Global Economics Intelligence executive summary, June 2024

Has the cycle of monetary easing begun? After the Banco Central do Brasil, the European Central Bank (ECB) has become the second major central bank to cut rates. This might bring some much-needed relief to companies and households and could revive the construction market. But there might be more. As our most recent economic survey showed, global sentiment has slightly shifted south, adding to uncertainty amid possible weakening growth. In that…

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Sailing Into Unchartered Waters in Times of a Great Transition

This year marks the start of a new period of changes in modern history. We are certainly sailing into unchartered waters in times of a great transition, whereby extra caution must be taken by all nations, big and small, to guide our way forward. Nelson Wong writes on the causes of geopolitical shifts and on Putin’s six principles. The unfolding of events in recent years confirms that we are entering…

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Branching Out: Choosing the right UK business structure

When an overseas entity is making the exciting decision to expand your business into the UK, one of the first decisions you will need to make is whether to establish a UK branch or incorporate a UK subsidiary company. Both structures will enable your company to trade from the UK, however there are some distinct differences to consider for regulations, compliance, and strategic business planning. There are also tax consequences,…

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Speech and Violence

Incitement, solicitation, fighting words, threats, bad tendencies, and more, with special attention to NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware Co. (1982), the Court’s little-publicized precedent on the subject. Eugene Volokh is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. For thirty years, he had been a professor at the University of California – Los Angeles School of Law, where he has taught First Amendment law, copyright law, criminal law, tort law, and firearms regulation policy. Volokh…

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NLRB Finalizes New ‘Blocking Charge,’ Voluntary Recognition Rules

Quick Hits The NLRB unveiled a final rule that rescinds the Board’s 2020 rule and returns the Board to its blocking charge policy, voluntary recognition process, and aligns union recognition for construction industry employers. The rule will take effect on September 30, 2024, and apply to cases filed after that date. The NLRB unveiled its “Fair Choice-Employee Voice Final Rule,” which the agency said will make three key changes: restoring…

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Third Circuit Refuses to Block New Jersey Temporary Workers Bill of Rights Law

Quick Hits The Third Circuit affirmed a lower court’s ruling declining to block New Jersey’s Temporary Workers Bill of Rights Law, which seeks to equalize pay for temporary workers to that of permanent workers, in a challenge by industry groups. The appellate court ruled that the law does not unlawfully burden out-of-state businesses or exceed the state’s police power, and that it is not unlawfully vague.    The groups are…

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Sustainable by design: Transforming datacenter water efficiency

Learn more about how we’re making progress towards our sustainability commitments through the Sustainable by design blog series, starting with Sustainable by design: Advancing the sustainability of AI. Last month, we unveiled our Datacenter Community Pledge, emphasizing that datacenters are not only the backbone of modern technology but also a force for good in the communities they serve. As part of this commitment, at Microsoft we recognize our crucial role…

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Pulling back from the boundaries: An interview with Johan Rockström

Since Johan Rockström and a team of internationally renowned scientists first proposed the planetary boundaries framework in 2009, it has become a key reference in global sustainability efforts. The framework seeks to track the planet’s ability to support human life and development, and it focuses on nine systems and processes that govern the stability of the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, ice sheets, and ecosystems. Climate change and its cascading impacts are…

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Managing in the era of gen AI

Middle management was already a tough gig. Then generative AI (gen AI) entered the fray. A year after the publication of their book Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work (Harvard Business Review Press, July 2023), McKinsey partners Bryan Hancock and Emily Field join global editorial director Lucia Rahilly to revisit whether and why middle managers matter, what leaders could do differently to make more…

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Why Great Ideas Get Stuck in Universities

Entrepreneurs must overcome many barriers to get discoveries to market, but academic researchers face an additional one they might not realize: themselves.Academics tend to develop a myopic focus on the unique expertise they spend their lives developing, but that narrow scope can become a commercial hindrance. A recent study of more than 500 biomedical startups suggests that ventures rooted in the core research of their founders have a more challenging…

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Decarbonizing API manufacturing: Unpacking the cost and regulatory requirements

