As Sir Ian McKellen pulls out of theatre tour, who is the “understudy” for your finances?

Sir Ian McKellen recently stepped down from his role in the West End theatre show, Player Kings, a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, after a serious accident during the play. The legendary actor was performing a fight scene when he lost his footing and fell from the stage. Theatre…

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The rise, fall and revival of research on human development

Analysing the past sheds light on the present resurgence of research on human development. That’s the lesson of a new study by Professor Nick Hopwood, from the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, that is published in the Journal of the History of Biology. The paper discusses the flourishing…

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Five differentiators of outperforming family-owned businesses in India

The central role that family plays in the lives of Indians cannot be overemphasized. This is just as true in business. In India, family-owned businesses (FOBs) contribute more than 75 percent of national GDP, one of the highest percentages in the world, and this is likely to rise to 80…

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The Common Strategic Vision: The Reaction of Russia, the DPRK and the PRC to the Results of the NATO Summit in Washington

The reaction of Moscow, Pyongyang and Beijing, voiced essentially in unison by states which are organisationally independent and despite the lack of any special coordination on their part, is not only not accidental, it is quite natural: it reflects a common or very similar vision of strategic threats and challenges…

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The Iberian green industrial opportunity: Biomethane

The European Union (EU) has set ambitious decarbonization goals for all member states: at least a 55 percent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, and at least a 42.5 percent—although aiming for 45 percent—share of renewable energy consumption based on the Renewable Energy Directive…

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Hybrid Work: How Leaders Build In-Person Moments That Matter

Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images As hybrid work programs continue to grow in popularity and full-time office work declines, many leaders and companies are still…

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New Louisiana Laws on Tort Actions, Meal Breaks, Arbitration Agreements, and Nondisclosure Agreements Take Effect in July and August 2024

Quick Hits Louisiana’s statute of limitations for employment-related tort actions has been doubled to two years from the day an injury or damage is sustained. The law took effect on July 1, 2024, and is prospective only. Employers must provide breaks to workers under sixteen years of age whose shifts…

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Microsoft bringing Azure AI industry leading models to GitHub community of 100 million+

We are excited to partner with GitHub to empower their more than 100 million developers to build AI applications directly from GitHub.com with seamless integrations with Codespaces and Microsoft Visual Studio Code. Microsoft is empowering developers to become AI developers, bringing Azure AI industry leading models to the global GitHub community of…

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Could “lifestyle creep” affect your retirement plans?

When you received your last promotion or pay rise, your first instinct might have been to celebrate by splashing out on a new gadget, booking a holiday or allocating more of your money to your disposable income. However, if you overlook reviewing your finances, “lifestyle creep” could affect your ability…

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Opportunity@Work: Addressing the opportunity gap and improving workforce equity outcomes

In the fifth installment of the McKinsey Action 9 Fireside Chat series, McKinsey partner Darius Bates chats with Byron Auguste, cofounder and CEO of Opportunity@Work, to discuss how the organization is changing the talent marketplace to enable workers, who are skilled through alternative routes (STARs) rather than four-year college degrees,…

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How pro athletes handle stress

In recent years, the intense pressure professional athletes endure has come under scrutiny, highlighted by incidents like gymnast Simone Biles withdrawing from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and tennis player Naomi Osaka stepping back from the French Open, both citing mental health reasons. As Biles told reporters at the time, “Whenever…

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How Scotiabank Built an Ethical, Engaged AI Culture

Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images What does it take to produce an award-winning AI initiative? Scotiabank — officially the Bank of Nova Scotia, and one…

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The King’s Speech—The Key Employment Implications

Quick Hits The King’s Speech of 17 July 2024 detailed the UK government’s upcoming priorities and proposals. This includes the Employment Rights Bill and draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill. Among the proposed policies were several significant employment-related bills, and we have set out below the key proposals. If enacted,…

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Technological Cooperation Between Russia and African Countries

Cooperation between Russia and African countries in the field of cloud technologies seems quite promising. The fact is that in Africa there is a great need for such cloud technology solutions, since today many government agencies in African countries are forced, for the most part, to use Google’s cloud services,…

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Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind: Employee Disengagement in Remote Work (And 5 Strategies to Overcome it)

Remote work is here to stay and has completely changed how we do our jobs. While offering the flexibility and convenience that many employees love, it also brings its challenges. One of the biggest could be employee disengagement.  Since this is a hot topic online, we thought we’d dive into…

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How to Become a Better Ally: Three Priorities for Leaders

Nick Purser/Ikon Images Recent pushback against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has caused many leaders to focus on the broader topic of allyship. These leaders want to be better allies and encourage their teams to do the same. In politically charged environments, however, leaders may find the mountain of…

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Demystifying the Corporate Transparency Act for Tax-Exempt Organizations – Part 1: When to File a Beneficial Ownership Information Report

The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) took effect on January 1, 2024 and some U.S. nonprofits and tax-exempt organizations are still debating how the CTA applies to them. This article provides newly-formed and existing nonprofits and tax-exempt organizations with a general overview of their CTA compliance obligations and exemptions. For information…

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OSHA Slated to Deliver Proposed Workplace Violence Prevention Standard for Healthcare Industry in December 2024

Quick Hits OSHA announced that it intends to release a proposed rule for a workplace violence prevention in healthcare and social service facilities in December 2024. The proposed rule will most likely apply to work performed in hospitals, medical centers, residential treatment centers, nursing homes, mental health centers, and private…

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Village Global joins forces with Microsoft to propel AI startups through Velocity program

At Microsoft for Startups, we are dedicated to empowering the next generation of AI startups. We understand the significant capital and resources required for AI development. That’s why we’ve partnered with Village Global to offer up to $350,000 in Azure Credits to startups participating in their Velocity program. These credits…

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Why tuning out political speculation may help you stick to your financial plan

In a historic victory, the Labour Party won a majority in the 4 July 2024 general election. After 14 years of Conservative government, you might be wondering what the change means for you and your financial plan. Since Keir Starmer took office, a day has barely passed without headlines speculating…

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Different Shades of PLG: Free-Trial or Freemium?

