This review article outlines the impressive growth of the global tourism and travel industry during the on-going economic slowdown. It briefly addresses the recovery and business status in several geographic regions and countries including a few Small Island Developing States based on policy and statistical reports. The debates linking the climate change threats and the environmental costs are focussed throughout. It points out international initiatives, some of the opportunities and challenges facing a green economy transition as well as a set of recommendations.
Innovation in Canadian Natural Resource Industries: A System-Based Analysis of Performance, Policy and Emerging Challenges
Innovation is an important driver of productivity growth, which in turn is a major source of improvement in living standards. Given the growing importance of the natural resources sector in the Canadian economy, innovation in this sector is particularly relevant. This article, based on a much large study, using a systems-of-innovation approach, analyzes the innovation performance of the Canadian natural resources sector by comparing it to that of the Canadian business sector as a whole. The key conclusion of the report is that the overall innovation performance of the Canadian natural resources sector, especially the mining and oil and gas sectors, is strong and has improved in recent years.
Everyone Leads
By Paul Schmitz
Everyone leads. When I began using this phrase in presentations about Public Allies and chose it as the title of my book, it provoked many questions and debates from people outside the organization. Some asked if we really meant everyone. ‘‘Can everyone really lead?’’ they asked. ‘‘Or are you just talking about a certain group of people? Don’t you agree that people have different levels of skills, and that some people just aren’t meant to be in charge? Aren’t there people who don’t want to be in charge?’’
Enterprise Risk Management A need to hasten the obliteration of legacy IT systems
Back in the 1980s, IBM mainframe systems were the heart of a bank’s computer structure. During this period, integrated retail banking systems were introduced so that branch service representatives had informational database tools to help in cross-selling deposit and consumer loan products.
Why Information Providers Need To Be Open To Sharing in Their Business Models
By Joshua Gans
Information content providers, especially publishers of media (including books, news, journals, music and video), have been concerned that “information wants to be free.” The reason is obvious. If information wants to be free, it may be hard to make it expensive and get people to pay for it. Digitization has only increased these concerns because, at the very least, information is now costless to disseminate and copy. The economics, therefore, appear to be consistent with the free possibility. However, as Stewart Brand noted there are forces pushing information to be expensive as well because it can be valuable. The issue has been reconciling that with the notion that many consumers believe that information can and should be free.
A Story About Inspiring A Local Community To Become Entrepreneurial Using Lessons Learnt From IT Management Consultancy
IT management consulting is usually perceived as a technical endeavour in which consultants focus on bits and pieces. However, it primarily has to do with communicating and mobilising people within an organisation to change; the technical things will follow. The guiding principles to achieve this are: thinking about others and not yourself, being factual, communicating on multiple levels, showing empathy, and thinking out of the box. This article presents how these five principles were applied in different contexts to our software improvement consulting practice, but had the same effect; to inspire people to change.
The Limits to Outsourcing: Beware of the Consequences for Market Success!
By Masaaki Kotabe, Michael J. Mol, Janet Y. Murray & Ronaldo Parente
Over the past few decades, outsourcing, in particular offshore outsourcing, has become a widely used means for firms to improve their performance. Outsourcing helps lower the firm’s breakeven point and improve its return on investment. As a result, many firms have increased their outsourcing activities. In our studies we find that although firms may be able to improve their market performance through increased outsourcing, this is only true up to a point, beyond which market performance actually decreases. But we also find that firms that have a weak internal resource base or are facing strong competition can afford to outsource more. As a marketer you should be aware of the marketing implications of outsourcing strategy so that you can proactively shape your firm’s outsourcing strategy.
Calgary, Canada: A Global Energy and Financial Centre
By Paul Paynter & Rachel Yin, Calgary Economic Development
Alberta’s energy sector is a key economic driver and has been for decades. The rich resources available in Alberta, Canada account for the third largest reserves of crude oil in the world and the largest deposits of oil sands in the world. Additionally, for the past five years, Canada’s banking system has been ranked the most sound in the world and has provided great support to the strong economic growth in Calgary, gaining a strong reputation as a global energy financial centre.
Climate Finance in the Age of Green Growth
By Yongfu Huang and Jingjing He
The climate change crisis and development needs of the world’s poor require us to acknowledge the necessity and urgency for both continued growth at the current pace, and rapid greening of this growth strategy. But are the contradictory aims of growth and environmental protection irredeemably incompatible?
EDITOR'S PICK OF THE WEEK
China’s Challenging Search for a New Model of Economic Growth
By Danny Leipziger
China cannot continue to rely on exports to drive its growth, but what are the alternatives?
China ran a $1.2 trillion trade surplus last year, and despite admonitions from the IMF to rely...
