Ripple Effect

AI is becoming more capable at a pace that is reshaping work, learning, and everyday decision-making. The real challenge is deciding what to delegate and what remains essential for people to do themselves. Ethan Mollick, Associate Professor of Management and Co-Director, Generative AI Labs at Wharton, explores how individuals, organizations, and policymakers can coexist with increasingly powerful...

Immigration raids can affect far more than the people directly targeted. They can reshape how entire communities work, shop, and spend. Exequiel (Zeke) Hernandez, Max and Bernice Garchik Family Presidential Professor at The Wharton School, discusses his research into the economic effects of ICE activity on local communities. He explains why targeted areas saw declines in foot traffic and consumer...

AI is already detecting fraud, assessing credit, and informing investment decisions. As increasingly autonomous tools enter financial markets, the central question is not only what they can do, but who is accountable for the results. Winston Dou, Faculty Director of the Wharton AI in Finance Lab, examines how AI is reshaping financial decision-making. He discusses the potential for AI to improve i...

AI companies are spending hundreds of billions of dollars on infrastructure. But can that investment deliver the productivity growth needed to pay off? Jessica Wachter, Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Professor in Quantitative Finance at The Wharton School, explains research estimating the scale of the productivity gains implied by today's AI investment. She discusses why the industry may need a rare prod...

Private credit funds promise investors access to their money, but that promise can be difficult to keep when many people want to cash out at once. Itay Goldstein, Wharton Professor of Finance, explains why private credit funds that invest in illiquid assets can face a dangerous mismatch between investor redemptions and the cash they have available. He discusses the recent pressure on funds with ex...

The best opportunities at work do not always go to the most qualified person. Judd Kessler, Howard Marks Endowed Professor and Wharton Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy, explores the hidden rules that determine who gets scarce workplace resources, from a manager's attention to high-profile assignments and professional development. He explains how employees can better navigate these...

Can the United States build enough power infrastructure to sustain the AI boom? Serguei Netessine, Wharton's Senior Vice Dean for Innovation and Global Initiatives, examines the unprecedented electricity demand created by AI data centers and hyperscalers. He explains how rapid growth in computing power is testing an aging grid, reshaping infrastructure investment, and raising urgent questions abou...

Back-to-school shopping is more than a checklist; it is a ritual shaped by identity, nostalgia, family decisions, and economic pressure. Patti Williams, an associate professor of marketing at the Wharton School, explains why the back-to-school season matters so much to parents, students, retailers, and manufacturers. She discusses how families make purchasing decisions, why this shopping period fe...

Consumers are still spending, but their priorities are changing. Barbara Kahn, Patty and Jay H. Baker Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, explains why retail sales remain resilient despite inflation and economic uncertainty. She explores the growing demand for value, wellness, and memorable experiences, the challenges facing aspirational luxury brands, a...

What do successful retailers do when the strategies that once fueled their growth stop working? Wharton Professor Marshall Fisher discusses how successful retailers adapt when traditional growth opportunities begin to disappear. Drawing on research into the strategies of Costco, Walmart, and Dillard’s, he explains why retailers move through different phases of growth, from opening new stores to ex...

David Reibstein, Wharton Marketing Professor and lead researcher behind the Best Countries Report, discusses how a nation’s reputation influences investment, tourism, trade, and global influence. Drawing on data from more than 15,000 respondents worldwide, Reibstein explains why Switzerland continues to rank among the world’s most respected countries, why the United States fell out of the top 10 f...

Why does someone else’s vacation sometimes make our own feel less satisfying? Maurice Schweitzer, Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions at the Wharton School, explains the psychology behind vacation envy and why we instinctively compare our experiences to those of others. From social media-fueled comparisons to unrealistic travel plans and dynamic pricing, Maurice explores the hidden...

Jerry Wind, Lauder Professor Emeritus and Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School, joins Dan Loney to discuss how political polarization in the United States has evolved beyond traditional party lines into a deeper ideological divide. Drawing from a marketing and segmentation perspective, Jerry explores why the country is increasingly defined by pro Trump and anti-Trump alignment rather than...

Katherine J. Klein, Edward H. Bowman Professor of Management at The Wharton School, discusses new research on leadership succession and how employees respond when a new leader takes over an organization. Drawing from a large-scale study of public schools, she explains why successors often have a unique window of influence, how coaching impacts organizational performance, and why leaders must under...

Olivia S. Mitchell, Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at the Wharton School, joins The Ripple Effect to discuss the current state of financial literacy in the United States. While more states are introducing financial education requirements, progress remains uneven across schools and communities. Mitchell explains why starting earlier is critical, how parents and educators can bett...

Matthew Bidwell, Professor of Management at the Wharton School, explores how the job search process is evolving for today’s graduates and what it takes to break into the workforce. As hiring has slowed across traditional pipelines like consulting and tech, the path to a first role has become more competitive and fragmented. In this episode, Bidwell explains how AI is transforming applications, mak...

Wendy De La Rosa, Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School, explores how people think about tax refunds and why those decisions often don’t align with their financial goals. She explains why many treat refunds as “extra money,” leading to overspending and missed opportunities to save or pay down debt. The conversation also highlights inefficiencies in the tax system, where 20 to 30 p...

Wharton’s Eric Orts talks about his new book, The Ethics of ESG: Critically Assessing the Environmental, Social and Governance Movement . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When organizations face disruption, men and women respond differently to protect their professional networks. New research from Wharton reveals that women intensify their focus on existing relationships with other women during mergers and acquisitions, creating denser, more supportive networks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI is becoming a significant part of our daily lives, shaping how we work, think, and make decisions. But as we increasingly rely on AI tools, we must ask: How does this impact our decision-making processes? Wharton professor Gideon Nave and postdoctoral researcher Steven D. Shaw discuss the concept of cognitive surrender and its implications for the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

Wharton’s Annie Wilson explains how the Olympics and the Super Bowl, which happened at the same time this year, are a boon for brands that know how to capitalize on the moment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joao Gomes, senior vice dean at Wharton, joins Itay Goldstein, chairperson of the Finance Department, to discuss key takeaways from the 2026 Future of Finance Forum , an event that convened academics, policymakers, and industry leaders to discuss digital assets, central banking, the U.S. federal debt, artificial intelligence, geopolitics, and private markets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

Wharton marketing professor Pinar Yildirim explores what research reveals about modern romance, dating apps, and long-term relationship success in an era of digital connection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As AI-generated content becomes increasingly sophisticated and more indistinguishable from authentic work, how should brands deploy these tools ethically and differentiate themselves in a market where everyone has access to the same technology? Wharton marketing professor Americus Reed breaks down the current landscape, from early AI adoption to emerging best practices. Hosted on Acast. See acast....

Wharton real estate and finance professor Benjamin Keys explains why the problems plaguing the residential and commercial real estate markets are likely to persist in 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.