May 2012

Within weeks from now the artistic benches destined for the 50+20 “Emerging Benchmarks” exhibit and collaboratory prototypes will arrive in Rio de Janeiro. 50+20 will host “guerrilla business school” sessions…

The Economy is very much the de facto bogeyman of the twenty first century: the Pulveriser of Watertight Portfolios, the Marauder of Mortgages, the Bane of Banking. However, as a…

What did Adam Smith really invent in 1776 — the “sweatshop” or the “brain trust?” With typical human laziness, we tend only to read the first pages of the Smith’s “Wealth of…

What does the world really want from business schools in the 21st century? What should we do about it? The European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) recently hosted a rather different kind…

By Paul Shrivastava. French Version published in La Presse, Montreal “Coup de semonce”, October, 29, 2011 Some have called it business bashing, others hope it fuels increased corporate accountancy. Regardless of labels,…

We are consuming our planet. The 2004 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) confirmed that our society has measurably altered global ecosystems over the last 50 years. These changes have brought undeniable economic gains…

Until fairly recently, modern humans wandered the Earth in small bands across a bountiful, seemingly endless landscape. The idea of a limited world was largely ignored. Until half a century ago, there…

During the weeks prior to the frenetic rush of Rio+20 I will publish a series of posts which broadly address 50+20’s ideas, triumphs, doubts and ‘learning experiences’. We suspect Rio+20…

In late 2011 seventy economics students walked out of their professor’s class in order to draw attention to the course’s neoliberal inclinations and perceive short-sighted approach. The walkout raises questions…