articles 1 to 10 of 62
Givers vs. Takers: The Surprising Truth about Who Gets Ahead
A colleague asks you for feedback on a report. A LinkedIn connection requests an introduction to one of your key contacts. A recent graduate would like an informational interview. New research from Wharton management professor Adam Grant reveals that how you respond to these requests may be a decisive indicator of where you'll end up on the ladder of professional success. Grant recently spoke with Knowledge@Wharton about his findings, which are explored in his new book, Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success. (Video with transcript)
From: April 10, 2013
When Values Collide, Consumers Speak with Their Wallets
The leaders of several different organizations -- including Chick-fil-A, the Salvation Army and Susan G. Komen for the Cure -- have been in the news this year for actions or statements that appeared to go against the groups' stated missions. But is the fallout from such controversy different for nonprofits like Komen and the Salvation Army than it is for for-profit businesses like Chick-fil-A? Experts from Wharton and the University of Pennsylvania say yes, noting that the stakes are higher when consumers are spending on a donation that reflects their beliefs.
From: December 19, 2012
B Lab's Bart Houlahan: Building More Socially Responsible Corporations
As a former executive at a shoe and apparel company that gave 10% of its profits to local charities, Bart Houlahan saw firsthand the benefits of incorporating social responsibility and stakeholder concerns into a firm's strategy. He also learned how difficult it is to sustain that mission as the business grows. During a recent lecture at Wharton, Houlahan talked about B Lab, a nonprofit he co-founded that helps companies combine socially responsible values and profits.
From: November 07, 2012
'Leveraging Corporate Responsibility': The Stakeholder Approach to Maximizing Business and Social Value
"Do well by doing good" is now a mantra for many leading companies. Yet C. B. Bhattacharya, Sankar Sen and Daniel Korschun, authors of Leveraging Corporate Responsibility: The Stakeholder Route to Maximizing Business and Social Value, offer research showing that very few stakeholders -- including consumers, investors and employees -- are aware of what companies are doing to be socially and environmentally responsible. Wharton management professor Witold Henisz spoke with two of the authors, Bhattacharya and Sen, on why caring about the social and environmental concerns of your stakeholders makes good business sense. (Article with Video)
From: June 05, 2012
From Fringe to Mainstream: Companies Integrate CSR Initiatives into Everyday Business
Companies once viewed corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs with general skepticism and even contempt. How times have changed. Today, businesses around the world, spurred by consumers as well as a rising generation of more socially conscious leaders, are making CSR a priority, embedding it into their operations and using it to attract and keep talent.
From: May 23, 2012
Everyone's Problem: Looking Beyond the Wal-Mart Bribery Case
In a case that continues to reverberate across borders, Wal-Mart Stores, the world’s largest retailer, announced recently that it has started its own probe into allegations that executives at its Mexican operations made hundreds of illegal payments to help expedite the opening of new stores. According to legal and ethics experts at Wharton and elsewhere, the case raises broader questions about how multinational companies conduct business in foreign countries.
From: May 09, 2012
Real Drivers of Corruption in India and the Rest of the World
Corruption is the most important and topical issue in India today, writes Dilip Gadkar, editor of Macro Viewpoints, in this response to an article published in Knowledge@Wharton in January. In this opinion piece, he disagrees with the article's thesis and argues that there is no innate, structural difference between western ethics and Indian ethics. Rather, Gadkar writes, the difference between corruption in India and the rest of the world is essentially a matter of scale and institutional development.
From: March 23, 2012
Author Pico Iyer: Seeking Stillness and Silence in the Rush of Business Life
Pico Iyer -- essayist, author and thinker -- has a unique perspective on many things. His physical domain ranges from California (where he lived as a child) and England (where he studied) to Cuba, North Korea and Ethiopia (which he visited) and Japan (where he resides). His mental domain knows no limiting boundaries. In this interview with Wharton associate dean Deirdre Woods and Knowledge@Wharton, Iyer discusses the value of silence amid the rush of business. If we spend too much time in the MTV rhythm, says Iyer, we won't be able to cultivate the parts of us that need more slowness. (Podcast with transcript)
From: February 29, 2012
Business vs. Ethics: The India Tradeoff?
Much has been written about the benefits of doing business in India -- low input costs, easy access to labor and a massive consumer base. Less has been said about the ability of companies in India to thrive by bending rules, greasing palms and broadening ethical boundaries. At a time when the issue of corruption threatens the stability of the Indian government and scandals unearthed in sectors from sports to telecommunications total tens of billions of dollars, it is becoming increasingly critical for multinational managers to ask whether business success in India comes at an ethical cost.
From: January 03, 2012
Don't Mention It: How 'Undiscussables' Can Undermine an Organization
Recent high-profile scandals at Penn State, MF Global Holdings, Olympus and elsewhere raise questions about why organizations often fail to address significant internal problems that at best impede performance, and at worst could have devastating effects. In hindsight, especially to observers, it is clear what should have been done. But for employees, exposing such problems is more complicated than telling right from wrong, say experts at Wharton and elsewhere.
From: December 20, 2011
