In The News

Big 10 Food Companies Emit as Much as the “World’s 25th Most Polluting Country”

Winnie Byanyima June 18, 2014
Weather variations have always influenced food prices, and climate change adds to uncertainty of harvests with extreme storms, floods, droughts and shifting weather patterns. The world’s big 10 food-and-beverage companies, including Associated British Foods, Coca-Cola and General Mills, are both vulnerable to climate change and responsible for the release of carbon emissions, suggests Oxfam’s “...

Status in the New Asia

Roger Cohen May 14, 2014
The desire to feel special is a universal quality among humans. People who no longer must worry about survival and security pursue status in varying ways including wealth, knowledge, purpose or notice. The notion that globalization equals homogenization is too simple, argues Roger Cohen, in his column for the New York Times. “‘Mass’ is becoming a problematic word in the global marketplace,” he...

The Rise of Asia Means You Need Different Style of Leadership

Rick Lash April 29, 2014
The challenges of globalization and global markets require new leadership – of broader collaboration among diverse players. “Countries and organizations can no longer operate under the outdated notion that they are surrounded by intact borders and bear sole responsibility for taking charge over what happens on their turf,” writes Rick Lash for the Globe and Mail. “Leadership in the new world...

Swiss Voters Reject High-Pay Initiative

Neil MacLucas November 26, 2013
Swiss leaders in government and business vehemently opposed a ballot initiative restricting executive salaries to no more than 12 times that of the lowest paid employee, suggesting the reduced wages would reduce foreign investment, job growth and Swiss competitiveness in recruiting corporate staff. Voters agreed, with two thirds soundly rejecting the measure. “Earlier this year, Swiss voters...

Communities Should Continue to Benefit From Mobile Revolution

Sifiso Dabengwa September 2, 2013
Mobile-phone operators are between a rock and a hard place, juggling protections for customers who seek free communications while satisfying demands from controlling governments, explains Sifiso Dabengwa, CEO of MTN, a multinational telecommunications firm based in South Africa. “On the one hand mobile connectivity is touted as the lifeblood of socio-economic development in the underdeveloped...

Glaxo Executives Accused of Breaking Chinese Law

Ben Hirschler, Kazunori Takada July 24, 2013
Chinese leaders have promised a crackdown on corruption in China, and executives of foreign multinationals are not exempt from the scrutiny. China has accused several executives of a British pharmaceutical firm with bribery in violation of Chinese law. “China has long been known for a culture in which drug companies make payments to doctors, since physicians rely on rewards for writing...

Smoking Gun in Malaysian Hands

Rizal Harahap, Nurfika Osman June 27, 2013
Smoke drifting toward Singapore and Malaysia from Indonesian forest fires has started a tussle among the nations. Following a preliminary investigation, Indonesia’s environment minister suggested that eight Malaysian-owned palm-oil companies are at fault for using illegal slash-and-burn techniques, the quickest and cheapest way in the short term to clear land. Six other companies, yet to be...