Economic cycles and trends

When times are good, businesses tend to stick with what’s working. “It’s served us well so far,” goes the reasoning, “so why mess with success?” We fall into ruts where we don’t question whether the approach we’re using is truly the best one—we just work to push it further. It’s during these periods that needless […]

Indian inflation has just hit a 3-year high of 7.41%. We can take comfort from the fact that many of our neighbors are faced with 20%; even China has reported an 11-year high of 8.7%. Global trends are cited as the primary reason for the present situation. The IMF has reported that food prices in […]

One of the key arguments in The Silver Lining is that companies have to find ways to "love the low end" to connect with budget conscious customers and...

How biases trap qualified job seekers in a cycle of rejection — and how to help them break free.

We are entering a sustained period of inflationary price pressures. This is for real and is different from the past high inflation periods. Three key...

In dealing with exploding high-end incomes, political and moral considerations should probably weigh heavier than economic ones.

Companies should care about "inclusive prosperity."

Populist anger is boiling all around us. An Economist cover proclaims “the war against the rich.” A Wall Street Journal headline reads “small business versus bailed-out banks” with a photo of picketers demonstrating outside a Bank of America branch in Chicago (they also held a prayer vigil). Outrage over the AIG bonuses was widespread. Polls […]

This is post 3 in a series of blog posts from downturn strategist Darrell Rigby and fellow partners at Bain & Company. We will walk you through the tools and strategies you need to survive the current downturn and to improve your competitive position. To go deeper and complement these posts, we will provide early […]

Manufacturers in emerging markets are getting fewer orders from multinationals - which are shocked by many suppliers' bankruptcy. Both groups must evaluate...

During the recession, companies like Procter & Gamble, Hyundai, and Best Buy used adaptive pricing strategies, such as introducing lower-priced versions...

By instigating the dot-com crash, the capital markets have placed the entire new economy at risk.

To make it through the downturn and return to growth, companies will need to rewire operations, reallocate resources, and in some cases reinvent business...

To maintain worldwide competitiveness, the West must adopt strategies achieve a balance between productivity and welfare goals

Brazil may have missed its golden opportunity, but it could still make a big difference in its citizens' lives.

In times of crisis, sometimes even the most prevention-focused can crack - at great cost.

One major cause of supply-chain headaches may be easing.

Clearly, I have no choice but to file for French citizenship.

Toyota Division (USA) cancelled its dealer meeting for 2009 in an effort to save money. According to Automotive News, Toyota had staged its most recent dealer get-together in October. In a recent post, I wrote about the need for executives to meet regularly with their key constituents. But economic realities may dictate meeting cancellations, and […]

Amazon has filed patents for "Incorporating Advertising in On-Demand Generated Content." The technology will allow context-sensitive ads to appear on...