Knowledge at Wharton

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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