Leading on the Road Less Traveled: My First 90 Days at Wharton
Businessam StaffOctober 26, 2020
September 28, 2020, marked Erika James’ 90th day as dean of the Wharton School. Here, she reflects on starting the position remotely amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the lessons she has learned about being a new leader. There is really no road map for becoming a dean. Sure, most of us came up through Academia, […]
Preparing for What’s Ahead: The Case of Sonoma County Winegrowers
Businessam StaffOctober 19, 2020
For winegrowers, no two seasons are the same. Facing droughts, flooding, wildfires and other unforeseen forces, they have learned to adapt to constant unpredictability. Alongside, winegrowers have been grappling with other sweeping changes, including digital transformation of their markets and rising labor costs – and now, declining tourism due to COVID-19. In this opinion piece, […]
Why Low Interest Rates Hurt Retirees
Businessam StaffOctober 19, 2020
Retirees took another wallop from COVID-19 with the Federal Reserve’s announcement two weeks ago that it expects to hold interest rates near zero at least until 2023 because of the pandemic. That spells lower returns for retirement accounts, and it adds to the underfunding of pensions that has worried retirees for many years now. The […]
What Drives Household Bankruptcy?
Businessam StaffOctober 12, 2020
Even as total household debt in the U.S. rose to a record $14.3 trillion in the first quarter of this year, the number of personal bankruptcy filings is at a 15-year low, according to a recent New York Times report. The economic stimulus payments of $1,200 for each individual and higher unemployment insurance payments cushioned […]
Commercial Real Estate: What to Invest in Today
Businessam StaffOctober 12, 2020
Wharton@Work, a monthly newsletter from Wharton Executive Education, recently spoke with professor Todd Sinai, chair of Wharton’s Real Estate Department, about the investment risks and opportunities in commercial real estate that have emerged as a result of the global pandemic. Sinai is the academic director of the Wharton Executive Education virtual program Assessing Commercial Real […]
Can Election Polls Be Trusted?
Businessam StaffOctober 5, 2020
Days before the 2016 presidential election that vaulted Donald Trump to the White House, The New York Times announced that Hillary Clinton had a 91% chance of winning. According to the newspaper’s own polling data, her chance of losing was about the same as an NFL kicker missing a 31-yard field goal. The Times wasn’t […]
How Retailers Can Salvage Customer Loyalty
Businessam StaffOctober 5, 2020
Stores that want their shoppers to keep coming back must improve their online and in-store services now or risk losing customer loyalty, perhaps forever. A new study by Wharton’s Jay H. Baker Retailing Center and WisePlum reveals that consumers are increasingly dissatisfied with retail, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sparse inventory, sticky web navigation, poor […]
How to Select Your Mutual Fund? Look for Clarity
Businessam StaffSeptember 28, 2020
Retail investors who feel overwhelmed by convoluted language in mutual fund prospectuses now have regulators watching their backs. In August 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published a proposed rule aimed at greater transparency and lucidity in mutual fund disclosures. They also have new academic research to help filter out the funds that might […]
Three Steps for Creating a More Equitable Workplace
Businessam StaffSeptember 28, 2020
The impassioned protests for racial justice that have erupted across the U.S. in recent months have been an ardent call to action for many business leaders, pushing them to move quickly on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts within their organizations. But one expert warns that they shouldn’t rush through the necessary steps. Creating a […]
How an ‘Employees First’ Pandemic Response Pays Off
Businessam StaffSeptember 21, 2020
From the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, Sherry Bahrambeygui was sure of one time-honored adage: Take care of your employees, and they will take care of your business. Bahrambeygui, who is CEO of San Diego-based PriceSmart, a $3.3 billion operator of warehouse clubs, acted swiftly in February when the early signs of COVID-19 were visible. […]