Most managers would recoil at the very idea of making workplaces more loving environments. Yet for those willing to see it, there’s more than enough evidence to show that  fostering a culture of fear or uncertainty, and constantly putting the productivity screws on your staff, are not the best ways to boost profit margins. When organisations … Read more
Some years ago, I facilitated a fascinating dinner session in Davos focusing on modern day adventurers. One of the three focal points was Mike Useem, a leadership professor at Wharton Business School who is also a highly skilled mountaineer. One of his favourite assignments is taking students to Mount Everest. We’ve kept in touch ever … Read more
Malcolm Gladwell is justly famous for taking ideas from researchers, social scientists, and psychologists, and working them into interesting, informative, and challenging books. In his latest book, he takes on the idea of the unequal battle, the struggles between Davids and Goliaths that we see happening all the time. He asks what is it that … Read more
There is a lot of pessimism in the air around emerging markets (EMs). With Fed tapering widely anticipated to begin early next year, observers worry that EMs will take a big hit as the flow of easy money dries up. Further, there are worries about deeper structural problems in EMs. In particular, observers are worried … Read more
The face of retail is changing fast, and perhaps fastest of all in the United States, the birthplace of the internet and of e-tailing. Amazon has so far dominated the online retailing game, but low-cast retailer Walmart has decided that the time has come to get serious about online, and the stage is set for … Read more
The newly listed Twitter has had an exciting first day out on the market. The Twitter IPO was priced at $26 a share, but opened at over $45 on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday. After a volatile day of trading, the share closed at $44.90 – an impressive performance overall. But what is … Read more
One of the common laments you hear about the economies of Africa is that they are insufficiently entrepreneurial. Although the streets of any given African capital are usually abuzz with hawkers,the overall impression we have of the continent is that it is an entrepreneurial vacuum. Some lay the blame at the feet of African nations’ governments, … Read more
If all the gold ever mined were put in one place, it would make a cube of just 67 feet wide, long and high. That puts the scarcity of the precious metal into perspective. On the other hand, if that cube were sold, Â the cash raised would be enough to acquire all of the farmland … Read more