"At Siemens, Bribery Was Just a Line Item "

The New York Times recently ran an article discussing the global bribery case of German- based corporate giant Siemens AG. The breadth and depth of the bribery is astounding:

"....In Argentina, a different Siemens subsidiary paid at least $40 million in bribes to win a $1 billion contract to produce national identity cards. In Israel, the company provided $20 million to senior government officials to build power plants. In Venezuela, it was $16 million for urban rail lines. In China, $14 million for medical equipment. And in Iraq, $1.7 million to Saddam Hussein and his cronies...."

More astounding is how bribery is seen as commonplace for doing business globally:

"For his part, Mr. Siekaczek is uncertain about the impact of the Siemens case. After all, he said, bribery and corruption are still widespread.

“People will only say about Siemens that they were unlucky and that they broke the 11th Commandment,” he said. “The 11th Commandment is: ‘Don’t get caught.’ ” "

According to the article byline: "This article is a joint report by ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative journalism organization, PBS’s "Frontline" and The New York Times. A related documentary will be broadcast on “Frontline” on April 7."

2009 U.S. Statistical Abstract

The new 2009 edition of the U.S. Statistical Abstract is now available, in print and electronically. This U.S. Census Bureau publication is arguably the #1 starting point for statistical information of any type. If you remember no other statistical resource, let this be the one. Here's the write-up from the Census Bureau:

The Statistical Abstract of the United States is the standard summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. It is also designed to serve as a guide to other statistical publications and sources. The latter function is served by the introductory text to each section, the source note appearing below each table, and Appendix I, which comprises the Guide to Sources of Statistics, the Guide to State Statistical Abstracts, and the Guide to Foreign Statistical Abstracts.

A press release included some sample statistics:

... the average length of stay for patients at community hospitals declined from 7.2 days in 1990 to 5.5 days in 2006. Yet over the same period, the average cost per patient stay climbed 81 percent, from $4,947 to $8,970....

Lottery sales increased from $51.6 billion in 2006 to $52.4 billion in 2007, with $29.7 billion in sales for instant scratch-off tickets. (Table 432)....

Violent crime per 100,000 people decreased from a rate of 597 in 1980 to
474 in 2006. The property crime rate in 1990, 5,353 per 100,000, decreased to 3,335 in 2006. (Table 295)....

IMF International Monetary Fund databases

The USF Libraries recently acquired subscriptions to 3 IMF/International Monetary Fund databases that might be of particular interest to USFSP COB faculty and students. Here is the announcement we received:

International Financial Statistics Online is a standard source of international statistics on all aspects of international and domestic finance. It reports, for most countries of the world, current data needed in the analysis of problems of international payments and of inflation and deflation, i.e., data on exchange rates, international liquidity, international banking, money and banking, interest rates, prices, production, international transactions, government accounts, and national accounts. This database contains time series data from 1948 and contains approximately 32,000 time series covering more than 200 countries. One can browse the database, select series of interest, and display and save the selected series in a spreadsheet format, such as Microsoft Excel.

The Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS) present, for most member countries of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), current figures on the value of exports and imports with the most important trading partners, providing current figures for about 158 countries. Smaller countries appear in the area and world tables. The information on exports and imports by trading partners that countries report to the IMF varies in terms of frequency and currency. Reported data, including total imports and exports reported for publication in the IMF International Financial Statistics (IFS), are the basis of all estimates in DOTS. The entire DOTS database is continuously supplemented with estimates.

Balance of Payments Statistics summarizes, for a specific period, the economic transactions of an economy with the rest of the world. It reports total goods, services, factor income, and current transfers an economy receives from or provides to the rest of the world. The database contains time series data from 1948 and approximately 100,000 time series covering more than 170 countries and areas.

For these databases and other library resources visit http://www.lib.usf.edu. Click on Databases by Title/Subject to begin.

"The Future of the Internet" report from Pew Internet

The Pew Internet and American Life Project recently released its third annual forecast of "The Future of the Internet”. "A survey of experts shows they expect major tech advances as the phone becomes a primary device for online access, voice-recognition improves, and the structure of the Internet itself improves. They disagree about whether this will lead to more social tolerance, more forgiving human relations, or better home lives."

Some of the findings include the following:

* "The mobile device will be the primary connection tool to the Internet for most people in the world in 2020.
* The transparency of people and organizations will increase, but that will not necessarily yield more personal integrity, social tolerance, or forgiveness.
* The divisions between personal time and work time and between physical and virtual reality will be further erased for everyone who’s connected, and the results will be mixed in terms of social relations."

See the full 138-page report for more details.

American Community Survey data from Census Bureau

This month, the Census Bureau, through the American Community Survey program, released its first multi-year estimates (2005-07) for geographic areas with a population of 20,000 or more. The American Community Survey is an ongoing demographic survey conducted nationwide by the U.S. Census Bureau since 2000. The idea is to supplement the data provided by the decennial census with more current data, including data for smaller geographic areas.

So, for example, you can now find official 2005-07 population estimates for places such as Tarpon Springs, FL (23,074), that are more current than the 2000 census figures (21,003).

You can access the American Community Survey directly or through the American Factfinder database, which is also linked through the USF databases page. The USFSP library also has an online tutorial on using the American Factfinder database.

New Books in Business and Economics, USFSP, Nov 24 - Dec 5, 2008

New BUSINESS and ECONOMICS books in the Poynter Library, USF-St Petersburg
(in LC Call Number order, HB-HJ only)
November 24 – December 5, 2008

The following new business and economics books are kept on the “New Books” cart on the first floor in the library for a few weeks, and then moved to the circulating collection on the second floor, unless checked out…

Reflections of a political economist : selected articles on government policies and political processes / William A. Niskanen.
HC106.83 .N57 2008

Economic policy options for a prosperous Nigeria / edited by Paul Collier, Chukwuma C. Soludo and Catherine Pattillo.
HC1055 .E2814 2008

Ethics of global development : agency, capability, and deliberative democracy / David A. Crocker.
HD75 .C76 2008

Cuba's sugar industry / José Alvarez and Lázaro Peña Castellanos ; foreword by John M. Kirk.
HD9114.C89 A6288 2001

The business of wine : a global perspective / Per V. Jenster ... [et al.].
HD9370.5 .B87 2008

Al-Jazeera : the inside story of the Arab news channel that is challenging the West / Hugh Miles.
HE8700.9.Q22 M55 2005

Africa rising : how 900 million African consumers offer more than you think / Vijay Mahajan ; with Robert E. Gunther.
HF3876.5 .M34 2009

Working world : careers in international education, exchange, and development / Sherry L. Mueller, Mark Overmann.
HF5382.7 .M84 2008

Ethics in finance / John R. Boatright.
HF5387 .B63 2008

The snowball : Warren Buffett and the business of life / Alice Schroeder.
HG172.B84 S37 2008

Beyond greed and fear : understanding behavioral finance and the psychology of investing / Hersh Shefrin.
HG4515.15 .S53 2002

Understanding government budgets : a practical guide / R. Mark Musell.
HJ2051 .M87 2009


A more complete list of new books at the Poynter Library can be found here.

Please let me know if there are any particular publications that you would like to see in the library collection. Thanks,

Google, free speech, technology....

An article in today's NY Times entitled "Google's Gatekeepers" provides a good starting point for discussions about not only free speech, censorship, and new technologies, but also international business, cross-cultural concerns, privacy, and business and society. The article is focused on Nicole Wong and other key Google executives who make global public policy decisions:

"Given their clashing and sometimes self-contradictory missions — to obey local laws, repressive or not, and to ensure that information knows no bounds; to do no evil and to be everywhere in a sometimes evil world — Wong and her colleagues at Google seem to be working impressively to put the company’s long-term commitment to free expression above its short-term financial interests....."

BELL: The Business Ethics Links Library

BELL: The Business Ethics Links Library is from the business school library at the University of Colorado at Boulder. While the database is ongoing and growing, there are also links to other web resources, including lists of related journals, business school programs, nonprofit organizations, and other relevant resources.

