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Stanford GSB News

 
Knowledgebase


April 2008

Highlights

  1. The Greening of Wal-Mart
  2. Criticism May Produce Innovation, Says Wal-Mart CEO Scott
  3. Netflix Broke the Rules and Won
  4. Changing Recruitment Opens More Boards to Women
  5. The Changing Business of Law
  6. Pondering the Ethics of Global Business
  7. Sex Really CAN Sell Motorcycles  
  8. Course on Poverty and Development Available on YouTube
  9. Recent Speakers
  10. Something to Read 

Corporations

The Greening of Wal-Mart
How and why the world’s largest retailer is using a network approach to decrease its environmental footprint—and to increase its profitability.

Criticism May Produce Innovation, Says Wal-Mart CEO Scott
Wal- Mart’s innovative approach to environmental sustainability and the decision to add health care services to stores were partly triggered by listening to critics.

Netflix Broke the Rules and Won
The video rental service broke new ground with a patented consumer model that had no deadlines or penalties and charged a set monthly fee. “Netflix got it right, ” said Professor Sunil Kumar.

Changing Recruitment Opens More Boards to Women
While just 15 percent of board seats for Fortune 500 companies go to women, women who have managed profit-and-loss units are more likely to be recruited. A sold-out event in New York for Business School alumnae discussed “How and Why to Join a Board. ”

The Changing Business of Law
Associates of major law firms can now earn $160,000 a year plus bonuses straight out of school, an income that automatically puts them into the top 10 percent of all Americans. While such affluence cannot be beaten in almost any other profession at such an early stage, there is a cost to such success.

Ethics

VideoPondering the Ethics of Global Business
Ethical dilemmas such as selling scanners that can tell the sex of an unborn child or kerosene heaters without safety features available in the United States were debated during a discussion on “Academic vs. Real World Ethics,” led by Professor David Brady. [Video]

Behavior

Sex Really CAN Sell Motorcycles
Can a picture of a pretty woman actually boost sales for a car —or a motorcycle? According to a recent study, erotic images can stimulate a portion of the brain in heterosexual males that is associated with anticipation of reward.

Course on Poverty and Development Available on YouTube
The 10-week course focused on understanding poverty and development taught by Joshua Cohen, director of Stanford's Program on Global Justice, is now available through YouTube.com.

Recent Speakers

Video2008 Principal Investment Conference
Tim Sullivan of Madison Dearborn Partners and Dipanjan Deb of Francisco Partners were among the speakers at the 2008 Principal Investment Conference at the Graduate School of Business. Access audio and video of the event.

International Markets Are Growing for FedEx Express
By keeping its eye on technology, International FedEx Express avoids going the way of the Pony Express, the firm’s president, Michael Ducker, told a Business School audience.

VideoStartups Learn to Roll with the Punches, Says Wikia CEO
Making mistakes doesn’t scare Gil Penchina, chief executive officer of Wikia. His company, which develops “wikis,” has made plenty of missteps and is prepared to make more, he told the 2008 Conference on Entrepreneurship.

VideoInBev Practices No-Frills Approach to Corporate Leadership
Developing a cohesive corporate culture that trains leaders from the ground up and rewards strong performers based on merit is an important ingredient in financial success, said Carlos Brito, chief executive officer of the Belgium-based company InBev, the world’s second-largest brewer.

Something to Read

Election Campaign 2008
An election year always impacts Wall Street. This year, with the Iraqi war dragging on, rising national debt, soaring health care costs, and millions of baby boomers retiring, what impact will national elections have on the economy? Articles selected by Jackson Library focus on the economic issues and how they impact U.S. elections.

Stanford Law and Policy Review
The Stanford Law and Policy Review is a prominent policy journal that publishes articles that analyze the intersection of our legal system with local, state, and federal policy. SLPR is ideologically neut ral and solicits articles from authors who represent a diversity of political viewpoints.

Jackson Blog
Digital Primetime, The Netflix Challenge— The Business School's Jackson Library maintains a blog spotting interesting articles, news items, and comments about current events of interest to business audiences. Drop in or sign up for regular updates.