John Kimberly - Faculty Research in Knowledge@Wharton

Don't Mention It: How 'Undiscussables' Can Undermine an Organization

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:06:34 EST

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.

Get Me Rewrite: What's Next for Murdoch's Media Empire?

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:33:36 EST

Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of New York-based News Corp., has built a fortune on the scandals of others. Now, at age 80, Murdoch finds himself at the center of his own ever-widening scandal, one that threatens his hold on a $40 billion global media empire. According to Wharton faculty and other experts, News Corp. needs to address its ethical issues at all levels of the organization -- not just the top rungs. Others note that no matter what happens to Murdoch or his business, the scandal itself will cause a thorough reassessment of the boundaries of a free and fair press.

Can J.C. Penney's New CEO Reinvent the Department Store?

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:33:36 EST

As engineer of Apple's winning retail strategy, Ron Johnson created a juggernaut that reaped both profits and positive buzz. But can he do the same with the department store, a retail format that many feel is becoming antiquated? As the newly named CEO of J.C. Penney, Johnson will be tasked with crafting a new niche for an American institution. Experts say doing that successfully requires more than leveraging gee-whiz technology.

BP's Slippery Slope: The Dangerous Disconnect Between Rhetoric and Reality at a Time of Crisis

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:48:25 EST

BP's flawed handling of the environmental crisis in the Gulf of Mexico is creating an identity crisis for the company, according to management professors Hamid Bouchikhi of the ESSEC Business School in France and John R. Kimberly of the Wharton School. The two wrote about BP's equally faulty treatment of the 2005 explosion at the Texas City refinery in their book, The Soul of the Corporation: How to Manage the Identity of Your Company. Now they offer six steps that BP should have taken to mitigate the damage -- and that other companies should consider when it's their turn to cope with crisis.

Ailing Tiger: Why Ireland Isn't Out of the Woods Yet

Wed, 12 May 2010 15:14:35 EST

Once dubbed the "Celtic Tiger" for its transformation from an economic laggard to a growth powerhouse, Ireland is now suffering from a stunning reversal of fortune. What once helped drive its economic surge -- a booming real estate market -- has now become the country's bane. Wharton faculty and other experts weigh in on whether it's fair to lump Ireland with Europe's other sick economies, such as Greece, and what needs to happen for the country to regain its former glory as a magnet for international investment.

European Conundrum: Increasing Regulation without Stifling Growth

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:21:35 EST

Wall Street may have been the epicenter of the financial crash that shook the world, but Europe -- along with other global markets -- experienced the aftershock in the form of a deep recession in 2009. Wharton faculty and other experts predict that in addition to an anemic recovery, Europe will face a number of key challenges that will shape the business and economic environment in 2010 -- including concerns about economic integration, sovereign debt default, regulatory change and the European Union's place in the global economy.

Rx for the Pharmaceutical Industry: Focus on Innovation, Not Marketing

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:33:51 EST

The good news for the pharmaceutical industry is that, short-term, it may emerge as a winner in the health care reform battle as new customers enter the system and price protections remain in force. The bad news is that while big pharma has used increasingly large megamergers to support its reliance on blockbuster products, it still faces the long-term need to develop fundamentally new business models to cope with its most significant problem -- a failure to come up with new treatments, according to Wharton faculty.

Biggest by Default: Toyota May Be Number One, But It Still Faces Challenges

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:07:39 EST

Toyota officially eclipsed General Motors as the world's largest automaker by sales last year, but its strength is only relative: The Japanese automaker, like its competitors, is struggling against a sharp drop-off in sales and global overcapacity. According to Wharton faculty, after years of conservative growth, Toyota accelerated its expansion in the past decade, making it harder to apply the brakes in the current downturn. The new market dynamics, which coincide with a changeover in company leadership, mean the road ahead may be especially difficult to navigate, they say.

The New Global Middle Class: Potentially Profitable -- but Also Unpredictable

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:41:19 EST

A new global middle is rising up in emerging economies around the world, providing competition for labor and resources along with enormous promise for multinationals eager to sell to the burgeoning ranks of first-time consumers. But don't expect this new group to act in the same way -- and have the same preferences -- as prior generations of middle-class consumers, suggest Wharton faculty and analysts.

The Soul of the Corporation: Managing Your Company's Identity

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:09:32 EST

McDonald's operates the biggest restaurant chain in France. The company's franchisees are French, as are their employees, and they also source their supplies from France. And yet, most people in that country regard McDonald's as an American firm that is undermining the French way of life. That is a good example of how the question of corporate identity has become complex and confused today because of globalization, according to Hamid Bouchikhi, professor of management and entrepreneurship at ESSEC, and Wharton management professor John Kimberly. The two are authors of a new book titled, The Soul of the Corporation: How to Manage the Identity of Your Company (Wharton School Publishing). How can a company cut through this confusion and use the notion of identity as a source of competitive advantage? Kimberly answers that question and others in an interview with Knowledge@Wharton.