"BELL is a comprehensive starting point for research in corporate ethics and social responsibility. The database provides access to codes of ethics for U.S. companies and trade and professional associations, ethics sites at college and university business programs, industry information resources, and company promotion of social responsibility covering such topics as arts assistance, environmental clean up, charitable giving and community programming."

Analyst reports through LexisNexis

Analyst reports (aka broker reports or investment reports) can be valuable resources when researching a publicly-held company. These company reports are written by firms such as Oppenheimer, William Blair, and Gabelli, to provide information for current and potential investors. The bottomline is the buy, hold, or sell recommendation for the stock, along with estimates of future performance. The reports are focused on financial and stock performance but also often include a good discussion of strategic direction and current issues affecting the company. Report length can range from 1-10 pages or more.

To access investment reports through the USF LexisNexis Academic subscription:
From the opening screen, click on the "business" tab at the top; and then "company profiles" on the left. On this search screen, type in the ticker symbol of the company you are researching and under "sources", scroll down and select "Investext Current Reports". You should be returned the two most current reports available for your company.

Analyst reports are also currently available through the Investext Plus database and the Business and Company Resource Center database.

New Books in Business and Economics, USFSP Nov 10-21, 2008

New BUSINESS and ECONOMICS books in the Poynter Library, USF-St Petersburg
(in LC Call Number order, HB-HJ only)
November 10-21, 2008

The following new business and economics books are kept on the “New Books” cart on the first floor in the library for a few weeks, and then moved to the circulating collection on the second floor, unless checked out…

The credit crunch : housing bubbles, globalisation and the worldwide economic crisis / Graham Turner.
HB3722 .T87 2008

How rich countries got rich ... and why poor countries stay poor / Erik Reinert.
HC21 .R425 2007

The global economic system since 1945 / Larry Allen.
HC54 .A56 2005

Development redefined : how the market met its match / Robin Broad and John Cavanagh.
HC59.7 .B68846 2009

Unequal democracy : the political economy of the new gilded age / Larry M. Bartels.
HC106.5 .B347 2008

Green : your place in the new energy revolution / Jane Hoffman and Michael Hoffman.
HC110.E5 H625 2008

All the money in the world : how the Forbes 400 make-- and spend--their fortunes / edited by Peter W. Bernstein and Annalyn Swan.
HC110.W4 A436 2007

The new elite : inside the minds of the truly wealthy / Jim Taylor, Doug Harrison, and Stephen Kraus.
HC110.W4 T39 2009

Russia and globalization : identity, security, and society in an era of change / edited by Douglas W. Blum
HC340.12 R828 2008

Myanmar (Burma) since 1962 : the failure of development / Peter John Perry.
HC422 .P466 2007

The art of strategy : a game theorist's guide to success in business & life /Avinash K. Dixit, Barry J. Nalebuff.
HD30.28 .D587 2008

Getting it right : business requirement analysis tools and techniques / Kathleen B. Hass, Don J. Wessels, Kevin Brennan.
HD30.28 .H3824 2008

Philanthro-capitalism : how the rich can save the world / Matthew Bishop & Michael Green.
HD60.B52 2008

The search for social entrepreneurship / Paul C. Light.
HD60 .L544 2008

The entrepreneur's guide to writing business plans and proposals / K. Dennis Chambers.
HD62.5 .C423 2008

The agrarian dispute : the expropriation of American-owned rural land in postrevolutionary Mexico / John J. Dwyer.
HD1333.M6 D99 2008

The coolie speaks : Chinese indentured laborers and African slaves in Cuba / Lisa Yun.
HD4875.C9 Y86 2008

Demanding work : the paradox of job quality in the affluent economy / Francis Green.
HD6955 .G717 2006

Guanxi and business strategy : theory and implications for multinational companies in China / Eike A. Langenberg.
HD6957.C6 .L36 2007

America's food : what you don't know about what you eat / Harvey Blatt.
HD9005 .B628 2008

The banana : empires, trade wars, and globalization / James Wiley.
HD9259.B2 W52 2008

Energy security and climate change : a report to the Trilateral commission / John Deutch, Anne Lauvergeon, Widhyawan Prawiraatmadja.
HD9502.A2 D456 2007

Rising powers, shrinking planet : the new geopolitics of energy / Michael T. Klare.
HD9502.A2 K524 2008

Hell's cartel : IG Farben and the making of Hitler's war machine / Diarmuid Jeffreys.
HD9654.9.I5 J44 2008

Reasonable Rx : solving the drug price crisis / Stan Finkelstein, Peter Temin.
HD9666.4 .F55 2008

Planet Google : one company's audacious plan to organize everything we know / Randall Stross.
HD9696.8.U64 G667 2008

The Warhol economy : how fashion, art, and music drive New York City / Elizabeth Currid.
HD9999.C9473 N49 2007

The Official guide for GMAT review / from the Graduate Management Admission Council.
HF1118 .O33 2005

International political economy : an intellectual history / Benjamin J. Cohen.
HF1359 .C643 2008

International trade and labor standards : a proposal for linkage / Christian Barry and Sanjay G. Reddy.
HF1379 .B375 2008

New frontiers in free trade : globalization's future and Asia's rising role / Razeen Sally.
HF1714 .S25 2008

Accounting information systems : essential concepts and applications / Joseph W. Wilkinson, Michael J. Cerullo.
HF5679 .W523 1997

Wall Street : America's dream palace / Steve Fraser.
HG172.A2 F72 2008

Debating China's exchange rate policy / Morris Goldstein, Nicholas R. Lardy, editors.
HG3978 .D43 2008

The partnership : the making of Goldman Sachs / Charles D. Ellis.
HG4930.5 .E45 2008


A more complete list of new books at the Poynter Library can be found here.

Please let me know if there are any particular publications that you would like to see in the library collection....

LIFE and Google Image

Many of you have likely used Google Image when searching for photos or pictures to include in your presentations or other projects. And the collection keeps growing.... Google and LIFE magazine just announced the "LIFE photo archive hosted by Google".

"Search millions of photographs from the LIFE photo archive, stretching from the 1750s to today. Most were never published and are now available for the first time through the joint work of LIFE and Google."

(Actually, it looks like the archive currently ends around 1980 but there are some wonderful images...)

You can search the LIFE photo archive directly, or, when running a standard Google Image Search, add the phrase "source:life" to limit your search to the collection.

Research from the GAO - Government Accounting Office

Many U.S. government departments and agencies publish reports which are often overlooked as a source for business research. The GAO is one such example....

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, non-partisan agency known as "the investigative arm of Congress" and "the congressional watchdog." The GAO conducts research and analysis at the request of congressional committees or as mandated by public law. Reports are available on topics such as homeland security, healthcare, energy, environmental protection, financial institutions, and tax policy and administration. You can search or browse these reports by date, topic, or agency.

As an example of GAO research, one report from September 9, 2008, entitled "Private Equity: Recent Growth in Leveraged Buyouts Exposed Risks That Warrant Continued Attention", is available as a 133-page PDF report.

Kauffman Firm Survey - "the largest longitudinal survey of new businesses in the world"

For students and researchers interested in entrepreneurship and new businesses in the U.S., the Kauffman Firm Survey is "the largest longitudinal survey of news businesses in the world."

"The Kauffman Firm Survey (KFS) is a panel study of 4,928 businesses founded in 2004 and tracked over their early years of operation. The survey focuses on the nature of new business formation activity; characteristics of the strategy, offerings, and employment patterns of new businesses; the nature of the financial and organizational arrangements of these businesses; and the characteristics of their founders.

Currently, data from the baseline survey, first, and second follow-up surveys are available for analysis. The third follow-up data will be released in spring 2009."

Analyses and reports using Kauffman survey data are available through the SSRN, Social Science Research Network, to which USF subscribes. You can also download a full report (PDF) of the baseline and first follow-up survey from March 2008.

