The Costliest Places To Run a Business
Red Ink
Federal budget time has arrived again, and the United States is running nearly $500 billion in the red. Paul Solman looks at the growing budget deficit and why people are worried about it.
Editor’s Note: though focused on the current (2004) US federal deficit, this PBS Newshour audio broadcast offers a simple look at the major economic issues involved in government deficit spending.
Content: Article | Source: PBS | Subjects: Economics, Finance
Managing the Derivatives Risk
‘Weapons of mass destruction’? In the wrong hands, sure. But also essential financial tools.
Content: Article | Author: Gregory J. Millman | Source: Chief Executive | Subjects: Economics, Finance
Five Puzzles in the Behavior of Productivity, Investment, and Innovation
Productivity growth in the United States was considerably faster during 2000-2003 than in the boom years of 1995-2000. This ebullient productivity performance raises numerous questions about its interpretation and its implications for the future, and these are stated here in the form of five puzzles.
(1) Whatever happened to the cyclical effect?
(2) Why did productivity growth accelerate after 2000 when the ICT investment boom was … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Author: Robert J. Gordon | Source: World Economic Forum | Subjects: Economics, IT / Technology / E-Business
Race for the World: Strategies to Build a Great Global Firm
In Race for the World, consultants with McKinsey & Co. look at the vast changes in the world’s economy that are altering the way almost everyone does business. The authors believe that geographic barriers to business will virtually disappear over the next 30 years and that the implications for companies could be devastating–or incredibly rewarding. “Over time, the only class that matters will be world … [ Read more ]
Content: Book | Authors: Jane Fraser, Jeremy M. Oppenheim, Lowell Bryan, Wilhelm Rall | Subjects: Economics, International
R&D Rolls On
Russia and the WTO: A National Business System Perspective
There are three sets of nations from whom Russia can learn about how to integrate into the global economic system. The developed countries such as United States, Britain, Germany, France, and Japan demonstrate how developments over several decades if not couple of centuries can influence national business systems and hence international competitiveness. They also show how a country’s national business system responds to international relationships … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Author: Srinivasa Rangan | Source: Babson Insight | Subjects: Economics, International
Why the U.S. dollar keeps falling, and why we should care
The San Francisco Chronicle has a great article on why the dollar has fallen and why it matters.
Content: Article | Author: Sam Zuckerman | Source: San Francisco Chronicle | Subjects: Economics, Finance
Facts from the Farm
Business Ethics – The Founding Principles
A company becoming a ‘good citizen’ will not only make the world a better place but will also add to shareholder value. An integrative approach is essential.
Content: Article | Authors: Peter Ulrich, Thomas Maak | Source: European Business Forum (EBF) | Subjects: Economics, Ethics
DoC Puts Q4 E-Retail at $17.2B
Distribution of Consumption Trends in U.S.
Will We All Be Unemployed?
With knowledge-worker jobs heading overseas along with manufacturing and service jobs, managers are worried, too–and should be. We asked leading-edge thinkers to envision the next economy and our place in it.
Content: Article | Author: Matthew Budman | Source: Across the Board (ATB) | Subjects: Career, Economics
What Price Economic Growth?
To judge by the example of Canada, which began an experiment in free trade with the United States in 1989, the proposed U.S. free-trade agreement with Mexico is a threat to the social comity on which prosperity depends.
Editor’s Note: this was written back in 1992 but the analysis it provides is really interesting and of long-lasting value when evaluating free trade concepts (thanks to … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Author: Jonathan Schlefer | Source: The Atlantic Monthly | Subjects: Economics, Trade
U.S. M&A Deals
Markets and New Product Development: A New Institutional Economics Perspective
In recent years, it has become increasingly apparent that some of the key teachings of classic economic theory do not fit today’s business environment. Though firms try to follow economic logic, the nature of innovation strains their capacity to do so. From the inadequacy of classic economic theory to explain the constraints acting on firms, New Institutional Economics (NIE) was born. Combining several approaches, including … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Authors: Erin Anderson, Hubert Gatignon | Source: INSEAD Knowledge | Subjects: Economics, Marketing / Sales
Debunking layoff myths
Popular wisdom says layoffs are the reflex response for most businesses when the economy weakens. But Bain & Company’s year-long analysis of layoffs at S&P 500 companies proves that wisdom wrong. The results debunk four myths about downsizing. They reveal that: not all companies go into automatic layoff mode at the first hint of downturn; big job losses can actually hurt stock prices because they … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Author: Darrell K. Rigby | Source: Bain & Company | Subjects: Economics, Human Resources
Much Ado About Dividends
Michael Mainelli
According to Prospect Theory, if you want to drive decision-makers towards a riskier decision, convince them that they are already losing. If you want to drive decision-makers towards a risk-averse decision, convince them that they are ahead and stand to lose quite a bit.
Content: Quotation | Source: European Business Forum (EBF) | Subjects: Economics, Personality / Behavior