Blog Posts

  • Key Strategies for Managing International Teams

    Key Strategies for Managing International Teams

    The COVID-19 pandemic challenged companies to adapt to managing remote teams, teaching important lessons in leadership. Poor management practices can diminish productivity, with micromanagement and disengagement causing significant issues. Successful international teams thrive on adaptation, fostering local insights, and innovation to enhance business performance. Effective managers engage both virtually and in-person, recognizing the value of…

  • Trump and Mercantilism: Implications for International Business

    Trump and Mercantilism: Implications for International Business

    Mercantilism, an economic theory prevalent from the 16th to 18th centuries, has seen a resurgence in the 21st century, particularly through U.S. trade policies. Trump’s “America First” strategy seeks to bolster domestic manufacturing and resource control, aligning with classical mercantilist principles. However, these approaches risk isolating the U.S. in a global economy increasingly shifting towards…

  • Beavers vs Bureaucrats

    Beavers vs Bureaucrats

    A recent news story out of the Czech Republic highlights an amusing but insightful lesson in problem-solving. Local officials had been debating for years about building dams in a protected landscape area to help restore wetlands and manage water flow. While committees deliberated, funds were allocated, and plans were drawn up, a group of beavers…

  • Are Trade Barriers Good for Business? Part 3 – Innovation in the Tech Sector & the DeepSeek Story

    Are Trade Barriers Good for Business? Part 3 – Innovation in the Tech Sector & the DeepSeek Story

    In a world where trade policies are increasingly weaponized, we find ourselves facing yet another example of the unintended consequences of protectionist measures. The emergence of China’s DeepSeek AI model is a compelling case study in what could become a recurring theme in this blog. U.S. restrictions on exporting advanced NVIDIA chips to China were…

  • Enhancing Procurement and Transparency in Indonesia

    Enhancing Procurement and Transparency in Indonesia

    The Islands of Integrity (SIPS) initiative in Indonesia aimed to reduce corruption in sub-national governments through collaboration with the Corruption Eradication Commission and ten regional administrations. Over five years, it improved public satisfaction, established operational One-Stop-Service Centers, and enhanced procurement processes, while also assisting KPK in developing new corruption diagnostic tools.