This Month from Knowledge@Wharton.

PHILADELPHIA -- Stories this month include: "The Next Four Years with George Bush" and Wharton School Publishing's "The Chinese Century" Plus: Knowledge@Wharton Interviews Richard Branson Live Via Satellite

This month some of the timely stories from Knowledge@Wharton (http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu), the Wharton School's online research and business analysis journal, include:

The Next Four Years with George Bush

President George W. Bush's re-election lifts a degree of uncertainty from business and the economy that could drive market rallies and stimulate growth. Eventually, however, a second Bush term that continues to fund tax cuts along with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could ultimately weigh down the U.S. economy, according to Wharton faculty.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1072.cfm

East, East, and Away: Will Your Job Move to China?

The rise of China as an economic power that could overtake the U.S. in two decades as the world's largest economy often arouses anxiety. Among the most pervasive fears among U.S. workers is that China could become a magnet attracting not just manufacturing jobs but also those that require other kinds of knowledge-intensive work. How valid are these fears? In this excerpt from his new book, The Chinese Century: The Rising Chinese Economy and Its Impact on the Global Economy, the Balance of Power, and Your Job, (Wharton School Publishing), author Oded Shenker examines the economic forces driving job migration.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1071.cfm

Sears-Kmart Merger: Is It a Tough Sell?

According to the CEOs of Sears, Roebuck and Kmart Holding, their plan to merge into a giant $55 billion retail company will produce stronger brands, greater efficiencies in operations and higher returns than either company could achieve standing alone. Not everyone sees the wisdom of the deal, however. "Here you have two retailers who are doing badly right now and who don't really see a clear way to pull themselves out of the downward spiral," says Wharton marketing professor Stephen J. Hoch. "It's hard to fathom how combining them is suddenly going to produce a new entity that will do better. That's tough to do, especially because the competition, including Wal-Mart and Target, isn't exactly standing still."

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1081.cfm

Salsa Outselling Ketchup? Marketing to Hispanics Is Hot

Hispanics are now the largest minority and fastest growing population segment in the U.S., with annual spending power of more than $540 billion. As a result, marketers are scrambling harder than ever to address this market, which, in addition to its impressive size, is unified by a common language. Yet Hispanics as a buying bloc pose a number of challenges, including segmentation by national origin and varying levels of acculturation, according to speakers at last month's Wharton Marketing Conference.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1077.cfm

Tiffany & Co: A Case Study in Diamonds and Social Responsibility

"Minerals should - and can - be extracted, processed and used in ways that are environmentally responsible." Those words, coming from Michael J. Kowalski, chairman and CEO of Tiffany & Co., set the stage for a discussion last week of the luxury jeweler and specialty retailer's recent efforts to bring about industry reform. Kowalski spoke to a Wharton marketing class that looked at such issues as how Tiffany should proceed in its campaign to promote responsible mining, what the campaign might do to its brand equity, and how the public commitment to reform could affect consumers and shareholders.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1074.cfm

About Knowledge@Wharton and the Wharton School

Knowledge@Wharton (http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu) is a free biweekly online resource that captures knowledge generated at Wharton through such channels as research papers, conferences, books, and interviews with faculty on current business topics, and distributes that knowledge online to a global business audience.

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Join a Conversation with Richard Branson

Richard Branson, founder and chairman of the Virgin Group, has been named one of the world's most influential business leaders in the new book titled, "Lasting Leadership: What You Can Learn from the Top 25 Business People of Our Times" co-authored by Nightly Business Report and Knowledge@Wharton. He will take part in a live, interactive conference by satellite on November 30 from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm ET. Knowledge@Wharton has teamed up with WHYY Advantage, Linkage and Wharton School Publishing to make this event available to our readers at a discounted price. Participants can view the broadcast in person at the WHYY studio in Philadelphia or choose to watch it on their computers; all participants will get a copy of the Lasting Leadership book. To sign up, go to: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/weblink/86.cfm

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is recognized around the world for its academic strengths across every major discipline and at every level of business education. Founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school in the nation, Wharton has approximately 4,600 undergraduate, MBA, and doctoral students, more than 8,000 participants in its executive education programs annually, and an alumni network of more than 80,000 worldwide.