Business & Economics

Hilmar Kopper, Chairman/Speaker, Deutsche BankThe chairman of Germany's largest bank never went to college, rising instead through the country's legendary apprenticeship system, a combination of classroom and on-the-job training. In a wide-ranging and enlightening conversation, Hilmar Kopper describes how apprenticeship shapes German corporate philosophy and how German bankers are able to develop successfully a long-term outlook while other countries-including ours-often do little more than pay lip service to investing for the future. (54 minutes)

Robert W. Galvin, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board, MotorolaOne of the earliest advocates of continuing professional development and lifelong training, Motorola's Bob Galvin explains how he instituted one of the most extensive and successful corporate employee education programs anywhere in the world. That education program helped earn Motorola the Baldrige Award-the Oscar for quality performance in the industrial world-a goal within the reach of any company recognizing it must compete one-on-one to survive. (34 minutes)

In an age of corporate bailouts, the story of Columbia Sportswear's dramatic comeback offers a valuable case study in successful bootstrapping. After the death of her husband, Gert Boyle faced the monumental task of taking over the struggling business at the age of 46, with little guidance or experience. This program profiles Boyle nearly forty years later, still leading the company-which is now an industry giant worth billions. Boyle describes what solidified her determination to keep Columbia (refusing a competitor's buyout offer of $1,400) and outlines strategic maneuvers that enabled her to rebuild the company: fine-tuned product innovation, a focus on upselling, employee teambuilding initiatives, and more. (24 minutes)

Harvard Business School Professor John Kotter and other experts share their views on the topics of leadership, entrepreneurship, and employees. Kotter leads off the program by focusing on the qualities of leadership, as exemplified by Japanese CEO Matsushita, founder of the company that bears his name; General Electric's Jack Welsh; and Walmart's Sam Walton. Emphasizing the importance of good leadership at all levels, Kotter distills leadership into its key elements: the ability to strategize, to inspire confidence and enthusiasm, and to motivate all workers. In addition, he provides a profile of the basic leadership personality. (26 minutes)

Abstract Expressionism was born from a joining of attitudes in American art and European avant-garde art, but was later rejected for its nonfigurative and seemingly egocentric character in favor of the ultra-objective phenomenon known as Pop Art.This program examines:o Franz Kline's C & O (1958), from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DCo Helen Frankenthaler's Mountains and Sea (1952), from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DCo Willem de Kooning's Morning: The Springs (1983), from the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdamo Jasper Johns' Flag (1954), from the Museum of Modern Art, New Yorko Andy Warhol's The Texan: Portrait of Robert Rauschenberg (1963), from the Wallraf-Richartz Museum and Museum Ludwig, Cologneo Roy Lichtenstein's Girl with Hair Ribbon (1965), from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC(60 minutes)

Focusing on the issues that can arise during employment, this ethnically diverse program shares the often frustrating and dramatic experiences minorities often face while on the job. Experts advise on how to deal constructively with problems such as racism, verbal abuse, and ignorance. Participants give an eye-opening account of how these problems exist at all levels of employment, from the fast-food industry to the corporate advertising world.A Cambridge Educational Production. One 45-minute video.

What kind of person goes into advertising? How do you break in? And what does it take to succeed once you get there? This program goes to New York City-based Euro RSCG, one of the world's largest ad agencies, to find out. Shoot-from-the-hip candid, a mixed group of recent hires and award-winning professionals-account executives, an art director, creative directors, executive creative directors, and the director of human resources-tell their stories to founding partner Tom Messner in a way that is as intriguing as it is informative. Ideal for helping students decide if a career in advertising is right for them-and for providing insight into the operation of an award-winning advertising shop. (60 minutes)

In this program, host Libby Potter travels around the world as she takes a meaningful look at the economics behind the inexpensive goods for sale in big-box stores and malls. Cost-cutting through supply chain management and waste reduction, economies of scale achieved by shipping offshore-manufactured goods to market via super-container ships, the Wal-Mart effect, and the no-frills philosophy of IKEA are addressed. The triumphs and woes of China, in its role as manufacturer for the world, is given special attention, and the clothing industry is presented as a case study of the cheap goods cycle. But the program also considers the hidden societal costs of cheap goods, such as sweatshop labor and the environmental impact of cavalier overconsumption, and questions how much longer prices will continue to drop as China's standard of living rises. Original BBCW broadcast title: Addicted to Cheap Shopping? (60 minutes)

This documentary-style series features the inspiring stories of minorities who have faced and overcome adversity both in seeking employment and while employed.A Cambridge Educational Production.

As America's robust economy surged ahead during the Clinton administration, the nation as a whole experienced unprecedented growth. But behind that facade of economic success are disturbing psychological questions that are in urgent need of resolution-questions that have lost none of their importance in the current economic downturn. In this topical two-part series, concerned experts from a variety of fields scrutinize America's emotional and spiritual bottom line. 2-part series, 29 minutes each.

A lawsuit can drag on for years, creating an emotional and financial drain far exceeding any anticipated rewards. Prolonged litigation also presents huge operational problems for the courts. As a result, the use of alternative dispute resolution is on the rise. With an Australian legal center as a model, this program shows how ADR processes are implemented and how all parties involved in a dispute can benefit from them. Topics include third-party mediation, negotiation, and arbitration; the types of domestic and corporate disputes typically settled using ADR; assessments of ADR effectiveness; and the comparatively low cost ranges associated with ADR. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (28 minutes)

In part one of this program, filmed prior to the foundering of the Internet economy, NewsHour correspondent Paul Solman examines the methodology of Amazon.com's founder Jeffrey Bezos and Drugstore.com's CEO Peter Neupert, who faced stiffening retail and online competition by innovatively adapting their business plans. In part two, correspondent Margaret Warner analyzes the meteoric rise of dotcoms and their impact on society with Anitesh Barua, co-author of a university study on Internet profitability; Andrew Shapiro, co-founder of technorealism; John Battelle, president of the now-defunct Industry Standard; and former Wall Street analyst Paul Kedrosky. (29 minutes)

Napster and Goosehead.com exemplify how technology and the Internet have given rise to a wave of businesses with extremely young leaders. This program looks at the emergence of a new breed of entrepreneurs and their impact on the American work environment. It addresses such questions as whether these young people are prepared for the responsibilities of running a company and if their ideals about commerce and social commitment conflict with an older generation's. Among those interviewed are Melissa Scanyers, founder of Activity.com; Brad Ogden, president of Virtual Web Pages; Misty Elliott, executive vice president of Youngbiz; and Jayson Meyer, CEO of Meyer Technologies. (29 minutes)

Union membership continues to lag and even the term collective bargaining" carries a decidedly un-American connotation. Why have labor unions lost much of the influence they once exerted on the U.S. economy? In this program, a variety of labor leaders and social and political activists examines the dynamic shift in labor-management relations over the past four decades that has changed the face of the American workplace. Among those interviewed are Ralph Nader, George Washington University professor of law Charles Craver, Detroit AFL-CIO president Donald Boggs, and Teamsters leaders and organizers. (29 minutes)"

Welfare and immigration are irrevocably interwined. This four-part series examines the current state of reform and its impact on immigrant and other populations. 4-part series, 29 minutes each.