Projecting an image as a brand with global appeal is often a fundamental aspect of multinational corporations' (MNCs') strategy - a core focus of their marketing campaigns, employee recruitment efforts, and relationships with supply chain partners and others. But some markets and certain consumers prefer local firms, according to research in the Journal of International Marketing.
If robots are taking human jobs, they haven't made much headway in Santa's workshop - or in his supply chain. It turns out that even the most technologically advanced retailers need lots of humans to serve customers. Amazon, arguably the most disruptive force in American retailing, announced last week that it would be hiring 120,000 seasonal workers this year - 20 percent more than last year - and the Seattle giant isn't alone.
Thanks to dramatic reductions in price and rapid advances in open-source development, 3D printers have gained ground at both mainstream manufacturing plants and boutique design shops. Even models priced below $1,000 can print ever faster, bigger, and at a higher quality, meaning that households may soon choose to invest in a printer and make, rather than buy, more of the products they use, researchers say.
Whether you're a newly minted MBA or an experienced leader, you're always honing your skills and navigating change. And technology is one discipline in which you really can't afford to stagnate.
Number crunching can be valuable for firms exploiting their existing resources, but can backfire for companies seeking to branch out with new products or services.
During the mid-2000s, when emerging markets were growing at breakneck speed, the cavernous gap separating industrial and developing economies began to close. This convergence took place against a backdrop of economic liberalization, built on the idea that the financial systems of all nations would dovetail. That period is now over.
Only a few years ago, Africa was being dubbed "the next Asia," and multinationals watched with mounting interest as local economies boomed across the continent. Although a decline in global commodity demand has since ushered in a slowdown, Africa remains a promising long-term growth market.
Nearly two decades ago, just as e-commerce was taking off, a group of players emerged to claim their share of the home-delivery market. Remember Webvan, Urbanfetch, Kozmo, and HomeGrocer?
