articles 21 to 25 of 25
So Your Sales Went Up? So What?
Do increasing sales mean that a company is in sound financial health? Not necessarily, replies John Percival, an adjunct professor at Wharton. Rising sales combined with high accounts receivable could mean that customers are buying products but not paying for them. “Increasing a company’s sales means a corresponding increase in costs for such things as production equipment, labor and inventory,” he says. “A company should concentrate on sustainable growth, which is characterized by increasing profit (as opposed to sales).” Percival teaches a six-week course about understanding financial statements, which addresses these issues and more.
From: September 01, 1999
Dialog or Death?
If CEOs only talked more to one another, they could accomplish so much more. Sounds obvious? Perhaps. But Howard Perlmutter, an emeritus professor at Wharton who is a pioneer in the study of global corporations, has developed a framework that facilitates what he calls "deep dialog." The framework also identifies some of the principal hurdles to such communication. At a time when more and more mergers are creating global corporations, such structured conversations--and efforts to identify factors that impede them--may hold the key to success.
From: August 04, 1999
Bargaining for Advantage
From morning decisions over who will pick up the kids until the nightly tug-of-war over which television shows to watch, all of us face negotiations as a part of daily life. Of course, the stakes are highest when our careers and fortunes depend on how well we manage the negotiation process. But, as Richard Shell and Stuart Diamond point out in Wharton's Executive Negotiation Workshop, the process looks much the same every time someone wants something from somebody else. Shell and Diamond teach a systematic approach to negotiation, large and small.
From: July 23, 1999
Surviving the E-Trading Explosion
When a titan like Merrill Lynch declares its intention to offer online trades, as it did in early June, it means that electronic trading is here to stay. A Wharton program organized with the Securities Industry Association in April analyzed the impact of electronic trading on traditional brokerage and global stock markets. “The paradigm of investing is shifting,” acknowledges Mark Lackritz, president of the SIA. “At one time, the securities industry had two monopolies, on information and on execution. Today both those monopolies are gone.”
From: June 08, 1999
High-Powered Ways to Develop High-Potential Executives
How does a company develop senior executives on the fast track? Time was when a deep understanding of the business and corporate culture was essential to their growth. In today's fast-paced world, where globalization and technology are turning markets topsy turvy, a new approach is vital. Some insights on how companies can develop high-voltage leadership.
From: May 24, 1999
