Business

Police fence at foot of stairs to U.S. Capitol with a sign that reads PROPERTY OF U.S. POLICE.

How the U.S. Capitol attack is changing corporate values

The violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6 was a “watershed moment” for businesses, forcing many to reconsider their civic responsibilities alongside their corporate values, says Wharton management professor Michael Useem.

From Knowledge@Wharton ・

Busy sidewalk in urban China at night with crowds walking past commercial businesses.

Which companies are winning in China?

In “Winning in China: 8 Stories of Success and Failure in the World’s Largest Economy,” Wharton’s Lele Sang and Karl Ulrich explore the successes and failures of several well-known companies as businesses look to reap profits from China’s 1.4 billion consumers.

From Knowledge@Wharton ・



In the News


Philadelphia Inquirer

Philly’s biggest employers spend billions outside the city. Inside a new effort to bring that money home

Penn strives to contract with diverse businesses, including SUPRA EMSCO, a Black-owned office and lab equipment supplier. “As we’ve grown, there is a sense that we can do more to leverage our buying clout to basically engage and bring in and help other firms grow,” said Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli.

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Los Angeles Times

Privacy or planet—The tough choice of doing away with paper receipts

John Zhang of the Wharton School said that for businesses, digital receipts are “a cheap way to get your email address and to build their database to track your shopping habits. As a result, firms can do all kinds of targeted promotions on the cheap, and you will receive all kinds of junk emails.”

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Bloomberg

PwC to defend audit work, independence in whistleblower trial

Daniel Taylor of the Wharton School commented on an upcoming trial in which a former PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) senior manager accused the firm of firing him for submitting SEC complaints. “If we assume that the whistleblower is credible and we assume that the whistleblower is telling the truth, that everything he has said is accurate, then I would say that his claims are an indictment on the culture of PwC’s Silicon Valley office,” said Taylor. “But that’s a big if.”

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The New York Times

Are broker commissions too high?

Benjamin Keys of the Wharton School spoke about how some real estate agents have steered clients toward more expensive homes in order to yield higher brokerage fees. “You have agents who are incentivized to look for their largest commission, rather than to help their clients find the best house for them,” he said. “Having that information allows the steering to occur.”

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Marketplace (NPR)

How will Walmart keep its sales growth going?

John Zhang of the Wharton School said Walmart has leaned into a one-stop-shopping model during the pandemic by expanding into grocery delivery, pet care, and COVID-19 vaccines.

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Christian Science Monitor

From Amazon to Google, tech workers seek unions—and a voice

Mary-Hunter McDonnell of the Wharton School spoke about unionization efforts among tech workers. “It’s employees seizing control of organizations that they have dedicated their lives to,” she said. “Another way to try to influence employees’ outcomes is to fight for a voice in the company’s values, especially in this world where companies have such a central role.”

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