Are troubles in China a significant risk to the global economy? April 7, 2014 YES George Magnus AMID the market fragility of recent years, China has been an island of security. But growth is falling and a nascent credit bubble, which the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) is trying to quell with tough new measures, are starting to play on the nerves of investors. The fall in the renminbi, [...]
Getting it done: How to conquer ineffectiveness April 7, 2014 A new book finds that making progress is about more than to-do lists WHEN asked how to write a novel, Ernest Hemingway responded, “First, you defrost the refrigerator.” And today – when we can be pulled away from important tasks by the ring of our newest gadget – few are immune from the temptation to [...]
Cutting down on digital distractions April 7, 2014 Taking a break from emails and fitting your browser with productivity tools will boost concentration IT’S EASIER than ever to get distracted online. And whether it’s constantly dipping in and out of the rolling news cycle, responding to unimportant emails, or browsing social media, digital diversions are one of the most destructive office habits – [...]
Cutting down on digital distractions April 6, 2014 Taking a break from emails and fitting your browser with productivity tools will boost concentration IT’S EASIER than ever to get distracted online. And whether it’s constantly dipping in and out of the rolling news cycle, responding to unimportant emails, or browsing social media, digital diversions are one of the most destructive office habits – [...]
Another FCA blunder: Draconian crowdfunding rules threaten innovation April 3, 2014 HERE’S a question for all you clever City A.M. readers. What did the UK’s financial regulator do recently to provoke the following quote? “On a day like today, one has to wonder whether the Financial Conduct Authority is the worst regulator in the Western world.” You might well guess that it was the FCA’s cock-up [...]
How to use game theory at the office April 3, 2014 Defecting may be a dominant strategy, but cooperation and being a risk-taker can also pay GAME theory isn’t often associated with day-to-day life. Developed as a mathematical technique for studying complex, multi-party interactions (by the likes of John Nash, famously portrayed by Russell Crowe in the film A Beautiful Mind), it’s probably best-known as the [...]
Networking: It’s time to go offline April 2, 2014 In the age of hyperconnectivity, don’t forget the importance of face-to-face relationships RESEARCHERS at MIT may have developed an algorithm that digitally transforms faces to be more memorable, but research from EY this week suggests that no conference call or email will ever capture the effect of meeting someone in person. Behavioural scientists have long [...]
Allister Heath to leave City A.M. New editor will lead digital expansion April 2, 2014 City A.M., London’s most popular business newspaper, today announces that its editor, Allister Heath, is to leave the company. Heath, 36, is to join the Daily Telegraph as deputy editor. Heath has edited City A.M. for six years, during which time the free daily title has gained readers and influence in the capital’s business community [...]
Cable refuses to apologise over Royal Mail sale April 2, 2014 BUSINESS secretary Vince Cable yesterday refused to apologise over the privatisation of Royal Mail despite mounting criticism that the postal operator had been sold off too cheaply. In a heated House of Commons debate, Cable said “the last thing” he intended to do was apologise and that taking a more aggressive approach on pricing would [...]
Any Other Business – 02/04 April 2, 2014 FOLLOWING more than two years of slapping banks on the wrist as the media officer of the Treasury Committee and the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, James Abbott is off to work for one. He starts his new role as group media relations officer at RBS tomorrow, having finished in parliament yesterday. Good job RBS [...]