Knowledge@Wharton Business Research Journal

Flipping the Switch: Who Is Responsible for Getting Employees to Take a Break?

In the new world of work, 5:30 p.m. is far from the end of the day. Smartphones and laptop computers -- devices that ostensibly enable us to work faster, more efficiently and more flexibly -- have become 24/7 intravenous hookups to our jobs. Fearing employee burnout from being "always on," a number of firms have recently instituted initiatives requiring workers to take breaks and switch off their gadgets. But do such blanket policies really make a difference? Who is responsible for ensuring that employees maintain a healthy work/life balance?

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Textbook Case: Apple and Others Strive to Be the Next Wave in Educational Publishing

While the $4.5 billion textbook industry seems ready for disruption, the latest digital offerings from firms like Apple may not be enough to overthrow it -- yet. Apple's approach, which revolves around the company's ecosystem and devices, poses certain limitations for institutions and for students, experts say, and the proposed cost savings from not having to purchase more expensive physical books may not add up. Also, it's unclear whether more elaborate, enhanced textbooks with 3-D graphics and animation will catch on and eventually replace the printed word.

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Patients versus Profits at Johnson & Johnson: Has the Company Lost its Way?

For a corporate icon long held up as the gold standard in business ethics, Johnson & Johnson has suffered some stunning setbacks in recent years. Among the headaches: a seemingly endless string of product recalls, safety issues with the company's artificial hips, and lawsuits brought by numerous states over the marketing of its anti-psychotic medication. Critics wonder whether CEO William Weldon will be able to convince consumers and investors that J&J can regain its once stellar reputation.

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Why BCG's Hal Sirkin Is Bullish on the Future of American Manufacturing

For years, conventional wisdom has maintained that manufacturing in the U.S. is in terminal decline. But the tide is now turning, according to Hal Sirkin, a senior partner and managing director at the Boston Consulting Group. Rising wages and currency rates, among other factors, have dramatically narrowed the gap between manufacturing costs in China and the U.S., with the result that several U.S. companies are now "in-sourcing" manufacturing jobs back to America. Sirkin, who recently spoke at the White House about this research, discusses the implications for U.S. jobs and competitiveness in an interview with Knowledge@Wharton.
(Video with transcript)

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Seven Steps for Board Success in the Facebook Age

With the February 1 announcement of its mammoth public offering, Facebook is basking in the limelight and has become yet another reminder of the dramatic impact that the social, mobile and cloud revolutions are having on customer communications and shareholder interest. Is it time for boards, and their directors, to reinvent themselves to keep pace? Yes, according to this opinion piece by Barry Libert, CEO of OpenMatters, a company that invests in social technologies and advises boards of directors and executives on the impact of new technologies on corporate governance and enterprise risk management.

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Private Equity: Fact, Fiction and What Lies in Between

What good is private equity, anyway? Critics say these investment pools make money the wrong way -- buying "target companies," slashing jobs, piling on debt and selling the remnants, which by then are doomed to fail. Defenders say PE is a strong creator of jobs and value, and a vital source of outsized returns for pension funds, university endowments and other investment pools that serve ordinary people. Who's right?

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