authored with Rebecca Henderson from MIT’s Sloan School of Management the two researchers use Andersen Consulting Kodak and other organizations to study conflict especially with regard to incentive systems that results when companies undergo major change such as adopting new technologies or shifting into new markets.

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Today’s Research Question: Why Do Investors Choose High-fee Mutual Funds Despite the Lower Returns?

Wed, 31 May 2006 14:49:23 GMT

With their combination of low fees tax efficiency and simple autopilot investing style index funds seem to have captivated American investors. At the same time however many investors still hold trillions of dollars in high-fee funds despite well-publicized evidence that low-fee alternatives offer higher returns over the long run. ”It struck us that most people just don’t know what mutual fund fees are. So we set out to actually test that ” says Brigitte C. Madrian professor of business and public policy at Wharton. The result is a paper titled ”Why Does the Law of One Price Fail? An Experiment on Index Mutual Funds ” by Madrian Yale professor James J. Choi and Harvard economics professor David Laibson.

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The Business of Hospice Care

Wed, 31 May 2006 14:49:23 GMT

Hospice care occupies a specialized and growing niche in the healthcare economy as a comfort to the dying and their families and a potential cost-saver for Medicare. With baby boomers now hitting their seventh decade hospice is expected to become an even more important part of the healthcare landscape according to Wharton faculty and industry analysts. How profitable are hospice-providers what is their long-term business outlook and what are the unique challenges that hospice companies face given strict government regulation amid increasing demand for their services?

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If You Were in Charge How Would You Market These Products?

Wed, 31 May 2006 14:49:23 GMT

With more and more advertising vehicles crowding today’s marketing environment -- including traditional print television and radio ads product placements Internet buzz viral campaigns and cell phone messaging -- marketers have new opportunities to reach vast pools of potential customers. But the tangle of options also requires any successful marketing plan to take into account the nature of the product its durability in the public’s mind and the advertising budget needed to make it all work. As Wharton professor David Bell notes: It’s very hard to find ”the one big lever that can reach a whole lot of people in a way that is cost-effective.” Knowledge at Wharton asked four Wharton marketing professors how they would go about launching two hypothetical products a summer blockbuster movie and a cell phone.

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Microsoft’s Multiple Challenges: Is Its Size a Benefit or Burden?

Wed, 17 May 2006 15:28:37 GMT

Microsoft announces that it will spend about $2 billion to fend off rivals such as Google and thwart Sony’s video game ambitions and the company loses more than $30 billion in market capitalization in a day. Fair trade or overreaction? Probably a little of both according to experts at Wharton. Microsoft certainly isn’t hurting financially. The company reported net income of $2.98 billion on revenues of $10.9 billion for the quarter ending March 31. But the big question is whether that performance will be maintained over the next decade. One issue say Wharton faculty and others is whether Microsoft has grown too big to be nimble enough to compete with its long list of rivals on many fronts: Google in Internet search and advertising; Sony in video games with the launch of its Playstation 3 on November 17; Linux inside the corporation; and Apple Computer in digital media to name just a few. By extending its reach into new markets such as mobile communications and digital entertainment is Microsoft in danger of stretching itself too thin?

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What’s in a Name? Consumer Reaction to Supplements Versus Drugs

Wed, 17 May 2006 15:28:37 GMT

When consumers are diagnosed with a medical condition such as high cholesterol or obesity they immediately begin a new regime of brisk walks and a diet of heart-healthy foods right? Not necessarily says Wharton marketing professor Lisa E. Bolton. If those consumers are taking a prescription or over-the-counter drug for their condition they may actually toss back more chips and donuts. Those taking a supplement however may be more likely to eat broccoli and hit the treadmill. In a new research paper Bolton Wharton marketing professor Americus Reed II and Penn medical school professors Kevin G. Volpp and Katrina Armstrong look at how consumer perceptions of supplements and prescription drugs can affect risk perceptions and intentions to diet and exercise.

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A New Tool for Resurrecting an Old Theory of the Firm

Wed, 17 May 2006 15:28:37 GMT

It’s one of the oldest most fundamental ideas in management theory: that executives should understand how the many distinct functional components of a firm -- production distribution product mix human resources -- interrelate to achieve the proper fit. In recent years however this notion of comprehending the ”part-whole” relationship of the firm fell out of favor as thinkers turned to other concepts -- such as relying on core competencies to attain competitive advantage. Now two professors in Wharton’s management department Daniel A. Levinthal and Nicolaj Siggelkow say it is time to once again address the part-whole concept. Without this systemic way of looking at companies the researchers note firms run the risk of engaging in compartmentalized thinking that can work to their disadvantage. The two scholars have addressed issues related to firm positioning and the part-whole relationship of the firm in a number of papers and articles.

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CEO Pay: A Window into Corporate Governance

Wed, 17 May 2006 15:28:37 GMT

Once again proxy season has revealed some eye-popping numbers in executive compensation packages generating heat from shareholders labor organizations and some analysts who contend that the links between CEO pay and performance are frayed. Other experts however suggest that most executives do earn their pay without indulging in mega-option packages or in salaries that keep increasing even as share value declines. At the same time these experts also suggest ways to improve compensation packages to more closely align them with shareholder interests.

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The Immigration Debate: Its Impact on Workers Wages and Employers

Wed, 17 May 2006 15:28:37 GMT

Illegal immigration into the United States has sparked heated debate in Congress roiled the two main political parties and prompted hundreds of thousands of immigrant supporters to take to the streets recently in peaceful demonstrations nationwide. At stake are the lives and livelihoods of as many as 12 million undocumented workers the companies they work for and the job opportunities of millions of low-skill American citizens. The large number of illegal immigrants raises key economic questions: Do illegal immigrants depress wages paid to low-skill workers? Do they take jobs away from Americans? How dependent on undocumented workers is the U.S. economy? Should illegal immigrants be compelled by law to return to their native countries? Or should Congress hammer out legislation that would allow illegal immigrants to pay some type of penalty yet remain in the United States and continue working?

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Enron Aside Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) Are Legal Innovative and Widely Used

Wed, 17 May 2006 15:28:37 GMT

With this spring’s criminal trial of former Enron executives Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling the public was again seeing accounts of Raptors Chewco and Osprey -- some of the shadowy ”special purpose vehicles” the energy company used for improper purposes such as concealing its mushrooming debt. But while much of Enron’s SPV use was illegal most SPVs are proper and they can serve a variety of functions. Many are separate business-financing operations whose transactions do not appear on the parent company’s books. They can be used to create easily traded asset-backed securities that allow their ”sponsor” companies to convert cash flows expected over many years into immediate lump-sum payments according to Wharton finance professor Gary B. Gorton who with colleague Nicholas Souleles has written a paper on the topic titled ”Special Purpose Vehicles and Securitization.”

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Tip of the Spear: Leadership Lessons from the U.S.-led Armed Forces in the Middle East

Wed, 17 May 2006 15:28:37 GMT

The Pentagon recently invited a group of 43 civilians including Michael Useem director of Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change Management to witness the management and leadership of its Central Command which is responsible for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Useem and his colleagues -- who included executives private equity investors media commentators and academics -- traveled to the Middle East to observe troops and operations in Kuwait Bahrain and the Arabian Sea. In this report written literally from the frontlines Useem takes ”a look at the execution of American military policy -- not the policy itself -- a subject of continuing and increasingly intense national debate .... From even this brief foray into their world it is evident that the U.S. armed services have built what many private companies strive for: a culture of readiness and commitment cross-service and cross-national integration and pragmatic flexibility.”

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Podcast: Lawton Burns on the Critical and Costly Role of Companies that Make Healthcare-related Products

Wed, 17 May 2006 15:28:37 GMT

Lawton Burns is a professor of health care systems and management director of the Wharton Center for Health Management and Economics and author of a new book entitled The Business of Healthcare Innovation. While much has been written about doctors and hospitals government regulations and medical insurance issues Burns’ book looks at an area of healthcare that has not gotten much attention -- the producers of healthcare products ranging from pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to medical devices and information technology. Yet Burns would argue that a focus on the producer side of the healthcare equation is critical -- not just because we are increasingly more reliant on medical technology but also because of the ever escalating costs of advances in these areas. Burns talked to Knowledge at Wharton’s Mukul Pandya and Robbie Shell about the issues raised in his new book.

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Podcast: John Paul MacDuffie on Car Trouble: From Higher Gas Prices to Hybrids and More...

Wed, 10 May 2006 17:28:40 GMT

Almost anyone who has been following the auto industry especially in the U.S. will agree that lately it has had a bumpy ride. For one thing the difficulties of GM and Ford have filled the headlines for several months now and there has been lots of speculation about how severe these problems are. In addition the auto parts maker Delphi which was spun off from GM in 1999 is now in the midst of bankruptcy proceedings and actively negotiating with both the United Auto Workers union and GM. Yet another challenge is growing global competition: Virtually all the Japanese brands are showing an increase in market share in the U.S. And finally questions continue to persist about advances in technology especially as they concern the new hybrid models. John Paul MacDuffie a professor of management at Wharton and co-director of the International Motor Vehicle Program spoke about these issues with Knowledge at Wharton’s Mukul Pandya and Robbie Shell.

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Podcast: George Day: Keeping an Eye on Distant Events that Can Make or Break Your Company

Wed, 10 May 2006 17:28:27 GMT

In Wharton marketing professor George Day’s world the term ”peripheral vision” means the ability of companies to detect interpret and act on distant signals whether a rumor heard about a new rival a newspaper article about a new medical device or the popularity of a blog started by a dissatisfied customer. Day and co-author Paul Schoemaker have written a book entitled appropriately enough Peripheral Vision: Detecting the Weak Signals That Will Make or Break Your Company designed to help firms avoid being blindsided by unexpected events. According to the authors only 20% of companies have succeeded in developing peripheral vision well enough to stay ahead of their competitors. Day talked with Knowledge at Wharton’s Mukul Pandya and Robbie Shell about his book.

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Jeremy Siegel on the Fed Commodities and Global Markets

Wed, 03 May 2006 16:41:08 GMT

As CBS News put it ”When the Fed Chairman Speaks Everyone Freaks.” What that hyperbolic headline refers to is the sell-off in stocks and rise in bond yields this week after Ben Bernanke the Federal Reserve chairman reportedly told a CNBC reporter that markets had misread his testimony before Congress last week during which he had seemed to hint that the Fed might pause in raising interest rates. Stocks and bonds rallied in response. But after suggesting at a Washington correspondents’ dinner over the weekend that the markets had ”misunderstood” him the sell-off began. What exactly is the Fed likely to do on May 10? And what will that mean for investors? Jeremy Siegel a professor of finance at Wharton and author of the book The Future for Investors spoke with Knowledge at Wharton’s Mukul Pandya and Robbie Shell about interest rates oil prices the commodities markets Bernanke’s learning curve and President Bush’s approval ratings among other topics.

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Why Oil Prices Are Up and What We Can and Can’t Do about It

Wed, 03 May 2006 15:49:45 GMT

Rising prices for crude oil and gasoline have alarmed many consumers and put President Bush and other U.S. politicians in a position where they feel they have to do something -- anything -- in response especially in an election year. But members of Wharton’s finance department and private-sector economists say it’s a good time to look rationally at the reasons for the price hikes and their likely effect on the economy and on energy policy. They also say that as long as the United States continues to rely on oil producers in other parts of the world high prices and price volatility will be the norm. Bolivian President Evo Morales’s decision announced this week to nationalize the country’s natural gas sector only underscores that point.

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The Business of Healthcare Innovation: How New Products Come to Market

Wed, 03 May 2006 15:07:25 GMT

When Lawton Robert Burns Wharton professor of health care systems began teaching healthcare management he found a hole in the academic literature. There was plenty of material on physicians hospitals government regulations and insurance. But there was no single source of good information on a key component of the industry -- the producers of healthcare products. Burns aims to fill that gap with his new book The Business of Healthcare Innovation. The book focuses on four sectors -- pharmaceuticals biotechnology medical devices and information technology -- and looks at the internal and external factors at work in determining whether a new pill or new pacemaker ends up in the hands of patients and doctors.

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After a Few Unprofitable Binges NutriSystem Is Refocused and Ready to Expand

Wed, 03 May 2006 15:07:25 GMT

NutriSystem -- the Horsham Pa.-based online weight-loss company -- has bulked up. Its first-quarter 2006 revenues grew 292% to $146.8 million and net income rose 592% with analysts predicting continued sharp increases in 2006. Memories of its bankruptcy filing and litigation woes under previous owners have all but been erased even as the company plans to target new customer segments and expand internationally. And yet according to CEO Michael Hagan and president George Jankovic both of whom spoke at Wharton last month there has been as much luck and grit as glamour and glitz in the company’s rise from the ashes. ”Sometimes you learn more from your mistakes than from your successes ” says Jankovic.

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MySpace Facebook and Other Social Networking Sites: Hot Today Gone Tomorrow?