New database "Global Road Warrior"

USF now subscribes to the database "Global Road Warrior" - a useful resource for international business travel and etiquette. Here's the announcement:

Global Road Warrior is a resource from World Trade Press, a publisher that focuses on international trade, business relations, and business travel. The intent of Global Road Warrior is to foster international commerce and understanding by serving as practical and comprehensive reference tool. Taking a country by country approach, researchers can drill down to an array of content that ranges from content that can be easily found elsewhere such as facts about the country, climate, and geography to content that is uniquely contained within this resource. This unique content includes business etiquette in a country; stereotypes of the country as accepted by foreigners and stereotypes as accepted by the country; information specific to women on the “global road”; information on street crime, organized crime, and social unrest; typical food within the country; religious practices; language; lifecycles; and much more. While an invaluable tool for international business and marketing, this resource could prove useful in sociology, anthropology, women’s studies and more.

For this database and other library resources visit http://www.lib.usf.edu. Click on Databases by Title/Subject to begin.

New Books in Business and Economics, USFSP

New BUSINESS and ECONOMICS books in the Poynter Library, USF-St Petersburg (in LC Call Number order, HB-HJ only)
October 27 – November 7, 2008

The following new business and economics books (includes recent donations) are kept on the “New Books” cart on the first floor in the library for a few weeks, and then moved to the circulating collection on the second floor, unless checked out…

The philosophy of economics : an anthology / edited by Daniel M. Hausman.
HB71 .P53 2008

Macroeconomics : principles, problems, and policies / Campbell R. McConnell, Stanley L. Brue.
HB171.5 .M473 2005

Microeconomics : an integrated approach / David A. Besanko, Ronald R. Braeutigam.
HB172 .B49 2002

Intermediate microeconomics : a modern approach / Hal R. Varian.
HB172 .V34 1993

Dangerous business : the risks of globalization for America / Pat Choate.
HC103 .C49 2008

The structure of American industry / Walter Adams, James W. Brock, editors.
HC106 .S85 2001

Blue-collar blues : is trade to blame for rising US income inequality? / Robert Z. Lawrence.
HC110.I5 L346 2008

Managerial economics : applications, strategy, and tactics / James R. McGuigan, R. Charles Moyer, Frederick H. deB. Harris.
HD30.22 .M32 2002

Managerial economics : theory, applications, and cases / Edwin Mansfield ... [et al.].
HD30.22 .M354 2002

Managerial economics in a global economy / Dominick Salvatore.
HD30.22 .S247 2004

Outsourcing sovereignty : why privatization of government functions threatens democracy and what we can do about it / Paul R. Verkuil.
HD3861.U6 V47 2007

Labor economics / George J. Borjas.
HD4901 .B674 1996

Illegal people : how globalization creates migration and criminalizes immigrants / David Bacon.
HD8081.A5 B33 2008

Yali's question : sugar, culture, and history / Frederick Errington & Deborah Gewertz ; with a foreword by Anthony T. Carter.
HD9116.P264 R353 2004

Night fire : big oil, poison air, and Margie Richard's fight to save her town / Ronnie Greene.
HD9568.N67 G74 2008

Business statistics demystified / Steven M. Kemp, Sid Kemp.
HF1017 .K43 2004

Children and consumer culture in American society : a historical handbook and guide / edited by Lisa Jacobson.
HF5415.33.U6 C53 2008

Offshore outsourcing of IT work : client and supplier perspectives / Mary C. Lacity and Joseph W. Rottman.
HF5548.2 .L228 2008

Ben Bernanke's Fed : the Federal Reserve after Greenspan / Ethan S. Harris.
HG2563 .H34 2008


A more complete list of new books at the Poynter Library can be found here.

Please let me know if there are any particular publications that you would like to see in the library collection. Thank you,
Marcy

An LED-based communication network...

Some interesting possibilities for wireless communications from Cellular News in "Lightbulbs Could Replace Wi-Fi Hotspots":

"­Boston University's College of Engineering is launching a program, under a National Science Foundation grant, to develop the next generation of wireless communications technology based on visible light instead of radio waves. Researchers expect to piggyback data communications capabilities on low-power light emitting diodes, or LEDs, to create "Smart Lighting" that would be faster and more secure than current network technology."

U.S. Census Bureau - Manufacturing, Mining and Construction Reports

Most USFSP business students are familiar with the American Fact Finder database from the U.S. Census Bureau for locating general demographic, social and economic characteristics of the U.S. population. The MCD - Manufacturing and Construction Division - is another division of the U.S. Census Bureau with a wealth of statistics for business research projects. Here you'll find construction statistics such as new residential permits and sales, the Construction Price Index, and Characteristics of New Housing (e.g., square footage, number of bathrooms, etc.). You'll also find manufacturing statistics such as the CIR-Current Industrial Reports, which provide monthly, quarterly, and annual production and shipment data on selected products manufactured in the U.S. (textiles, paints, aircraft engines, etc.) Government statistics are essential starting points for most industry and marketing research.

"Green" MBA Programs...

NetImpact published its third annual "Business as UNusual Guide", which surveys students and then profiles and rates MBA programs on social and environmental themes. GreenBiz.com has a brief article about the report, which is over 200 pages (and free).

Immigrant "brain waste"

According to a new report from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI),

"More than 1.3 million college-educated immigrants living in the United States are unemployed or working as taxi drivers, dishwashers, security guards or in other unskilled jobs because they are unable to make full use of their academic and professional credentials..."

The press release also provides a link to the full 70-page report, Uneven Progress: The Employment Pathways of Skilled Immigrants in the United States.

New Books in Business and Economics, USFSP

New BUSINESS and ECONOMICS books in the Poynter Library, USF-St Petersburg (in LC Call Number order, HB-HJ only)
October 13-24, 2008

The following new business and economics books are kept on the “New Books” cart on the first floor in the library for a few weeks, and then moved to the circulating collection on the second floor, unless checked out…

Cold intimacies : the making of emotional capitalism / Eva Illouz.
HB501 .I565 2007

The bridge at the edge of the world : capitalism, the environment, and crossing from crisis to sustainability / James Gustave Speth.
HC79.E5 S6652 2008

Capital, power, and inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean / edited by Richard L. Harris and Jorge Nef.
HC125 .C32 2008

Hitler's beneficiaries : plunder, racial war, and the Nazi welfare state / Götz Aly ; translated by Jefferson Chase.
HC286.4 .A613 2007

How the Chinese economy works / by Rongxing Guo.
HC427.92 .G86 2007

India arriving : how this economic powerhouse is redefining global business / Rafiq Dossani.
HC435.3 .D67 2008

Managing for stakeholders : survival, reputation, and success / R. Edward Freeman, Jeffrey S. Harrison, Andrew C. Wicks.
HD31 .F752 2007

Linking education policy to labor market outcomes / Tazeen Fasih.
HD5852 .F376 2008

The gender impact of social security reform / Estelle James, Alejandra Cox Edwards, and Rebeca Wong.
HD6080 .J36 2008

Beyond the fields : Cesar Chavez, the UFW, and the struggle for justice in the 21st century / Randy Shaw.
HD6515.A292 U548 2008

No small change : pension funds and corporate engagement / Tessa Hebb.
HD7105.45.U6 H43 2008

The Federal Communications Commission : front line in the culture and regulation wars / Kimberly A. Zarkin and Michael J. Zarkin.
HE7781 .Z367 2006

Taking Southeast Asia to market : commodities, nature, and people in the neoliberal age / edited by Joseph Nevins and Nancy Lee Peluso.
HF1040.9.A785 T35 2008

Choose and focus : Japanese business strategies for the 21st century / Ulrike Schaede.
HF1601 .S34 2008

Kiss, bow, or shake hands. Latin America : how to do business in 18 Latin American countries /Terri Morrison and Wayne A. Conaway.
HF5389.3.L3 M67 2007

Kiss, bow, or shake hands : Asia : how to do business in 12 Asian countries / Terri Morrison and Wayne A. Conaway.
HF5389 .M667 2007

How to measure anything : finding the value of "intangibles" in business / Douglas W. Hubbard.
HF5681.I55 H83 2007

Almanac of business and industrial financial ratios / Leo Troy.
HF5681.R25 T68

Capitals of capital : a history of international financial centres, 1780-2005 / Youssef Cassis ; translated by Jacqueline Collier
HG3881 .C33413 2006

Principles of managerial finance / Lawrence J. Gitman.
HG4011 .G5 1985

A history of the global stock market : from ancient Rome to Silicon Valley / B. Mark Smith.
HG4551 .S568 2004


A more complete list of new books at the Poynter Library can be found here.

