Dangdang.com is China’s Amazon.com
Dangdang.com claims 800,000 unique visitors and takes up to 4,000 orders a day, more than half these days for DVDs and CDs. The firm’s founder monitors Amazon for new ideas, which she then pinches–and encourages her employees to order from the American firm’s site to get hints for customising her own.
Editor’s Note: this is a topical article without long-lasting business take-aways, but the inside … [ Read more ]
Content: Case Study | Source: The Economist | Subjects: International – Asia, IT / Technology / E-Business | Company: Dangdang.com
Government Purchases of Software
VoIP, IP Phone Revenues Worldwide
China’s Mobile Handset Market
Maximising the Value of Innovation
Research commissioned by Europe’s leading venture capitalist 3i and conducted by the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) shows that despite the difficult economic climate, cutting back on R&D damages long-term growth prospects.
The statistical analysis conducted by the EIU looked at different elements of R&D in 29 OECD countries between 1993 to 2001. In particular, the research analysed the relationship between GDP growth and gross domestic expenditure … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Sources: 3i, The Economist | Subjects: Economics, Innovation
New generation of human resources automation transforms HR
E-HR wants to transform human resources from a lowly cost centre into a strategic, mission-critical part of the business. What makes E-HR a potentially huge leap forward is the way in which the web allows companies to offer self-service HR applications.
Content: Article | Sources: CFO Publishing, The Economist | Subjects: Human Resources, IT / Technology / E-Business
Outside Upside: Finding Focus through Finance Outsourcing
What should companies be considering as they move towards outsourcing finance and accounting (F&A) activities? How can they achieve their strategic goals and maximize the benefits, while defusing the risks?
Accenture’s report, “Outside Upside: Finding Focus through Finance Outsourcing,” written in cooperation with the Economist Intelligence Unit, addresses these issues. Based on an online survey and one-to-one interviews with senior executives, the study yields rich … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Sources: Accenture, The Economist | Subjects: Finance, Outsourcing / BPO
Selling in Turbulent Times
Today, the typical sales organization faces steep challenges to bringing in new business. A weakened economy and uncertainty about when times will improve have made sales harder to close and heightened competition in many market sectors.
However, a recent study conducted by Accenture and The Economist Intelligence Unit suggests that disappointing sales performance among global companies has as much to do with companies’ effectiveness at … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Sources: Accenture, The Economist | Subject: Marketing / Sales
Camera Market
US R&D Spending 2003
North American market for HR-management and payroll applications software
Men’s work?
Why more women don’t go to business school.
Content: Prospective MBA Content | Source: The Economist | Subject: Women & Minority MBA Issues
The Economist
Globalization undermines neither the welfare state nor democracy, our survey argues; it is entirely consistent with sound environmental policies; above all, far from increasing poverty in the third world, it is the most effective force for reducing poverty known to mankind. But what about the view that globalization is a kind of cultural conquest? This too is plainly wrong. Under a market system, economic interaction … [ Read more ]
Content: Quotation | Source: The Economist | Subjects: Culture, International
The way we govern now
“For years, investors have had a good reason to ignore good governance. Academic research found no clear causal link with financial performance. New research, however, threatens to change that. Paul Gompers of Harvard Business School and two colleagues looked at 1,500 firms in the 1990s and found those that were most responsive to shareholders would have enjoyed returns 8.5% a year higher than those run … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Source: The Economist | Subject: Corporate Governance
Mergers and Acquisitions Activity in 2002
In search of honesty
This article takes a look at the new legislation in the US as a result of Enron and other corporate governance scandals. Though somewhat topical, it examines some larger issues such as one country’s right to regulate foreign companies that are listed on their bourses, etc.
Content: Article | Source: The Economist | Subject: Corporate Governance
Better Than the Alternatives
Compared with the previous peak of global capital, the amount of money flowing to poorer countries today is already small. Maurice Obstfeld and Alan Taylor, two economists, point out that less-developed countries’ share of total global debt is at an all-time low. In 1900, these countries accounted for 33% of the total; in the 1990s, the figure was down to 11%. In 1913, the countries … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Author: Matthew Bishop | Sources: CFO Publishing, The Economist | Subjects: Finance, International | Industry: Finance / Banking
Think of a Number
Accountancy used to be boring. If only it still were.
Content: Article | Author: Matthew Bishop | Sources: CFO Publishing, The Economist | Subjects: Accounting, Finance
Bubble Trouble – And What Policymakers Should Do About It
Article takes a look at “efficient markets” and “behavioural finance” theories and examines their relevance to financial market bubbles.
Content: Article | Author: Matthew Bishop | Sources: CFO Publishing, The Economist | Subjects: Economics, Finance | Industry: Finance / Banking
The Regulator Who Isn’t There
Does a global financial system need a global regulator?
Content: Article | Author: Matthew Bishop | Sources: CFO Publishing, The Economist | Subjects: Economics, Finance | Industry: Finance / Banking