In The News

Designing Asia

Ellen L. Frost May 12, 2008
Growing Chinese economic clout combined with a sympathetic diplomatic posture has helped reorient the power structure of Southeast Asia toward China. A China-led Pacific trade network of port cities, stretching from Australia to India, echoes “pre-colonial 'Maritime Asia,'” explains author Ellen Frost. The re-emergence of maritime Asia is not without challenges – for example, such a...

Food for Thought

Nayan Chanda May 8, 2008
While trying to save the environment, businesses try new public relation campaigns, which may end up hurting the world’s poor. The British supermarket giant Tesco has resorted to putting labels on imported foods that indicate foreign origin and warn consumers that the product contributes to global warming. The company also adopted a "carbon labeling" system which shows the amount of...

Global Consumer Gives Small Companies a Big Reach

Samuel Palmisano May 7, 2008
Rapid flows of information and trade require companies to respond quickly –and that has forced corporations of all sizes to create flexible, yet specialized versions for a range of markets around the globe, explains Samuel Palmisano, chairman and chief executive of IBM, in an opinion essay for the Financial Times. Because of technology, companies small in size are no longer limited to local...

The Threat of Global Food Shortages – Part II

Mira Kamdar May 7, 2008
The temptation is great to find a quick fix for the shortages and high prices associated with the global food crisis. Indeed, radical changes are needed in how the world produces and distributes food, otherwise substantial numbers will go hungry later this century. That is the grim conclusion of an international report initiated by the World Bank and the UN Food and Agricultural Organization....

The Cognitive Age

David Brooks May 5, 2008
Some politicians like to blame the current weak economy on globalization, outsourcing and free trade. Yet such blame relies on a limited definition of globalization and overlooks the contribution of technology, suggests David Brooks of the New York Times. In particular, Brooks rejects protectionism as any solution for economic woes. Technology has made it feasible for workers anywhere in the...

Debt Collection Done From India Appeals to US Agencies

Heather Timmons May 2, 2008
Making calls to remind borrowers about unpaid debts isn’t easy – and so it’s a natural job for outsourcing. With a sluggish US economy, there’s plenty of calls that need to be made, and debt collection represents growth for outsourcing firms, reports Heather Timmons for the New York Times. India has become a favorite source for debt-collection services because of low costs, automated systems and...

Hurrah! Oil Profits Are Up

Carl Mortished May 2, 2008
Climbing oil prices contribute to higher costs for food and anything else that requires transport. But the higher prices also spark debate over oil dependence and the need for alternative fuels. People who want greater conservation and a cleaner environment should celebrate the high prices, argues Carl Mortished, because those change behavior. It’s no surprise that fossil fuels are a limited...