Wed, 03 May 2006 15:07:25 GMT

Popular social network sites including MySpace and Facebook are changing the human fabric of the Internet and have the potential to pay off big for investors but -- given their youthful user base -- they are unusually vulnerable to the next new fad. As quickly as users flock to one trendy Internet site they can just as quickly move on to another with no advance warning according to Wharton faculty and Internet analysts who offer some ideas on how these new sites can both increase user loyalty and generate revenues.

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Our Annual Challenge: Pick the Winner Out of ’Eight Great’ Business Plans

Wed, 03 May 2006 15:07:25 GMT

The 2006 Venture Finals of Wharton’s Business Plan Competition offered participants judges and the audience an opportunity to peer into the future by surveying potential startups. It was a chance to see what aspiring ambitious entrepreneurs believe will be the next hot discovery. At this year’s competition healthcare companies -- ranging from medical-device makers to a creator of artificial muscles -- grabbed five of the eight finalist slots. The other three finalists included a virtual call center an online mortgage broker and a company that would replace credit cards with fingerprints. Read on and see if you have a nose for the next ”new new thing.”

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How New Accounting Rules Are Changing the Way CEOs Get Paid

Wed, 03 May 2006 15:07:25 GMT

When a well-known compensation consulting firm predicted in early April that new accounting rules wouldn’t have any impact on the use of options as compensation for corporate executives Wharton accounting professor Mary Ellen Carter was ready to disagree. ”That’s just not true ” she says. ”Options will be cut and directors will be switching to restricted stock for executive compensation.” Carter’s response is the result of her research into the role of accounting in the design of CEO equity compensation which is also the title of a new paper written by her Luann J. Lynch from Darden and Wharton accounting professor Irem Tuna. Their study coincides with a ruling implemented this year by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) that requires all firms to expense the value of employee stock options.

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The Succession Question at Tech Firms: When’s the Right Time to Go?

Wed, 03 May 2006 15:07:25 GMT

The recent resignation of Scott McNealy as CEO of Sun Microsystems the company he founded 22 years ago is another milestone in the succession process of a large technology company. But tech companies often pose unique succession issues in part because of their unusually fast growth and young founders according to Wharton faculty and technology experts. The challenges are especially critical when the entrepreneurs are celebrities and when the company has grown large enough that broad-based management skills become as crucial as entrepreneurial passion.

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Marketing Metrics and Financial Performance

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 21:22:34 GMT

When companies talk about marketing these days they are talking about things like promotional strategy advertising and distribution; customer perception; market share; competitors’ power; margins and pricing; products and portfolios; customer profitability; and sales forces and channels. How does a company measure the effectiveness of the various components of its marketing strategy? What metrics are most effective and how can these help maximize profits? A new book out from Wharton School Publishing titled Marketing Metrics: 50 + Metrics Every Executive Should Master identifies the pros cons and tradeoffs associated with each metric. The book is by Paul Farris Neil Bendle Phillip Pfeifer and Dave Reibstein. Reibstein a marketing professor at Wharton agreed to talk with Mukul Pandya editor in chief of Knowledge at Wharton and Robbie Shell editorial director about this new book.

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TV on the Web: Is the Model Shifting?

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 21:22:24 GMT

Disney the media giant announced earlier this month that the company would provide several major shows -- Desperate Housewives Lost Commander-in-Chief and Alias -- as free streaming video through the ABC network’s website. Also this month the Wall Street Journal reported that the Fox network has signed agreements with 187 of its affiliated stations to share revenues from reruns of its programs on the web. What is behind these moves? Wharton marketing professor Peter Fader spoke with Mukul Pandya editor-in-chief of Knowledge at Wharton and Kendall Whitehouse Knowledge at Wharton’s contributing editor in technology about these developments and what they mean for the media industry.

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Podcast: What Will Rising Interest Rates Mean for Investors and the U.S. Economy? Jeremy Siegel Offers His Views

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 17:26:31 GMT

Interest rates are rising around the world. Last Thursday April 13 the yield on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes closed at 5.05%. This was the first time in four years that the yield exceeded 5%. Moreover short-term interest rates in the U.S. are also going up: The federal funds rate (or the interest rate at which banks provide overnight loans to one another) has risen to 4.75% from some 1% a few years ago. In Europe and Japan stock prices have been falling last week and this week because of concerns that rising interest rates and higher oil prices will affect corporate earnings. What will this mean for the U.S. stock market and the economy? To answer this question Robbie Shell editorial director of Knowledge at Wharton and Mukul Pandya editor-in-chief talked with Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel author of the book The Future for Investors.

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Foreign Stocks Are In and So Is Indexing

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 17:26:19 GMT

Foreign stocks are soaring and Americans are pouring money into them. But although overseas equities have captured investors’ fancy before there’s a twist this time: More investors are embracing passive index-style investing ignoring the long-held belief that active managers can beat indexers by uncovering bargains in inefficient foreign markets. Have conditions really changed enough to make indexing pay off as well in foreign markets as it has in the U.S.? It may be too soon to know for sure. But international equity markets and American investor behavior are clearly evolving according to Wharton finance professors.

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The Ins and Outs of Buyouts: Should Companies Offer Them? Should Employees Accept Them?

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 16:18:31 GMT

When General Motors last month offered buyouts and early retirement packages to 113 000 hourly workers the move focused new attention on a key aspect of the continually evolving relationship between employers and employees. Buyouts often signal management’s decision to strategically change the company’s direction and start easing out those workers who are part of what is now considered the old regime. Meanwhile employees who stay behind suddenly recognize that they are replaceable parts with little job security and no long-term commitment from the company. What messages do buyouts send to employees? How are buyouts structured? Is there a ’right’ way and a ’wrong’ way to handle the buyout process?

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Siemens CEO Klaus Kleinfeld: ”Nobody’s Perfect but a Team Can Be”

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 16:18:31 GMT

Corporate leaders must build international organizations to compete in today’s economy and be prepared to defend globalization at home according to Klaus Kleinfeld chief executive of the German electrical and engineering conglomerate Siemens AG. Speaking at a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture Kleinfeld said U.S. concerns about the sale of port assets to a Dubai-based firm and French resistance to the sale of yogurt-maker Danone -- which French officials called a ”national treasure” -- highlight growing fears that globalization comes at the cost of jobs in developed countries. He also addressed the need for labor unions to be more flexible offshoring concerns the benefits of conglomerates and the qualities he looks for in potential leaders.

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The Coffee Wars Heat Up: New Strategies to Jolt the Caffeine-Conscious Consumer

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 16:18:31 GMT

Consumers’ love affair with expensive customized cups of coffee shows no signs of abating even though most orders consist of little more than a cup of water a splash of milk a spoonful of coffee grinds and 30 seconds of labor. Indeed Starbucks has managed to turn its customers’ craving for caffeine into a $6.4 billion a year business with close to 6 000 company-owned coffeehouses already up and running and five new ones opening each day. All of which explains why so many coffee sellers seem intent on taking away some of Starbucks’ highly profitable market share. Yet according to Wharton marketing professors some companies are so obsessed with swiping business from Starbucks or losing customers to it that they may be abandoning a niche that has already proved profitable.

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How the Offer of ’Free Shipping’ Affects On-line Shopping

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 16:18:31 GMT

The phrase ”free shipping” is like a siren song to many who shop on the Internet. For whatever reason a free shipping offer that saves a customer $6.99 is more appealing to many than a discount that cuts the purchase price by $10 says Wharton marketing professor David Bell. Bell noticed this phenomenon a few years ago while doing research for an online grocery store and the observation prompted him to look more closely at the ways Internet retailers use shipping charges -- or the lack thereof -- as a promotional tool. The result is a recent paper titled ”Free Shipping and Repeat Buying on the Internet: Theory and Evidence ” by Bell and colleagues Skander Essegaier from Koc University and Yinghui Yang from the University of California at Davis.

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Wipro’s Azim Premji: ”The Old Boys’ Club Is on the Way Out”

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 16:18:31 GMT

In the second of a two-part interview Azim Premji who owns more than 80% of Bangalore-based Wipro India’s third largest software exporter discusses why that country’s IT companies have done a better job at delivering services than developing products. Speaking with Wharton professor Ravi Aron he points out that customers are beginning to unbundle prices with the result that established IT and consulting firms are starting to see premiums disappear. ”Customers are trying to optimize value ” Premji says. ”The old boys’ club of closed tennis court relationships is on the way out.”

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How Successful People Remain Successful

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 16:18:31 GMT

When James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras wrote their hugely popular 1994 book Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies they began by stating clearly that they did not mean to write about visionary leaders. Their goal was to find visionary companies -- the crown jewels of their industries -- and discover what made them extraordinary. Then questions arose about the extent to which the principles of Built to Last might apply to individuals. That sparked another investigation that has now led to a follow-up book Success Built to Last which will be published by Wharton School Publishing later this year. Mark Thompson and Stewart Emery co-authors with Porras of Success Built to Last spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about their book. In addition the authors are conducting a global survey on how people think about success; a link to the survey can be found at the end of this interview.

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Podcast: The Future of the Pharmaceutical Industry According to Former Merck CEO Roy Vagelos

Mon, 17 Apr 2006 17:26:23 GMT

Roy Vagelos a highly regarded pharmaceutical executive who spent two decades at Merck including 10 years as CEO has often said that ”research remains my life blood ” and indeed he has stayed active in the industry since his retirement from Merck in 1994. For example he is chairman of the board of two small drug companies Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Theravance and in 2004 co-authored a book entitled Medicine Science and Merck. Vagelos recently spoke with Robbie Shell editorial director of Knowledge at Wharton and Steve Guglielmi Knowledge at Wharton senior editor about the future of the pharmaceutical industry including competition from generics the impact of outsourcing biotech alliances pricing strategies and the next big drug breakthroughs.

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Podcast: Wharton’s Kevin Werbach Speaks with IBM’s David Yaun about the Global Innovation Outlook

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 17:26:27 GMT

Kevin Werbach a professor of legal studies and business ethics at Wharton spoke recently with David Yaun an IBM executive about the company’s Global Innovation Outlook project. According to Yaun ”traditionally companies have identified innovation with gadgets and gizmos but that thinking is being transformed.” The definition of innovation is being broadened -- it is becoming more open collaborative global and inter-disciplinary. ”The barriers to innovation and collaboration have come down dramatically ” Yaun says. This was the second in a series of interviews about themes to be featured at Supernova a conference Werbach organizes in collaboration with Wharton in San Francisco.

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Is There a Robot in Your Future? Helen Greiner Thinks So

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 17:06:25 GMT

Helen Greiner shares a key trait with many successful business leaders -- a passion for something. In her case it happens to be robots. That passion led Greiner -- along with Colin Angle and Rodney Brooks -- to found what would become iRobot in 1990. Over the past four years iRobot has sold more than 1.5 million robots for cleaning floors and has deployed more than 300 tactical military robots in Iraq. Greiner recently gave a presentation at Wharton sponsored by the School’s entrepreneurship and technology clubs after which she talked with Knowledge at Wharton about her company and the impact that robots have and will have on our everyday lives.

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Prime Time No More: The Television Industry Struggles Against Digital Distribution Upstarts

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 17:06:25 GMT

It’s open season on the television industry’s business model. In recent years the three pillars of the industry’s profits -- advertising regional programming and syndication deals -- have come under fire from a band of technology companies including Sling Media TiVo Orb Networks and Apple Computer that are rewriting the content distribution rules. As one Wharton professor notes TV won’t necessarily be viewed via TV anymore. What are the dangers and opportunities of digital distribution? How easily can the big media companies adapt to new technologies and can they continue to attract viewers who spend more time these days on the web than with their remote controls?

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Nowhere to Run Nowhere to Hide: The Online Privacy Issue

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 17:06:25 GMT

When Google announced its Gmail email service two years ago a lot of people figured the company was joking. After all Google had been known to offer up the occasional gag like saying it was starting a research center on the moon. More importantly nobody believed that consumers would tolerate Google’s plan of scanning people’s emails and then delivering advertisements to them based on the emails’ contents. Two years later Gmail has tens of millions of users. But consumers’ initial disbelief underscores the web’s knotty privacy problem according to participants at the recent 2006 Wharton Technology Conference. Consumers say they want privacy online although they often behave in ways that contradict that statement; companies insist they will protect privacy although they sometimes fail to do so. And everybody is wary of increased government regulation.

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Raising Money to Treat the World’s Sickest People Isn’t the Problem: Spending It Is

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 17:06:25 GMT

In the debate over how to build better models to help the world’s neediest citizens supporters of for-profit social-impact organizations argue that their model is more sustainable than non-profit schemes. Non-profit and foundation executives agree that new paradigms are necessary but caution that for-profit models could ultimately put profit ahead of serving the poor. The issues surrounding this debate were further explored at the recent Wharton Social Impact Management (SIM) Conference whose theme -- ”Solutions to Social Problems Incident to our Civilization” -- borrowed a phrase used 125 years ago by school founder Joseph Wharton in his directive for business education.

