This Month from Knowledge@Wharton.

Stories this month include "Business Plan Competition 2007: The 'Great Eight' Make Their Pitch" and "Are Your Customers Dissatisfied? Try Checking Out Your Salespeople"

Plus: Next Moves in a Global Economy: Podcasts from the 2007 Wharton Economic Summit

PHILADELPHIA -- This past month some of the timely stories from Knowledge@Wharton <http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu>, the Wharton School's online research and business analysis journal, which will soon launch a new India Knowledge@Wharton edition, include:

Business Plan Competition 2007: The 'Eight Great' Make Their Pitch

In a perfect world, there would be faster computers, less lower back pain, more accurate ways to detect the warning signs of a heart attack and even better-fitting business attire for female executives. And that would mean more comfort and time to enjoy the sweet things in life, like a gourmet chocolate bar. If the "Eight Great" finalists in the 2006-2007 Wharton Business Plan Competition -- who recently competed for more than $70,000 in prize money -- are able to achieve their entrepreneurial schemes, the world would indeed become such a place. Knowledge@Wharton summarizes the presentations and announces the winners.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1738.cfm

Are Your Customers Dissatisfied? Try Checking Out Your Salespeople

The sales associate, noticing the approach of a customer, is suddenly intent on restocking merchandise or discussing when she will take her next break -- anything to avoid actual contact with the shopper. It's the type of behavior that dominates the list of complaints cited in the second annual Retail Customer Dissatisfaction Study. The study, conducted by Wharton's Jay H. Baker Retail Initiative and the Verde Group, found that disinterested, ill-prepared and unwelcoming salespeople lead to more lost business and bad word-of-mouth than any other management challenge in retailing.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1735.cfm

Workplace Loyalties Change, but the Value of Mentoring Doesn't

In Homer's poem "The Odyssey," Odysseus had a tough time finding his way home after the Trojan War, what with all those monsters threatening to derail his journey. But Odysseus at least had left a wise and trusted fellow named Mentor to be the guardian and teacher of his son, Telemachus. Modern employees need mentors as much as Telemachus, especially in these times of upheaval. In fact, mentoring is just as important as ever for younger workers -- and for organizations themselves -- according to experts at Wharton and elsewhere

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1736.cfm

Investing in the Fragmented Entertainment Industry: Is Safe Better than Sexy?

Trying to predict the next hit -- whether it's an independent horror film, a new recording group or a popular video game -- entails a high amount of risk in an industry that has been turned upside down by the Internet and the reconfiguration of longstanding distribution channels, according to panelists at the recent 2007 Wharton Economic Summit. For that reason, they noted, many of the most successful equity players in Hollywood tend to look for broad-based venues -- a comprehensive film library vs. one director's avant-garde film, for example -- as the best investment vehicles for an industry in transition.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1726.cfm

In Oil Producers' Brave New World, a Key Word Is 'Partnerships'

In Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez is threatening to take control of several major projects from American and European firms. In Russia, the government recently strong-armed Royal Dutch Shell into relinquishing control of a large oil field. Across the oil-producing world, governments are responding to higher petroleum prices by imposing new taxes on oil companies and forcing the renegotiation of contracts. According to speakers at the 2007 Wharton Economic Summit, such developments augur a new age for oil producers, where both the style and substance of doing business have changed.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1731.cfm

Bridging the Trust Divide: The Financial Advisor-Client Relationship

When it comes to selecting a financial advisor, trust is key. Although that might sound elementary, the results of a recent survey conducted by Knowledge@Wharton and State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) show that many advisors are failing to cultivate trust through careful communication of the value of their services, sensitivity to client needs, and competence in discussing rates and other potentially awkward topics. In fact, according to the survey, there is a serious gap between how well clients think their advisors are doing and the advisors' much higher opinion of their own performance.

In this special report, Knowledge@Wharton and SSgA look at the qualities that underlie strong advisor-client relationships. Industry experts and Wharton faculty weigh in on how trust is eroded, how expertise, ethics and empathy factor in, and what can be done to tackle sticky issues like transparency in fees. The report also includes a discussion of the SSgA-Knowledge@Wharton survey results and a follow-up focus group on investors' attitudes about advisors.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/weblink/329.cfm

Podcasts

Next Moves in a Global Economy: Podcasts from the 2007 Wharton Economic Summit

During the recent 2007 Wharton Economic Summit, Knowledge@Wharton recorded nine podcasts with speakers and panelists at the event, whose theme was "Next Moves in a Global Economy." The interviews are with Jeffrey R. Lurie, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles Football Club; Shellye L. Archambeau, CEO of MetricStream; Ramkrishan (Remi) Hinduja, chairman of HTMT Global Solutions, together with Sashi P. Reddi, Founder and CEO of Applabs; Marc Utay, managing director of Clarion Capital Partners; Kenneth Shropshire, director of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative; Shiv V. Khemka, vice chairman, SUN Group; Clark Callander, managing director of Savvian; Amy Errett, CEO of Olivia, and William L. Mack, senior principal, Apollo Real Estate Advisors.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1743.cfm

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