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March 2010

This month we focus on leadership with interviews with Sir Martin Sorrell of WPP and Sir Win Bischoff of Lloyds Banking. We find out about the steps Tyco took to improve corporate governance post-Kozlowski, and get an update from INSEAD's Rolando Tomasini and Luk Van Wassenhove on the humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti.

INSEAD Professor Filipe Santos tells us about entrepreneurship in Portugal, and as Google considers its future in China, Anil Gupta and Michael Witt discuss whether it should stay or go. CIOs take centre stage in a debate on knowledge skills, and author Paul Midler talks about some of the challenges of manufacturing in China.

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Regards,
Stuart Pallister
Editor, INSEAD Knowledge

"Our strategy is built on three pillars," says communications guru Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of the world's largest communications services company, WPP. 'New markets', which means the shift to Asia and the South, the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and Next-11 markets; 'new media', that's digital in the sense of PC, mobile and video content; and 'consumer insight,' "because we're very focused on how the consumer is changing, not just in a recessionary environment but in the longer term: their media consumption habits, not just their reaction to products and services."

The Lehman fallout: blame the bankers, not the banks

The banking industry, post-Lehman Brothers, is going to be quite a different one going forward, because the impact of the banking crisis was so profound that changes are inevitable.

Turning around Tyco: how corporate governance saved the day

"Shareholders are screaming. The stock price has dropped from $60 to $7 a share. The press is hitting you every day with requests for info on the turnaround of the company. The prior management is still there, wondering about their futures. The prior board is there, wondering about their futures. And you're there, trying to bring some order to this chaos."

Google's China dilemma: stay or go?

Just four years shy of setting up Google China, the leading internet search engine company has already threatened to withdraw its Chinese-language search engine Google.cn from the country over censorship and alleged cyber attacks on the e-mail accounts of Chinese human rights activists.

Gaining a competitive advantage with knowledge-based skills

The financial crisis has highlighted deficiencies in knowledge-based skills in Europe and unless they're tackled now, the region could get left behind. That was one of the key messages from an event held recently at INSEAD's Europe campus in France.

Like individuals, companies mobilise their resources to contribute to large-scale emergencies as quickly as they can. Corporate donations may be in the form of cash, goods and services in-kind like technical expertise or capacity.

Creative finance: funding the future of social enterprise

Ten years ago, it was not fashionable for social enterprises to take loans. Even if they wanted to, nobody would lend them money.

Ayala: Taking care of the bottom line while seeking a social impact

"Businesses cannot simply operate in societies that are plagued with extreme poverty and where the environment is severely degraded. It is important for businesses to build in solutions to these challenges in their business strategies for their long-term viability and survival." That's according to Fernando Zobel de Ayala, who is President and Chief Operating Officer of Ayala Corporation, and concurrently Chairman of Ayala Land, the largest real estate company in the Philippines.

One look at the amount of money needed to fund the projected demand for energy, coupled with a glance at EU and other policy directives aimed at reducing the world's carbon footprint, and it becomes clear a little political squabbling on the world stage isn't going to deter rinvestors from looking for big returns from a nascent industry with a bright future.

Related article:

Climate change and business: the momentum stalls

Alstom powers up to fight climate change

The push for sustainable clean energy as a key driver of developed economies, set against a backdrop of depleted natural resources, may paint a bleak picture for future generations. But according to Philippe Joubert, Executive Vice President of Alstom and President of its Power Sector, that's not necessarily so, if you know how to properly harness the environment.

Contrary to the way many companies try to grow their bottom line, the mantra for hospitality group Raffles Hotels & Resorts is slow and steady. And according to its President John M. Johnston, that has served this boutique luxury hotel chain just fine.

Coming of age

Until recently, it was not 'natural' to be a high-growth entrepreneur in Portugal.

"It used to be 'if you cannot find a good job, you become an entrepreneur by creating your own small business,'" says INSEAD Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, Filipe Santos, who is also the Director of the school's Rudolf and Valeria Maag International Centre for Entrepreneurship (Maag ICE).

Leapfrogging over the Joneses

Measures to reduce conspicuous consumption by lower income earners in order to encourage them to boost their savings and spend more on healthcare, education and other essentials could backfire, according to recent research by INSEAD PhD candidate Nailya Ordabayeva and Associate Professor of Marketing Pierre Chandon.

Poorly made in China: a reality check

Despite being hailed as 'the world's workshop', China's reputation of being a reliable and responsible manufacturer is far from world-class. In his new book 'Poorly Made in China', intermediary and author Paul Midler exposes the pitfalls of manufacturing in China, debunking several myths in the process.

Fighting for trade: China and the threat of protectionism

In a global economic environment still reeling from the financial crisis and a vast contraction in world trade, the fight between countries for market share - and ultimately revenue - has become even more intense.

Management Acceleration Programme	Leading the Effective Sales Force	Strategic R&D Management
Fontainebleau May 10-28, 2010	Fontainebleau May 17-21, 2010	Fontainebleau June 20-25, 2010
Advanced Management Programme	Telecommunication Strategy and Marketing
Fontainebleau July 5-30, 2010	Fontainebleau 10-15 May 2010

« Previous Issues »

Feb 2010	INSEAD Leadership Summit in the Middle East (special edition)
Jan 2010	Top Global CEOs - Diversity in the workplace
Dec 2009	Innovator's DNA - leadership today - visual equity
Nov 2009	Innovation - Finance - MBA oath
Oct 2009	Healthcare: at the crossroads
Sept 2009	Banking one year after Lehman - INSEAD at 50
Aug 2009	Quest for authenticity - Cash is king - Dark side of trust
July 2009	Road to sustainability - New era for innovations
June 2009	Collaboration, creativity and networking
May 2009	The Illusion of Control: Dance with Chance
Apr 2009	Dare and Care: Sustaining Europe's Ambitions
Mar 2009	US economy recovery 'likely' by year-end; Humanitarian Logistics; Innovation Manual
Feb 2009	Women and the 'vision thing'
Jan 2009	Innovating your way to the top
Dec 2008	Can leadership withstand the ravages of the crisis?
Nov 2008	Obama could help US economy recover by mid-2009
Oct 2008	Living with uncertainty (World Knowledge Forum special edition)
Sep 2008	The emergency bailout - heeding the lessons of the Depression
Aug 2008	The future of Chinese capitalism - The changing face of the CIO
Jul 2008	It Starts with One - Successful entrepreneurs
Jun 2008	The Momentum Effect; Global information technology report: Making progress
May 2008	INSEAD Leadership Summit in Europe 2008 (special edition)
Apr 2008	Cross-cultural negotiations; Muhammad Yunus
Mar 2008	Greening the economy: New energy for business (European Business Summit special edition)
Feb 2008	The Experience Trap; Counting the cost
Jan 2008	Fast Strategy: Staying ahead of the game
Dec 2007	Putting leaders on the couch; Creating products for those at the bottom of the pyramid
Nov 2007	INSEAD Leadership Summit in Asia 2007 (special edition)
Oct 2007	The global business leader; Family business on the couch
Sep 2007	In search of blue oceans; The new deal at the top
Aug 2007	X-teams; The money illusion
Jul 2007	INSEAD Leadership Summit in Europe 2007 (special edition)
Jun 2007	Cost innovation and the dragons; The innovation value chain
May 2007	Success, a huge business vulnerability?; Reputational risk management
Apr 2007	Global information technology, the rankings; Closing the deal in negotiations
Mar 2007	Riding rapid economic growth in India and China; Networking is vital for successful managers