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Wipro’s Azim Premji: ”I Don’t See Growing to 200 000 People as an Insurmountable Challenge”

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 17:06:25 GMT

Azim Premji 60 owns more than 80% of Bangalore-based Wipro India’s third largest software exporter which had annual revenues of $1.8 billion in 2005. Forbes magazine reckons that his net worth exceeds $13 billion and it places him at No. 25 in its most recent ranking of the world’s richest people. In the first of a two-part interview with Knowledge at Wharton Premji speaks with Ravi Aron a professor of operations and information management at Wharton about Wipro’s reorganization last year following the departure of its former CEO; why the company chose to move to a new structure based on so-called verticals; how Wipro’s business operations are changing; and the challenges the company faces in building management talent.

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Talking Chimps Subservient Chickens And Others Blend Entertainment and Advertising

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 17:06:25 GMT

A talking chimp arriving in e-mail inboxes speaks in its sender’s voice through a telephone connection or recites a pre-recorded joke for the boss. Burger King’s ad campaign offers a ”subservient chicken” site where viewers can type in commands to a person in a chicken suit with red garters. JibJab is developing a new site called JokeBox where consumers and corporations can post and share funny videos or jokes online. These are among the latest viral marketing campaigns that blend advertisement and interactive entertainment across informal consumer networks. The convergence may be inevitable say Wharton faculty and others but it remains unclear whether such an approach is sustainable and measurable and whether it will actually generate new business.

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Are Commodities Futures Too Risky for Your Portfolio? Hogwash!

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 17:06:25 GMT

Everyone uses commodities such as wheat cocoa crude oil butter coal and electricity. But most investors know that speculating on commodities in the futures markets is only for the pros and no sensible amateur would bet his retirement or college funds on sugar silver orange juice or feeder cattle. But are commodities really that risky? Using the most comprehensive data on commodities futures returns ever assembled Wharton finance professor Gary Gorton and K. Geert Rouwenhorst finance professor at the Yale School of Management have reached a surprising conclusion -- that commodities offer the same returns as investors are accustomed to receiving with stocks. Gorton and Rouwenhorst present their findings in a paper titled ”Facts and Fantasies about Commodity Futures.”

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All the News That’s Fit to ... Aggregate Download Blog: Are Newspapers Yesterday’s News?

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:54:43 GMT

The recent sale of Knight Ridder the country’s second-largest newspaper chain to McClatchy follows one of the most difficult years the industry has had -- declining circulation job losses and falling stock prices. Newspapers it would seem have two big strikes against them: They are in a mature industry and they are a textbook example (stockbrokers are another) of an intermediary between sources of information and customers -- a role that is being increasingly challenged by the Internet. To remain competitive in the coming years say Wharton faculty and others daily newspapers will have to strengthen their efforts to attract younger readers make more imaginative use of the Internet and develop stories mostly local in nature that better meet the needs of time-pressed subscribers.

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Will Microsoft’s New ’Ultra-Mobile’ Computer Fly or Flop? Past Experience Offers Some Clues

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:54:43 GMT

Although Microsoft recently unveiled an ’ultra-mobile personal computer ’ or UMPC in a move to fill a market niche between laptops and handheld computers it remains to be seen whether this latest innovation from the software giant will be a hit or flop. While Microsoft is following a ”build-it-and-it-will-sell” strategy with the UMPC technology history is littered with innovative products that never found a market say experts at Wharton. As Wharton professor of operations and information management Eric K. Clemons puts it: ”Build-it-and-it-will-sell strategies are a mixed bag.”

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The Race to Improve Search Engines -- and Their Business Models

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:54:43 GMT

Consumers these days swim in an alphabet soup of digital devices -- PCs and PDAs DVRs and iPods MP3 and DVD players. And each device delivers a host of programming that is not easily enjoyed on the others. This diversity means that market power will continue to reside with firms that can help consumers find and organize content for their preferred device -- in other words search engines according to panelists at the 2006 Wharton Technology Conference. Discussion centered on increasing advertising opportunities that will accompany improved search engines the development of local and enterprise search and the need for standard data-storage and transfer formats.

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Continuing Turmoil in the Power Industry: What It Means for the Major Players

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:54:43 GMT

Five years ago this winter California’s wholesale power market imploded. Power prices soared. California residents endured weeks of rolling blackouts. Two California utilities were forced into bankruptcy even as their suppliers -- independent power companies -- reaped huge windfalls. Five years later the tables have turned. Formerly bankrupt California utilities are profitable while formerly robust power generators scramble to survive. What happened? Wharton faculty and others look at the industry’s unique challenges and suggest structural and management strategies that could improve its chances for sustainable growth.

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Industry Leaders Debate Big Pharma R&D (Too Little Hope?) and Stem Cell Research (Too Much hype?)

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:54:43 GMT

Different points on the research spectrum were under the microscope at the Wharton Health Care Business Conference last month as two panels of biotech pharmaceutical and investment leaders discussed the state of R&D among big pharmaceuticals and the progress of stem cell research. While disappointing results in both sectors have dominated the news lately panelists at each session also noted some promising developments -- and causes for optimism -- in their respective fields.

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What Happens When the Press Blasts Your CEO for Excess Compensation? Apparently Not Much

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:54:43 GMT

Springtime in addition to bringing back flowers and birds also brings forth many companies’ proxy statements including information on CEO compensation. It’s a signal for the business press to get to work reporting the details of what appear to be the highest executive pay packages. Wharton accounting professors Wayne Guay and John Core and Stanford accounting professor David Larcker also study executive compensation. What they conclude from their most recent research is that the most relevant information doesn’t necessarily make headlines. They also find that in general the media’s focus on excessive compensation does not substantively change corporate behavior with regards to pay packages.

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Podcast: Helen Greiner -- The Vision Behind iRobot

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:54:43 GMT

Much to the surprise of several venture capitalists who turned her down Helen Greiner co-founder of iRobot has built a thriving business making domestic robots like Roomba which sweeps floors and industrial robots that defuse bombs in Iraq. She was on campus this week at the invitation of the Wharton technology and entrepreneurship clubs and spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about the impact that robots have and will have on everyday life.

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Podcast: What Makes an Online Community Tick? Ask Craigslist Yahoo and Pheedo

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:54:43 GMT

Online communities have become not just a major social force but a significant driver of business activity both online and offline. Facilitating nurturing and benefiting from those communities however is not a simple task. To explore what makes these communities tick Kevin Werbach a professor of legal studies and business ethics at Wharton spoke with Craig Newmark founder of Craigslist.com Julie Herendeen vice president of Network Products at Yahoo and William Flitter CMO of Pheedo.

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Podcast: What Three Wharton Students Learned about Leadership at the U.S. Naval Academy

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:54:43 GMT

At a time when global business rivalries are intensifying competition often resembles combat. Keeping this connection between business and the armed forces in mind three Wharton undergraduate students -- Rana Yared Naomi Adaniya and Mark Green -- recently participated in officer leadership training at the U.S. Naval Academy. Among the lessons they learned: Leadership isn’t always glamorous; it often starts with the mundane.

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Battle over Blackberry: Is the U.S. Patent System Out of Whack?

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 08:41:46 GMT

On Friday February 24 the long-running patent dispute between Research In Motion which makes the popular BlackBerry wireless email and communications device and NTP a holding company that claims RIM technology infringes on its patents will finally have its day in court. That’s when a federal judge will consider a possible injunction that would effectively shut down BlackBerry service in the U.S. But perhaps just as important as the specific facts of this case are the broader questions it raises: For example could RIM be shut down even as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is re-evaluating several of the disputed patents? Is the patent office bogged down with so many patent applications that it can no longer function effectively? Are companies abusing the original intent of patent law? And can a system that in 1977 permitted a patent for a ”comb over” -- technically a ”method of styling hair to cover partial baldness using only the hair on a person’s head” -- keep up with technological innovation?

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Tax Shelters: Exotic or Just Plain Illegal?

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 19:25:22 GMT

They were unusual tax shelters that went by incomprehensible names like BLIPS OPIS BOSS and FLIP -- and they boomeranged on the companies that sold them. In February German bank HVB Group agreed to pay $29.6 million in fines to avoid indictment for defrauding the Internal Revenue Service with abusive tax shelters that gave rich clients phony losses to reduce taxes. The settlement was part of a broadening investigation into shelters that wealthy individuals used to escape about $2.5 billion in taxes from the mid-1990s through 2003 according to the government. What is a tax shelter and more importantly what is an illegal one?

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After Acquiring Macromedia What’s Next for Adobe? Ask Bruce Chizen

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 16:27:20 GMT

With its acquisition of Macromedia on December 3 2005 Adobe Systems has become the fifth largest software company in the world. It currently controls two of the dominant formats for electronic content -- the Adobe Acrobat PDF format for electronic documents and the Flash SWF format for interactive web content. Looking ahead CEO Bruce Chizen’s goal is to have Adobe provide the interface for any device with a screen -- ”from a refrigerator to an automobile to a video game to a computer to a mobile phone.” Such ambitions put Adobe squarely in the sites of Microsoft which currently dominates desktop software development. In a recent interview with Knowledge at Wharton Chizen spoke about the Macromedia acquisition his plans for developing the next-generation application platform and his views on the challenges presented by Microsoft.

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The Rise of Spanish Multinationals: On the Move in a Global Economy

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 16:27:20 GMT

Last fall Spain’s Banco Santander Central Hispano announced that it would pay $2.4 billion for a 20% stake in Philadelphia-based Sovereign Bank. It was a deal that didn’t surprise Wharton management professor Mauro Guillén who has been watching the strategic moves of the bank since the late 1980s. But Guillen’s interest goes beyond Banco Santander. In a recently published book titled The Rise of Spanish Multinationals: European Business in the Global Economy Guillén explores why and how Spanish companies in a variety of industries have acquired a prominent presence in the global economy and what this expansion means -- economically financially politically and socially -- for Spain and the rest of Europe.

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Avian Flu: What to Expect and How Companies Can Prepare for It

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 16:27:20 GMT

The avian flu that is steadily making its way around the globe represents a huge challenge for governments corporations and citizens worldwide. No one knows what will happen to the avian influenza virus in the coming months and years. Will it mutate into a strain that will allow people to readily infect others? Or will it fizzle out? Despite the uncertainty many people are taking into account scenarios ranging from mild to severe in order to plan for what could turn out to be a calamity. Faculty members at Wharton health care professionals and risk consultants say it is important that companies assess how their organizations could be harmed by a pandemic and take preventive measures to mitigate the damage and keep their enterprises operating.

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The Merrill Lynch-BlackRock Deal Signals Major Shift in Financial Services

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 16:27:20 GMT

When Merrill Lynch decided this month to sell its asset-management operation to BlackRock -- a money manager serving wealthy investors and institutions and best known for its conservative focus on bonds and risk-management products -- analysts and investors cheered bidding up the shares of both companies. By acquiring Merrill’s $539 billion mutual fund family BlackRock will quickly broaden its stock-fund offerings and its appeal to retail customers. Merrill by acquiring just under 50% of BlackRock will do well if BlackRock can strengthen the performance and appeal of Merrill’s disappointing fund operation. But the cheering involves some wishful thinking as well. Merrill hopes to finesse its way out of its disappointing decision to embrace one of the late-1990s hottest fads: the financial supermarket. And BlackRock has to hope that investors don’t come to see it as a de-facto Merrill subsidiary inheriting Merrill’s problems without adding value of its own to the asset-management business.

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Hands-off: Holders of 401(k) Retirement Accounts Are Not Your Typical Investors

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 16:27:20 GMT

With $2.5 trillion invested in 401(k) retirement accounts 60 million Americans control a powerful chunk of cash. So how much attention do investors pay to this vast pool of savings? Not much. According to a new Wharton analysis of retirement accounts managed by The Vanguard Group in 2003 and 2004 participants in 401(k) plans made little effort to tend their defined-contribution plans once they were set up. Even among those who did trade regularly turnover rates were one-third those of professional money managers. Olivia S. Mitchell executive director of Wharton’s Pension Research Council Stephen P. Utkus principal Vanguard Center for Retirement Research and researchers Gary Mottola and Takeshi Yamaguchi present their findings in a paper entitled ”The Inattentive Participant: Portfolio Trading Behavior in 401(k) Plans.”

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Entertainment Tonight and Tomorrow: The Media Industry’s New Channels New Content New CEOs

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 08:42:38 GMT

Numerous American industries are being battered by lower-cost competition from abroad. But the U.S. entertainment sector is poised to profit amid the onslaught say Hollywood executive Jeff Berg and Wall Street investor Suhail Rizvi. Berg chairman of International Creative Management talent agency has made his career in Hollywood; Rizvi head of a private equity firm recently invested (along with Merrill Lynch) about $100 million in ICM. But Berg and Rizvi’s partnership rests on clear-eyed strategic reasoning not a shared fascination with the glitter. ”The production of media may go to other places but the content will still be owned by U.S. companies and that’s where the value lies ” Rizvi says. He and Berg spoke last month at the inaugural meeting of the Wharton undergraduate media and entertainment club.

