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) Hosted on Acast. See ac...
Dec 05, 2012•18 min
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) Hosted o...
Dec 05, 2012•26 min
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...
Nov 20, 2012•18 min
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...
Nov 20, 2012•25 min
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 C...
Nov 07, 2012•25 min
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Nov 02, 2012•17 min
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) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...
Oct 24, 2012•18 min
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) Hoste...
Oct 24, 2012•15 min
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 ...
Sep 12, 2012•25 min
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 A...
Aug 29, 2012•36 min
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 micro...
Jul 18, 2012•20 min
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) Hosted on Acast. See aca...
Jul 03, 2012•16 min
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) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...
Jul 03, 2012•24 min
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 seve...
Jul 03, 2012•15 min
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...
Jun 20, 2012•24 min
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) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 06, 2012•25 min
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 glo...
May 31, 2012•17 min
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) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...
May 09, 2012•11 min
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast....
May 03, 2012•20 min
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 03, 2012•19 min
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 f...
Apr 25, 2012•32 min
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...
Apr 25, 2012•27 min
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) Hosted on Acast. See...
Apr 11, 2012•20 min
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...
Apr 11, 2012•1 hr 8 min
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 I...
Apr 04, 2012•20 min
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 resea...
Apr 04, 2012•25 min
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 ...
Apr 03, 2012•26 min
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 challenge...
Mar 28, 2012•27 min
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...
Mar 14, 2012•33 min
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 compe...
Mar 12, 2012•27 min
