Tag Archives: experiment

Top 10 Economics Blogs

  By hmteam • May 30, 2016

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Every business leader needs to stay up-to-date with the economics world. While academic journals on the subject are abundant, blogs have taken over. You’ll find top economists, academics and the like offering valuable analysis and arguments that you should be reading.

Here are some blogs you need to check out.

  1. Grasping Reality

This blog is called Grasping Reality. It is run by the well-known financial economist and economic historian Brad DeLong, who is associated with the University of California at Berkeley. He was one of the first bloggers in this field and combines the political-polemic style of Blogosphere 1.0 with many links to expand on his points.

  1. Paul Robin Krugman – The New York Times

Paul Robin Krugman is an American economist. In 2008, he was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to New Trade Theory and New Economic Geography. He writes on a wide range of economic issues including international economics, macroeconomics, income distribution and taxation. Krugman considers himself a modern liberal and expresses strong political views as well.

  1. longandvariable

Tony Yates is a professor in the UK. Previously, he spent two decades working with the Bank of England. He has a reputation for witty commentary and being brutally honest whether it is aimed at market monetarist bloggers, heterodox economists or those opposing central banks. You’ll find lots on monetary policy and macro on the blog too.

  1. mainly micro

This blog by Simon Wren-Lewis is for both economists and non-economists. A professor of Economic Policy at Oxford University, he can keep you well informed with debates on macroeconomic methodology. His posts are long and detailed; so settle down with some coffee.

  1. A Fine Theorem

A Fine Theorem is a summary of economics research conducted by Kevin Bryan, an Assistant Professor of Strategy at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management. His interests lie in the fields of innovation, micro theory and philosophy/methodology but his posts cover much more than that. For those of you who are research-oriented in your approach, this blog is perfect.

  1. Wall Street Journal

This Wall Street Journal blog keeps up with trends. You’ll find honest insights and analysis that you can relate to both everyday life and the industry. For example, one of the latest posts discusses how more young adults are living with their parents even though this isn’t a recession period.

  1. MISH’S Global Economic Trend Analysis

Although Mish Shedlock is an investment advisor based in the United States, he is an expert at getting the facts and stories from all over the globe. You’ll find everything from the French elections to the economics of Black Friday.

  1. Macro and Other Market Musings

David Beckworth is on the faculty at West Kentucky University (USA) and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute. He’s also a former economist at the US Department of Treasury. He has done research on the assessment of monetary policy, the transmission mechanisms through which it works and its impact on economies. When you follow his blog, you’ll find posts about most countries and continents.

  1. Freakonomics

You have probably read the book, Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven Levitt, an economist at the University of Chicago, and Stephen Dubner, a journalist. Well, the authors created a blog soon after to keep the conversation going that started with their book. This blog stands out for its cool news and fun way of looking at economics. You’ll find plenty of podcasts too.

  1. New Economic Perspectives

This website brings you multiple blogs in one. It offers policy advice and economic analysis contributed by a group of American economists, legal scholars, academics and financial market specialists. They created the blog to focus on the serious challenges facing the global economy after the financial crisis in 2007. You’ll find articles that elaborate on the causes of economic issues as well as suggestions for policymakers. It’s a great site to get many perspectives.

Take advantage of these great resources. The sphere of economics is a fascinating world.

Which are your must-visit blogs? Don’t forget to share your favourites in the comments below.

Embracing Technology Disruptions

  By hmteam • November 7, 2015

Technology is here to stay. But it isn’t going to stay still. Most companies are taking the challenge head on by embracing the frequent disruptions that characterise the technology landscape. They are investing in mobile devices, social media, cloud computing and big data to keep customers engaged. Insights are collected obsessively because this is where a business can succeed or fail. You, as an individual, have to take the volatility in your stride.

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Here’s how:

Be Willing to Experiment

The role of technologies has been shifting. Interaction is never a one-way street. Customers are using social media to let their grievances be heard and requesting customer service. Employees are working from mobile devices. And businesses are using the cloud to execute case management and solutions. The bottom line is that you cannot hang onto the past – the past could be referring to yesterday, by the way. Change is the norm, so you need to drive change. Business strategy works hand in hand with IT; you need to support low-cost experimentation to realise new and more efficient ways of working. In other words, let the disruption lead to improvement.

Take Advantage of Accessibility

Sometimes, shifts in technology can expose you to new options. Think about third-party data centres that let organisations tap into sophisticated IT tools without having to manage equipment themselves. Also remember that hardware and software resources are offered on remotely hosted servers, or the cloud. This means that you can make experimental prototypes and test models without spending too much of your budget. Another good news is that your customers are more accessible to you because of the proliferation of smart devices. So all the feedback they give you on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites can be analysed to get better results. Research and development using the help of smarter technology is a must. You need to be a part of the change to create positive results.

Forget Static Plans

Be proactive at all times. Advancing technology is a boon if you are alert in a state of preparation for it. If you aren’t, you can lose everything. How can you stay in ready mode? Become involved in every aspect of your business, including customer feedback, markets and business strategy. Being so deeply involved will enable you to grasp the opportunities that come with the disruptions. In fact, emerging technology gives managers the space for more automation, freeing their focus for other vital matters.

Work Smart

Technology is going from a command-control relationship with humans to more of a partnership. Instead of telling the machines what to do, you’re getting feedback from them. They have perfect memory and fantastic analytical skills. But you are not supposed to let them take over. You have the ability to think, judge and make decisions based on what you’re hearing. Do those things while technology continues to change and be a better companion for you.

Some businesses try to stay stuck to their original business model and lack the flexibility to react positively to technological disruption. It’s your job to share your vision and encourage your organisation to invest in dynamic IT systems and look at marketing strategy and technology changes as two intertwined components instead of standalone features.