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For The Pew’s Rebecca Rimel the Bottom Line Is Impact Not Profits

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 08:42:34 GMT

When Rebecca Rimel president and CEO of the Philadelphia-based Pew Charitable Trusts describes the challenges she faces running a $4.6 billion organization she uses the same words one hears from leaders in the for-profit world: ”highly strategic ” ”politically aware ” ”leveraged” and ”accountable.” But her bottom line is impact not profits. ”We are highly driven to make a difference in the key issues that matter to the health and happiness of our stakeholders -- the public ” she said during a recent leadership talk at Wharton. Running an effective organization Rimel told her audience requires hard-nosed decisions about which projects to fund which people to hire and what battles to walk away from.

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Oracle’s Acquisition Binge: Trying to Cover All Its (Data) Bases

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 08:42:20 GMT

For Oracle the past few months have been one big shopping spree. On January 31 the enterprise software giant purchased longtime rival Siebel Systems the leading provider of customer relationship management software. On February 14 it acquired Sleepycat an ”open source” database maker; two days later it bought HotSip AB a Swedish telecommunications software provider. For many companies Oracle’s month would have been a year’s worth of merger and acquisition activity but for the Redwood Shores Calif.-based firm it’s the norm. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison made a big splash in 2004 by announcing he would consolidate the software industry starting with archrival PeopleSoft and he has been true to his word. The real test however lies ahead: Can Oracle attract new customers?

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Germany’s Angela Merkel: A ’Continental European Politician in the Making’

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 08:42:04 GMT

During her first few months in office German Chancellor Angela Merkel has attained the kind of approval rating that politicians the world over dream about largely due to the way she has handled herself on international matters in visits to Washington Moscow and Brussels. But her main challenge is Germany’s economy Europe’s largest and the world’s third biggest. It is a challenge that has been staring German leaders in the face for a long time for a number of reasons: lackluster GDP growth over the last five years; a vast overburdened welfare state; an anemic service sector; stubborn protectionist sentiment and an aging population that will place greater strain on the nation’s budget in years to come. In whatever policies she proposes Merkel will have to tread softly to avoid alarming citizens and trade unions wary of change say scholars at Wharton and business schools in Europe.

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Gandhi Mandela Mother Teresa a Tree a Pillow ... Images of Leadership from Future Leaders

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 08:42:00 GMT

What do images of a crew team geese flying in formation trees silly putty and a steering wheel have in common? They all are part of how undergraduate business students at Wharton depict and describe the essence of leadership. Since 2000 Wharton freshmen have been required to participate in Images of Leadership a project sponsored by Wharton’s undergraduate leadership program led by director Anne M. Greenhalgh and associate director Christopher I. Maxwell. In a recent report called Images of Leadership: The Story Emerging Leaders Tell Greenhalgh and Maxwell discuss the students’ responses -- and biases -- as expressed in both pictures and words.

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Beware of Dissatisfied Consumers: They Like to Blab

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 08:41:52 GMT

When consumers have a bad shopping experience they are likely to spread the word not to the store manager or salesperson but to friends family and colleagues. Overall if 100 people have a bad experience a retailer stands to lose between 32 and 36 current or potential customers. These are some of the conclusions of The Retail Customer Dissatisfaction Study 2006 conducted by The Jay H. Baker Retailing Initiative at Wharton and The Verde Group a Toronto consulting firm in the weeks before and after Christmas 2005. The biggest source of consumer dissatisfaction? Parking lots.

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Podcast: The Instant Millionaire - What Should an NFL Player Do?

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 14:56:37 GMT

Professional athletes face unusual challenges related to financial management especially since their peak earning period lasts a relatively short time often just a few years. Knowledge at Wharton asked Ken Shropshire professor of legal studies and business ethics and director of the Wharton sports business initiative to discuss this topic with Kailee Wong linebacker for the Houston Texans. Wong attended an executive education program at Wharton co-sponsored by the NFL and NFLPA.

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Up and Down Hot and Cold: Experts Dissect the Real Estate and Energy Industries

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 14:56:22 GMT

Business leaders from two hot investment sectors -- real estate and energy -- discussed possible consolidation in their industries and other trends during two panels at the February 1 Wharton Economic Summit in New York City. The first panel entitled ”Real Estate: Where It’s at and Where It’s Headed. A Discussion with Three Legends ” included William Mack Sam Zell and Mortimer Zuckerman. The second panel ”The State of Energy Investing: What’s Fueling Consolidation? ” included a range of experts who debated the role of private equity and hedge funds in consolidation the rise of both global demand and global players the role of renewable energy and the possibility of a windfall profits tax on energy producers.

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Advice for Enron Litigants: Keep It Simple

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 16:50:55 GMT

It took prosecutors just over four years to work their way up the Enron food chain but now the failed energy company’s top former executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling are facing a jury in a federal criminal fraud trial expected to last at least four months. How can each side best present a complex story that involves exotic derivatives products off-books accounting and strange subsidiaries with names like Raptor? Experts say they should apply lessons learned in the other high-profile corporate fraud cases of the Enron era: Keep it simple.

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View from Davos: Leadership Today Requires More Caution Less Exuberance

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 16:56:24 GMT

At the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos last month the extraordinary optimism of Asian -- especially Chinese and Indian -- leaders held center stage. For Michael Useem director of Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change it all felt very déjà vu: In the late 1990s a similarly exuberant spirit surrounded American business leaders. But the hubris of unbounded optimism can be dangerous warns Useem who spoke in three Forum sessions.

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A Million Little Embellishments: Truth and Trust in Advertising and Publishing

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 16:56:24 GMT

The disclosure that author James Frey lied in his best-selling book A Million Little Pieces and the furor that followed raise numerous questions about truth in advertising trust between sellers and buyers brand image and reputation as well as two themes that Frey himself focused on in his now-discredited memoir of recovery from substance abuse -- suffering and redemption. How widespread is deception when is stretching the truth acceptable how jaded are consumers towards the claims made by advertisers and how credible was Oprah’s response to the Frey incident? Wharton experts offer their views on truth and fiction.

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’If He Ruled the World’: Carl Icahn’s Take on Time Warner and Corporate America

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 16:56:24 GMT

Carl Icahn’s battle for Time Warner has just intensified. Icahn the corporate takeover specialist attempting to win control of the media giant held a press conference yesterday to announce a plan to break Time Warner into four separate companies and buy back $20 billion in stock -- all part of his crusade to oust management for the benefit of shareholders. His press conference followed a speech last week at the 2006 Wharton Economic Summit in which he denied that he is an ”imperial shareholder” out to rip companies apart for quick gains. Icahn was responding to remarks made earlier at the Summit by corporate lawyer Martin Lipton who argued that a new breed of aggressive shareholder is pressuring companies to produce short-term gains at the expense of long-term growth.

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Sirius Satellite Radio and Howard Stern Go Ear to Ear with XM

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 16:56:24 GMT

Since announcing on October 6 2004 that it had signed Howard Stern to a five-year deal Sirius Satellite Radio has added approximately 2.7 million subscribers and become a household name in the satellite radio world. The tab: Close to $700 million. Is Stern worth it? Can the popular and raunchy talk show host catapult Sirius ahead of rival XM Satellite Radio or are there other issues to consider such as the threat of new technologies the need to provide good content and the continuing popularity of conventional radio? Wharton faculty and others debate the different strategies of Sirius and XM and the challenges that both face.

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Delhi in Davos: How India Built its Brand at the World Economic Forum

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 16:56:24 GMT

The emergence of China and India figured prominently at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos last month. In India’s case however another factor also was at work. Determined not to be overshadowed Indian business and government leaders spent some two years and $4 million planning an elaborate branding campaign to ensure that the ”India story” got prominent play and did not get lost amid the chatter at Davos. How does a country go about building its brand though such PR campaigns? And how can outcomes be measured to see if the campaign worked? Wharton professors who were at Davos and Indian business and government leaders say that while India’s campaign at the summit was impressive the country will now have to walk the talk on infrastructure investments and policy reforms if it wants to retain its credibility.

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Inventory Management: A Way to Give It a Grade

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 16:56:24 GMT

Cell phones that do email take photos and surf the web. Cars with options ranging from built-in satellite radio to rain-sensing wiper blades. While a seemingly endless variety of new products may delight consumers it makes inventory management as dicey as predicting what a teenager will want for her birthday next year. The problem say Wharton professor Serguei Netessine and Wharton doctoral student Serguei Roumiantsev is that no one knows how to measure the quality of supply chain management using companies’ publicly available financial data. In a recent paper entitled ”Should Inventory Policy Be Lean or Responsive? Evidence for U.S. Public Companies ” the two researchers provide ”a statistical methodology that links managerial decisions related to inventory with accounting returns.”

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The 2006 Gadget Parade: A New Era of Convergence and Convenience

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 16:48:22 GMT

Apple’s iPod again ruled beneath the Christmas tree in 2005 after the latest model of the iconic music player was outfitted with a video screen. And as the new year begins a long-anticipated era of convergence in consumer technology products draws closer according to Wharton faculty and technology analysts. Meanwhile cell phones that play video e-mail delivered to handheld computers telephone conversations over the PC -- and hundreds of other glimpses into Christmas future -- were on display at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week where the stepped-up presence of digital giants including Microsoft Google Yahoo and Intel signaled their ever-increasing interest in expanding from the office into consumers’ living rooms.

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SEC’s Spotlight on Executive Pay: Will It Make a Difference?

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 16:48:07 GMT

Compensation for American CEOs has soared over the past decade far exceeding inflation and wage gains of ordinary workers -- and leading critics to charge that self-serving insiders have tilted the playing field at shareholders’ expense. In response the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 17 took the first step toward adopting rules to better show shareholders how much their top executives and directors are paid. Will that drive executive pay down? Probably not say several Wharton professors arguing that executive pay is not necessarily as excessive as the most extreme cases suggest. Still they agree that more complete disclosure would improve the system. As one expert puts it: ”When people are forced to undress in public they pay attention to their figures.”

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Is the Disney-Pixar Deal Overhyped?

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 16:47:20 GMT

Walt Disney announced yesterday that it is acquiring Pixar the animated film studio that has made such hits as The Incredibles Finding Nemo and Toy Story. As part of the $7.4 billion deal Pixar’s founder Steve Jobs will become a Disney board member and also its biggest shareholder. In an audio-only interview Wharton marketing professor Peter Fader speaks with Mukul Pandya editor-in-chief of Knowledge at Wharton and Robbie Shell editorial director about the implications of this deal not just for the two companies involved but for the whole media and entertainment industry.

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’Jumping on the Asia Train’: How Sustainable Is China’s Rapid Growth?

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 16:31:18 GMT

China’s securities industry is just one of the sectors moving ahead at a dizzying pace as the country readies itself for full entry into the World Trade Organization this year according to participants in the recent Wharton Global Business Forum’s Asia Conference. Not surprisingly China dominated discussion at the conference with many speakers noting the speed with which the country is advancing. But growth is not just confined to China. The 21st century said one panelist will be the ”Asian century ” powered by among other things a highly educated and motivated population and increased travel and tourism.

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Digital Rights Management (DRM): Media Companies’ Next Flop?

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 16:31:18 GMT

Big media players are accustomed to watching the ratings for the most popular music video and book content but perhaps they should pay more attention to how consumers feel about three letters at the bottom of most charts -- DRM which stands for digital rights management. Broadly defined DRM encompasses multiple technologies that control the use of software music movies or any other piece of digital content. But media companies are risking a consumer backlash by deploying overzealous systems with draconian restrictions say experts at Wharton who also question whether DRM is worth the effort whether it will survive and what the best approach is for balancing the rights of consumers with the rights of content creators.

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Unlike Death and Taxes Pensions Are No Longer Guaranteed

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 16:31:18 GMT

IBM. Verizon. Sears. Hewlett-Packard. Motorola. The list of corporations that have put a halt to guaranteed pension plans comes as a jolt to Baby Boom employees entering what they thought would be their peak pension-building years. At the same time new accounting rules and Congressional legislation are being drafted to close the U.S. pension-funding gap now estimated at $450 billion. While some proposals under discussion could make it easier for companies to discontinue defined-benefit plans others would create incentives to support defined-contribution programs such as 401(k) plans according to Wharton faculty and pension experts. Amid all this flux they add one thing seems certain: Pension plans have become risky business.

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Experimental Entrepreneurship: Removing the ’Tin Cup Dependencies’

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 16:31:18 GMT

Although it has one of the most dynamic economies in Africa Botswana also has one of the world’s highest known rates of HIV-AIDS infection. In response the Botswana government along with the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania and Wharton’s Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Research Center is helping develop a more efficient system to manage and monitor HIV/AIDS therapy. According to Ian C. MacMillan director of the Snider Center and James D. Thompson associate director of Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs the Botswana project illustrates a new concept called ”Societal Wealth Creation via Experimental Entrepreneurship.” By working to develop societal wealth enterprises in places like Africa MacMillan and Thompson hope to sidestep two obstacles that often plague business development around social problems -- low profitability and lack of seed funding.

