Articles 1 to 10 of 52
Free Lunch Author Discusses Regulation, Corporate Subsidies
As California struggles with another budget shortfall, consumer advocacy and union groups have argued for a rollback of the billions in state subsidies to area businesses. But do these subsidies actually encourage economic growth and increase job activity, as originally intended? In a recent conversation with Knowledge@Emory, author David Cay Johnston builds a strong case against these subsidies, and he discusses his bestseller Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You with the Bill).
The Good, the Bad and the Exaggerated in Michael Moore's New Film, 'Capitalism: A Love Story'
Michael Moore's movie, Capitalism: A Love Story, doesn't pull any punches in its depiction of capitalism as the monster that is destroying America. Moore's villains range from Wall Street bankers to Wal-Mart to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, while capitalism's victims include those who are losing their jobs, their houses and, in some cases, their faith in a system that is supposed to reward hard work and playing by the rules. Knowledge@Wharton asked Kent Smetters, a professor of insurance and risk management at Wharton who describes himself as "generally right of center," to review Capitalism: A Love Story.
The Real Story Behind Corporate Social Responsibility
No matter the economic environment, corporate social responsibility (CSR) remains a factor for many companies. Whether a voluntary strategy to help benefit a firm's bottom line or a tool to placate regulators, CSR is here to stay. In a recent interview with Knowledge@Emory, Jagdish Sheth, a corporate strategist and chaired professor of marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School, discusses the motivation and benefits for companies to engage in CSR and says, "a genuine commitment to corporate social responsibility can be an enormously cost-effective way to market a company."
Exploring the 'Amazing Story' of Hank Greenberg and AIG
The July 7 court victory for 84-year-old Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, former chairman and CEO of AIG, might be the highlight of what has been a tough four years. Forced out in 2005 for alleged accounting irregularities, Greenberg has watched from the sidelines as the company he spent nearly four decades building has buckled in the wake of the subprime mortgage crisis. It's a history that former AIG executive and author Ron Shelp chronicles in his book Fallen Giant: The Amazing Story of Hank Greenberg and the History of AIG. Shelp recently paid a visit to Emory University's Goizueta Business School and regaled students and faculty not with tales of insurance but "the story of dynamic, eccentric people from all different walks of life.”
The Other Banking Drama: Those Secret Swiss Accounts
Tax authorities in the United States have challenged long-standing Swiss banking secrecy laws, demanding that UBS AG release the names of 52,000 Americans suspected of opening secret accounts to evade taxes. The bank agreed to release client information on 250 U.S. citizens and pay a $780 million fine as part of a settlement, but according to Wharton faculty, that decision has put the entire Swiss banking system in jeopardy.
The Bitter Truth About Chocolate
In Bitter Chocolate: The Dark Side of the World’s Most Seductive Sweet, author Carol Off gives new meaning to the expression "death by chocolate." Off, a Canadian investigative reporter and co-host of CBC Radio’s current affairs program “As It Happens,” weaves a tale of an industry's egregious use of child and slave labor, environmental degradation, bribery, and even murder. Her blunt portrayal also reveals just how difficult it can be to fight or effectively legislate against organized misery.
Defining and Understanding the Need for a Moral Approach in Business
Excessive CEO compensation, employee wage stagnation, and the financial shenanigans in Corporate America have provoked a debate over the need for a more ethical approach to business. As companies struggle to deal with bottom line issues and ROI, just what place does morality play in the day-to-day dealings at work? Experts at Emory University, its Goizueta Business School and others offer up their insight on the need for a moral commitment in business.
Consultant Nikos Mourkogiannis on the Need for Discovery, Excellence, and Altruism in Corporate America
In Purpose: The Starting Point of Great Companies, author and consultant Nikos Mourkogiannis discusses how the misappropriation of the word “strategy” by microeconomists led him to explore the true meaning of purpose. In his book, he points to novel business discoveries, such as the achievements of IBM, to illustrate the principles behind purpose and how that impetus can propel success.
Can HP Survive its Board’s Mischief?
The professional future of Patricia Dunn, the former chairwoman of Hewlett-Packard, looks grim now as she faces four felony charges stemming from the company’s internal spying scandal, but professors at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School expect that the damage will be limited to the boardroom – and may even serve as a catalyst for some positive changes in the company’s board. As for the company, Goizueta observers contend, the boardroom housecleaning can only enhance HP’s competitive advantage moving forward.
Why Principled Leadership Brings Profit and Pride to BB&T
John Allison is not your typical chairman and CEO, and the company he leads, BB&T Corporation, a fast-growing, highly profitable financial holding company, isn’t run of the mill either. The company uses philosophical principles to guide it and even publishes a 30-page brochure entitled “The BB&T Philosophy.” Ranked among the world's top 50 financial institutions for market capitalization by Retail Banker International, clearly BB&T’s philosophy is working. Recently, Allison shared the company’s philosophy with students at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and noted, “If you don’t agree with our values, don’t come work for us.”
