Swine Flu Provides a Test of Employers’ Crisis Plans

The corporate response to the swine flu has been well orchestrated and cautious for the most part. This is due mainly to instituting response and risk management plans in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US and the 2003 SARS outbreak in Asia. As a result, companies now have tracking and data systems that can pinpoint the locations of their traveling employees and thus the proximity to disease outbreaks. Such information improves response time and lowers panic among planners and executives. Thus the potentially negative knock-on effects attendant to epidemics are significantly lessened. This article highlights the positive developments that can occur when the negative consequences of globalization are properly identified and addressed. Sometimes, globalization can provide its own positive feedback loop. – YaleGlobal