Porter Podcast on the Financial Crisis

Bloomberg News Podcast on the economy this week features an interview with Michael Porter (he of the Five Forces theory).  He describes how he applies his 5 forces model to the current situation. 

The interview also ranges over a number of interesting topics, such as the internet's role in the economy, book prices and a particularly interesting examination of the U.S. health care system.  About a half an hour long.

Download/listen to the podcast (MP3)

BusinessWeek article on Innovation

For all you gamers, head over to Business Week Online for a look at their article:

How World of Warcraft Promotes Innovation
"This video game demonstrates in its structure and scoring some fundamental principles for training employees to think creatively"

http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jan2009/id20090114_362962.htm

If the above link has expired, access it via the Library's Business Source Complete database subscription.

IM a Librarian!

You can now reach a University Librarian via the following Instant Messenger services:

America Online (AOL) AIM: gguaskalibrarian
MSN Messenger: askalibrarian@ggu.edu

Feel free to add us to your Buddy List and then ask us for help!

As always, Reference Librarians are also available via the Meebo chat widget on the library's web site.

(Apple iChat users can also contact us by using the AOL AIM address)

Free Labor Statistics

Are you looking for international labor statistics? Well, head on over to the ILO Bureau of Statistics and check out their LABORSTA Internet database.

http://laborsta.ilo.org/

"Freely-available online database of labor statistics from 200 countries and territories. Provides yearly data on topics like total and economically active population, employment, unemployment, hours of work, wages, labor cost, consumer price indices, occupational injuries, and strikes and walkouts. Also includes household income and expenditure data. Some estimates available."

McDonald's Thriving

For those following the fast-food industry, the New York Times has an interesting article analyzing how McDonald's is thriving in the current economic situation:

It wasn’t too long ago that McDonald’s, vilified as making people fat, was written off as irrelevant. Now, six years into a rebound spawned by more appealing food and a less aggressive expansion, McDonald’s seems to have won over some of its most hardened skeptics.

The chain has managed to sustain its momentum even as the economy and the restaurant industry as a whole are struggling. Month after month, McDonald’s has surprised analysts by posting stronger-than-expected sales in the United States and abroad.

Recession Info from IBISWorld

The University Library's IBISWorld database is now including recession information in its industry reports:

To better serve our clients in this difficult time, IBISWorld has developed an immediate-term Recession Update for each industry in the U.S. economy. Each update includes quarterly forecasted growth and an in-depth look at the shifting business landscape and its immediate repercussions on each specific industry. Together the full report and provisional Recession Update can be used as a comprehensive review of long and short-term economic implications.

To view the updates visit the IBISWorld database and find the chapter named Recession Update in every report's Table of Contents.

Institute for Supply Management releases its December manufacturing report

One of the key economic reports for the U.S., compiled from a survey of corporate purchasing managers. Read the report here.