CEO Succession: Has Grooming Talent on the Inside Gone by the Wayside?

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:54:07 EST

The recent departures of two chief executives -- Stanley O'Neal of Merrill Lynch and Charles Prince of Citigroup -- in the wake of major financial losses at their firms, have focused renewed attention on the issue of succession planning. Published reports speculated that both positions would be filled by outside candidates, and on November 14, Merrill Lynch announced that it had chosen John Thain, CEO of NYSE Euronext, to succeed O'Neal. While such a move is not surprising for a board wanting to signal a fresh start to investors, Wharton faculty say that, increasingly, companies are looking to fill top spots with external candidates, while spending less time on grooming future leaders and managing talent in general.

The Art and Science of Measuring CEO Performance

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:17:32 EST

The long-term performance of a company's stock may be the ultimate test of a CEO's talents. But that's not the only measurement used by boards of directors to gauge how well the boss is doing. Experts at Wharton and elsewhere say that companies use many different metrics -- all of which can be fine-tuned to fit a company's circumstances.

The Business of Hospice Care

Wed, 31 May 2006 14:49:23 EST

Hospice care occupies a specialized and growing niche in the healthcare economy as a comfort to the dying and their families, and a potential cost-saver for Medicare. With baby boomers now hitting their seventh decade, hospice is expected to become an even more important part of the healthcare landscape, according to Wharton faculty and industry analysts. How profitable are hospice-providers, what is their long-term business outlook, and what are the unique challenges that hospice companies face, given strict government regulation amid increasing demand for their services?

Farewell, Peter Drucker: A Tribute to an Intellectual Giant

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 15:55:06 EST

Decades ago, Peter F. Drucker single-handedly began the exploration of what he called "the dark continent of management." That exploration, which gave birth to the field of management, came to an end on November 11 when Drucker passed away at age 95. Wharton professors point out that Drucker's most important contributions are grounded in his writings on management and marketing. Despite his death, his legacy and impact as a role model will last.

The French Connection: Will a 'No' Vote from France Cause Europe to Fall Apart?

Wed, 18 May 2005 15:30:26 EST

'Oui' or 'Non'? That's the question French voters will face on May 29 in a referendum on a constitution that would encompass the 25 countries of the European Union. Recent opinion polls indicating weakened support for the constitution have French President Jacques Chirac and other members of the EU elite worried, with some sounding alarms that a 'No' vote would spell disaster for Europe. But according to Wharton faculty and observers in Europe, rejection of the constitution would not derail the integration process entirely -- things are too far along for that -- and would have minimal impact on financial markets and how business is conducted.

Can Aventis Fight Off Its Hostile Suitor?

Wed, 25 Feb 2004 15:03:40 EST

Sanofi-Synthelabo’s hostile $58 billion bid to acquire its French pharmaceutical rival Aventis has roused European markets and French pride. Even though the merger could cost thousands of French workers their jobs, the deal appears to have the blessing of government officials who hope to breed – or at least preserve – a national champion in the high-profit pharmaceuticals sector. Aventis, however, is fighting back, hoping that a White Knight will come to its rescue.

It's Showtime: Will the GE-Vivendi Deal Please the Critics?

Wed, 10 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EST

Vivendi Universal's agreement to sell its Hollywood assets to General Electric�s NBC entertainment division would further consolidate the global market, creating a sixth major media conglomerate with the creative horsepower of Seabiscuit and the reach of Friends. The pending deal has so far received some favorable reviews although not everyone is a fan. One question: How will GE�s nuts-and-bolts management style mesh with a hip Hollywood culture where predictability is rarely part of the program?

Ignoring Your Corporate Identity Can Sabotage Strategic Change

Wed, 21 May 2003 00:00:00 EST

Corporate identity is a crucial component of all firms, yet it is often overlooked until a crisis forces companies to confront change, argue Wharton management professor John Kimberly and colleague Hamid Bouchikhi. Managers at Nissan and Danone Group took identity into account when instituting change, the researchers suggest, while managers at Vivendi and Hewlett-Packard didn�t. Ford is wrestling with the issue now. Kimberly and Bouchikhi have developed an �Identity Audit� to help managers factor identity into company strategy.

Challenges Ahead for Vivendi�s New CEO

Wed, 31 Jul 2002 00:00:00 EST

Vivendi Universal�s Jean-Marie Messier, a very public casualty on the information superhighway, is buried alongside other such supposed telecom industry visionaries as AOL Time Warner�s Robert Pittman and Bertelsmann�s Thomas Middelhoff. Yet Vivendi differs significantly from these two companies. A water utility that tried to transform itself into a global media powerhouse, Vivendi and new CEO Jean-René Fourtou are in a life-threatening struggle for survival.