Please let me know if there are any particular publications that you would like to see in the library collection. Thank you,
Marcy
email: mcarrel@nelson.usf.edu

"globalEDGE Business Review"

globalEDGE Business Review is an e-newsletter published by the globalEDGE group at Michigan State University. Each month, the newsletter features concise 2-page articles on international business topics. For example, Volume 2 (2008) includes articles on CAFTA, fair trade, and running a global corporation.

You can also register to receive the globalEDGE newsletter (free) via email. GlobalEDGE offers country profiles, news, and links to international business resources from many sources.

Corporate Social Responsibility - Forbes.com

This special report on Corporate Social Responsibility from Forbes.com includes rankings of companies on charitable giving and links to related articles such as "The History of Doing Good" and "Six Figure Green Jobs".

"How the Credit Crisis Could Forge a New Financial Order"

From the October 15, 2008 issue of Knowledge@Wharton, "How the Credit Crisis Could Forge a New Financial Order" predicts:

"Individuals and businesses will have a harder time getting loans in coming years, but also may be less eager to take on debt. There will be "more" financial regulation or "better" regulation, but definitely not less regulation. There will be intense efforts to see what is going on inside previously opaque areas like hedge funds, derivative markets and subsidiaries set up to evade restrictions...."

The article also provides links to other related articles on the financial crisis...

New Books in Business and Economics, USFSP

New BUSINESS and ECONOMICS books in the Poynter Library, USFSP
(in LC Call Number order, HB-HJ only)
September 22 – October 10, 2008

The following new business and economics books are kept on the “New Books” cart on the first floor in the library for a few weeks, and then moved to the circulating collection on the second floor, unless checked out…

A floating city of peasants : the great migration in contemporary China / Floris-Jan van Luyn ; translated from the Dutch by Jeannette K. Ringold.
HB2114.A3 L8913 2008

Bad money : reckless finance, failed politics, and the global crisis of American capitalism / Kevin Phillips.
HC106.7 .P52 2008

Hispanic customers for life : a fresh look at acculturation / M. Isabel Valdés.
HC110.C6 V34 2008

Saga of African underdevelopment : a viable approach for Africa's sustainable development in the 21st century / Tetteh A. Kofi & Asayehgn Desta.
HC800.Z9 E5475 2008

Reinventing project management : the diamond approach to successful growth and innovation / Aaron J. Shenhar, Dov Dvir.
HD69.P75 S493 2007

Land, protest, and politics : the landless movement and the struggle for agrarian reform in Brazil / Gabriel Ondetti.
HD1333.B6 O53 2008

Visions of black economic empowerment / edited by Gill Marcus ... [et al.].
HD2358.S6 V57 2007

Global brands : the evolution of multinationals in alcoholic beverages / Teresa da Silva Lopes.
HD9350.5 .L66 2007

Petrostate : Putin, power, and the new Russia / Marshall I. Goldman.
HD9502.R82 G65 2008

Tupperware, unsealed : Brownie Wise, Earl Tupper, and the home party pioneers / Bob Kealing.
HD9662.C664 T865 2008

Economic tsunami : China's car industry will sweep away western car makers / Kevin Baker ; foreword
HD9710.C52 B35 2007

The geography of the world economy / Paul Knox, John Agnew and Linda McCarthy.
HF1025 .K573 2008

Business in Kenya : institutions and interactions / edited by Dorothy McCormick, Patrick O. Alila, Mary Omosa.
HF3893.Z5 B87 2007

The speed of trust : the one thing that changes everything / Stephen M.R. Covey with Rebecca R. Merrill.
HF5387 .C677 2006

Futures markets : 200 questions & answers / by Sunil K. Parameswaran and Shantaram P. Hegde.
HG6024.A3 P36 2007

Origins of American health insurance : a history of industrial sickness funds / John E. Murray.
HG9396 .M87 2007

A more complete list of new books at the Poynter Library can be found here.

Please let me know if there are any particular publications that you would like to see in the library collection. Thank you,
Marcy


Marcy Carrel
727/873-4404
email: mcarrel@nelson.usf.edu

digital quality of life...

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation recently published a 185-page report entitled "Digital Quality of Life: Understanding the Personal and Social Benefits of the Information Technology Revolution." Last year, the report looked at IT as the principal driver of economic growth in the U.S. and other nations. This year, the report finds that "IT is the key enabler of many, if not most, of today’s key innovations and improvements in our lives and society—from better education and health care, to a cleaner and more energy-efficient environment, to safer and more secure communities and nations."

The ITIF is a think tank "whose mission is to formulate and promote public policies to advance technological innovation and productivity internationally, in Washington and in the states."

From the ITIF web site, you can locate other research and reports on technology and IT policies. For example, a report dated September 11, 2008, compares the technology and innovation policies for the two presidential candidates, McCain and Obama.

Global financial crisis coverage from London...

The Financial Times FT.com maintains an in-depth section on the global financial crisis - with in-depth articles, analysis, summaries, blogs, videos, and links to related material.

"perkonomics"

The current October issue of the trendwatching.com newsletter discusses a phenomenon they've termed "perkonomics" --

"PERKONOMICS: A new breed of perks and privileges, added to brands' regular offerings, is satisfying consumers’ ever-growing desire for novel forms of status and/or convenience, across all industries. The benefits for brands are equally promising: from escaping commoditization, to showing empathy in turbulent times. One to have firmly on your radar in 2009."

Airlines, hotels, and credit cards provide the classic examples of perk offerings, but others are possible. The article discusses the benefits to consumers; benefits to brands; examples; and the opportunities and threats involved in "perkonomics".

"The Economists' Voice" on the financial crises

A very timely special issue of The Economists' Voice (September 2008) is entitled "Financial Regulation, Financial Crisis, and Bailouts". Included are the following articles:

• "Investment Banking Regulation after Bear Stearns" (Dwight M. Jaffee and Mark Perlow);
• "Why Paulson is Wrong" (Luigi Zingales);
• "Dr. StrangeLoan: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Financial Collapse" (Aaron S. Edlin); and
• "Questioning the Treasury's $700 Billion Blank Check: An Open Letter to Secretary Paulson" (Aaron S. Edlin).

The Economists' Voice, from the Berkeley Electronic Press project, is hailed as "the decade's most successful publishing innovation for professional economists..... Regular contributors include five Nobel Prize winners, three past chairs of the President's Council of Economic Advisors, public intellectuals like Paul Krugman and Richard Posner, and a veritable "Who's Who" of modern economic theory and policy. The Economists' Voice is a source of expertise directed at once at the professional economist, policy makers, students, and anyone curious about the economy today."

USF subscribes to this online journal. If you are off-campus and the above link does not work, login to Blackboard, go to the USF Libraries main page and use "e-journals by title" to locate the journal and issue.

Tampa Bay Partnership - local economy...

A useful resource when researching the local Tampa Bay economy:

The Tampa Bay Partnership is "the regional organization that works with its partners to market the region nationally and internationally, to conduct regional research and to coordinate efforts to influence business and government issues that impact economic growth and development."

From their web site, you can register for a monthly e-newsletter about the Tampa Bay region, view the organization's annual report, read news and research on the local economy, or download the regularly updated Regional Economic Scorecard.

