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Column: Should you pay an extra fee just for being a Californian? Pizza Hut thinks so

Column: Should you pay an extra fee just for being a Californian? Pizza Hut thinks so

Z. John Zhang of the Wharton School said added fees can deter customers. “Consumers will make buying decisions based mostly on price, and every firm has a strong incentive to quote a lower price to arouse the purchasing interest from a discerning customer and hopefully lock him or her in,” he said.

Student accounts, records, and financial aid, all in one mobile-friendly package
A man wearing a mask and a Penn hoodie uses a desktop computer at a high top desk in a lobby

The new Pennant system will be user-intuitive and mobile-friendly, says Matt Sessa. Nevertheless, it will be “a big change” for the Penn community, he says. 

Student accounts, records, and financial aid, all in one mobile-friendly package

Te Next Generation Student Systems team has been working on a comprehensive student information system, known as Pennant. The program will complete its final phase this spring in advance of the 2022-23 academic year.

Kristina García

Work-life balance finally happened. Then they were called back to the office

Work-life balance finally happened. Then they were called back to the office

Stewart Friedman of the Wharton School said employees can retain some of the work-life balance enabled by remote work after returning to in-person work through adjustments to their schedules and workloads. “No matter how little discretion you think you may have, you’re not in prison,” he said.

Amazon, can we have our name back?

Amazon, can we have our name back?

In response to complaints that Amazon’s choice to name its virtual assistant “Alexa” has resulted in issues for humans of the same name, Americus Reed of the Wharton School said Amazon does not have a strong track record for turning its mistakes into opportunities.

‘Indentured servitude’: Low pay and grueling conditions fueling U.S. truck driver shortage

‘Indentured servitude’: Low pay and grueling conditions fueling U.S. truck driver shortage

Steve Viscelli of the School of Arts & Sciences said the trucking industry has been relying on newly recruited drivers to keep costs low. “What the industry wants is super cheap, flexible labor and that’s what it’s had for years,” said Viscelli. “They’ve been cycling through literally millions of people, who decide to become truck drivers and then get burned by the industry.”

Into the metaverse: Can Facebook rebrand itself?
Hand holding a smartphone with the Facebook logo, in the background is the new Meta logo.

Into the metaverse: Can Facebook rebrand itself?

Wharton marketing professor Patti Williams isn’t sold on the stated reasons behind Facebook’s recent name change— to Meta—or the timing.

From Knowledge at Wharton