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The Home-video Market: Who Rents Who Buys and Why

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 16:31:18 GMT

When the door to a TLA Entertainment video store swings open the primary question facing most consumers shuffling inside is relatively simple: ”What movie will I take home tonight?” But to Wharton marketing professor Jehoshua Eliashberg and Wharton doctoral candidate George Knox the key question surrounding the burgeoning $12 billion home-video market goes at least one step further: Which consumers will rent their movie of choice tonight and which consumers will buy? In a study entitled ”The Consumer’s Rent vs. Buy Decision: The Case of Home-Video ” Eliashberg and Knox present a new model that they say accurately predicts the consumer’s decision to rent or buy a particular movie at a video store.

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Going Once ... Going Twice ... The Bidding Behavior of Buyers in Internet Auctions

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 16:31:18 GMT

Would you like to go on an Internet auction site and know how much to bid for a certain item -- and also know that you didn’t overpay for that item? How about when you sell an item in an online auction: Would you like to know what price to set that ensures you don’t leave money on the online table? Wharton marketing and statistics professor Eric T. Bradlow can’t provide specific answers. But he does offer guidance on the behavior of potential buyers in a new study entitled ”An Integrated Model for Bidding Behavior in Internet Auctions: Whether Who When and How Much ” recently published in the Journal of Marketing Research. Bradlow co-authored the study with Cornell marketing professor Young-Hoon Park. ”To the best of our knowledge this is the first attempt to model formally the behavioral aspects of bidding behavior for the entire sequence of bids in Internet auctions ” the authors write.

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In Africa Opportunity Takes Many Shapes from Diamonds to IT to Political Reform

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 15:13:16 GMT

The chairman of the largest software house in Ghana spoke approvingly of the ”Wild West” aspects of doing business there. One of that country’s cabinet ministers saw signs that ”constitutional democracies are gaining roots” on the African continent. A prominent Nigerian lawyer spoke of profit margins all but impossible in the United States or Europe. These three panelists appeared recently at the 2005 Wharton Global Business Forum Africa Conference entitled ”Unveiling the Value; Demystifying the Risk.” Speakers described the continent as bursting with opportunities challenges and pitfalls for local and foreign companies but the emphasis was decidedly on the word ”opportunity.”

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Can Wikipedia Survive Its Own Success?

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 15:13:16 GMT

It’s not easy being Wikipedia a free web encyclopedia created and edited by anonymous contributors. Just ask founder Jimmy Wales who has seen his creation come under fire in just a few short months as the site fends off vandalism and charges of inaccurate entries. But Wikipedia founded in 2001 as a non-profit organization has become a big enough presence that it raises a number of interesting questions including: Just how accurate is free content given recent events at Wikipedia? Does the aggregate ’wisdom of the crowd’ trump the expertise of knowledgeable individuals? Does Wikipedia’s policing mechanism work? And does the controversy over Wikipedia merely reflect further tension between old and new media? Wharton experts along with Wales offer some answers.

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’Tastes Great Less Filling and Perfect with Cheese’: Beer Tries to Brew Up a New Image

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 15:13:16 GMT

Can an industry that has spent a fortune on TV ads featuring mud wrestlers and talking frogs suddenly change its stripes to appeal to the wine-and-cheese single-malt Scotch crowd? The makers of Budweiser and other brands of beer hope so. Anheuser-Busch and its competitors are developing an industry-wide marketing campaign aimed at overhauling the image of the humble beer and staunching its declining share of the alcoholic beverage market. But Wharton faculty members say that such a radical makeover might be too tall an order even though the effort could enhance the appeal of microbreweries and perhaps some mass-market beers like Michelob that have already carved out a higher-end image.

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Hurricane Katrina: Important Policy Questions Amid the Devastation and Recovery

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 15:13:16 GMT

As the Gulf Coast attempts to recover from the emotional and physical scars of Hurricane Katrina the nation’s most expensive natural disaster Wharton and University of Pennsylvania faculty are raising questions about how society should assess and perceive risk and how it should compensate victims when disaster strikes. A new book entitled On Risk and Disaster: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina by University of Pennsylvania provost Ronald J. Daniels political science professor Donald F. Kettl and Howard C. Kunreuther Wharton professor of operations and information management argues that the U.S. government has become an insurer of last resort and questions whether that unofficial policy is contributing to larger and costlier disasters.

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Auto Industry Consolidation: Is There a New Model on the Horizon?

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 15:13:16 GMT

The turmoil and uncertainty among auto manufacturers and their suppliers have left people wondering when a shakeout can be expected. According to Wharton management professor John Paul MacDuffie and Christopher Benko director of the PricewaterhouseCoopers Automotive Institute in Detroit consolidation will take place among suppliers to a much greater extent than among carmakers which may not experience mergers and acquisitions at all in the near term but will be engaged in ever-shifting strategic alliances and joint ventures. Additionally these experts say many Western parts suppliers are under immense pressure from lower-cost Chinese parts producers and need to consolidate to strengthen their chances of survival.

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Giving Employees What They Want: The Returns Are Huge

Wed, 04 May 2005 14:58:50 GMT

David Sirota co-author of The Enthusiastic Employee: How Companies Profit by Giving Workers What They Want (Wharton School Publishing) believes far too many managers stifle employee enthusiasm across the board by using bureaucratic or punitive techniques that should be reserved for a troublesome few. Yet his book written with Louis A. Mischkind and Michael Irwin Meltzer finds that firms where employee morale is high -- such as Intuit and Barron’s -- tend to outperform competitors. In an interview with Knowledge at Wharton Sirota talks about employees’ three basic goals how to deal with employees who are ”allergic” to work and how managers can inspire greater loyalty and productivity from their workforce.

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Got a Good Strategy? Now Try to Implement It

Wed, 06 Apr 2005 17:18:11 GMT

For nearly 30 years Wharton management professor Lawrence G. Hrebiniak has taken the art of business strategy and put it under a microscope. Over time he has brought one critical element into irrefutable focus: Creating strategy is easy but implementing it is very difficult. In his new book Making Strategy Work: Leading Effective Execution and Change (Wharton School Publishing) Hrebiniak presents a comprehensive model to help business leaders bridge the gap between strategy making and successful strategy execution. He challenges executives to recognize that making strategy work is more difficult than setting a strategic course - but also more important -- and he documents the obstacles that get in the way of successful performance.

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HP After Carly: What Went Wrong?

Wed, 30 Mar 2005 10:17:42 GMT

When Carleton (Carly) S. Fiorina joined Hewlett-Packard as its chairman and CEO in 1999 she was widely regarded as a charismatic leader who would help HP get out of its high-tech rut. Six years later however Fiorina has been forced out of her position at HP’s helm and the company is still languishing. What happened? According to Wharton professors while Fiorina has several strengths the merger she engineered with Compaq not only failed to deliver on its promises it actually made matters worse.

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Jeremy Siegel’s Latest Book Lays out the Future for Investors

Wed, 23 Mar 2005 12:10:33 GMT

In his 1994 best seller Stocks for the Long Run Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel showed investors that stocks rather than bonds or cash are the most profitable long-term investments and he endorsed index-style investing. But investors wanted to know more. ”I gave scores of talks across the country on Stocks for the Long Run ” Siegel recalled recently. ”The two questions I received most were: ’Which stocks for the long run?’ and ’What about the age wave and the baby boom?’” Siegel’s response was voluminous research for his new book The Future for Investors: Why the Tried and True Triumph Over the Bold and the New. Some of its conclusions surprised even him.

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Older Workers: Untapped Assets for Creating Value

Wed, 09 Feb 2005 16:50:03 GMT

The days when an executive could look forward to a leisurely retirement out on the golf course are over thanks to a possible looming job shortage a graying population low savings rates and an insecure Social Security system. The impact of these factors on both workers and companies was the subject of the Symposium on Older Workers co-sponsored recently by the AARP Global Aging Program along with Wharton’s Center for Human Resources and Boettner Center for Pensions and Retirement Research. Speakers included AARP CEO William D. Novelli Olivia Mitchell executive director of Wharton’s Pension Research Council and Thomas Dowd a deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Labor.

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The CEO’s Path to the Top: How Times Have Changed

Wed, 26 Jan 2005 13:49:48 GMT

In a new study that compares Fortune 100 executives in 1980 with their counterparts in 2001 Peter Cappelli director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources and colleague Monika Hamori document what many CEOs and other senior managers have no doubt already witnessed: The road to the executive suite and the characteristics of the executives who get there have changed significantly over the last two decades. Among the researchers’ findings: Today’s executives are younger more likely to be female and less likely to have Ivy League educations. They get to the executive suite faster than ever hold fewer jobs along the way spend about five years less in their current organization before being promoted and are more likely to be hired from the outside.

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What Do The Numbers Really Mean? Uncovering the Secrets of Economic Indicators

Wed, 26 Jan 2005 13:49:48 GMT

The stock market rises and falls based on investors’ perceptions about how the economy is doing. CEOs make investment decisions -- opening a new plant hiring more workers -- based on their expectations about how markets will perform in the future. How can they keep tabs on whether their expectations are realistic? Bernard Baumohl author of The Secrets of Economic Indicators provides some insights into how investors and CEOs alike can pick up on statistical signals about the economy.

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What’s the Buzz About Buzz Marketing?

Wed, 12 Jan 2005 15:15:21 GMT

There’s a new marketing catchphrase that’s getting rave word-of-mouth reviews. From articles in the popular press to conversations in the classroom huge companies to boutique marketing firms suddenly it seems you can’t talk about new products without addressing ’buzz marketing.’ ”People are buzzing about buzzing ” says Wharton marketing professor Barbara Kahn who adds along with others that word-of-mouth marketing has long been recognized as a way to influence consumer behavior. What’s new about buzz marketing is the structure and hype surrounding it and the attempts to measure its effectiveness on sales.

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Connecting Marketing Metrics to Financial Consequences

Wed, 17 Nov 2004 17:06:54 GMT

Marketers are happy speaking their own language replete with jargon like ”awareness ” ”share of requirements” and ”customer satisfaction.” Such terminology works fine in the marketing department and with the advertising professionals who execute marketing plans. But there’s a translation problem between that language and the language of profitability and stock price which is the mother tongue of corporate CEOs. ”CEOs want to know what a 5% increase in customer satisfaction will do for the bottom line ” says Wharton marketing professor David Reibstein who talked about ”Linking Marketing Metrics to Financial Consequences” at the Wharton Marketing Conference on October 15.

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Death of a Drug: The Aftermath of Merck’s Recall

Wed, 20 Oct 2004 15:40:04 GMT

Wharton management professor Michael Useem director of the school’s Center for Leadership and Change Management notes that one of the key mantras in corporate crisis management is: ”Hide nothing tell all.” Less than a week after Merck & Co.’s voluntary withdrawal of its blockbuster arthritis pain medication Vioxx following an extended clinical trial that linked the drug to heart attacks and strokes the jury is still out on whether the pharmaceutical giant followed this cardinal rule. Wharton professors debate Merck’s response to the crisis and the impact of the recall.

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Combat in High C: Microsoft vs. Apple

Wed, 20 Oct 2004 15:04:06 GMT

Last week Microsoft unveiled the new version of its Windows Media Player firing the opening shots in a long-anticipated battle against Apple Computer for supremacy in the online music business. Both companies are targeting the fast-growing market whose sales are expected to be $270 million this year but could grow to $1.7 billion by 2009. Experts at Wharton and elsewhere say that for now Apple whose iTunes music service commands a 70% market share has an impressive lead. Over time however two strategic issues make Apple vulnerable to being dislodged by Microsoft or other rivals.

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Teamwork in a Shock Trauma Unit: New Lessons in Leadership

Wed, 06 Oct 2004 15:59:56 GMT

Imagine that you have been assigned to a six-person team in your company and asked to complete a top-priority project on a very short deadline. Some of the people have never worked together before team members change every hour or so leadership constantly shifts between three different individuals and any mistake could have disastrous even fatal consequences for the project. Wharton management professor Katherine J. Klein spent 10 months studying such teams in action at the Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore Md. Her research presented in a new co-authored paper suggests a novel view of leadership different from that offered in traditional leadership models.

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Teaching Kids about Money: Why It’s Not Just Fun and Games

Wed, 22 Sep 2004 14:17:34 GMT

Schools companies and nonprofit organizations around the country including educators at Wharton say helping children and teenagers learn the rudiments of free markets entrepreneurship credit spending saving and investing is one of the most important - and neglected - components of a young person’s education. Yet for kids from both affluent and poor neighborhoods it’s difficult to find financial literacy courses not just in their schools but outside the classroom as well. Several organizations are hoping to change that.

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Goal setting and Cheating: Why They Often Go Together in the Workplace

Wed, 28 Jul 2004 12:53:59 GMT

From childhood on individuals are told that setting goals for themselves will make them more successful in whatever they set out to do – whether it’s win tennis games ace their exams or become CEO of their company. But goal-setting also has a dark side to it according to a recent research paper by a Wharton faculty member and two colleagues. In addition to motivating constructive behavior goal setting – especially when it involves rewards such as bonuses or perks – can also motivate unethical behavior when people fall short of the goals they set or that are set for them.

