In The News

Mattel Recalls About 9 Million Toys

Nicholas Casey August 15, 2007
Ingesting lead, even small amounts, can cause irreparable brain damage in young children. So the news that major toy company Mattel has embarked on yet another major recall of toys made in China, because some contain lead paint and others contain small magnets, disturbs both consumers in the West and workers in China. Manufacturers based in China, where speech is censored, are unaccustomed to...

The New Economy – Medical Tourism

Sushma Ramachandran August 14, 2007
India anticipates the medical-tourism sector to expand, with patients around the world seeking low-cost, high-quality treatment. The industry could be worth $2 billion in 2012, about six times its worth in 2004, a study from Ernst and Young projects. Depending on the medical procedure, treatment in India can cost about 12 to 20 percent what the same operation might cost in developed nations. As a...

The Cutting Edge

Margot Cohen August 8, 2007
Framing the face, hair contributes to human appearance, so much so that European religious leader Martin Luther once observed that “The hair is the richest ornament of women.” Men and women, young and old, pursue wigs, hair extensions toupees and other products. Real human hair offers the most authentic look, and hair collection, sorting, dying and crafting have become a big business in Asia....

Global Hot Spots

Adrienne Selko August 2, 2007
Success in strategic sourcing requires finding the global hot spots first. Getting established in a budding community builds connections and provides early access to eager workers. Goals for foreign investment vary immensely around the globe. Kenya is particular, wanting firms that will contribute to innovation; Vietnam extends its welcome to all sectors, especially those that contribute to...

Globalization Study Moves Past Rhetoric

David Wessel July 27, 2007
Corporations have long insisted that globalization delivers prosperity. But a report commissioned by the Financial Services Forum, an association of CEOs of 20 major financial firms, admits that most benefits have gone to a select few. International operations increasingly account for most sales and business conducted by multinational firms, writes David Wessel for the Wall Street Journal. But...

On Paper It Is Writ

Nayan Chanda July 25, 2007
The prosperity and growth that comes with emerging economies in Asia have caused discomfort in Europe and the US. “The anxiety gripping US workers is a replay of countless such episodes in the millennial-long drama of globalization,” writes Nayan Chanda, editor of YaleGlobal Online, for Outlook India. “The word globalization is of recent origin, but the process of growing interconnectedness built...

Haves and Have-Nots of Globalization

William J. Holstein July 20, 2007
US companies that move part of their operations abroad continue to report big financial gains. Defense contractors like United Technologies, for example, report a spike in foreign sales and increased stock prices. Increasing numbers of multinational companies based in the US – including United Technologies, PepsiCo and Honeywell International – report that a majority of their sales are in foreign...