In The News

Are Big Oil’s Tanks Running Dry?

February 8, 2006
As President Bush called for the US to reduce its “addiction to oil”, Exxon reported the highest net profit of any US company ever – about $36 billion. A public backlash has greeted the record profits by the oil industry. As early as last October, Congress pressed “Big Oil” to defend itself on charges of profiteering. Anticipating more consumer fury, Democrats and Republicans have united to...

Unpopular Globalization: Why So Many Are Opposed

David Dapice February 2, 2006
The world economy has done well in recent years, yet workers in rich nations remain anxious about how globalization will affect future jobs, wages and benefits. In the US, Ford and General Motors have slashed jobs and closed plants. Plentiful skilled labor in emerging countries raises fears about depressed wages worldwide. More importantly, specific policies and conditions in Europe and the US...

Fear of an American Internet

Markus Dettmer February 2, 2006
Despite millions of new internet users from all around the globe, US companies like Google continue to dominate the medium. These businesses invest heavily in research and design, and as a result continue to expand their reach of the internet. One ambitious new project that is raising eyebrows is Google Print, which is collaborating with some of the world’s top universities to publish their...

America Should Open Its Doors Wide to Foreign Talent

Craig Barrett February 1, 2006
Discussion about challenges in America’s immigration policies tends to focus on the millions of illegal immigrants. But the more pressing immigration problem facing the US today, writes Intel chairman Craig Barrett, is the dearth of high-skilled immigrants required to keep the US economy competitive. Due to tighter visa policies and a growth in opportunities elsewhere in the world, foreign...

The Future of Outsourcing

Pete Engardio February 1, 2006
In recent years, the specter of outsourcing has haunted US business and labor. Much as competition from China and Mexico decimated the US manufacturing base, remote call centers and consulting firms flourishing in India and elsewhere in the developing world could put thousands of white-collar middle-class jobs in peril. Desperate to cut corners and costs, many leaders of US corporations became...

Globalisation Focus Shifts from Costs to Customers

Reuters January 30, 2006
Survey results released at this week’s annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos suggest that the orientation of global business is shifting. Companies no longer regard large developing countries like China, India and Brazil as merely sources of cheap labor. A survey of executives conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed that businessmen expect developing countries to play a much...

China Could Learn From India’s Slow and Quiet Rise

Yasheng Huang January 27, 2006
Two years ago the view that India might have a more competitive economy than China was met with incredulity. Now a comparison of the two countries offers valuable insights for anyone studying economic growth. A fundamental distinction is that China’s growth stems from resource accumulation while India’s is rooted in increasing efficiency. Those who warned that India attracted too little foreign...