Faster relief: humanitarian organisations and the private sector realise benefits of improving disaster logistics

The public and private sectors have a lot to gain by working together on disasters. The private sector can help humanitarian organisations improve how they get people, goods, money and information to disaster zones. In return, companies can learn valuable lessons about working in extreme conditions and make a positive contribution to society as well.

http://knowledge.insead.edu/HumanitarianLogistics090323.cfm?vid=198

A practical guide to managing innovation

What does innovation mean? It used to relate mainly to products and that's still important. But over the last decade or so, businesses have been putting more and more emphasis on innovating new services and business models as well. In light of this, it's time companies take another look at how they manage innovation.

http://knowledge.insead.edu/contents/InnovationManual090323.cfm?vid=199

Unveiling Latin America's economic success

A lot of attention has been focused on the remarkable economic success of China, India and other Asian countries. So much so, that the rise of Latin American companies as major players on the international economic scene has almost gone unnoticed.

http://knowledge.insead.edu/LatinAmericaeconomy090323.cfm?vid=200

The upside of hard times

This could be the best year of your life; a year of discovery, correction, clearance, and enlightenment. 2009 could be the year that started all wrong and ended so right. The year things came right. Twenty years from now, when sharing life's lessons over a bottle of wine with friends, you might reflect on 2009 as your year of real change; that barrier year between who you were and who you became.

http://knowledge.insead.edu/BillMagillOp-ed090323.cfm

Why women mean business

Business leaders ignore gender issues at their peril. That's the view of CEO of gender consultancy 20-First and INSEAD alumna Avivah Wittenberg-Cox. In a new book, 'Why Women Mean Business', Wittenberg-Cox and her co-author Alison Maitland say organisations that become savvy about 'womenomics' will win in the war for the best talent and leadership and the war for customers.

http://knowledge.insead.edu/Womenomics090323.cfm?vid=202

Tough times for a talent hub

Like many countries around the world, Singapore's economy has been hit by the global downturn. It will be a stern test for the city-state's government as the recession bites and more Singaporeans lose their jobs, especially as the authorities have been encouraging foreign 'talent' to come to live in the city-state.

http://knowledge.insead.edu/Hardtimesforatalenthub090319.cfm?vid=190

Disney eyes growth in Asia; nimble strategy ensures company stays relevant

Mickey Mouse, a character created by Walt Disney in the late 1920s, never seems to grow old. Today, this talking mouse with his trademark red shorts and white gloves, continues to charm legions of children around the world.

http://knowledge.insead.edu/Disney090323.cfm?vid=197

African entrepreneurs: creating opportunities for success

The solution to African development must be African and internally generated. However, it will need support from the developed world, mostly in terms of knowledge and training, as well as investment. This was the consensus of a panel at Net Impact's Doing Good, Doing Well 2009 European conference held here.

http://knowledge.insead.edu/AfricanEntrepreneurs090323.cfm

Healthcare at $1.75. Is there a business in micro health insurance?

Micro health insurance is in its infancy but it's expected to take off in the next couple of years, with the financial success of microfinance helping to speed up the process. Yet Johanna Mair, a former doctoral student at INSEAD (PhD 01Jul) who is now an associate professor of strategic management at IESE business school, says microfinance and micro insurance are two very different processes.

http://knowledge.insead.edu/MicroHealthInsurance090323.cfm

Transforming the lives of thousands in South Africa through social housing

Taffy Adler is hardly the most likely candidate for taking on the role of social entrepreneur.He had an impressive track record as a trade union organiser who shunned the world of business during South Africa's turbulent past and became the CEO of the Johannesburg Housing Company.

http://knowledge.insead.edu/SouthAfricaSocialHousing.cfm?vid=201

Steering the MBA: how Chinese schools are looking to create well-rounded programmes

The numbers speak for themselves. When China first introduced an MBA programme in 1991, only 90 students signed up. Last year, an estimated 25,000 enrolled in China's business schools. Choices are aplenty, with more than 100 such schools in China alone.

http://knowledge.insead.edu/contents/ChinaBizSchools.cfm?vid=192

KFC China's recipe for success

If there were just a few things that China has wholly embraced from the West, it would be their love for Kentucky Fried Chicken, or KFC as it is more commonly known. In 1987, the fast-food operator opened its first outlet near Tianamen Square in Beijing. Then came 2,000 other outlets, which sprung up across China within the next 20 years - a phenomenal achievement by any standard.

http://knowledge.insead.edu/KFCinChina090323.cfm?vid=195

Helping China's elderly come to terms with a digital world

As the world's most populous nation, China is expected to have 248 million people who are 65 years of age and above by 2020 - and those numbers will continue to grow. With life expectancy progressing well into the 80s, the elderly will pose an interesting challenge for society and the Chinese government in particular.

http://knowledge.insead.edu/Pinetree090323.cfm