The Regional Economic Scorecard uses economic indicators such as employment, housing, income, and transportation, to compare the economic health of Tampa Bay against economic performance in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Jacksonville, and Raleigh-Durham. The most recent scorecard, dated Spring 2008, reflects the widely-reported economic downturn....

International business resource & blog...

GlobalEDGE, a recognized international business resource from Michigan State University, recently launched an International Business Blog.

GlobalEDGE is "is a knowledge web-portal that connects international business professionals worldwide to a wealth of information, insights, and learning resources on global business activities." A user-friendly interface allows you to search for industry profiles, country reports, news, a database of international business statistics and much more. You can also register and receive a monthly email newsletter with tips and information about new resources. The new blog is yet another way to keep current.

This is a great, easy to use resource for international business research....

New Books in Business and Economics, USFSP

New books in BUSINESS and ECONOMICS, Poynter Library, USFSP
(in LC Call Number order, HB-HJ only)
September 8-19, 2008

The following new business and economics books are kept on the “New Books” cart on the first floor in the library for a few weeks, and then moved to the circulating collection on the second floor, unless checked out…

Jingji Xue : the history of the introduction of western economic ideas into China, 1850-1950 / Paul B. Trescott.
HB126.C6 T73 2007

World resources : a report by the World Resources Institute and the International Institute for Environment and Development. 2008.
HC10 .W827

Winning in the Indian Market : Understanding the transformation of consumer India / Rama Bijapurkar.
HC79.C6 B545 2008

Caught in the middle : America's heartland in the age of globalism / Richard C. Longworth.
HC107.A14 L66 2008

Hunger : a modern history / James Vernon.
HC260.P6 V47 2007

Russia's capitalist revolution : why market reform succeeded and democracy failed / Anders Åslund.
HC340.12 .A844 2007

Capitalism without democracy : the private sector in contemporary China / Kellee S. Tsai.
HC427.95 .T73 2007

The elephant and the dragon : the rise of India and China and what it means for all of us / Robyn Meredith.
HC435.3 .M47 2007

Qualitative research in the study of leadership / Karin Klenke.
HD57.7 .K54 2008

The emerging markets century : how a new breed of world-class companies is overtaking the world / Antoine van Agtmael.
HD62.4 .A35 2007

Knowledge processes in globally distributed contexts / edited by Julia Kotlarsky, Ilan Oshri and Paul C. van Fenema.
HD66 .K62 2008

Leadership and management in China : philosophies, theories, and practices / edited by Chao-Chuan Chen and Yueh-Ting Lee.
HD70.C5 L43 2008

Race and entrepreneurial success : Black-, Asian-, and white-owned businesses in the United States / Robert W. Fairlie and Alicia M. Robb.
HD2358.5.U6 F35 2008

Building a future with BRICs : the next decade for offshoring / Mark Kobayashi-Hillary, editor.
HD2365 .B85 2008

An American's guide to doing business in India : a practical guide to achieving success in the Indian market / Eugene M. Makar.
HD2899 .M345 2008

Stuffed and starved : the hidden battle for the world food system / Raj Patel.
HD9000.5 .P277 2007

The end of food / Paul Roberts.
HD9000.5 .R578 2008

Bottlemania : how water went on sale and why we bought it / Elizabeth Royte.
HD9349.M542 R69 2008

Accounting/finance lessons of Enron : a case study / Harold Bierman, Jr.
HD9502.U54 E5724 2008

When steamboats reigned in Florida / Bob Bass.
HE631.F6 B37 2008

Blue skies : a history of cable television / Patrick R. Parsons.
HE8700.72.U6 P36 2008

The essential guide to business etiquette / Lillian Hunt Chaney and Jeanette St. Clair Martin.
HF5389 .C468 2007

OBD : obsessive branding disorder : the business of illusion and the illusion of business / Lucas Conley.
HF5415.1255 .C66 2008

Domesticating the world : African consumerism and the genealogies of globalization / Jeremy Prestholdt.
HF5415.33.A354 P74 2008

The she spot : why women are the market for changing the world--and how to reach them / Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen ; foreword by Gary Hirshberg.
HF5415.332.W66 W577 2008

The Sarbanes-Oxley section 404 implementation toolkit : practice aids for managers and auditors / Michael Ramos.
HF5686.C7 R3483 2008

Mastering financial calculations : a step-by-step guide to the mathematics of financial markets instruments / Bob Steiner.
HF5691 .S657 2007

Small loans, big dreams : how Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and microfinance are changing the world / Alex Counts.
HG3290.6.A8 G73 2008

Essays in derivatives : risk-transfer tools and topics made easy / Don M. Chance.
HG6024.A3 C475 2008

A more complete list of new books at the Poynter Library can be found here. New book lists will be produced and distributed every few weeks.

A list of new AUDIOVISUAL materials in the library can be found here. This list is updated periodically.

Please let me know if there are any particular publications that you would like to see in the library collection. Thank you,
Marcy

Rankings & market share -- a starting point...

Looking for quick market share data, or rankings of companies or brands?
A common starting point is to look for a table in one of two annual reference publications -- Business Rankings Annual or Market Share Reporter, both published by Gale.

These publications are also search-able through a database to which USF subscribes, Business and Company Resource Center. Unfortunately, locating these resources may not be obvious. Here's a quick tip:

First, go to the "advanced search" screen and in the drop-down box, change the content area to "rankings". Then, you can search on a keyword such as coffee. You'll be returned a set of documents divided into two groups - click the tabs at the top for "Business Rankings" or "Market Share" to see which documents are available from each of the two publications.

The documents are usually tables which have been extracted from secondary sources, which are also noted. For example, a document entitled "Largest coffee chains, 2006" includes a brief paragraph discussing the summary data from the Specialty Coffee Association of America and a chart ranking the chains by number of outlets (i.e., Starbucks, Caribou Coffee, etc.) - and the source indicated is an article from the Los Angeles Times, June 1, 2006.

There are of course other resources for researching market share -- (such as the database "TableBase" from RDS or market research report collections such as Marketline Information Centre or Minitel) -- but this is another quick and easy starting point (once you know where to look!)...

"Google still struggling to conquer outposts"

This article from the Financial Times (Sept 16, 2008) looks at the overwhelming success of non-Google search engines in other countries. For example, Yandex has a 46% share of all searches in Russia, Seznam has 63% of the market in the Czech Republic, and Baidu handles about 60% in China.

"Some common themes lie behind these local success stories, internet veterans say: Google has played second fiddle to rivals who invested much earlier, perfected their technology to work with local languages and came up with innovations that Google is now having to copy."

Google, of course, is not giving up....

The article includes links to related articles and there is an interactive map of the non-Google world with the market share of individual competitors.

Business.gov - Official Business Link to the U.S. Government

Business.gov is "the official business link to the U.S. government."

Small business guides are arranged by topic, such as "Advertising and Marketing," "Business Law," "Taxes," and "Start and Manage a Business". Each guide provides a concise annotated list of links to relevant U.S. government information.

Under the tab "State & Local Info" there is a clickable map of the U.S. For each state there is a small business guide with links to local resources and answers to FAQ. The Florida Small Business Guide is available here -- at the far left is a link to the web sites for cities and counties in the state.
(This is a great resource for students working on local marketing projects....)

Financial crises...

News from the financial markets has been more than a bit overwhelming lately: Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, AIG.... This special issue of "Knowledge at Wharton" (Sept 17-30, 2008) is devoted to the current financial crisis and includes articles, podcasts and video from Wharton professors and other financial experts.

College Sustainability Report Card 2008

According to the College Sustainability Report Card 2008: "While schools are earning higher marks for green initiatives in campus operations, a majority of the wealthiest institutions continue to lag in applying sustainability practices to their endowment investments." The report is issued by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, "a nonprofit organization engaged in research and education to advance sustainability in campus operations and endowment practices."