As vital as the life sciences and healthcare ecosystem is to human health, so too is its decarbonization to the health of both humans and the entire planet. Accounting for 4 to 5 percent of total global emissions, this sector is aware of the need to address its environmental footprint and accelerate its transition to net-zero emissions. Roughly one-fourth of emissions from pharmaceutical companies can be attributed to the manufacture…

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Olympic Lessons: Leadership and Fun

Barry Nalebuff, Milton Steinbach Professor of Management I enjoy watching Olympic table tennis. These are some of the world’s best and least appreciated athletes. Heidi Brooks, Senior Lecturer in Organizational Behavior We see the performances and that’s all we are invited to witness, but I am so aware that it’s all about the everyday practices that make for readiness for the big moments. So, while I may watch any given…

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The Science of Tipping

According to a recent study reported in USA Today, Americans these days spend nearly $500 per year on tipping at restaurants and bars. More than one-quarter of those surveyed for the study said they often felt forced to tip more than they wanted to, which isn’t surprising given that tipping percentages have steadily increased over the last hundred years. And yet, tipping is a completely voluntary behavior. Moreover, even though…

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Federal Court Nixes Initial Challenge to EEOC’s Guidance on LGBTQ+ Protections

Quick Hits A federal district court recently struck down a legal challenge to the EEOC’s 2024 Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace, which provided guidance as to how federal law prohibiting sex discrimination also encompasses discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Texas sought to invalidate the EEOC’s 2024 guidance regarding how Title VII protects bathroom/locker room usage, dress codes, and pronouns for LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace.…

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AI Data Drop: 5 Copilot prompts to try out at work

As companies roll out AI across their organizations, our researchers have been studying how work actually works for people. Results from one of our global research studies, “Copilot Usage in the Workplace,” reveal the surprising ways people in different business functions—from product development and engineering to finance and legal—are using AI in real work scenarios, along with how they’re all using it across functions. Let’s have a closer look. What we…

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Globalisation and Deglobalisation: Impact on Spatial Organisation

Geography is history in space, and history is geography in time. In the context of deglobalisation, the relationships between space and time have become much more complex and interesting. A recent commentary by Natalia Rutkevich drew attention to the profound changes in the territorial organisation of France under the influence of globalisation. Many studies have been devoted to these changes, of which I would like to especially note the book…

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Five hubs launched to ensure UK benefits from quantum future

The hub, called Q-BIOMED, is one of five quantum research hubs announced today by Peter Kyle MP, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, supported by £160 million in funding.The hub will exploit advances in quantum sensors capable of detecting cells and molecules, potentially orders of magnitude more sensitively than traditional diagnostic tests. This includes developing quantum-enhanced blood tests to diagnose infectious diseases and cancer quickly and cheaply…

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The Negotiation Reality in Real Estate

In the real estate world, permeated with high-stakes and complex transactions, negotiation is a crucial skill to achieve and sustain success. Tried and tested adversarial negotiation tactics are falling into obsolescence and giving way to a new approach. In our practice briefing* for real estate professionals, recently published in the Journal of Property Investment & Finance, my co-author Thomas Wiegelmann and I examine the forces driving this shift and propose a…

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Generative AI in healthcare: Adoption trends and what’s next

The transformative power of generative AI (gen AI) will likely reshape the healthcare industry over time, and organizations are beginning to take action. In our Q1 2024 survey, more than 70 percent of respondents from healthcare organizations—including payers, providers, and healthcare services and technology (HST) groups—say that they are pursuing or have already implemented gen AI capabilities (see sidebar, “Research methodology”). The Q1 2024 survey, which included 100 US healthcare…

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Strengthen Your Change Muscle for Competitive Advantage

Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images To create a competitive advantage in an increasingly uncertain and unpredictable world, building an organizational change muscle is as important, if not more so, than having a great strategy, well-run operations, or the right talent. While the ability to react quickly to emerging trends, threats, and opportunities has been necessary for successful businesses for centuries, the pace of change in the past few decades…

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Announcing Phi-3 fine-tuning, new AI models, other Azure AI updates to empower organizations