In evaluating what type of go-to-market approach to use in introducing a new SaaS product to potential buyers, a founder likely will look closely at whether product-led growth (PLG) is the most effective strategy. If that’s the choice, a founder will then have to decide between two PLG pricing models:…

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M&A Insights and Outlooks in Packaging and Industrial Industries

To help businesses, investors, and deal professionals better understand the evolving M&A market, Robert Connolly – a partner in and leader of LP’s Corporate Practice Group – shares a series of conversations with M&A experts. Below is his conversation with Brett Kornblatt, who is Managing Director of Industrials-Packaging at Stout,…

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Retailers’ climate road map: Charting paths to decarbonized value chains

As companies in all sectors work to shrink their carbon footprints and hit their decarbonization targets, the path to reducing Scope 3 emissions is often anything but straightforward. For some, decarbonizing Scope 3 emissions can be more like navigating a particularly byzantine maze. Such is the case for retailers. For…

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Scientists discover entirely new wood type that could be highly efficient at carbon storage

Scientists from the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University and Jagiellonian University, Poland made the discovery while undertaking an evolutionary survey of the microscopic structure of wood from some of the world’s most iconic trees and shrubs. They found that Tulip Trees, which are related to magnolias and can grow over 100 feet tall, have a unique type of…

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The Ethnography of Organizational Change

Q: What are the key questions guiding your work? A driving interest for me is how organizations can change for the better—to be more effective and desirable places to work. I’ve completed several research projects that look at how people who have expertise and knowledge, but not formal authority or…

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The Chevron Doctrine Is Dead. What Are the Implications for Business?

A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling gives companies more opportunities to challenge regulations, but they may face more regulatory uncertainty as well. David Zimmer July 30, 2024 Reading Time: 6 min  Brian Stauffer In June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the long-standing Chevron doctrine, fundamentally altering how businesses interact…

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How central bank communication affects the economy

31 July 2024By Stefan Gebauer, Thomas McGregor and Julian SchumacherCentral banks choose their words very carefully. And rightly so – policy makers’ wording can move markets and, eventually, the economy. This ECB Blog post shows how unexpected changes in communication influence growth and inflation.Central banks need to communicate clearly. This…

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Greek shipping: Success factors and opportunities

Greece has held a prominent place in shipping for many decades. What makes this more significant is that the country’s considerable role on the international maritime stage is disproportionate to its size. The capacity of the Greek merchant fleet, at more than 5,000 vessels, makes Greece the largest shipowning nation,…

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Eurasia’s Security System: The Economic Aspect

Speaking at the Russian Foreign Ministry on June 14, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed the key principles of the security architecture of Eurasia. The idea itself was voiced in the president’s message to the Federal Assembly on February 29. It is highly likely that it will become one of…

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When Taxpayers Cover Marketing Costs

Promoting business location sounds good to many. However, what the Confederation means by this may be surprising to some. After all, the primary focus is not on improving framework conditions to increase Switzerland’s competitiveness. Instead, a large proportion of the funding goes towards tourism and regional development. Parliament has allocated…

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Wesco CEO John Engel on beating the odds with a merger of equals

John Engel says his tenure as CEO at Wesco International has been bookended by crises. After joining Wesco in 2004 as COO, he stepped into the CEO role in 2009 during the Great Recession. He says the company managed well through that period and has now come through one of…

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The Perfectly Imperfect Start of Disruptive Innovations

Topics Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Otto Steininger/Ikon Images “Is such-and-such innovation disruptive?” It’s a question I’ve been asked countless times. At a recent workshop, for instance, a participant I’ll refer to…

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Into the Breach Podcast – Episode 34: New Opportunities in Contingent Risk

Into the Breach is the first law firm podcast exclusively devoted to reps and warranties insurance and the transactional risk markets. Hosted by Seyfarth partners Bryan M. O’Keefe and Gena B. Usenheimer, the hosts in their unique, buoyant style, interview leaders from the industry, and explore the latest developments, market trends, and news impacting…

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Microsoft Cloud strength drives fourth quarter results

Microsoft Cloud Strength Drives Fourth Quarter ResultsREDMOND, Wash. — July 30, 2024 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the following results for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, as compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year:·        Revenue was $64.7 billion and increased 15% (up 16% in constant currency)·        Operating income was $27.9…

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Do Social Movements Sway Voters? Not Really, Except for One

People might be more likely than ever to protest in reaction to a social problem or geopolitical crisis. But do such activist events, even large-scale demonstrations, change public opinion?New research shows that protests rarely change views or alter voting decisions, findings that could have important implications in an election year…

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How big-city research labs and small businesses are rapidly adding AI to their toolkits

In quick order: Are you familiar with wind speed and cruising speed and light speed? Well, we’re here to riff on another type of velocity. Let’s call it “AI speed.” Our definition of AI speed – sure to soon grace your favorite digital dictionary 😉– is the brisk rate at…

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Defeat for the Winners and Victory for the Losers: French Society and Parliament after the July 2024 Elections

A Pyrrhic victory for the left The proportional European elections in June 2024 brought a clear victory to the National Rally (31%, versus just 14% for the President’s party), the main opposition force in France. This was already a very strong signal to abandon the EU at a time when…

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