World finance leaders at the IMF and World Bank meetings in Washington last week urged nations to continue their commitment to multilateral cooperation on currency issues. In his opening remarks, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn outlined four risks to the global economy: public debt, a jobless recovery, inadequate regulation of the financial sector, and the… Read more »

As fiscal policy efforts by governments seem to have stalled in stimulating economic growth, central banks worldwide seem more willing to use monetary policy tools to address stagnating economic growth. Countries are also taking actions to restrain their currencies from rising to protect their export sectors. Japan will begin a $60 billion program to buy… Read more »

It is not uncommon for a sitting President to experience turnover in Cabinet-level appointments during the mid-term. Presidential administrations go through stages and resignations/replacements sometimes follow mid-term elections, when voters indicate their approval or disapproval of policies enacted. What is a bit unusual is that the present administration is seeing considerable turnover in advance of… Read more »

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay’s masterful performance (hard for this Reds fan to swallow) in Game 1 of the National League Division Series is a gem worth analyzing. While most insiders quickly recognize that a no-hitter involves team contributions, Roy Halladay’s entire season should be evaluated from the perspective of individual behavior. Nevertheless, the article… Read more »

In another example of the viral effects of the internet, a passenger on board a Cebu Pacific Airlines flight recorded attendants dancing their way through the safety briefing. Millions of views generated tremendous publicity both for the fledgling airline and the Phillipines. QUESTIONS: M1. Was this safety demonstration effective communication, efficient communication, both, or neither?… Read more »

When United and Continental merged, the new combined company pushed ahead of Delta to become the biggest carrier in the airline industry. This after Delta assumed the position from rival American two years ago. Another rival, Southwest, is poised to increase its size in a proposed acquisition of Air Tran. The industry is becoming less… Read more »

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the promotion of three high-level company executives last week. The moves were made in response to two key departures from the high tech giant. Kurt DelBene, Don Mattrick, and Andy Lees will run the Office, interactive entertainment, and mobile communications divisions. QUESTIONS: M1. High technology organizations rely heavily on innovation…. Read more »

In recent years, there have been several cases of widespread illness associated with food contamination. There is growing concern about the quality of our food supplies and how these are processed. Monitoring of food processing facilities is limited. The present article suggests that audits themselves are tainted because the companies being audited pay for the… Read more »