Latest posts
Dream your way to success
It’s not all about business plans and spreadsheets and getting to the next goal. The picture of real success is at least partly in your mind.
Islamic feminism: Unbinding the ties
Can you be liberal, feminist and Muslim at the same time? Malaysian activist Marina Mahathir says “Yes.”
Are rankings worthwhile?
The ranking of companies and business leaders has become something of a cottage industry in recent years. But what do they tell us about anything? Quite a bit, it turns out. You just have to learn to read between the numbers.
Banking on Russia’s future
‘Russian management’ may seem like a conflict in terms to some cynics in the business world, but a new programme for the region’s largest bank created by INSEAD and the Moscow-based New Economic School is changing all that.
What’s wrong with banking regulation today?
Indebtedness is both a consumer and a financial industry problem. Regulatory bodies think more banking regulations will fix the problem. INSEAD Professor of Banking and Finance Jean Dermine is not so sure.
Bumpy roads in the sky
Rapid economic growth and an increasing demand for travel should make it easy to make money in the airline business in India. But it’s not. One private company explains how it’s navigating through the clouds.
Can we stop businesses from behaving badly?
Stakeholders often have conflicting interests, at least in the short run. How do you trade off their welfare and still “do the right thing”?
The business of making dreams come true
What is it about train travel that evokes a sense of romance and nostalgia, and what is the mystique and allure of trains? Who better to ask than the chief executive of the Orient-Express, the iconic hotel on wheels and arguably the ultimate train ride?
Hope at the bottom of the pyramid
In Brazil, one very active social entrepreneur uses technology to cross more than just the digital divide between rich and poor.
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Dangers on the horizon for China
Grain, oil and finance present a triple threat to China’s future. David Daoikui Li tells Knowledge what China can do about it.
Renault-Nissan: Building with BRICs
Carlos Ghosn is spending more than a billion US Dollars to get a better foothold in Brazil.
Want a successful merger?
Companies frequently cite synergies as a motivation for mergers. However, research shows many related mergers do produce increased cash flows and new products.
Sub-prime mortgages and segregation
Sub-prime mortgages were supposed to put an end to segregated neighbourhoods by allowing affordable housing to more people. But a new study shows that better access to mortgages leads to more - not less - racial segregation.
Individual capitalism
At a time when business and industry are going through mega-changes and Wall Street capitalism comes under fire, the energy and innovation of the entrepreneur are more important than ever, says the founder and CEO of Ariadne Capital.
Is food marketing making us fat?
Are we to blame for the obesity epidemic? Or the people who sell the food to us? New research shows that packaging and position, not just advertising, are at least part of the problem.
Bridging the gulf
GCC nations have attempted to modernise and standardise their legal frameworks in the past 30 years to encourage foreign investment in this rapidly growing region. But how much investment can be expected when foreigners can’t own their businesses outright and business debts are secured by a cheque?
Is there a place for entrepreneurs in the Arab world?
Where does the new breed of Emirati entrepreneurs fit in to a landscape dominated by multinationals and big family-owned Arab businesses?
Too few good women: Why are boards still male domains?
New corporate governance strictures are making way for women on corporate boards. But how to find suitable candidates? And what do women really add to the board room?
Can your business plan survive this stress test?
The road to success is littered with the wreckage of strategies gone awry. Here is a six-step stress test for your strategy.
Gallup polls take stock of the Muslim world
As the winds of change sweep the Arab world, the world is also beginning to view the region and Muslims in a different way. Gallup polls show that more than 80 percent of the American public said that they sympathised with the protests in Egypt.
Real estate in the UAE: from speculation to solid value?
When the flashy Emirate of Dubai asked for a six-month moratorium on its debt obligations just over a year ago, the world trembled. In reality, the problems of Dubai had been well-known in the region for over a year: unfinished developments, redundancies with expatriates returning to their home countries and the collapse of the property market.
Streamlining costs and statistics pay off
When the economy is in a tailspin, companies look for ways to trim costs as well as to grow. Grace Segran in London discovered the truth in bar codes and forecasting.
Keeping spirits up in a downturn
Grace Segran reports from London on the current state of the spirits industry.
Western economies need to adapt
No longer content to be cost and talent arbitrage destinations, emerging markets are becoming hotbeds of innovation, says SD Shibulal, co-founder of Infosys Technologies, one of India's leading IT firms
Women social entrepreneurs driven by impact rather than scal
Many women are turning to social entrepreneurship because they tend to work more with their hearts, says American serial social entrepreneur and Ashoka Fellow Christina Jordan.
Narrowing the gender gap in Malaysia
A look at how policy and advocacy initiatives have helped narrow the gender gap in Malaysia.
Gender discrimination in India: a reality check
Despite the positive developments for women in India -- increased visibility in the public sphere, presence of women in the labour force across international borders and lower fertility rates--gender discrimination not only persists but also has seen little decline.
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Venture creation: a new form of entrepreneurship?
INSEAD alum Fabian Hansmann (MBA '06D) has taken a novel approach to entrepreneurship. His organisation identifies opportunities and builds a team, but then matches business ideas and opportunities with aspiring entrepreneurs and also tries to raise funding.
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Getting back to basics in a world of luxury
As China's middle class expands, does consumption behaviour change? According to Sir David Tang, founder of Shanghai Tang, consumption behaviour doesn't shift with economic development; it is only perceived to do so.
Exploring the consequences
While China and India dominate headlines for their growth potential, there's opportunities brewing in other geographies. Grace Segran reports from The Economist’s Emerging Markets Summit in London.
