The stunning decline of the stock market on Monday after the S&P downgrade left one wondering as did the waiting with bated breath of the stock market to the Fed announcement. Coming out and saying that interest rates will not change till 2013 does a lot to help both the market and organizations feel less Continue reading “The “stability predictability” challenge : why the Fed’s action might help jobs”
Category Archives: Change Strategy
US credit downgrade : dealing with the no-college degree unemployed
This blog is not particularly worried about Standard and Poor's dire prognosis of AA+ for the US Government although it is a temporary set back for the stock market. However, I am concerned about the underlying message of of the S&P downgrade -which is not so much about the US Government's solvency but more aboutContinue reading “US credit downgrade : dealing with the no-college degree unemployed”
A town level SEC for investing in local small business
With globalization it is easier and easier to buy stocks in a variety of growth markets or in large US companies who are under pressure to turn a profit and therefore outsource jobs for lower costs. Meanwhile the most stellar small businesses have a hard time in finding small money to finance a website upgrade,Continue reading “A town level SEC for investing in local small business”
India trip: How much does the Chicken MahaMac cost in July 2011?
The Combo Chicken MahaMac with a small fries and drink cost Rs. 185.00 ( I think it was on special and the full price was closer to Rs. 225) which I had on my return from a great India trip while experiencing the India boom first hand. The BigMac Index is a great measure ofContinue reading “India trip: How much does the Chicken MahaMac cost in July 2011?”
Leaders must be open to input: deference defeats innovation in organizations
As Hoftede would tell you, certain countries have huge power distance. For example, in all the orange shaded countries you don't argue with the boss , the boss is always right and you show deference. It was that in the US you could speak up to the boss but that has changed since the economyContinue reading “Leaders must be open to input: deference defeats innovation in organizations”
So much data and so little insight
Given the enormous amount of domain knowledge that exists in both theory and practice , its sort of amazing that organizations are getting carried away with the sexiness of big data as Jim Goodnight of SAS mentions. You would wonder why all this analysis still leads to the mortgage mess, and debt crisis across manyContinue reading “So much data and so little insight”
Impatience: are US companies losing out in growth markets? American companies down 25% in Fortune 500
According to the Fortune 500 list American companies are down to rank 133 from 176 in 2005 representing an almost 25% decline in top spots. Most of the growth in top spots has come from growth markets like BRIC (Brazil,Russia,India,China). So the question is whether large US companies are doing enough to engage with growingContinue reading “Impatience: are US companies losing out in growth markets? American companies down 25% in Fortune 500”
Netflix pushes US distribution for streaming Internet video and DVD on way out
As discussed in an earlier post Netflix offering only streaming video in global markets seems to be spreading to the US market and has outraged Netflix subscribers. Netflix wants subscribers to spend about $16/month if they want both DVD and streaming- a 60% increase in contrast to paying $7.99/month for either service. A definite nudgeContinue reading “Netflix pushes US distribution for streaming Internet video and DVD on way out”
News Corp: Democratization arrives as privacy is breached
The News Corp scandal just seems to grow and grow. Allegations of phone hacking in the UK led to the closure of the oldest British tabloid "News of the World." The no ethics approach of those involved might put the acquisition of the British pay TV channel BSkyB by News Corp on hold . RupertContinue reading “News Corp: Democratization arrives as privacy is breached”
Jobs report: getting used to uncertainty – time to look at new markets for your skills
The US jobs report at 9.2 % unemployment is shocking and hard for those who make up this number. And this does not include those who have given up searching. It's time to get used to uncertainty and look at new global job markets. With this report world stock markets have dipped and everyone isContinue reading “Jobs report: getting used to uncertainty – time to look at new markets for your skills”