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What’s Behind the 4-Minute Mile Starbucks and the Moon Landing? The Power of Impossible Thinking

Wed, 14 Jul 2004 15:04:46 GMT

Impossible thinking. It is what put men on the moon allowed Starbucks to turn a commodity product into a powerful global business and permitted Roger Bannister to run the four-minute mile. While not every “impossible thought” can become a reality very often the greatest obstacle to transforming our organizations society and personal lives is our own thinking. This may seem to be a simple idea in theory – that what we see and act upon is more a product of what is inside our heads than out in the world – but it has far-reaching implications for how we approach life and decision making. In their new book titled The Power of Impossible Thinking: Transform the Business of Your Life and the Life of Your Business Wharton marketing professor Jerry Wind and Colin Crook former chief technology officer at Citibank discuss the process – and promise – of “impossible thinking.”

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Your Boss Won’t Agree? Might Be ”Identity-Induced Stickiness”

Wed, 14 Jul 2004 15:04:46 GMT

Why do so many smokers keep smoking despite decades of health warnings? Why do Harley Davidson motorcycles and Ralph Lauren clothing engender such loyalty among very specific types of people? Why do teens and parents always seem to fight and never seem to hear what the other is saying? Wharton marketing professors Lisa Bolton and Americus Reed have found through their research that judgments linked to a person’s identity – from teenager to Republican environmentalist or businessman – are virtually immovable. That has crucial implications for brand identity.

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Companies Must Learn to Achieve the Price Advantage (or Pay the Price)

Wed, 30 Jun 2004 11:55:47 GMT

Pricing the intersection at which untold numbers of buyers and sellers meet every day lies at the core of any business. Yet it remains misunderstood and poorly managed according to The Price Advantage a new book by three consultants at McKinsey & Co. Even executives at successful companies may not fully appreciate how small changes in price can lead to large changes in profitability. Wharton marketing professor David J. Reibstein spoke recently with the authors about the themes in their book.

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Will RFID Spark the Next Revolution in Retailing?

Wed, 30 Jun 2004 11:55:47 GMT

Wal-Mart Target and other companies see radio-frequency identification (RFID) as a technology that will usher in the next revolution in the world of retailing. How real is this revolution? And what does it mean for retailers and customers? Experts at Wharton and elsewhere say that RFID is a potentially powerful technology that is on the brink of having a big impact. Still several hurdles remain that make it hard to predict whether its benefits will be immediate or spread out years into the future.

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Redefining Retirement in the 21st Century

Wed, 16 Jun 2004 15:47:10 GMT

The demographics of today’s workforce employee expectations about retirement and the types of retirement options offered are all in a state of flux making retirement policy a moving target for those charged with researching and administering pension plans. That was the message at a recent Wharton conference titled “Reinventing the Retirement Paradigm” co-hosted by Wharton’s The Pension Research Council. Experts from academia government and industry debated what’s ahead for the baby boomers and those coming up behind them.

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Call Centers: How to Reduce Burnout Increase Efficiency

Wed, 16 Jun 2004 15:47:10 GMT

It’s no surprise that the front lines of a corporate call center are unusually stressful but companies don’t always account for that when hiring and training workers for this critical customer contact role according to speakers at a recent Call Center Industry Forum sponsored by Wharton’s Financial Institutions Center. Given that an estimated 3% of the U.S. workforce is employed in call centers and that such centers typically experience a 30% annual turnover it’s clear that new approaches to call center management are needed.

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The Short- and Long-Term Outlook for Stocks

Wed, 02 Jun 2004 12:53:06 GMT

Baby boomers are amassing trillions of dollars in stocks bonds and mutual funds for retirement. But when they quit work and start selling those assets will there be enough buyers? Or will supply outstrip demand driving down prices and leaving the retirees with far less than they had expected? Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel addressed these issues during a presentation at Wharton on May 15 in which he also talked about the current financial markets worker productivity and growth in developing countries.

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Need a Job? How about a Date? Networking Services Want to Help

Wed, 19 May 2004 13:59:30 GMT

Networking services – Internet companies that let users share personal profiles as a way to make social and professional contacts – are the hot e-businesses of the moment. Close to two dozen of these online communities are furiously recruiting members who in turn recruit their friends relatives co-workers and just about anyone seeking an introduction to or reference from someone who might matter. But it’s still too early to measure how successful these sites are at matchmaking – or making money.

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Offshoring Services: Which Are the World’s Top Locations -- and Why?

Wed, 05 May 2004 13:10:03 GMT

Those who have been following the controversy over ”offshoring” U.S. service jobs to low-cost markets like India now have new developments to consider: The takeover this month by U.S. business giants -- IBM and Citigroup -- of two major providers of business process outsourcing (BPO) services in India. These developments seem to validate a new study by consulting firm A.T. Kearney which ranks India as the world’s top location for BPO services followed by China Malaysia and the Czech Republic. Experts from Wharton and A.T. Kearney have lots to say about the latest trends in offshore outsourcing.

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Getting Close to the Customer: Quantitative vs. Qualitative Approaches

Wed, 05 May 2004 13:10:03 GMT

After adapting information technology to develop ever more sophisticated research methods marketers are taking a second look at more human qualitative approaches to tapping into the hearts and minds of consumers. As one Wharton marketing professor says: “We can put each customer’s order on a microchip but as far as having a sense of what’s inside making him tick ” the answers remain elusive. He and others suggest that companies use both quantitative methods – such as data mining – and qualitative methods ranging from “concept banks” to “brand communities” to customer advisory boards always keeping in mind the cost-effectiveness of these varied approaches.

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Wal-Mart’s Mega-Growth Continues But Is its Image Getting a Bit Tarnished?

Wed, 21 Apr 2004 14:29:08 GMT

Wal-Mart’s appearance for the third time in a row at the top of the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. companies would seem to confirm what many have long suspected: This retailing behemoth is all-powerful and unstoppable. But industry experts and others are beginning to scrutinize some of Wal-Mart’s latest initiatives and its critics point to recent complaints about the company’s labor practices and hardball negotiating tactics. Others warn that Wal-Mart is not invulnerable to the same trends that have forced at least 25 major chain stores to close their doors since 1980.

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Leading from Within Means Learning to Manage Your Ego and Emotions

Wed, 07 Apr 2004 14:56:28 GMT

Hubris can help a CEO build a business empire and it can also cause its downfall. When business leaders don’t know themselves as well as they should and they are unable to manage their ego and emotions they fail say experts from Wharton and elsewhere. A Wharton conference on self-awareness will explore these themes further next month.

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The Emerging Face of Technology

Wed, 24 Mar 2004 13:17:37 GMT

A Special Report by CNET News.com and Knowledge at Wharton With the economy rebounding and the technology sector once again focused on new partners products and opportunities the Wharton Technology Conference on Feb. 27 emphasized the future with the theme: “From Survival to Growth: The Emerging Face of Technology.” Panelists and speakers from industry the government and academia discussed entrepreneurship and business innovation new technologies and hot-button issues such as outsourcing and open source software. Knowledge at Wharton and CNET News.com covered several of the panels and keynote speakers.

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It’s Time to Talk Sense about Outsourcing

Wed, 10 Mar 2004 16:03:36 GMT

Gregory Mankiw head of the White House Council of Economic Advisors ignited a firestorm of debate this month when he said outsourcing of U.S. jobs is probably a good thing in the long run. As tends to happen with hot-button issues in presidential election years sensible discussion of this question was soon drowned in an uproar of political posturing. Experts at Wharton and the Boston Consulting Group point out that outsourcing is as old as the corporation. Increasingly sourcing work overseas is no longer a tactical option that can help firms save a few dollars here and there; it is a strategic necessity for any company that cares about its long-term competitiveness.

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Becoming the Best: What You Can Learn from the 25 Most Influential Leaders of Our Times

Wed, 11 Feb 2004 15:44:09 GMT

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Nightly Business Report the most watched daily business program on U.S. television Wharton and NBR this month announced their list of the 25 most influential business leaders of the past 25 years. Andy Grove co-founder of Intel won the No. 1 position but the list also included Bill Gates Warren Buffett John Bogle Jeff Bezos Jack Welch and Oprah Winfrey among others. Can these leaders’ attributes help you become a better business leader in your own organization?

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Tales from the Trenches: Lessons from 30 Years of Career Warfare

Wed, 28 Jan 2004 13:48:21 GMT

We might like to believe that the way to get ahead in the corporate world lies in hard work and brain power. But in his new book Career Warfare: 10 Rules for Building a Successful Personal Brand and Fighting to Keep It David F. D’Alessandro chairman and CEO of John Hancock Financial Services a Boston firm that in 2003 managed assets worth $140 billion for its clients stomps firmly on that idea.

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Why Smart People Do Unethical Things: What’s Behind Another Year of Corporate Scandals

Wed, 14 Jan 2004 13:38:57 GMT

You might think that with the passing of another year the corporate scandals that have rocked American business would be showing signs of petering out. They are not. In the past few months disclosures of allegedly unethical or illegal practices have rocked the mutual-fund industry and some of its blue-chip names even as the head of the New York Stock Exchange was forced to resign over the size of his compensation package. Knowledge at Wharton spoke to ethics experts a business historian and a Wall Street executive in an attempt to understand why the country has witnessed misbehavior of breathtaking scope in the first few years of a new century.

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Cherry Picking: The Weapon of Choice for Price-conscious Consumers

Wed, 14 Jan 2004 13:38:57 GMT

Do cherry pickers – those consumers who are extremely sensitive to price and go from store to store to pick the best-priced items and leave the rest – really save a lot of money? A recent paper by Wharton marketing professor Stephen J. Hoch and Edward J. Fox a marketing professor at the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University found that consumers not only save money but that the savings are enough to offset the time it takes to do the extra shopping. In addition the researchers found a substantial number of shoppers are savvy and diligent enough to make cherry picking pay off.

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Why Everyone in an Enterprise Can -- and Should -- Be a Leader

Tue, 23 Dec 2003 13:17:03 GMT

Leadership doesn’t just start at the top. Leaders can also be found at the bottom of an organization and at just about every place in between. In this special report by Knowledge at Wharton and The McKinsey Quarterly the management journal of consulting firm McKinsey & Co. experts from McKinsey and Wharton point out that regardless of whether people are on the top line or the front line they should explore ways to exercise their leadership potential to the fullest. That is the only way in which they can create meaningful working lives for themselves and the organization can get the most from their efforts.

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CEOs Are Ridiculed for Huge Salaries: Why Aren’t Athletes and Entertainers?

Wed, 19 Nov 2003 14:50:39 GMT

Actors athletes and executives are among the most populous inhabitants of the rarified atmosphere of multimillion dollar incomes. Why is it then that corporate executives are coming under fire for excessive pay when athletes like Michael Jordan and entertainers like Oprah Winfrey seem to stir no such feelings of resentment? Part of the answer suggest Wharton faculty and others is that people see – and get – a direct benefit from what athletes and entertainers provide.

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Suing Your Customers: A Winning Business Strategy?

Wed, 22 Oct 2003 13:48:09 GMT

The recording industry has a pricing problem. People do not want to pay $15-20 for a compact disc when they can download the same music for free over the Internet. The industry’s solution appears as novel as the technology that is giving it such headaches: launch hundreds of lawsuits against otherwise law-abiding consumers who download music. As G. Richard Shell a legal studies professor and author of a forthcoming book on competitive legal strategy notes this same tactic was tried 100 years ago against Henry Ford. It didn’t work then and it won’t work today.

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Banking on Breadth: Why CEOs Value Cross-Functional Perspectives

Wed, 22 Oct 2003 13:48:09 GMT

Managers traditionally have built their careers by concentrating on specific disciplines such as finance or marketing. Such specialization however pales in comparison to the value that executives can generate when they fuse together insights from various fields into a cohesive whole. That was the message that the heads of three companies -- ARAMARK Commerce Bancorp and Contigroup Companies -- delivered when they spoke recently at Wharton.

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The Input Bias: How Managers Misuse Information When Making Decisions

Wed, 10 Sep 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Fans of the hit TV comedy “The Jerry Seinfeld Show” may remember an episode in which Jerry’s friend George leaves his car parked at work so that the boss will think George is putting in long hours even when he’s not. The idea of course is that George’s apparent productivity will net him a higher raise or bonus. Wharton professor Maurice Schweitzer would call George’s behavior “an attempt to invoke the input bias – the use of input information (in this case the false impression of long hours) to judge outcomes.” As extreme as this example might seem business decisions are frequently made based on input that is either biased or manipulated as Schweitzer and colleague Karen Chinander suggest in a new paper entitled “The Input Bias: The Misuse of Input Information in Judgments of Outcomes.”

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The Economic News is Good Unless You’re Looking for a Job

Wed, 10 Sep 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The U.S. stock market has jumped and the economy shows signs of perking up but Americans continue to lose jobs. Indeed some economists warn that that many of the nearly three million jobs lost over the past three years are gone for good. What’s in store for the next three months and for 2004? While most economists and market watchers are somewhat optimistic others suggest that the recovery won’t last.

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How Much Money Will You Need for Retirement? More Than You Think

Wed, 27 Aug 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Most people generally understand that the sooner they begin planning for retirement the better. Putting money aside now rather than later means that you will have more assets in the long run. What many people don’t know however is the amount of money they will need to live on in their golden years. Experts at Wharton examine the reasons why people don’t save enough for retirement and what strategies are available to change that.

