Asia

The widely held notion of “Japan, Inc.” is exaggerated; there is no monolithic business-government link. Even so, the cooperation (without incorporation) between the large corporate combines and the government bureaucracy is impressive in its strength and focus on the common economic good—especially in view of its achievements worldwide. As the economic power of the United […]

In China, the battle for the consumer is often won — and lost — not in factories or on television screens, but on store floors. As many as 45% of Chinese consumers make purchase decisions in real time, inside shops, according to surveys we have conducted, compared to just 24% in the US. Moreover, 56% […]

In many countries, diversified business groups substitute for the institutions that support effective markets in capital, labor, and goods and services. Their capacity for doing this must be strengthened through restructuring, not destroyed through dismantling.

Luxury goods marketers in China received some good news last month. After the country’s annual policy planning meeting, Minister of Commerce Chen Deming announced that Beijing would soon reduce tariffs and cut red tape on luxury goods imports. The decisions are in line with other policies that will stimulate domestic consumption and, the government hopes, […]

In fast-growing markets, women are getting ahead faster, too.

Understanding the factors that contribute to its GDP.

They’re ahead of many global counterparts, but dissatisfaction with career progression drives almost as many women out of the workforce as childcare.

Anti-American sentiment poses a challenge to companies seeking to export to some regions of the world, most notably parts of Asia and the Middle East. At the same time, segments within those regions keenly identify with U.S. urban youth culture—the world of hip-hop and rap. Research I conducted among Chinese undergraduates suggests that this identification […]

Four ways leaders from the global South have an edge in today’s economy.

Recently I delivered a talk a the Council on Foreign Relations titled “Managing the New Trajectory of Global Innovation” explaining why and how multinationals must revamp their Western-centric innovation strategy in order to effectively leverage global ideas, talent, and markets. In our increasingly multi-polar world characterized by the inexorable rise of emerging markets like Brazil, […]

And what makes their initiatives successful.

Someone in India recently asked me what I thought about an innovation strategy featuring a heavy dose of “imitation.” My response was, “Innovation isn’t Olympic diving.” What did I mean? An individual diver’s scores for an event are a factor of two things: how well they execute their dive, and the “degree of difficulty” of […]

The company’s founder opens up.

B V Krishnamurthy is the Director and Executive Vice-President of Alliance Business Academy in Bangalore, India. A turning point in the short history of automobile manufacturing in India will arrive this week, when “the $2500 car” from Tata, one of the most respected companies in India, is unveiled on January 10. Like many significant product […]

Throughout centuries, Westerners have ventured into India seeking spiritual reinvention and inside-out transformation. But the latest wave of “seekers” may not be what you expect; they are are suit-wearing CEOs of IT multinationals. These tech giants are using their Indian operations to speed their organizational transformation from a monolithic Western multinational into a globally adaptive […]

Be global from the beginning.

An effort to reduce malnutrition in Vietnam offers an important lesson about managing change.

Think joint ventures are the only way to go? Think again.

Today, most multinationals have a conspicuous social conscience. They publicize their internal codes of conduct, monitor labor conditions in their global supply chains, and require suppliers to meet basic labor practice standards. But despite efforts to be better global citizens, companies by themselves are unable to eliminate abuses in their supply chains. In fact, so […]

Japan today sits on the largest cache of wealth ever assembled. It has the power to move markets anywhere in the world. Consider that. The Tokyo Stock Exchange has now surpassed New York to become the world’s largest on the basis of market capitalization. Osaka has bumped London to fourth place. Of the world’s ten […]