International business

That is, if businesses embrace a circular economy.

It’s disaster in the desert. Late last week, Dubai World quasi-defaulted — and took the Emirate’s credibility with it. Will Dubai meet its obligations? It’s the question the beancounters of the universe are nervously asking. As usual, it’s the wrong question. Dubai was a mini-America: finance and real estate made up the lion’s share of […]

The widely held notion of “Japan, Inc.” is exaggerated; there is no monolithic business-government link. Even so, the cooperation (without incorporation) between the large corporate combines and the government bureaucracy is impressive in its strength and focus on the common economic good—especially in view of its achievements worldwide. As the economic power of the United […]

Overcome data gaps, biased data, and outdated numbers.

Here's what managers can do to create inclusive environments.

In business, one must always look at possible upsides. Even with all the dire predictions about what could happen in North Korea after the sudden death of its “Dear Leader” Kim Jong Il, this event could possibly pave the way for South Korean and foreign companies to make new inroads into the reclusive country. The […]

Anna Parini “Virtual” teams—ones made up of people in different physical locations—are on the rise. As companies expand geographically and as telecommuting becomes more common, work groups often span far-flung offices, shared workspaces, private homes, and hotel rooms. When my firm, Ferrazzi Greenlight, recently surveyed 1,700 knowledge workers, 79% reported working always or frequently in […]

The merger between two pharmaceutical companies generated headlines first—and then headaches. One reason: CEO Steve Lindell has two executives for every available slot. As the stock price drops and talented people head for the exits, he must quickly decide whom to keep and whom to let go. Pass the aspirin.

Technology and trust networks make it possible for small enterprises to have a global footprint.

The CEO of Carbonite tells his story.

I can travel anywhere in the eurozone without having to pay money to change currency. I don’t have to work out in my head how much stuff is worth. You can make your shoes in Portugal and sell them in Germany without your profit margin bouncing all over the place. Sure, the currency has a […]

Should governments accept the dictates of markets? It’s the question raging across the econoverse in the wake of demands for austerity from bondholders. But it’s the wrong question. The right question is: are organizations and markets making decisions that help make people, communities, and society better off in the long run, by allocating their scarce […]

Do you have what it takes to go big?

This blog post is written with Pepijn Veling, Utrecht University, Netherlands. There is a general consensus that U.S. healthcare needs major reform. Can...

Since the early 1970s, host governments have intervened more and more in the affairs of multinational corporations. Today they regularly establish rather demanding conditions for MNCs wanting to do business in their countries. What kinds of conditions are these? What type of threat, if any, do they pose to the normal operation of corporate decision […]

A less hierarchical environment isn’t easy for everyone to navigate.

In the last few months, the number of entrepreneurship workshops and trainings in Africa has increased. Entrepreneurship has become the next big thing in the continent and many young graduates are opting to take risks and run startups rather than seek traditional employment. New to Africa is that these new class of entrepreneurs are well-accepted […]

The U.S. isn’t as high as you might think.

A country’s competitiveness, like a company’s, is not primarily a matter of sales: it is a matter of incomes, and incomes earned, not borrowed. To be competitive means to raise incomes as rapidly as competitors do and to make the investments necessary to keep up competitively in the future. From this perspective, U.S. competitiveness is […]

I am currently in New Delhi attending the India Economic Summit organized by the World Economic Forum (WEF). This Summit, which marks the 25th year of WEF’s engagement in India, is themed “India’s Next Generation of Growth.” Last Saturday, I participated in a brainstorming session on how India can increase its workforce quality and employability […]