Just imagine you were the CEO of Walmart several years ago. You can see that Amazon is starting to gain a foothold in markets beyond the books and music where it started. You know you have to have some kind of response, some preparation for when Amazon (or someone like Amazon) starts to intrude on
For most (all?) countries, at the moment, that headline could ha de been rewritten as ‘Its Productivity Weak”. Productivity, globally, has been fading as a result of general economic decline, the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine- and the effects on global supply chains. So what should governments do? Well, one tactic employed fairly regularly is
In a changing world, business leaders are looking for more training options that provide greater flexibility and variety. They are looking for a mix of formats and delivery options, with a preference for short courses. industrial certifications, and vocational qualifications. dip-in, dip-out and online learning is seen as being most beneficial by time-poor, resource-constrained small businesses. If
Lots of countries that expanded their productivity through the 1980s and 1990s have slowed to a crawl. Their 'growth engines' seem to have disappeared or been dismantled. COVID-19 may have been the final nail in the coffin (or the puncture in the tyre). Many of these companies are still trying to restart their engines -
The UK has a new monarch and a new Prime minister- one avowedly committed to economic growth as the way to climb out off the abyss we are in. But, as yet, apart from the long-espoused commitment to tax cuts, we have seen little evidence of what will create that growth. Where is the infrastructure
The UK has a new monarch and a new Prime minister- one avowedly committed to economic growth as the way to climb out off the abyss we are in. But, as yet, apart from the long-espoused commitment to tax cuts, we have seen little evidence of what will create that growth. Where is the infrastructure
Especially in difficult times (and current times certainly count as ‘difficult’ for most businesses), business asks for help from government. Yet in the good times (and they will come again), they want government to stop ‘interfering’. They can’t expect to have it whichever way they like. The role of government in improving productivity is simple. They
Electric cars, buses, even planes. They are all coming. Vehicles are improving all the time. As sensors become more efficient, range is extended - and range anxiety is the one factor that puts buyers off electric vehicles. If, as a driver, you can’t make it to the next charging point, you’re in trouble. But
The UK’s rail franchise system (where private companies bid for the right to tun rail services on the national infrastructure) was introduced to improve competition and efficiency. However, the bids - and the assessment of them - were highly over-optimistic. They looked to offer value-for-money for the government/taxpayer and a good return for the franchisee ….
Creativity is what will see organisations blossom as we (hopefully) near the end of this pandemic. In an office situation, creativity is aided by people bouncing ideas off their co-workers, They can do this by simply walking down the corridor. When everyone is working from home, you have to find different ways of achieving this. One