We are excited to announce several updates to help developers quickly create customized AI solutions with greater choice and flexibility leveraging the Azure AI toolchain. AI is transforming every industry and creating new opportunities for innovation and growth. But, developing and deploying AI applications at scale requires a robust and flexible platform that can handle the complex and diverse needs of modern enterprises and allow them to create solutions grounded…

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Lee Schwamm: Smarter Healthcare Systems With AI

Harlan Krumholz: Welcome to Health & Veritas. I’m Harlan Krumholz. Howard Forman: And I’m Howie Forman. We’re physicians and professors at Yale University. We’re trying to get closer to the truth about health and healthcare. Our guest today is Dr. Lee Schwamm, but first we always like to check in on what’s a hot topic or a current topic in health and healthcare. Harlan, what do you have today? Harlan…

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Pioneers and Pathfinders Virtual Roundtable Series – Board Leadership in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

Wednesday, August 7, 202412:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. EDT11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CDT10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. MDT9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. PDT About the Program Seyfarth’s Pioneers and Pathfinders virtual roundtable series has tackled critical topics intended to help our clients navigate the implications of generative AI and natural language processing models in the legal industry. Our first roundtable covered the risks and benefits of generative AI, the…

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Navigating and Pre- and Post-Election Tensions in the Workplace, Part II: Providing Support to Staff During Periods of Change

Quick Hits Research shows that there can be a decline in job performance after an election, due to employees who experience strain and distraction. Employers can take several proactive steps to maintain productivity and a supportive work environment. Proactive measures include adjusting schedules, pointing employees to support resources, and promoting inclusion efforts. Employers can also bolster civil dialogue by showing respect, seeking understanding, and finding common ground. Research shows there…

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Make a Positive Impact & Earn $ With Civility Partners

You read our blog every week because you care about an inclusive work environment for all individuals at all levels. Either you consult in a similar space, or want to have an impact on your own workplace. For the past 15 years, Civility Partners has been on a mission to transform workplaces into environments where positivity and respect flourish. To that end, our dedicated team of facilitators, coaches, and consultants…

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Inside the engine room: Debunking the myths of scaling a new business

Building a business is hard, and doing so in a start-up or scale-up context is even harder. Building a successful start-up is akin to building a rocket ship: the team setting the direction (market and product–market fit), growth engines (go-to-market [GTM] strategy and product), crew (talent and leadership), and capabilities (strategy and planning) are essential to helping the start-up reach new heights. Another critical element is the engine room: the…

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Georgian Black Sea Ports: A Stimulus or Stumbling Blocks for the Middle Transport Corridor?

Any successful development of the Middle Corridor will at best take years and at worst remain uncertain, Franz J. Marty writes. The Middle Corridor, a transport corridor meant to connect China to Europe via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and the Black Sea, has received increasing attention and is often displayed as a main future thoroughfare and replacement for the Northern Corridor between China and Europe, which goes…

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How Teaming Supercharges Collaboration

In the complex, uncertain and fast-changing world we live in, success and even survival require intensive collaboration among individuals, organisations and countries. The outcomes of such collaboration can be breathtaking – consider the growth of Netflix and Amazon, the rebirth of Microsoft and General Motors, the successful launch of the James Webb Space Telescope.Yet, most people and organisations fail to collaborate, preferring competition to cooperation. In business, up to 70…

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Logistics start-up funding: The investor pullback continues

The decline in post-pandemic logistics funding continues. After reaching an unprecedented $25.6 billion in 2021, venture funding for logistics start-ups fell to just $2.9 billion in 2023—a two-year plunge of nearly 90 percent, and the lowest level of funding since 2015. A number of factors are driving this sharp pullback by investors, including high interest rates (which curb venture investment in general), a global slowdown in the shipping industry (as…

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Six Signs of a Successful Chief Experience Officer

A winning CXO plays a crucial role in influencing customer satisfaction and company success. Amelia Dunlop July 24, 2024 Reading Time: 4 min  Fergs/Ikon Images Remember the idea of keeping an empty chair in the corporate boardroom as a reminder that the customer deserves a seat at the table? The concept of “experience” embraces every touch point that a customer (or an employee) has with a company or brand, from…

