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Ripple Effect

Ripple Effect

The Wharton School 141 Episodes Oct 13, 2026

Every day, business scholars answer pressing questions in their research — but what do their insights mean for you? In this podcast, Wharton faculty dive into what inspired their studies and how their findings resonate with the world today. Learn how research insights translate into knowledge you can use, with host Dan Loney.

Episodes

When AI Makes Financial Decisions
When AI Makes Financial Decisions Oct 13, 2026 13:34 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 in
The Productivity Bet Behind the AI Boom
The Productivity Bet Behind the AI Boom Sep 29, 2026 10:25 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 produ
The Liquidity Risk in Private Credit
The Liquidity Risk in Private Credit Sep 15, 2026 13:11 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 exp
The Hidden Rules of Workplace Opportunity
The Hidden Rules of Workplace Opportunity Sep 1, 2026 9:13 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
The AI Boom Is Testing America's Power Grid
The AI Boom Is Testing America's Power Grid Aug 18, 2026 19:12 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 about
The Psychology Behind Back-to-School Shopping
The Psychology Behind Back-to-School Shopping Aug 4, 2026 13:22 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 fee
Why Consumers Are Still Spending Despite Inflation
Why Consumers Are Still Spending Despite Inflation Jul 21, 2026 14:12 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, and
How Retailers Adapt When Growth Slows
How Retailers Adapt When Growth Slows Jul 7, 2026 23:17 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 exp
The Business of National Reputation
The Business of National Reputation Jun 23, 2026 17:16 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
The Hidden Psychology of Vacation Envy
The Hidden Psychology of Vacation Envy Jun 9, 2026 13:50 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
Rethinking Political Division and Media Segmentation
Rethinking Political Division and Media Segmentation May 26, 2026 16:04 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
Why Leadership Changes Often Backfire
Why Leadership Changes Often Backfire May 12, 2026 15:03 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

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