The Sustainability Report Card includes a full report and an Executive Summary, as well as individual school profiles. The one-page school profiles include the scores for each of eight categories (administration; climate change & energy; food & recycling; green building; transportation; endowment transparency; investment priorities; and shareholder engagement.) Six schools received the top rating of A-; USF received a D+. (My alma mater, Carleton College, scored an A- :))

From this page, you can also link to related articles from Forbes on "America's Greenest Colleges" and the first "green issue" of the New York Times Magazine.

Environmentally friendly colleges & universities...

Sierra Club published its second "Cool Schools" ranking of the top ten environmentally friendly schools. Included are small private colleges like Middlebury College(VT), as well as large schools like the University of Florida at Gainesville and Arizona State University at Tempe. "The top schools earned points in ten categories: policies for building, energy, food, investment, procurement, and transportation; curriculum; environmental activism; waste management; and overall commitment to sustainability." Information about the Sierra Club's ranking system and related articles, such as hot environmental jobs, can be found here.

Google &/v. advertising agencies

Google has built a 40-person group to court advertising agencies, who have often had a somewhat adversarial relationship with the giant search firm. But now that Google has expanded beyond simple search, it has found a need for more positive and collaborative relationships with ad agencies. The reaction from ad agencies appears to be mixed -- Google is still known to some as a "frenemy" or a "froe". This NYTimes article, "Googling in Person to Make Friends" has an interesting discussion of the development.

Consumer and marketing research

ACNielsen, the marketing research arm of The Nielsen Company, conducts marketing and consumer research and offers some of the reports for free publicly. The Global Consumer Reports section of the web site includes reports on such topics as consumer confidence, consumers and designer brands, and packaging and the environment. For example, the June 2008 report on the Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence Index found the following:

"Consumer confidence fell in 39 out of 48 countries in the past six months, with New Zealand, USA and Latvia suffering the deepest declines. Among the 39 markets recording a decline in consumer confidence, 15 fell by double-digits."

Business Source Premier database!

We now have access to Business Source Premier, a great addition to the USF Libraries e-resource collection. NOTE especially that this business database includes articles, market research reports, Datamonitor company reports, and full-text (PDF) of Harvard Business Review, historical and current.

Here's the announcement:

Business Source Premier is one of the definitive scholarly databases in the field of business due to its depth and coverage. The database provides full text articles from more than 2,300 journals, including over 1,100 peer reviewed journals, and indexing for an additional 1,000 titles. Full text coverage dates vary, but some go back to the first issue of the journal. Full text articles from the Harvard Business Review date back to 1922. Business Source Premier also provides full text access to non-journal content. Content with the number of items within that category includes: case studies (166), books (139), market research reports (426), industry reports (5095), country reports (1409), company profiles (10,051) and SWOT analyses (2842). Global Monitor, Datamonitor, Countrywatch, and EIU are the source of this content. Business Source Premier also provides full text for more for more than 50 regional business publications, including titles from Crain Communications.

As one of the EBSCOHost databases acquired by the USF Libraries, Business Source Premier is available to impaired users requiring screen-readers or using keyboard controls.

For this database and other library resources visit http://www.lib.usf.edu. Click on Databases by Title/Subject to begin.

SEC and global accounting rules

The Securities & Exchange Commission tentatively agreed to a 2014 timetable for U.S. companies to adopt international accounting standards. The commission will vote again after a two-month period of public comment. Supporters claim the change will allow U.S. companies to cut costs and compete globally; critics call the move an outsourcing of U.S. regulation.

See the Business Week online coverage (Aug 27, 2008) here.

free iPods for students*

*not USF :)

Universities such as Freed-Hardeman in Tennessee are experimenting with providing free iPhones or Internet-capable iPods to incoming students. An article in today's New York Times (Aug 21, 2008) looks at varying opinions...

New business & economics databases at USF

There are some great new databases in the USF collection for your business and economics research:



"Mintel Oxygen is one of the leading marketing research databases being utilized by 120 of the top U.S. universities. It has become one of the best resources for timely and unique information about the business to consumer (b2c) marketplace. The academic version of Mintel Reports branded as Mintel Oxygen provides comprehensive coverage of the U.S. and European markets from consumer behavior to SWOT and brand share analysis. Academic users can access 400 new reports each year that on average number one hundred pages. Analysis combines consumer habits and attitudes within the competitive landscape."



"IBISWorld provides reports for all of the 723 US industries enabling research on the entire sector of the U.S. economy. Information is updated every four months, ensuring the latest information. Reports are divided into three searchable modules: Industry Market Research; Company Research, and Business Environment....."

"Hospitality & Tourism Complete, covers scholarly research and industry news relating to all areas of hospitality and tourism. This collection contains more than 749,000 records, with coverage dating as far back as 1965. .... Subject areas covered include the culinary arts, demographics & statistics, development & investment, food & beverage management, hospitality law, hotel management & administrative practices, leisure & business travel, market trends, technology and more."



"World News Connection is an online news service that provides translated and English-language news and information from an extensive array of providers. It is particularly effective in its coverage of local media sources, allowing a researcher to determine what is happening on the ground in a specific country or region. Compiled from thousands of non-U.S. media sources, the information from World News Connection covers significant socio-economic, political, scientific, technical, and environmental issues and events. "

For these databases and other library resources visit http://www.lib.usf.edu. Click on Databases by Title/Subject to begin.

Rising textbook prices and open-source e-books...

From the Los Angeles Times (Aug 18, 2008), a discussion of the rising cost of textbooks and how some are challenging the market:

"Caltech economics professor R. Preston McAfee finds it annoying that students and faculty haven't looked harder for alternatives to the exorbitant prices. McAfee wrote a well-regarded open-source economics textbook and gave it away -- online. But although the text, released in 2007, has been adopted at several prestigious colleges, including Harvard and Claremont-McKenna, it has yet to make a dent in the wider textbook market."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-textbook18-2008aug18,0,4712858.story?page=1

SEC's EDGAR to become IDEA

The SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) announced that it will replace the EDGAR filing system with a new system named IDEA - Interactive Data Electronic Applications. Public companies use the EDGAR system to make their financial filings with the SEC. The EDGAR system is document-based; the new IDEA system is an interactive database that will identify individual data items on financial statements. IDEA will enable downloading data into spreadsheets and facilitate analysis by investors, financial analysts, students, and other users.

There will be a transition period (of unspecified duration) as IDEA-like features are gradually added to EDGAR. EDGAR will later become the historical archive of company SEC filings.

MBA applications during a recession...

Common wisdom holds that applications to MBA programs increase during a recession, as executives decide to improve their business skills as they wait for economic recovery.... According to a brief article in The Economist (August 7, 2008) the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) is reporting preliminary figures which show that 77% of full-time MBA programs have reported higher demand for places this year.

Mobile marketing

The Mobile Marketing Association is a great resource when you're looking for information or data on the mobile phone market -- consumer usage, advertising practices, mobile gaming, search trends, etc. While some information is for members only, there are reports available for free in full or abbreviated formats. For example, under "Resources", the "Mobile Advertising Overview" is a 20-page report that looks at best practices and opportunities in mobile advertising. News releases, case studies, and summary data from Nielsen and NPD Group are also available. MMA publishes the IJMM International Journal of Mobile Marketing, a peer-reviewed bi-annual journal.

The Olympics and sports marketing

With the upcoming Summer Olympics in China, sports marketing is a hot topic. Knowledge@SMU (Singapore Management University) interviews marketing professor John Davis on his forthcoming book, "The Olympic Games Effect" which looks at the Olympics, sports sponsorship and branding.

International business culture and etiquette....

An understanding of business culture and etiquette in other countries is a critical competency for survival in a global business environment. Most business programs now incorporate international business etiquette into the curriculum. Listed below are a few recommended web sites that might be useful for building your business etiquette knowledge and skills:

Kwintessential offers a great collection of free and fee-based resources on inter-cultural communication, cross cultural training, translation services.... SEE esp. the "country profiles" (scroll down on left) - for business etiquette, customs and protocol.