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What Labor Shortage? Debunking a Popular Myth

Wed, 27 Aug 2003 00:00:00 GMT

In recent years Wharton management professor Peter Cappelli has heard companies warn about a coming labor shortage to the point where this prediction is now routinely factored into discussions about human-resource issues. The problem Cappelli found is that no such shortage will occur. In his latest research Cappelli explains how challenges in recruiting and hiring stem from changes in the nature of the employer-employee relationship not in a shortfall of workers caused by demographic shifts.

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Which Customers Are Worth Keeping and Which Ones Aren’t? Managerial Uses of CLV

Wed, 30 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Managers have long been interested in weeding out customers that they consider to be less profitable than others. The question is how do managers determine who belongs in that group? According to several Wharton marketing professors there is no easy answer despite new and increasingly sophisticated efforts to measure what is called “Customer Lifetime Value” (CLV) – the present value of the likely future income stream generated by an individual purchaser. CLV it turns out is hard to calculate and harder to use.

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Another Reorganization? What to Expect What to Avoid

Wed, 02 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

It’s a familiar scenario: A company brings in a new department head who immediately decides that the way to show leadership is to reorganize. Then a new division head comes on board or a new CEO and there are more reorganizations sometimes several in one month. Yet according to Wharton management professor Peter Cappelli frequent reorganizations “are like doctors treating patients with antibiotics.” The medication might work short-term but “long-term it can be harmful.” Knowledge at Wharton looks at why some reorganizations succeed and others fail.

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Choosing the Wrong Pricing Strategy Can Be a Costly Mistake

Wed, 04 Jun 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Prices have been at the center of human interaction ever since traders in ancient Mesopotamia began keeping records. Who doesn’t love to guess what something costs – or argue about what something ought to cost? So it should come as no surprise that companies spend a lot of time figuring out how to price their products and services. But two professors in Wharton’s marketing department Jagmohan S. Raju and Z. John Zhang say firms do not always go about pricing the right way despite the huge impact that pricing strategy can have on a company’s profits.

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What Women Buy -- and Why

Wed, 04 Jun 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Women make or influence the purchase of more than 80% of all products and services. So you might think there would be nothing about women’s buying habits that American businesses don’t know. You would be wrong according to two new books entitled “Just Ask a Woman: Cracking the Code of What Women Want and How They Buy” and “Marketing to Women: How to Understand Reach and Increase Your Share of the World’s Largest Market Segment.” The authors offer their observations on what women want when they set out to shop. Hint: Think “warmer ” not “winner.”

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Eight Great Business Plans: Who Is This Year’s Winner?

Wed, 07 May 2003 00:00:00 GMT

It’s the best of times … and the worst of times. Best in that participants in this year’s Wharton School Business Plan Competition represented an unusually diverse number of industries. Worst in that the ability of entrepreneurs to raise seed money from venture capitalists is distinctly hobbled by a dismal economy and an equally dismal venture capital industry. Of course what shouldn’t change in good times or bad is the ability to recognize a ‘hot’ business plan. See if you can pick the winner from this year’s ‘eight great’ finalists.

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What Makes Southwest Airlines Fly

Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:00:00 GMT

How does Southwest Airlines keep making money? After all the airline industry overall is in a shambles. US Airways and United Air Lines are reorganizing in bankruptcy while American Airlines flirts with the same fate. As a group the nation’s biggest air carriers have lost billions of dollars over the past several years with no immediate recovery in sight. Yet the secret to its success said Southwest chairman Herb Kelleher during a talk at Wharton April 22 is available for anyone including its competitors to see.

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Call Centers: Using Social Networks to Spur Staff Retention and Productivity

Wed, 09 Apr 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Call-centers are usually regarded as high-pressure workplaces where pay is often skimpy and turnover is rampant. Employee turnover rates in the industry range from 25% to 45% a year – which poses a problem for employers who invest substantial amounts in training workers only to see them leave. A new study by Emilio J. Castilla a professor of management at Wharton shows that if call-center operators want to reduce such high turnover rates improve worker retention and even increase employee productivity tapping into social networks could provide a possible solution.

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The Wal-Mart Empire: A Simple Formula and Unstoppable Growth

Wed, 09 Apr 2003 00:00:00 GMT

For the second year in a row Wal-Mart topped Fortune magazine’s list of largest companies and is also the magazine’s most-admired firm the first time one company has shared both honors since the annual survey began in 1955. The giant retailer continues to expand worldwide planting giant supercenters as well as new neighborhood-scale markets in its attempt to offer more and more goods to a wider array of shoppers. But Wharton faculty and outside analysts note that Wal-Mart still faces a few challenges ranging from its own centralized operations to union opposition to problems with local zoning boards.

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The Hidden Dangers - and Payoffs - of “Targeted Pricing”

Wed, 26 Mar 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Should your firm target your competitors’ customers with lower prices than the competition charges them? When might it make sense instead to offer discounts to your own customers? Under what conditions might this sort of approach – known as “targeted pricing” – backfire by driving everyone’s prices down too far? Recent research by Wharton marketing professor Z. John Zhang and several colleagues examines the complex dimensions of “targeted pricing” and suggests guidelines to help companies understand when “targeted pricing” might play an effective role in their marketing strategy.

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The Dell Model: How Well Will It Travel?

Wed, 12 Mar 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Is Dell doing everything right? In a sluggish PC market where global shipments only rose by 2.7% in 2002 Dell reported a 21% revenue growth year-over-year in the fourth quarter and their global market share jumped from 13.2% to 15.7%. Meanwhile Dell is a solid number one in the U.S. with 29.2% of the market. They have big plans in China and in printers. Is there any place this powerhouse is vulnerable?

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Can a Chinese Legend Go Global?

Wed, 12 Mar 2003 00:00:00 GMT

One of the world’s hottest PC companies has a balance sheet worth envying a dominant position in a fast-growing market and a history of good service and innovative technology. But if you haven’t heard of Legend Computer you can be excused; for the past 19 years the company has confined itself to China. As China transforms and opens though its No. 1 PC maker is coming into the spotlight and it hopes to become a global force to rival IBM Dell and HP. Experts at Wharton and elsewhere examine the prospects of Asia’s most successful computer maker.

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Two Major Errors That Companies Make In Outsourcing Services

Wed, 12 Mar 2003 00:00:00 GMT

When companies outsource back-office services overseas one of the biggest challenges they face is measuring the results. Failure to monitor whether work is being performed correctly after it moves outside a company can result in massive and costly errors. How can companies protect themselves against such risks? Ravi Aron co-director with Jitendra Singh of a recent Wharton executive education program on business-process outsourcing offers some crucial insights.

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Why Some Companies Retrain Workers and Others Lay Them Off

Wed, 29 Jan 2003 00:00:00 GMT

In today’s economy the odds that employees’ skills will need to be updated have increased says management professor Peter Cappelli. The question then becomes is your employer going to reinvest in you through retraining or lay you off and hire someone new? As director of the school’s Center for Human Resources Cappelli wanted to know why a few companies have remained committed to retraining even as the ethos of American business has changed. The answer as Cappelli explains in a new research paper has a lot to do with what is termed “social capital.”

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Why Some Companies Succeed at CRM (and Many Fail)

Wed, 15 Jan 2003 00:00:00 GMT

What makes some companies so much better at managing customer relationships than their competitors? Put a different way how are companies like Enterprise Rent-A-Car Pioneer Hi-bred Seeds Fidelity Investments Lexus Intuit and Capital One able to stay more closely connected to customers than their rivals in ways that significantly influence the profitability of the firm? It’s a question that Wharton marketing professor George Day answers in a new paper. His research notes among other things three distinct approaches to customer relationship management (CRM) each with dramatically different results.

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What Works What Doesn’t: Lessons from Two Companies that Outsource Back-Office Tasks

Wed, 18 Dec 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Many Western companies are considering moving back-office operations such as call centers to low-wage countries like India. While this approach can result in significant savings when the project is handled right potential pitfalls can undo the benefits. Knowledge at Wharton spoke with two executives who have undertaken such projects for their organizations to understand where the pitfalls lie and how to avoid them.

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Lou Gerstner’s Turnaround Tales at IBM

Wed, 18 Dec 2002 00:00:00 GMT

In the foreword of Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance? Louis V. Gerstner Jr.’s memoir of his nine years as CEO of IBM the author confesses that he isn’t one for reading the kind of book he’s written. After a twelve-hour day at work he asks “who would want to go home and read about someone else’s career at the office?” Apparently a lot of people do if book sales are any indication. Although he has his critics Gerstner’s book tells how he turned IBM from a potential dinosaur into a dancing pachyderm.

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Bank of America’s Ken Lewis Takes a Swing at Investment Banks

Tue, 19 Nov 2002 00:00:00 GMT

According to Ken Lewis chairman chief executive of Charlotte-based Bank of America standalone investment banks are headed for obsolescence and perhaps even extinction. Speaking at Wharton on Nov. 7 Lewis painted a grim future for the once high-flying investment banking business while discussing the strategy corporate culture and ongoing expansion of Bank of America.

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Exploring the Links between Brand Name and Consumer Identity

Wed, 06 Nov 2002 00:00:00 GMT

What constitutes a successful identity-oriented marketing strategy? According to Wharton marketing professor Americus Reed II it consists of three critical links – the consumer the identity and the brand. If these links are forged says Reed who recently completed a research paper on this topic “then they create connections that can lead to advantageous marketing outcomes for companies that are savvy enough to incorporate identity into their marketing strategy.” Think Harley-Davidson.

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Is It Time to Get Rid of EBITDA?

Wed, 06 Nov 2002 00:00:00 GMT

EBITDA or Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortization has been used by analysts and investors to measure the fiscal health of the many high-tech media and other asset-heavy firms that do not generate earnings but instead incur plenty of depreciation amortization and other charges. Recently however EBITDA has come under fire for contributing to accounting irregularities at such companies as WorldCom and AOL Time Warner.

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Is That a $100 Bill Lying on the Ground? Two Views of Market Efficiency

Wed, 23 Oct 2002 00:00:00 GMT

A few days before Daniel Kahneman and Vernon Smith won the Nobel Price in Economic Sciences for their research into how individuals make economic decisions Wharton hosted a debate showcasing two views of market efficiency. The efficient-markets banner was carried by Princeton professor Burton Malkiel author of “A Random Walk Down Wall Street ” while Richard Thaler a professor at the University of Chicago represented the behavioral finance camp. The debate was moderated by Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel.

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Linux: It’s Growing More Popular But Can It Do Windows?

Wed, 25 Sep 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Linux is unlikely to dethrone Microsoft’s Windows as the ubiquitous operating system on desktop PCs anytime soon. But the open-source system will gradually become more attractive to consumers as more applications are written for it. The real growth of Linux will be in its chief market as an operating system for servers.

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Secrets of Successful Ad Campaigns: Lessons from Absolut Nike and NASCAR

Wed, 25 Sep 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Drinking and driving don’t mix but Absolut vodka and NASCAR now have something in common. The two companies were honored along with Nike as winners of the Excellence in Marketing awards at last week’s CMO Summit held at Wharton on Sept. 19-20. Knowledge at Wharton covered presentations describing the award-winning ad campaigns that have earned these brands global recognition.

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Want to Study Accounting or Medieval History? Chances Are Your Employer Will Foot the Bill

Wed, 11 Sep 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Peter Cappelli director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources began his research into employer-paid tuition programs with some skepticism. Why he wondered would employers pay for workers to develop a credential (education degree) that is useful to other employers and will raise the workers’ marketability? Furthermore if the employer’s goal is to give workers skills for their current job why not just offer training in-house? After several months of research Cappelli has found some surprising answers which he summarizes in a new paper entitled “Why Do Employers Pay for College?”

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Dell: It’s Time to Diversify Dude

Wed, 28 Aug 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Dell Computer the no-fuss PC sales machine has set the standard for a successful direct-distribution company. But Dell is now reworking its bare-bones formula in an attempt to branch out from the PC market into more sophisticated and profitable computer systems. It’s a risky strategy in a tough economic climate but experts suggest it’s Dell’s only option if it wants to keep growing.

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Marketers Turn to Metrics to Measure the Impact of Their Initiatives

Wed, 14 Aug 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Until recent times marketing was perhaps the only corporate department that did not use metrics that were meaningful to bottom-line-oriented CEOs and CFOs. But that indifference to metrics is becoming a thing of the past. Marketing executives are paying more attention than ever to ways in which they can measure the impact of marketing initiatives on their companies’ financial performance. Developing appropriate metrics to capture the financial impact of marketing will be a key topic for discussion at an upcoming conference co-sponsored by Wharton McKinsey & Company and the Marketing Science Institute.

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What’s In a Name? Not Much Without a Branding Strategy

Wed, 17 Jul 2002 00:00:00 GMT

As businesses struggle to differentiate themselves in an increasingly crowded marketplace the challenge of choosing a company name looms large. How creative should a name be and what kind of image should it project? Knowledge at Wharton looked at some existing corporate names – old and new effective and not so effective – and asked marketing professors for their views of the corporate name game.

