Hard times for Multinationals and Globalization

The return of economic nationalism and protectionism are leading towards a more difficult geo-political situation for large multinational corporations. Writers at The Economist suggest that the financial and operational advantages of globalism and off-shoring were already being eroded even before the election of Donald Trump.

The war of the supermarkets

2016 was the year of the supermarket wars as low-cost options Lidl and Aldi forged ahead in market share amid losses from some of the big four UK supermarkets, and it looks as though the trend is set to carry on in 2017.

Aldi's latest announcement that they will increase the minimum wage of their workers above the national living wage (thereby claiming that their employees will be the highest paid in the sector) is set to further increase their popularity. Looking at this from a business perspective (not ignoring that this may just be a genuinely magnanimous move), this is an excellent marketing strategy. Not only does is create goodwill towards the brand, but it also brings into question the actions of the other supermarkets. If Aldi can provide good quality products to consumers for a low cost (based on the fact that they regularly perform well in industry awards) while also paying their staff well, then why can't or don't their competitors?

The war of the supermarkets might be ongoing, but Aldi definitely seems to have won this battle.

Streaming places music industry on the road to recovery

Thanks to music streaming The US music industry is on track for a second consecutive year of growth for the first time since the late 1990s, before piracy and the internet corroded sales. The growth in streaming has tipped analysts at Macquarie to predict global recorded music revenues will double in the next decade, reaching $30bn by 2025.

Opportunities and challenges for expatriate workers

Alicia Clegg looks at the challenges faced by professionals returning to their home country after completing international assignments.

Is the Uber boom over?

A UK court this week ruled that Uber is in fact an employer - a decision which Uber is determined to appeal against, and clearly isn't happy with, given the ramifications of such a decision. At the minute, Uber is not globally recognised as having employees, but rather as having self-employed contractors - the difference of course being Uber's responsibilities and the workers' rights under Employment Law (as noted here in the FT).

The important part of this decision is that UK Employment Law allows a middle ground between the disputed terms, having ruled that the Uber drivers are 'workers' rather than employees or contractors. This seems like a fairly good model, straddling the line between the drivers' protections and freedoms, giving them some benefits but not limiting the flexibility which attracted so many to the role. The big question is will the ruling stand, and if so, will countries around the world follow the UK example? And if the ruling does stand, will this negatively impact on users?

Marmite divides opinions once again...

Now that Theresa May has given a definite date for triggering Article 50, the pound has once again dropped in value. While this doesn't necessarily affect many of us immediately (unless you're planning on going on holiday soon), the news that Tesco is currently in dispute with Unilever over proposals to raise prices is something we can all find relevant. Quite apart from the possibility of Marmite becoming hard to get hold of (I'm definitely on the love it side of the debate), there are other staples such as Ben&Jerry's and, for you students, Pot Noodles at risk.

As the FT asks, what does this mean for us as consumers? And is this a smart marketing strategy on Tesco's part? They certainly appear to be fighting for their customers (although no details have been released by either company). If it is indeed a calculated move to garner positive public opinion, then hats off to them - anyone who fights for my Marmite has my vote!

How to fix culture clashes in global teams

Alicia Clegg looks at examples in which the challenges to effective cross-cultural communication were identified.