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Copyright: © 2013 The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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