What's Hot
Lakhdar Brahimi: As Syria Inches to Civil War, the Arab Spring Must Give People Dignity, Not Just Elections The Arab Spring is not finished yet, says Lakhdar Brahimi, the longtime international negotiator for the United Nations. In an interview with Arabic Knowledge@Wharton, Brahimi notes that the protesters have defeated dictators, but governance in many Arab countries has also been a casualty. Currently a visiting professor at Cornell University and chairing an independent panel for the Arab League, Brahimi says Tunisia has provided the best model so far for transition to democracy. Speaking about Syria, Brahimi worries that it teeters on the edge of civil war, and wonders what sort of impact the Arab League can make there.
Showcasing Ancient Muslim Scientists and Thinkers, an Exhibit Invites Debate on Reviving Innovation in the Islamic World Muslim innovation and invention are almost a historical footnote in the West. But an exhibit traveling the globe to demonstrate the achievements of Islam's early scientists pays tribute to once-forgotten inventors, scholars and explorers whose remarkable discoveries and ideas have helped shaped modern society. While the exhibit sidesteps the modern politics weighing on relations between the West and the Muslim world, it presents a history that fosters conversation about the current state of scientific inquiry and innovation in Muslim countries.
Absolutely Scrumptious: The Scottish Sweet Factory Loved by the Middle East The Tunnock's factory churns out thousands of old-fashioned sweets every day in a little Scottish village. From there, it's a brisk journey to the Middle East, as shipping containers filled with goodies are exported almost every other week to the region. Tunnock's success in the Arab world is partly due to nostalgia -- at one point, its chocolates were included in meals for all Saudi Arabian students. But the company also credits its long-standing policy of not fiddling with a good product, maintaining regional relationships, and respecting the Middle East's traditions and business practices.
Kellogg's Bala Balachandran: Are Gulf Economies Prepared for a Shale Gas Breakthrough? Despite perceptions of the Middle East, the Gulf is a region open to ideas and technological innovation, says Bala Balachandran, the J. L. Kellogg Distinguished Professor of accounting and information management at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Speaking with Arabic Knowledge@Wharton during the latest Festival of Thinkers conference in Abu Dhabi, Balachandran weighed in on the Arab Spring, the shift of intellectual capital on a global scale, and how the commercial development of shale gas will forever alter Gulf economies. His question for Gulf leadership: Are you prepared for a breakthrough in shale gas?
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.
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.
