Knowledge at Wharton

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.