Worldwide Economic Integration
One of the defining characteristics of the world in which we now live is that distances are shrinking rapidly. The shrinking globe has been a major source of the powerful wave of worldwide economic integration and increased economic interdependence that we are currently experiencing. This speech by US Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke outlines causes and implications of declining economic distance... posted on Nov 05 2006, 1,577 reads

The Power of Nice
In the ruthlessly competitive world of corporate advertising, two women, Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval have taken their company to the top by following a simple but revolutionary principle: It Pays To Be Nice. Share the credit for an idea. Treat the messenger, the secretary and even strangers with respect. Don't squabble over who gets the biggest piece of pie, bake a bigger one. Find ways to... posted on Nov 01 2006, 2,272 reads

The Business of Changing the World
Generating a constant demand for creativity and innovation, businesses have driven transformation. The breadth and diversity of people brought together within them, beyond nation, religion, or race, is utterly new. Big business has changed the world -- but has also brought us to the edge of ecological and social crisis. Which way the scales eventually tip may have to do with a powerful force worki... posted on Oct 16 2006, 1,488 reads

Dime A Day Keeps Junk Mail Away
Junk mail isn't just annoying: it has a detrimental environmental impact. To deliver 800 million pounds of annual junk mail, 100 million trees are cut down each year to produce the ads and non-profit solicitations that likely end up in the recycle bin, or, more often, the trash can. Enter Green Dimes. Greendimes is a company that offers to keep you off junk-mail lists while planting one tree ev... posted on Sep 30 2006, 1,805 reads

$10,000 Tip On A $26 Tab
Two weeks ago, one of Cindy Kienow's regular customers left her a $100 tip on a tab that wasn't even half that. This week, he added a couple of zeros. Kienow, a bartender at Applebee's, got a $10,000 tip from the man — for a $26 meal — on Sunday. "I couldn't move," Kienow said. Kienow, whose father will have to take some time off work for surgery on both of his knees, said she hasn't decide... posted on Sep 07 2006, 1,967 reads

Basketball Star Sports Fifteen Dollar Shoes
In shopping malls across the United States a revolution is brewing --inspired by a celebrity basketball player who is taking on the global might of companies such as Nike and Reebok. Star NBA player Stephon Marbury has embarked on a "change-the-world" mission that could transform the economics of the sportswear and sponsorship market. Teaming up with a leading US retailer Marbury is endorsing an ... posted on Sep 01 2006, 3,419 reads

Small-Mart Revolution
Wal-mart: those who love the retailer say that it provides 1.8 million jobs and makes life's necessities affordable to its 176 million weekly customers with limited incomes; those who hate the $312-billion-a-year behemoth refer to the "externalities" of those low prices -- the environmental degradation caused by sourcing cheap goods, the public services required by low-paid employees unable to mak... posted on Aug 30 2006, 2,352 reads

The Ten Faces Of Innovation
What is innovation all about? It is about the roles people can play, the hats they can put on, the personas they can adopt. Tom Kelley, CEO of Ideo -- the top-notch firm that has designed things as diverse as the palm pilot and stand-up toothpaste -- talks about the ten personality types it takes to keep creativity thriving. (Interestingly he believes our tendency to play Devil's Advocate is one o... posted on Aug 10 2006, 3,262 reads

The 'Good' Magazine
Ben Goldhirsh was always broke, even though his father was worth $200 million. But when Bernie Goldhirsh faced brain cancer, he started having his son tag along to all his meetings. One day, Bernie gave $20 million to his employees and made Ben listen to every stunned, grateful voicemail. Then he put most of his son's inheritance in a trust that would pay out in installments over the next few deca... posted on Jul 23 2006, 2,328 reads

Appetite for Risk: Bridging Poetry and Business
When John Barr speaks about risk, it's natural to assume he's talking about finance. He's actually not. It's true that Barr has been active in investment banking for more than 30 years -– mostly at Morgan Stanley. But recently, Barr, who has written poems that have been published in six collections, was named president of the Modern Poetry Association, which recently received a $100 million gift... posted on Jul 07 2006, 1,700 reads