BizKnowledge Watch

The report is available online.

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Synopsis

With penetrating insights for today, this vital history of the world economic collapse of the late 1920’s offers unforgettable portraits of the four men whose personal and professional actions as heads of their respective central banks changed the course of the 20th century.

This book is the winner of the 2009 Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award (http://www.ft.com/indepth/book-award-2009) – teaches a forceful lesson to the world’s economic policymakers.

For more information, click here.

You can find this title in IESE’s Library catalog.

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The UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has just published the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2009: Trade-Led Recovery and Beyond. The study provides an in-depth analysis of recent trends and developments in trade and investment in the region just prior to and during the current crisis and seeks to explore issues related to the formulation of inclusive and sustainable trade. It also examines how regional integration contributes to development, and whether private enterprise should continue to pursue “business-as-usual.”

The full report is available here.

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Internet search giant Google has emerged as the most sought after company among business as well as engineering graduates, according to the world’s Top 50 most attractive employers, compiled by Universum. Google is followed closely by Pricewaterhouse, in second place, and rival Microsoft, in third place.

This is the first global index of employer attractiveness and it highlights the world’s most powerful employer brands: those companies that excel in talent attraction and retention. The global rankings are based on the employer preferences of students from the U.S., Japan, China, Germany, France, the U.K., Italy, Russia, Spain, Canada and India.

You can view the complete rankings here.

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La Caixa is viewed as the financial institution with the best reputation in Spain – a status it has enjoyed since as far back as 2002 -, according to this year’s edition of Merco Financial Brands, a highly-respected business ranking survey conducted by the Spanish Monitor of Corporate Reputation (MERCO).

The ranking is based on the results of 2,000 interviews with anonymous individuals, who awarded La Caixa the highest points in areas such as quality of service, guarantees, ethics and social responsibilities. The Caixa was followed in the ranking by Banco Santander, BBVA, Bancaja and Caja Madrid in second, third and fourth place, respectively.

 Click here to see the full list.

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This report by KPMG identifies commonalities and variations in the financial reporting practices of central banks. The study focuses on the annual reports of 13 central banks from around the globe. It also contains an essay by IMF staff on the range of financial safeguards adopted by the various central banks.

The report is freely available on the KPMG website.

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Finland is the world’s most prosperous country in financial terms and in terms of the quality of its democratic and bureaucratic institutions, according to the Legatum Prosperity Index. Finland is followed by Switzerland and Sweden in second and third place, respectively while Spain was ranked 19^th.

The annual ranking developed by the Legatum Institute, a privately-funded London-based think-tank, ranks 104 countries (covering 90 percent of the world’s population), based on a definition of prosperity that combines economic growth and measures of happiness and quality of life.

You can view the complete ranking here.

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The European central Bank has just published the October 2009 Euro Area Bank Lending Survey. The report presents the results of the survey conducted from September 14 to October 2, 2009. 118 euro area banks participated in the survey, leading to a response rate of 100 percent.

The study shows that euro-zone credit strains appear to be easing, but gradually, underscoring the fragility of the region’s recovery. While banks are still being restrictive in granting loans, there are signs that their caution is starting to ease. Other positive signals in the ECB survey include the evolution of demand for home loans, which accelerated during the third quarter.

The full report is available on the web.

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Capgemini has presented a new report on the car industry based on a survey of more than 3,100 consumers in eight countries. It identifies a number of key trends which underscore the importance of understanding consumer-buying behavior in today’s turbulent climate. The survey reveals current car-purchasing trends, including the strong shift towards green vehicles, the increasing convergence of buying behaviors in mature and developing markets, and the growing signs of recovery in the industry. 

The report is available to download from the Capgemini website (pre-registration is required).