Research chatter: Big ideas from business school profs

Economic geography is exploring the reasons for the urban revival in the US and the rest of the world. Who is headed for cities, where are they going, and how will it affect businesses?

Is the wave of CEO activism on social issues just an old form of influence dressed in new clothes or the emergence of a new type of political activity?

In this episode we discuss Steven Klepper's new book, "Experimental Capitalism". The book synthesizes Klepper's wide-ranging industry studies to examine the origins and impact of US high tech industries. Where did some of America's greatest industries come from and why did they falter? What was the role of government in fostering them? We talk about insights from the book for entrepreneurs, for policymakers, and for researchers.

Corporate social initiatives are becoming a more common element of firms' strategy. We discuss 2d wave research that is getting much more definitive about when and how corporate social responsibility contributes to the financial performance and social impact of firms.

Episode Description: Everyone in business is talking about disruptive innovation, so much so that a backlash is underway. We return to the original papers and more recent findings to discuss whether the theory is still valid and useful.