Knowledge at Wharton

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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