The Canadian Agri-Food Trade Service has published "The International Business Etiquette Internet Sourcebook" (March 2007) which provides a very useful list by country of web sites devoted to business culture and/or business etiquette.

Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions is the result of research on how values in the workplace are influenced by culture. The model measures countries on dimensions such as "power distance", "individualism," "masculinity," "uncertainty avoidance," and "long-term orientation." Select a country to see how it ranks on these dimensions.

A more complete list of recommended web sites can be found here: http://del.icio.us/marcylibrarian/business_etiquette.

You can also find additional resources listed in the USF library catalog. For example,"Kiss, bow, or shake hands : the bestselling guide to doing business in more than 60 countries" is a popular book available for reference use in the USFSP library. Electronic databases such as "Countries and their cultures" and "World factbook" are also very useful for a little more in-depth background on a country.

WTO 2008 World Trade Report

The WTO-World Trade Organization recently released the 2008 World Trade Report. This year's report, entitled "Trade in a Globalizing World", "is devoted to an examination of the gains from international trade and the challenges arising from higher levels of integration." From the press release, you can download a copy of the complete 204-page report and also link to reports from previous years.

McKinsey on capital markets

McKinsey & Company has a new (June 2008) report on capital markets entitled "The new power brokers: gaining clout in turbulent markets" that looks at the impact of four "power brokers" on global capital markets -- Asian sovereign investors, petrodollars, hedge funds, and private equity firms. (A one-time free registration is required to retrieve the 24-page PDF file).

The report is an update from their October 2007 report. There are also links to other McKinsey publications, including the McKinsey Quarterly.

Doing business internationally...

Every two years, KPMG publishes a report entitled, "Competitive Alternatives: KPMG's Guide to International Business Location":

"The 2008 study is the most thorough comparison of international business locations ever undertaken by KPMG, and contains valuable information for any company locating international business operations.

Competitive Alternatives 2008 is an expansion and update of previous KPMG publications, and measures the combined impact of 27 significant business cost components that are most likely to vary by location. The study also compares data on a variety of non-cost competiveness factors. The study examines 17 industry operations in 10 countries: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The basis for comparison is the after-tax cost of startup and operations, over 10 years."

The full report for 2008 is available for download in English or French. Past reports from 2002, 2004, and 2006 are also available here.

TV, Internet and Mobile Usage... and the ATUS...

"Nielsen Reports TV, Internet and Mobile Usage Among Americans" -- the subtitle of this Nielsen press release is nothing surprising: "Under 35’s Watch Video on Internet & Mobile Phones More Than Over 35’s; Traditional TV Viewing Continues to Grow". The press release leads to a more complete 4-page report and Nielsen plans to report updated figures on a quarterly basis.

With tv viewing reportedly on the rise, it might be interesting to see where time spent is on the decline - work, sleep, housework, other leisure activities?. The U.S. government (Dept of Labor, BLS and Census Bureau) conducts an annual survey to answer that question and more. The American Time Use Survey (ATUS) "measures the amount of time people spend doing various activities, such as paid work, childcare, volunteering, and socializing." Annual data is available for 2003-2007, with detail by gender, age, income, etc.

The ATUS is a great resource for business research. Unfortunately, rumor has it may be threatened by budget cuts in Washington.

International Financial Reporting Standards

Deloitte recently surveyed about 200 senior finance professionals at U.S. companies about the use of IFRSs - International Financial Reporting Standards. You can find a link to the 20-page report at this site.

"It is expected that certain U.S. companies will have the option of using IFRSs by 2011. The bottom line — by 2011, almost every country, including the United States, will most likely be using IFRSs to some extent."

Images reflecting society

Slate has an interesting article about stock photography and how monitoring the use of these images may offer insight as to trends in business and society. "Woman", for example, climbed from eighth to first place as the most popular search term at Getty Images over the last two years. 'Modern disconnectedness' may be a future area of interest...

Vertical farming...

"Farms in the Sky Gain New Interest" (NY Times): The "vertical farm" - a skyscraper built for cultivating food - is a futuristic-sounding concept that is being re-considered more seriously these days.

The link to "business research" here may not be direct but I believe it illustrates how the energy and environmental crises could potentially encourage (long overdue) innovation...

Business use of social networking....

A recent article in Knowledge@Wharton (9July08) looks at how some businesses use social networking: Ernst & Young recruits college graduates on Facebook; Hewlett-Packard executives maintain individual blogs for customer communication; and BMW's Mini Cooper division monitors brand talk in online venues to guide its advertising.

The article includes links to additional reading on business use of social networking tools.

Using demographic data to understand consumer trends

The U.S. Census Bureau offers a goldmine of demographic data for business research. This article from the July 7, 2008 issue of Advertising Age provides a good overview of how marketers can use this data to understand consumer trends.

(via ResourceShelf and the Hill Library blog)

Google virtual world

Google has entered the world of virtual reality with Lively.com, a new competitor for the likes of SecondLife. Officially in beta, the service was introduced through Google Labs but is also available at Lively.com. Read about it in the NYTimes.

I've entered SecondLife once or twice but still haven't found enough time or interest to do much more..... maybe this will be more incentive (?)...

iGoogle and copyright basics...

The featured wikiHow or "how to" of the day on iGoogle on July 2 was entitled "How to Understand Copyright Basics" - important information for students and all information users.

I recently heard someone summarize the copyright message, particularly with regard to the Internet and electronic media, with the following lesson: Just because you found it, doesn't mean it's yours.

And for those who don't have their own customized iGoogle search page, this is just another reminder or reason to try this Google feature, which allows you to keep all your frequently-used widgets on one nicely-organized page.

Facebook and politics and media spending....

The NY Times (July 7, 2008) profiles Chris Hughes, a 24-year old co-founder of Facebook who now heads the Barack Obama new-media campaign, My.Barack.Obama.com. His final quote in the article is a good summary lesson on using social networking tools, in business, politics, or any context:

“You can have the best technology in the world,” he said, “but if you don’t have a community who wants to use it and who are excited about it, then it has no purpose.”

Also, "Cashing in on Obama and McCain" (July 6, 2008) looks at the money spent on the presidential political campaign - almost $900 million to date (!) - and the businesses that profit from this spending, directly or indirectly.

public policy resources

PolicyArchive is "a comprehensive digital library of public policy research containing over 12,000 documents." Participating organizations represent the full political spectrum of viewpoints and the collection includes reports from the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, the Center for American Progress, and many more. Much of this important research is difficult to identify without going to each individual organization. The user-friendly website allows searching by topic such as economics, education, environment, human rights, etc. You can also register to receive email newsletters for particular topic areas.

(PolicyArchive.org was recently reviewed by ResourceShelf, #365.)

nation-building and the economic crisis...

In his June 26 column in the NY Times, Thomas Friedman addresses the widening economic crisis in the U.S. and the need for the U.S. political system to undertake profound nation-building. Despite sobering news in the financial and housing markets, a deepening energy crisis, rising unemployment, and weak consumer spending, Friedman seems hopeful: "We are a country in debt and in decline — not terminal, not irreversible, but in decline....."

The U.S. economic crisis is naturally a top concern for individuals and organizations. I just returned from the annual ALA library conference (thus no recent blog postings) -- the economic crisis and all its varied implications seemed to creep its way into every conference session and library discussion...

Big impact of small changes...

This brief article in Greener Design News highlights a new milk carton design and the resulting financial and environmental savings. It's always a bit hopeful to hear of positive results from small changes....

Greener Design is a good source for those interested in following the business of environmental design and green markets...

Google data in another role.....

As reported in a NY Times article, Google data will play a role in an upcoming obscenity trial in Florida. Obscenity laws typically use "community standards" to define what is obscene. (In library school, we learn about the 3-part "Miller test" for defining obscenity.) In the Florida case, the defense will use publicly available Google search data to argue that since residents of Pensacola, FL are more likely to search for terms such as "orgy" than "apple pie" or "watermelon", then by extension a Web site of sexual material is within the community standards of acceptable behavior.

