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NVIDIA's leadership turmoil raises a bigger question: Can a company built around one extraordinary leader survive without them? Henning Piezunka, Wharton Associate Professor of Management, examines the challenges of CEO succession and what companies can learn from the leadership transitions at Apple, Disney, and other major organizations. From the power of corporate boards to the difficulty of grooming future CEOs, this conversation explores what makes companies resilient enough to survive beyond their founders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can a company's social mission help it attract top talent while spending less on salaries? New research suggests the answer is yes. J. Daniel Kim, Assistant Professor of Management at the Wharton School, joins the show to discuss how social responsibility influences hiring decisions. Kim explains why employees are willing to accept up to 15% lower compensation to join mission oriented startups, how a company's values can signal what kind of employer it will be, and why that advantage doesn't necessarily translate into better employee retention or job satisfaction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Winning a competition doesn't always mean the rivalry is over. Sometimes, the person who loses can create bigger problems long after the competition ends. Henning Piezunka, Associate Professor of Management at the Wharton School, joins the show to explore what happens when people refuse to accept defeat. Drawing on research from Formula One racing and the business world, Piezunka explains how past rivalries can influence future behavior, why losing colleagues may sabotage successful coworkers, and what managers can do to prevent competition from damaging an organization. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Corporate political spending is creating new reputational and legal risks for businesses. As companies become increasingly involved in political activity, questions about transparency, accountability, and corporate values are becoming harder to ignore. Witold Henisz, Vice Dean and Faculty Director of Wharton’s Impact, Value, and Sustainable Business Initiative, examines the evolving landscape of corporate political activity. He explores the disconnect between what companies publicly support and what they privately lobby for, potential legal liabilities surrounding political contributions, and why corporate boards and investors need to take a closer look at political spending. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How will AI, inflation, and Federal Reserve policy shape the markets in the months ahead? Jeremy Siegel, Wharton Emeritus Professor of Finance and Senior Economist at WisdomTree, shares his outlook on the economy and financial markets. Siegel discusses the outlook for interest rates, the uncertainty surrounding AI investment and corporate profitability, and whether today's market valuations are justified. He also explains why diversification across technology, value stocks, and bonds could be especially important as investors navigate an uncertain economic future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holiday sales may rise again this year, but the headline number will not tell the full story of how consumers are feeling or where retailers stand. Peter Fader, Wharton Professor of Marketing, joins the conversation to examine what is really driving holiday retail sales. He discusses the K shaped economy, the return of aggressive Black Friday discounts, the limits of AI shopping agents and why in person experiences still matter to holiday shoppers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Social Security faces a looming funding shortfall that could force significant benefit cuts within the next decade. Can policymakers save the program before it's too late? Kent Smetters, Faculty Director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model, joins the conversation to explain the financial challenges facing Social Security and the reform proposals under consideration. The discussion explores tax increases, benefit reductions, raising the retirement age, and the economic tradeoffs behind each approach. Smetters also explains why government accounting practices may be obscuring the true scale of the problem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI is changing how companies operate, but adopting new technology is only the beginning. Businesses must rethink how work gets done to turn AI investments into meaningful results. Prasanna (Sonny) Tambe, professor of operations, information and decisions at the Wharton School, joins us to discuss the latest research on AI adoption and workforce transformation. The conversation explores AI agents, accountability, job growth, entry level hiring, the growing need to verify AI generated content, and why companies must redesign workflows to get the most from their AI investments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when a superstar athlete joins a new team? The impact goes far beyond the basketball court. Kenneth Shropshire, Professor Emeritus of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at the Wharton School, examines the expectations surrounding LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers. From ticket sales and team culture to community engagement and special treatment for star players, Shropshire explains the business opportunities and challenges that come with signing a superstar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are young people putting money meant for retirement into sports betting? The answer may lie in how our brains respond to risk, excitement, and the promise of a big win. Michael Platt, Professor of Marketing, Psychology & Neuroscience at The Wharton School, explains the psychology behind the sports betting boom. He explores how dopamine, social influence, and the illusion of control draw people into betting, how mobile platforms make gambling harder to resist, and why the trend could threaten younger generations’ financial futures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when a company’s social mission clashes with the priorities of its corporate owner? The legal battle involving Ben and Jerry’s raises important questions about who gets to control a brand’s values after a sale. Maurice Schweitzer, Wharton Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions, joins the conversation to examine the dispute between Ben and Jerry’s and its parent companies. Schweitzer explains the challenges of maintaining an independent board, why founders can struggle to preserve their influence, and what businesses can learn about governance, competing priorities and the uncertainty of future conflicts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI safety concerns are no longer just hypothetical. As AI systems become increasingly capable, the risks involving cybersecurity, biosecurity and unintended behavior are becoming harder to ignore. Kevin Werbach, Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at the Wharton School, explains the different categories of AI risk and why companies alone may not be able to manage them. Werbach argues that governments need to establish standards and safeguards for frontier AI, drawing comparisons to the way financial institutions are regulated to protect against systemic risks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Competition can bring out the best in individuals, but can it actually make an entire team worse? New research suggests that rivalry may come with an unexpected cost. Henning Piezunka, Associate Professor of Management at the Wharton School, joins the show to discuss his research examining rivalry and performance through the lens of professional basketball. Using examples like Larry Bird versus Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant versus Michael Jordan, Piezunka explains why players facing individual rivals may score more while making their teams less effective. He also explores what these findings mean for workplace competition, employee incentives, and managers trying to build successful teams. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prediction markets are exploding beyond elections into sports, geopolitics and major cultural events. But as these markets grow, so does the challenge of detecting insider trading and manipulation. Daniel Taylor, Wharton Finance Professor and Director of the Forensic Analytics Lab, explains how prediction markets have evolved and why their different types of contracts require different approaches to surveillance. The conversation explores sports betting, geopolitical markets, insider information, market manipulation and the role regulators should play in making prediction markets work over the long term. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The economy remains strong, but inflation and higher energy prices could keep the Federal Reserve on alert. Jeremy Siegel, Wharton Emeritus Professor of Finance, discusses the Fed's latest rate increase and why additional hikes may still be ahead. He explores strong GDP and wage data, the effect of rising oil and diesel prices on inflation, and what the bond market is signaling about monetary policy. Siegel also examines U.S.-China trade negotiations, the potential market impact of a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and why continued investment in AI could shape corporate earnings and market performance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.