In The News

Sony Chief Stringer Blindsided by Hackers Seeking Revenge

Cliff Edwards, Michael Riley, Joseph Galante June 1, 2011
Unpredictability and intrigue are the appeal of great video games, but Sony Corp. PlayStation Network customers are getting more delayed satisfaction than expected. Services were unavailable for nearly a month with more than 100 million accounts compromised worldwide, reports Bloomberg. The revenge hacking began after the corporation sued a 21-year-old customer for disassembling his PlayStation...

As China’s Workers Get a Raise, Companies Fret

Keith Bradsher May 31, 2011
Much like bargain-hunting consumers who go online to compare prices, workers around the globe are using Facebook and other social media to compare notes on workplace conditions and salaries, reports Keith Bradsher for the New York Times. The result is double-digit wage hikes, leading to higher prices for shoppers and shrinking profit margins for companies. Apparel factories are concentrated in...

US Sours on Globalization

Nayan Chanda May 25, 2011
One concern trumps all others for Americans: a lack of jobs. Resentment is high about the high unemployment rate, ongoing layoffs, declining wages and rising costs even as multinational corporations earn record profits and hire low-cost labor in emerging markets. More US job openings are in retail and the service sector than manufacturing. Americans target their ire at globalization and market...

From Chiquita to Nike: Labor Activists Drive Corporations Bananas

John Lasker May 19, 2011
Labor activists try to devise innovative campaigns to catch attention of global consumers, exposing the source, labor and procedures behind popular products. Campaigns can range from stickers that explain the labor process to high-profile lawsuits on workers rights. An “effective tactic for supporting workers toiling at the roots of the global supply chain is simply gaining an understanding of...

China Bubble: Empty Mega Mall and Million Dollar Pooch

Vikram Mansharamani April 6, 2011
China remains one of the world’s fastest growing economies, yet numerous signs point to a speculative mania underway. While investors anticipate China’s economic growth to continue apace at 8 percent – reinforcing the flurry of demand, easy money and excessive building – a slowdown to 5 percent is not outlandish, explains Vikram Mansharamani, Yale lecturer and author of a book on spotting...

Stop This Race to the Bottom on Corporate Tax

Jeffrey Sachs April 1, 2011
With the entry of China and Indian into global markets and greater international opportunities for corporations, the impact of globalization has forced down wages around the world and concentrated wealth in the hands of the rich, suggests Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs in an essay for Financial Times. At the same time, the US, the UK and other developed economies are facing gaping...

Volatility in a Flash

Nayan Chanda March 2, 2011
Multinationals depend on intricate supply chains, with manufacturing plants based around the globe in locales offering low-cost labor and specialized skills, explains Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal editor in his regular column for Businessworld. Chanda points out that “The success and failure of 21st century companies is increasingly determined by the efficiency of their supply chain management.”...