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Debate over Scarcity – and Skills – of IT Workers

Wed, 03 Jul 2002 00:00:00 GMT

According to a recent study from the Information Technology Association of America U.S. companies will be short nearly 600 000 qualified IT professionals over the next 12 months. Unemployed IT workers find that hard to believe. Indeed the report has rekindled the debate over whether there are too few or too many skilled technology workers in this country and what role if any immigrant workers should play in filling tech jobs.

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It’s Boom Time in the Housing Market But for How Long?

Wed, 03 Jul 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The residential real estate market in many U.S. cities shows no signs of slowing down as eager home buyers continue to drive prices ever higher. Is this too good to be true? Are home prices a bubble that is soon to burst? Real estate experts at Wharton and in the private sector offer their predictions.

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Eight Great Business Plans … And Then There Was One

Wed, 24 Apr 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Yes but which one was it? On April 22 2002 eight finalist teams in the Wharton Business Plan Competition presented their business plans to a panel of six judges hoping their venture would win the $25 000 Grand Prize ($15 000 for second place $10 000 for third place). Read the summaries pick your winners and see if the judges agree.

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The Failure of Customization: Or Why People Don’t Buy Jeans Online

Wed, 27 Mar 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Ever since the Internet emerged as a sales channel in the 1990s it has been thought that one of the chief advantages of e-commerce would be its ability to facilitate the customization of goods and services for consumers. That promise however is not yet close to being realized according to experts at Wharton and an e-commerce research firm.

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Re-examining Stock Options as a Way to Compensate Executives

Wed, 13 Mar 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Now that an underperforming stock market and the excesses of Enron have focused new attention on the use and abuse of stock options as a way to incentivize senior managers what changes if any should companies make in their design of compensation packages? The answer depends on each company’s philosophy and goals but Wharton faculty and others suggest guidelines to help define the appropriate combination of executive incentives.

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Speculate on This: What Motivates Investment Bankers?

Wed, 13 Feb 2002 00:00:00 GMT

When management professor Peter Cappelli and the executive search firm Spencer Stuart asked a group of investment bankers to name their top career objective the answer was hardly earth-shattering. The survey however also went on to look at the expectations and concerns of investment bankers at a time when their business has been rocked by recession and a terrorist attack.

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Forecasting in Conflicts: How to Predict What Your Opponent Will Do

Wed, 13 Feb 2002 00:00:00 GMT

J. Scott Armstrong is a marketing professor at Wharton and author of the recent book Principles of Forecasting. In the article that follows he talks about role-playing as a tool for business and government leaders who face crucial decisions in situations ranging from military clashes to marketing challenges.

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Making the Case for Outside Sales Reps

Wed, 30 Jan 2002 00:00:00 GMT

During the economic downturn that most of corporate America experienced in 2001 the following companies had something in common: Intel Texas Instruments Cirrus Logic and Hunt Wesson. What tied them together was their decision last year to go from a direct (in-house) sales force to a contract or outside sales agency for some or all of their major product lines. Marketing professors Erin Anderson at INSEAD and Len Lodish at Wharton say that outside sales agencies if properly managed can benefit companies regardless of the economic climate.

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Why Job Searching is the Second Most Popular Activity on the Internet

Wed, 05 Dec 2001 00:00:00 GMT

With more than 20 million people registered on the monster.com job search site it’s clear that we are a workforce on the move. In a recent executive education session Peter Cappelli director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources explained how a dramatically different labor market is changing not just the way people are hired and fired but how they view their jobs their employers and their careers.

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The Evolution of B2B: Lessons From the Auto Industry

Wed, 21 Nov 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Only a few years ago B2B exchanges were expected to completely alter conventional buyer-supplier relationships. The reality has been otherwise. Only 10% of the 1 000 B2B exchanges launched in the past 18 months are reportedly still in operation. Meanwhile the important B2B action seems to have shifted to industry-wide exchanges run by incumbent firms such as Covisint in the auto industry and Transora in the consumer products sector. In a new research study Wharton management professor John Paul MacDuffie and colleague Susan Helper explore this evolution.

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Oh the Games Enron Played

Wed, 21 Nov 2001 00:00:00 GMT

The dramatic disintegration of Enron has left a lot of people wondering how this huge publicly-traded company could have fallen so far so fast. Wharton faculty and others help explain what went on behind the scenes at Enron where it is now clear that management exploited loopholes in accounting procedures and created questionable partnerships involving top company officials among other tactics.

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What Webvan Could Have Learned from Tesco

Wed, 10 Oct 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Webvan the ambitious online grocer once bragged that it would set a new standard for Internet retailing. As most people now know for all its hubris the company has turned out to be one of the dot-com economy’s most spectacular failures. After burning its way through $1.2 billion in capital it declared bankruptcy in July. Does Webvan’s collapse mean that shoppers dislike buying groceries online? For a part of the answer look across the Atlantic to a Britain-based supermarket chain called Tesco. Its online arm Tesco.com will probably have revenues of $420 million this year.

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A Search for Google’s Success Turns Up Two Words: Trust and Technology

Wed, 26 Sep 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Even as so many well-known search engines are struggling for survival Google.com continues to thrive actually turning a profit this year according to the privately-held company. What explains Google’s success and the loyalty of its users? “Performance not glitter ” sums up one Wharton professor. Plus a purist approach to advertising.

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If Affluenza Strikes Take Naps and Stop Consuming

Wed, 29 Aug 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Choose one: a slight pay raise or a shorter work week. If you chose the former you may be suffering from what authors John de Graaf David Wann and Thomas Naylor call “affluenza ” which is both the name of their new book and a reference to America’s worship of economic expansion. Think more shopping malls bigger homes more bankruptcies both monetary and spiritual. Affluenza our reviewer says is a riveting terrifying and inspiring analysis of what ails contemporary America.

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Measuring Returns on IT Investments: Some Tools and Techniques

Wed, 18 Jul 2001 00:00:00 GMT

How can executives measure returns on investments they make in information technology? This complex issue touches everything from decisions about replacing desktop computers with laptop models to investments in complex software systems. Experts from Wharton and Intel the giant chip maker suggest some methods that may help executives approach these questions.

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Making Customer Relationship Management Work

Wed, 04 Jul 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Customer relationship management or CRM is the buzzword du jour in business circles. To hear some proponents talk about it all a company needs to do is buy and install a sophisticated CRM software package to maximize its returns from customers. Wharton faculty members point out however that making CRM work involves doing a lot more.

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Good Vs. Great Leaders: The Difference is Humility Doubt and Drive

Wed, 20 Jun 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Lee Iacocca was a level 4 leader: effective in running the company but often more committed to self-aggrandizement than the sustained future of the institution. Darwin Smith the little-known former head of Kimberly-Clark was a level 5 leader. James Collins author of Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies and the forthcoming book Good to Great explained the difference at a Wharton Leadership Conference earlier this month.

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How Employees Value (Often Incorrectly) Their Stock Options

Wed, 23 May 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Given recent increases in the use of stock options by both “new economy” and “old economy” companies one might reasonably expect that employees – the beneficiaries of this perk - understand how options work. But according to recent research by Wharton professors David Larcker and Richard Lambert employees tend to be relatively uninformed as to the basic economics of stock options a finding that has important implications for employers boards of directors and management consultants.

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How Good or Bad Marketing Decisions Can Make or Break a Company

Wed, 09 May 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Approximately 60% of new ventures fail because of bad marketing decisions according to Wharton professor Leonard Lodish author of a new book entitled Entrepreneurial Marketing. The book explores the critical role marketing decisions – on everything from brand building and positioning to advertising and pricing - play in a company’s success. As Lodish says: “There are some business people who intuitively understanding marketing but there are a lot who do not.”

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What Makes a Good Entrepreneurial Leader? Ask Middle Managers

Wed, 25 Apr 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Entrepreneurs as most people know are risk-takers who thrive on uncertainty and change always on the lookout for their next startup. But according to new research from Wharton management professor Ian C. MacMillan and co-author Vipin Gupta entrepreneurs aren’t the only ones who should be able to operate in unpredictable high-risk environments. Drawing on an extensive worldwide survey of middle managers the two authors outline the qualities that define “entrepreneurial leaders.”

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Leading Up: The Art of Managing Your Boss

Wed, 25 Apr 2001 00:00:00 GMT

True or false: Leaders have followers but not all followers are subordinates. Quite true says Michael Useem director of Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change Management. Indeed if managers wish to be effective they must learn how to lead the people they report to as well as the employees they oversee. Useem calls this process “leading up” and it is the subject of his upcoming book.

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It’s Not Just How Many But Who Gets Stock Options That Matters

Mon, 19 Mar 2001 14:05:07 GMT

Now that employees in many dot-com companies have suddenly found their stock options to be substantially “out of the money ” is it time to announce the death of stock options as an integral component of compensation packages? Not so fast argue Wharton accounting professors Christopher Ittner Richard Lambert and David Larcker in a new paper that studies whether the performance of new economy firms is related to the level of equity grants to employees.

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House Rules: How Siebel Systems Became a Star

Wed, 17 Jan 2001 15:21:00 GMT

“When people have a choice they choose service over anything else including price and product attributes ” says Pat House co-founder and executive vice president of Siebel Systems the world’s leading supplier of eBusiness application software. During a visit to Wharton earlier this month House explained the strategy that has allowed Siebel to thrive in a notoriously turbulent industry.

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Non-financial Performance Measures: What Works and What Doesn’t

Wed, 06 Dec 2000 14:31:39 GMT

Choosing performance measures is a challenge. Performance measurement systems play a key role in developing strategy evaluating the achievement of organizational objectives and compensating managers. Yet many managers feel traditional financially oriented systems no longer work adequately. A recent survey of U.S. financial services companies found most were not satisfied with their measurement systems. In an article on Oct. 16 2000 in the Financial Times’ Mastering Management series Wharton accounting professors Christopher Ittner and David Larcker suggest that financial data have limitations as a measure of company performance. The two note that other measures such as quality may be better at forecasting but can be difficult to implement.

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That Elusive Customer Loyalty: How to Build It Learn From It and Profit From It

Wed, 22 Nov 2000 14:28:55 GMT

In an article on Oct. 9 2000 in the Financial Times’ Mastering Management series Wharton marketing professor Barbara Kahn writes about the importance of turning customers into advocates who will not only develop loyalty to your company’s product or service but will also spread the word to other potential buyers.

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How to Inspire Creativity and Reward Good Employees (Like You and Me)

Thu, 28 Sep 2000 08:47:26 GMT

Let’s face it. Anyone reading this article thinks that information about how to reward highly-regarded employees applies to them. And we all have ideas about what these rewards should be (more money bigger title bigger office etc.) But short of giving out stock options that will be worth $500 zillion in six months how can managers provide meaningful incentives and rewards for star performers? Wharton management professor Anne Cummings makes some suggestions. (Hint: For starters ditch the company pen set.)

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Uncertainty Technological Turbulence Competition--What’s a Manager to Do? Thrive on It

Wed, 30 Aug 2000 13:28:09 GMT

It’s become an all-too-familiar theme of business articles and books: How dramatic increases in competitiveness innovation deregulation globalization and information intensity have created perpetual uncertainty in everyday managerial life. The solution? Stop acting by the old rules and start thinking with the discipline of habitual entrepreneurs says Wharton management professor Ian MacMillan. MacMillan and co-author Rita McGrath of Columbia University show how this is done in their new book The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Strategies for Continuously Creating Opportunity in an Age of Uncertainty

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Just-in-Time Education: Learning in the Global Information Age

Wed, 30 Aug 2000 13:27:55 GMT

Is the lecture hall outdated? Management education needs to be radically rethought for an Internet age becoming more customizable with delivery anytime and anyplace and more applied interactive learning. Two Wharton professors Jerry Wind and David Reibstein discuss a new paradigm for management education facilitated by advances in information technology and how it might be integrated into a decision support system. Wind is also leading the creation of a program that attempts to implement these principles in practice.

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How to Keep Others From Ripping Off Your Ideas

Wed, 30 Aug 2000 13:27:51 GMT

As many companies and individuals have learned the hard way coming up with a new technology doesn’t necessarily mean you will reap the gains from it. What steps can you take to protect your innovation – there are four of them - and how do these strategies work in the brave new world of emerging technologies? Management professor Sidney G. Winter one of the authors of Wharton on Managing Emerging Technologies offers some guidance.

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A Matter of Metrics: Using Web Data to Improve Sales Performance

Wed, 29 Mar 2000 15:05:25 GMT

Internet-based retailers often spend millions of dollars on advertising but how well do they use website log data to track their own performance in turning random browsers into buyers? And buyers into repeat buyers? And repeat buyers into big spenders? Not well at all claims Peter Fader of Wharton’s marketing department. As disturbing signs emerge that online purchasing may be starting to stall Internet-based merchants must do a better job of establishing performance benchmarks and basing marketing strategies on real numbers. They can learn lots of lessons says Fader from the humble grocery store.

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