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Cost Accounting Board Issues Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Conform Certain CAS Standards to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

On June 27, 2024, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy’s  Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) Board issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public comments on proposed changes to the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) on conformance to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) related to CAS 408 (Accounting for costs of compensated personal absence) and CAS 409 (Cost accounting standard depreciation of tangible capital assets). The CAS Board has provisionally…

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Forgiving Medical Debt Won’t Make Everyone Happier

The solution seems obvious. Forgiving medical debt should ease both financial and emotional burdens for the two in five people in the US who carry it.Yet a new comprehensive study that tracked more than 200,000 patients and randomly relieved more than $169 million of medical debt for 83,401 patients finds the reality is much more complicated when it comes to languishing hospital bills. Canceling overdue medical debt on average does…

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Could “salary sacrifice” help you achieve your dream retirement faster?

Your pensions are one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal when saving for retirement. This is because, as well as your own monthly payments, you may benefit from employer contributions and tax relief. Additionally, the wealth you save in your pensions is invested, so it could potentially grow over time. You also don’t pay Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on the returns from investments…

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Countervailing duties on Chinese electric vehicles

In October 2023, the European Commission launched an ex officio (i.e. started by the Commission on its own initiative rather than at the request of industry) investigation into a sample group of Chinese manufacturers of electric vehicles (of the more than 300 that exist in total) and non-Chinese ones based in China. Manufacturers that agreed to participate in the investigation but were not included in the sample group could face…

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Why agents are the next frontier of generative AI

Over the past couple of years, the world has marveled at the capabilities and possibilities unleashed by generative AI (gen AI). Foundation models such as large language models (LLMs) can perform impressive feats, extracting insights and generating content across numerous mediums, such as text, audio, images, and video. But the next stage of gen AI is likely to be more transformative. We are beginning an evolution from knowledge-based, gen-AI-powered tools—say,…

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Newsflash – More Allyship is Needed Here

For many years, women’s rights have been campaigned for with multiple studies confirming why equity and equality are so important. More recently, conversations have moved from focusing on one characteristic that people may identify with to a greater understanding of intersectionality. Acknowledging that everyone has their own unique experiences of discrimination and oppression is key, and we must consider anything that can marginalise people, such as gender, race, class, sexual…

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Sprinting to Cut Carbon: Lessons From the Paris Olympics

In this short video, the 2024 Paris Olympics’ sustainability director offers business leaders advice on making dramatic cuts to carbon emissions. MIT Sloan Management Review July 23, 2024 Reading Time: 1 minute subscribe-icon Subscribe Share [embedded content] Sustainability efforts, including carbon reduction, are a priority for many organizations. However, many leaders struggle to scale this work. “Just knowing that it can be done would have been helpful from the start,”…

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Cal/OSHA Schedules Advisory Committee Meeting on Enterprise-wide and Egregious Violation Classifications Proposed Rules

Quick Hits On August 19, 2024, Cal/OSHA will hold an advisory committee meeting to solicit input on proposed rules on enterprise-wide and egregious violations on employee safety and health requirements. The California Department of Industrial Relations plans to amend the existing framework for citation classification and penalty calculations to accommodate new classifications and provide definitions and procedures for issuing enterprise-wide and egregious citations to California employers. The proposed regulation would…

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Connect with Microsoft Security at Black Hat USA 2024​​ Aug. 3-8 in Las Vegas

Black Hat USA 2024 is packed with timely, relevant information for today’s security professionals. During the conference this August, we’ll share our deep expertise in AI-first end-to-end security and extensive threat intelligence research. Join us as we present our main stage speaker Ann Johnson, Corporate Vice President and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of Microsoft Security, as she shares threat intelligence insights and best practices from the Office of…

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Transforming the Workplace for People with Disabilities

Brian Kenny: In April of 1945 while stationed in Italy, a 21-year-old American soldier was struck by enemy fire and left with debilitating wounds to his right arm and hand. That life-changing moment that could have sent him spiraling would instead motivate him in ways he never could have imagined. A life devoted to public service, 30 years in Congress, earning his party's nomination for president and championing a key…

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