The world has changed dramatically since the Bretton Woods Agreement of 1944, says Rodrigo de Rato, but the IMF’s role is as vital as ever – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was founded in 1945 on multilateral principles, which stood in sharp contrast to the unilateralism and beggar-thy-neighbour policies of the 1930s. The international community…
While financial markets tend to reward a “branded house” approach to doing business, David Reibstein says there are also advantages to being a “house of brands” Over the past 50 years there has been a remarkable transition in the determinants of a firm’s value. Fifty years ago, nearly 80% of a typical firm’s value was…
Smart sensors embedded in the wireless network could help reduce pollution, says Deborah Estrin, and even improve our response to natural disasters Sensor networks are an exciting class of computing systems that combine distributed sensing, computation and wireless communication. This technology is touted as being as disruptive and enabling as the Internet, with broad applications…
Granting every child a $500 investment pot at birth fulfils a number of goals, says Jon Corzine. It encourages investment and extends equal opportunity A new proposal is at hand that promises to redraw the landscape for national savings in America. Not only will it revolutionize the investment habits of young adults, it will also…
Corporate governance codes and laws are simply a baseline, says George Dallas. Stakeholders ought to examine each company closely to understand how well run they are Should we all sleep better now that we have Sarbanes-Oxley? Have all the laws, regulations and codes of practice around the world raised the bar for public companies so…
Japan has to contend with deflation, a strong yen and long-overdue privatization of the post office in order to secure its recovery, says Takatoshi Ito The past 10 years are now commonly considered Japan’s “lost decade”. Repeated recessions have plagued the country, and the economy has suffered deflation since 1998. But, by 2004 the economy…
China is faced with a host of challenges – huge income inequalities, an overvalued currency and an insolvent banking system. But, says Fan Gang, high and stable growth should enable these problems to be solved Any visitor to China will know that the pace of change in the economy is nothing short of dazzling: gleaming…
Contrary to popular belief, chief executives tend to stay too long, says Claudio Fernández-Aráoz. They – and their boards – have to plan succession In the closing years of the last century there was a cult of the chief executive officer (CEO) as star. CEOs often appeared on magazine covers, and they published books dispensing…
Competition law is not always a good thing, argues John Fingleton. If devised only by lawyers and politicians, it may end up as a tax on business; instead, economics should also underpin competition policy Competition law appears to be in fashion. It used to be the preserve of the world’s largest economies, but more and…
Obesity, which causes heart disease, strokes and diabetes, has become a global epidemic, say Janet VoĂ»te and Valentin Fuster. For many adults it is too late, but we must prevent our children from getting fat If press interest is a measure of public concern, fat has become a fundamental issue. In 2001 obesity was featured…
