Emerging markets have driven growth for many multinational corporations (MNCs) for years, and they will continue to do so. But these are turbulent times as commodity prices plunge, currencies are devalued, and equity markets gyrate. The profitability of many MNCs' operations is already under attack, and future performance will be challenged by slower macroeconomic growth, increasing costs, and heightened competition from local companies, which are rapidly gaining scale, experience, and capability. To reduce these pressures, companies will have to focus much more on improving their competitiveness through constant productivity gains.

In December, two conflicting reports were released, one by A.T. Kearney and one by the Boston Consulting Group. The A.T. Kearney report states that reshoring may be "over before it began," and the Boston Consulting Group report states that it is increasing. Why the difference in opinion and who is right?