Knowledge@Wharton Business Research Journal

Under New Leadership, Will Yahoo Find Its Way?

When Scott Thompson was named Yahoo's new CEO effective January 9, he became the fourth person in five years to take charge of the ailing Internet giant. Experts at Wharton say that Thompson, who was previously president of eBay's PayPal unit, might be Yahoo's last hope for becoming relevant again as a player in online display advertising, a market which the media company once dominated. But his main challenge, they say, is the same as his predecessors': Define what Yahoo wants to be.

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Short-sighted Frugality? Employers Who Rein in Compensation Too Much Could Pay a Price Later

As economic malaise bleeds into another New Year, many employers are making hard-nosed decisions about benefits and compensation. That means salaries remain flat, health care premiums are up, the 401(k) match has disappeared and bonuses are smaller or nonexistent. The result, not surprisingly, is a dissatisfied workforce. Yet, as Wharton professors and other experts warn, excess frugality on employers' part could backfire in the long run.

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Research Roundup: Team Performance, Demystifying Market Composition and the Reality vs. Hype of Sponsored Search

How do interpersonal relationships affect the performance of individual team members? Why is a shopping mall composed the way it is, and how do different stores affect each other's business? Do higher-ranked sponsored search listings pay off in terms of a company's bottom line? Wharton professors Jennifer Mueller, Maria Ana Vitorino and Kartik Hosanagar, respectively, examine these issues -- and what they mean for business -- in recent research articles

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Revisiting the American Dream: Is the U.S. Providing Fewer Opportunities to Get Ahead?

The United States is widely seen as a place where a person can rise from extreme poverty to lavish wealth on the basis of hard work, ingenuity and a little luck. But has that vision of the American dream become less attainable in recent times? As economic inequality rises, and much of the population grapples with high unemployment and a stagnant housing market, observers say it is becoming harder and harder to go from rags to riches. Fewer opportunities to do so, they note, has real implications for the country's overall future.

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Customers, Competition and Cost: Sam's Club CEO Brian Cornell on the Essential 'Cs' of Leadership

For Sam's Club CEO Brian Cornell, good leadership is about getting inside the heads of the warehouse chain's 47 million shoppers and figuring out the product mix and shopping experience that will keep them coming back for more. At a recent Wharton Leadership Lecture, he talked about the "Cs" that govern his leadership style and the opportunities and challenges created by today's more value-conscious breed of consumer.

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