It's interesting to think of all the varied ways in which search data can be used to identify norms and trends or justify actions......

Research methods, information literacy, librarians...

"Research methods 'beyond Google'" (Inside Higher Ed, June 17, 2008) looks at the need to improve undergraduate students' research competencies. Although 'born digital', undergraduate students often lack the library and research skills necessary for academic success. Initiatives at Cornell University and the University of California at Berkeley seek to address this need. The Cornell Undergraduate Information Competency Initiative, and the Mellon Library/Faculty Fellowship for Undergraduate Research at the U of CA Berkeley are collaborative initiatives between teaching faculty, librarians, and IT personnel. Smaller scale projects could be undertaken in any setting...

Peru - web 2.0 presentation; google workshops

While in Peru, I presented at the "I Seminario Internacional de Bibliotecologia e Informacion" hosted by ICPNA (Instituto Cultural Peruano Norte Americano), a bi-cultural institution that was celebrating its 70th anniversary with various events. My presentation was entitled "Google y Web 2.0 en la Biblioteca." I also conducted two 3-hour workshops on advanced Google search tips and tricks. I think all went fairly smooth and ICPNA, particularly the library director, is to be congratulated for all the great work in pulling together a conference which will hopefully become a regular addition to the library and information science field in Peru.

mobile phone search, services

An article this week in USAToday -- "Are Google, Yahoo the next dinosaurs?" -- looks at the future of search on mobile phones and wireless technologies. The mobile environment is vastly different from the desktop and may require a different model and/or different technologies. The size of a mobile phone screen limits the amount of both information and advertising that can be displayed for any one search. Desktop search technologies crawl the entire web and a simple search can produce thousands of results -- not practical for the mobile environment. Google and Yahoo are taking different approaches in their quests to dominate the growing mobile search market.....

global food crisis resources

This entry from ResourceShelf (a newsletter for information professionals) provides a great list and summary of resources covering the current global food crisis. Included are links to information and reports from the FAO, USDA Economic Research Service, USAID, ReliefWeb, the International Food Policy Research Institute, Congressional Research Service, and the World Bank.

The energy crisis has only intensified the food crisis, particularly in developing nations...

Peru bound....

This will be my last post for a few weeks as I leave on Tuesday for Lima, Peru (!!). I was invited to present at a librarians' conference at the ICPNA-Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano. I'll be speaking on "Google y Web 2.0 en la Biblioteca" and also giving 2 workshops on advanced Google tools in the library.

After the conference I will take some vacation time to see Cusco and Machu Picchu..... (not enough exclamation marks and symbols for that!*!)

Back at USFSP on Tuesday, June 10.....

Corporate Social Responsibility report from Starbucks

According to ReportAlert.info, Starbucks has just published its seventh annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report, available online at: http://www.reportalert.info/ra/profiles/Starbucks/2008/?ID=21424

You can see all recent CSR report announcements at http://www.ReportAlert.info

"no inflation" hoax...

Political and economic commentator Kevin Phillips writes about "Washington's Great 'No Inflation' Hoax" in the Huffington Post (May 8, 2008). According to Phillips, the CPI (Consumer Price Index) has been distorted to underestimate and misrepresent inflation -- disguising weak (at best) U.S. economic growth and shortchanging individuals who depend on cost-of-living increases. And the "three big gainers from understatement of U.S. inflation: the federal government, wage-paying businesses and the institutions and markets of the swollen U.S. financial sector." Phillips estimates inflation at 6-9 percent versus the official government rate of 2-3 percent.

See also an earlier, related article "The Destructive Rise of Big Finance" (Huffington Post, March 31, 2008).
.... sobering ....

Socioeconomics of Coffee - a Standford business students' perspective

Stanford MBA students travelled to Guatemala in December 2007 to explore the socioeconomics of coffee farming and fair trade practices:

"So, what kind of coffee should you buy? Fair trade? Organic? Starbucks? We hoped to figure this out ... as we took a look at coffee farming and supply chains in Guatemala... Ten days, six coffee farms, erratic showers, four blackouts, and one earthquake later, we’re still not sure. But the trip was a rich experience, one that raised questions far beyond coffee. Some of us are still puzzled as to where we should buy our morning cup. But we’re also thinking about corporate social responsibility, agriculture, education, and the challenges that the small farmers we met are facing every day."

(Stanford Business Magazine, May 2008, feature story)

IT development and Millennials

Millennials are said to be redefining software application development ("The Move to Mashups: How the Millennials are Redefining Software Development", Knowledge@W.P. Carey, May 7, 2008). Old style IT development was a long, slow process creating enormous, multi-functional systems and a backlog of simple applications. Mash-ups are said to characterize the newer model for IT development - the long tail of IT development where simple applications are created quickly, collaboratively and as needed.

microfinancing and doing good...

Worldstock, a division of Overstock.com, sells merchandise purchased from cooperatives in developing countries. Banco Compartamos in Mexico began as a non-profit microlending organization and is now a for-profit institution. These two cases are profiled in a recent article in Knowledge@Wharton in answer to the question: "Can a company make money from the work of impoverished people in the developing world without taking advantage of them?"

Another recent article in India Knowledge@Wharton offers an interview with Vikram Akula, CEO and founder of SKS Microfinance, India's fastest growing microfinance institution. SKS is a for-profit institution with venture capital backing and a focus on technology, including a pilot project with mobile telephone transactions.

Virtual worlds and real life...

Researchers at the Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford University have found that behaviors learned online in virtual worlds such as Second Life can be carried over into real life, at least in the short term (How Second Life Affects Real Life, May 12, 2008 issue of Time online). Research subjects given attractive avatars were more likely to exhibit friendliness and extroversion online in a virtual world, and also in real world tests shortly afterward. Similarly, tall avatar subjects were more self-confident and aggressive in negotiations than short avatar subjects both online and offline. The possibilities for affecting behavior, good and bad, are said to be "endless"....

Google the growth company

Where does Google go next? (Fortune, CNNmoney.com, May 12, 1960) looks at the ventures of former Google employees, Google diversification into services beyond search, and the process versus innovation struggle of a large fast growth company. Marc Benioff, a Google partner, summarized the Google diversification challenge as follows: "What they need to do is build a full portfolio of revenue, as Microsoft has ....They have a fantastic cash cow. They need a goat and a chicken."

Throw-away furniture...

"Biodegradable home product lines, ready to rot" (NY Times, 8May08) looks at textiles, home furnishings, and even furniture that is being produced and marketed as not just environmentally friendly but biodegradable, completely disposable. .... I couldn't help but think of my mom's paper dress that she sported back in 1968 or so -- very fashionable -- and also a throw-away trend that was thrown away...

Business students as consultants

The practice of seeking out college business students as consultants is reportedly growing. This NY Times article looks at a class at Stetson University (Deland, FL) that provided consulting for Complete Parachute Solutions and a class at Babson College (Ipswich, MA) that has provided consulting services for a specialty salt business, Earthwatch Institute, and Habitat for Humanity, among other organizations.

Federal government jobs

From an article in today's Washington Post, "Across the government, about a third of full-time employees will retire in the next five years, according to estimates prepared by the Office of Personnel Management." Recruiting efforts are being stepped up in response.

So, if you're nearing graduation and considering career options, the federal government might be a place to look...

financial crisis and reforms...

In a recent column (Success Breeds Failure), economist Paul Krugman at the NY Times believes that the financial crisis may be nearing an end but, unfortunately, the Federal Reserve may now back down from some needed reforms in the financial markets. The next financial crisis could then be even worse...

Facebook for recuriting, job-hunting...

Another NY Times article, this one on the use of social networking sites such as Facebook for recruiting and job-hunting. Jobster and now CareerBuilder.com both have applications on Facebook for companies to find candidates. MySpace has always been popular for music industry networking. LinkedIn is still preferred by some recruiters for professional networking.