In his book Wired for Culture, The Natural History of Human Cooperation, Nigel Pagel describes the culture as the innovation that we call “culture” that has enabled Homo sapiens as a species to spread across the globe and adapt successfully in many different environments, climates and terrains.
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The Interface Crucible
Forging International Supply Chain Relationships among Small and Medium Sized Businesses for Competitive Advantage in a Globalized Economy
Patrick’s Monday Vista 11- Obstacle to Progress
I used to think that the main obstacles standing in the way of business advancement were the lack of capital, time and material resources. However over the last ten years working on a wide range of supply chain projects with client companies ranging from multinationals to state-owned enterprises and SMEs, I have come to the conclusion that the real obstacle to business advancement is a dearth of the right people with the right types of skills and experience.
Patrick’s Monday Vista #6- The World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index
The globalization of total production systems from extraction of raw materials though to the recycling of waste has been made possible in recent decades by innovations in three main areas – transportation technology, information and communications technology, and financial deregulation.It is now commonplace for international businesses to carry on R&D, manufacturing and distribution in many different geographical locations around the world depending on which locations are most advantageous from a competitive point of view.
Patrick’s Monday Vista #5- Our Greatest Invention
No doubt the greatest human invention of all time is human language itself. Spoken human language emerged somewhere between 150,000 and 80,000 years ago and was fundamental in enabling human beings to work together and coordinate their actions for mutual benefit.Initially this involved communication among individuals in small bands for hunting and gathering, then later on a much more sophisticated level insedentary agriculture and the building of the institutions that ultimately led to the birth of civilization itself. In effect, the ability to use language is the essence of being human.
Patrick’s Monday Vista #4- Get in the Game!
The Six Nations rugby championship kicked off this weekend just passed, pitting the best European international squads from France, Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales against each other in a gruelling six-weeks of test matches. Ireland, the defending champions began their campaign in Rome against Italy on Saturday with a young debutant, Ian Keatley, playing in the crucial out-half position.
Patrick’s Monday Vista #3- Where in the World?
Taking your business international is an extended journey along a route with many milestones, obstacles, defeats and victories. At first, many start their international adventure importing and exporting, whether by necessity, design or accidental opportunity. Later some progress on to limited foreign production, distribution or sales, using in-market partners. Later still, others may pursue the international voyage to full-scale foreign direct investment becoming truly multi-national businesses.
Patrick’s Monday Vista 2- Invest in Yourself
The French Economist, Thomas Piketty’s best-selling book ‘Capital in the Twenty-First Century’ has attracted as much praise as it has criticism. However, whether or not you agree with Piketty’s diagnosis and remedies for inequality in society it is hard to disagree when he states that the main force for the reduction of inequality in the world is the “diffusion of knowledge and investment in training and skills”.
Patrick’s Monday Vista- Shale Oil and what it Means for your Business
The geopolitical effects of the advent of North American shale oil have been rapid and spectacular in late 2014 with the US reinforced as a global power and the likes of Russia, Venezuela, Iran and others cast onto the back foot on the global stage. In our own pockets we will have noticed the sharp drop in the cost of filling the tank at the pumps over the Christmas holidays. As the US economy powers ahead, European export companies are now faced with the opportunities presented by a lower Euro-Dollar exchange rate combined with historically low interest rates and falling energy costs.
