Geography and the GDP puzzle
Looking at the most productive economies in the world, one common element is striking: Western European influence. This is a most unfashionable observation to make.
Manager from Mars
For all the analogies, war is not business. Sun Tzu will not tell you much about business strategy.
Blurring of responsibility
You can be responsible to people to whom you are not accountable; and you can deal with interlocking and conflicting responsibilities. Why do so many thoughtful people fail to realise this?
Ticket touts
As All England Club strives once more to foil ticket touts, the professional economist views the idea of the “just price” with patronising and detached amusement. But is he right?
Facing supermarket forces
Is Wal-Mart’s entry into the UK market a sign of global retailing? It’s an interesting move, when Wal-Mart itself is solidly small-town American.
Evolution, executives and blurred vision
Incremental rather than radical change is usually the best business strategy. When radical change is needed it will usually be provided by new businesses altogether.
Why regulate securities?
In this talk, John describes some of the differences between an economic approach to regulation - concerned with indentifying market failures - and how markets mechanisms can be best adapted to deal with them. He contrasts this with the legal style of regulation which has been the historic basis of monitoring financial services. The conclusion is that we might manage our financial services better if, in inventing the regulation, the role of economists were greater.
Economists and Economics in Business
Most businessmen think that the role of economists is to produce macroeconomic forecasts. Since modern business strategy is, however, increasingly based on economic foundations - largely through resourced based theories - it might be time they reconsidered.
Creativity at centre stage
Who really benefits from copyright laws? “Artists for strong copyright” seem not to understand for whose interests they are campaigning.
The myth of excellence
In the black-and-white world of business opinion, Marks and Spencer is now firmly out of fashion. But corporate success depends on establishing and defining one’s own self.