Economics

Are economic sanctions effective?

Economic sanctions are trade restrictions imposed on a country or group in an attempt to create economic pressure. This pressure may or may not incite behavioral change, typically political or economic in nature. Economic sanctions have long been used as a political tool between nations, but should they be used this way?

Are recessions always a bad thing?

Recessions, commonly seen as detrimental, can also foster efficiency, innovation, and economic resilience by eliminating uncompetitive businesses and encouraging structural economic reforms.

Are rent caps a good idea?

Rent caps, which set limits on permissible rent charges or cap annual rent increases during tenancies, have been adopted by many cities as a way of curbing rising rents. But do rent caps actually work? Do they keep city rents affordable? Or are they part of the problem?

Are US small business 'gone forever'?

Small businesses continue to be replaced by chain franchises. How can a small independent shop or restaurant afford to keep up with giant monopolies? Are small businesses 'gone forever'?

Can we live without oil?

Oil is a big part of society. It’s used to power cars and produce energy. Although the world relies on oil, oil has a negative rap. When burned, oil creates carbon dioxide. Global warming and the degradation of the global environment is caused by excessive carbon dioxide emissions. Would it be better if society stopped using oil or is it so reliant on oil that it would be too risky to get rid of it?

COVID-19: Are government resources better spent on public health or stimulating the economy?

Much of the world is now in lockdown to protect populations from the deadly spread of coronavirus. Yet, the US government is looking into an alternative approach. The latest statements from Donald Trump insist that 'the cure...[cannot be] worse than the disease'. These comments mark a striking policy difference to the rest of the world. Namely, they place more value on economic growth than on human life. During this unique pandemic, are government funds better spent on public health, or on stimulating the economy?

Do deficits matter?

For decades, politicians and economists have condemned deficits as evil. Today, there is a lively debate about whether deficits matter and whether there are advantages to running them. Most notably Modern Monetary Theory encourages the government to run deficits in order to achieve its objectives of full employment and investment.

Do tech monopolies stifle or spur innovation?

A technological monopoly occurs when one company exclusively controls the right to sell a service or product. A company that holds a technological monopoly is free to set prices as high or as low as they want, due to the lack of competition in the given field. This debate is centered on the role of the government in the economy and whether tech companies have an incentive to self-regulate their innovative capabilities.

Does ending climate change mean the end of capitalism?

Scientific consensus suggests we are experiencing a climate catastrophe. Many see Capitalism's drive for growth and accumulation as being incompatible with a finite planet. Do we need a new system to sustain human life?

How do we think about the shock therapy approach to economics?

'Shock therapy' — rapid, sweeping economic liberalisation — remains fiercely contested. This entry maps the debate over the approach, setting out the positions that shock therapy works and that it does not.

How does free trade affect jobs?

Does free trade help or hurt employment? This entry maps the competing positions on how free trade affects jobs — that it creates them, that it destroys them, and that it has no net effect either way.

How should we address homelessness?

A homeless individual lacks a permanent and safe nighttime residence. Approximately 150 million people worldwide suffer from homelessness. Although a wide variety of potential solutions exist, experts disagree about the correct response to this widespread problem.

How to affect globalisation for business

Is Bitcoin the future?

Since its inception since 2008, the world has looked at Bitcoin with cautious fascination. In 2013 Bitcoin started to generate interest as investors and buyers explored the possibility of Bitcoin emerging as the predominant international currency. The bursting of the Bitcoin bubble several years later did much to dampen its outlook but is Bitcoin the future of money?

Is college education worth it?

The ever-rising costs of a university degree, coupled with increasing numbers of unemployed graduates, has left the latest generation of students pondering over whether a college education is worth it. Do the benefits of a college degree outweigh the costs?

Is diversity critical to a business' financial success?

Research proves that diversity (gender, ethnic and social) can improve work place culture and productivity. Some argue that workplace diversity can increase growth or revenues, by increasing the comfort of workers and ensuring different views are represented. But does diversity really have that much of a baring on a business' success?

Is economic development a false promise for developing countries?

Is the promise of economic development a mirage for poorer nations? This entry sets out the two positions on the question — that economic development is a false promise for developing countries, and that it is not.

Is gold a good investment?

Is gold a good investment? Will it lead to capital preservation and help and investor realize a return on investment? The question is polarizing, with some investors known as "gold bugs" being obsessed by it and others being completely dismissive of gold as an investment.

Is growth investing superior to value investing?

Investors in stocks are often divided into two camps: value invests or growth investors. Over the past few years, growth as an investment factor has vastly outpaced the value factor. This has led to renewed calls of "the death of value investing."

Is inflation understated?

The Consumer Price Index is a measure of the change in prices consumers pay for different goods over time. This index is often used as a benchmark for inflation. However, the inflation levels the Consumer Price Index suggests are not without controversy. Often inflation is accused of being overstated or understated. So what is the truth? And why would it be either?

Is Multi-Level Marketing a scam pyramid scheme?

Is multi-level marketing a legitimate business model or a disguised pyramid scheme? This entry sets out the two positions on the question — that MLM is a scam pyramid scheme, and that it is not.

Is private equity good for the economy?

Private equity firms have been called "locusts" by the German chancellor Angela Merkel but proponents argue that private equity investors make companies more efficient, create economic growth and provide good economic returns to investors.

Is shale oil a sustainable business model?

The drilling of shale oil has been hailed as revolution that has brought cheap gas and oil to American and made America a net exporter of oil and natural gas. However, there is serious debate as to whether shale is a sustainable business model given the high number of bankruptcies in the sector. What are the positions on the shale operating model?

Is taxation theft?

Taxes have been raised for over 5,000 years. Without tax, so it claims, the state cannot maintain its functions and support its citizens. But some libertarians claim all taxation is immoral: the state stealing the money of the individual. Where does taxation cross the line between legitimate representation and legal plunder?

Is the gender pay gap a myth?

Under the Equal Pay Act of 1963 in the United States, an employer must pay male and female employees the same amount of money for equal work. Equal pay includes a worker’s yearly salary or hourly pay, in addition to overtime, benefits, and bonuses. The gender pay gap is the average difference in yearly earnings between male and female workers. Statistical research clearly indicates that women earn less money, on average, in a given year than their male counterparts. A debate emerges when feminists and gender equality advocates define the gender pay gap as being a form of systemic gender bias that results in women earning approximately 80 cents for every dollar a man earns. It can be argued that although women on average do earn less than men, this is not a form of conscious or systemic gender bias in the workplace, thus the gender pay gap as defined by the feminist movement does not exist.

Is tourism beneficial to developing countries?

Everywhere is a tourist destination nowadays. With flights available every hour, the possibilities are endless. However, this combined with the internet's ability to help people plan trips anywhere means that many developing countries that previously had no tourism now are flooded with them. When tourists land in a country in the midst of developing, is it beneficial to that place? Or is it detrimental?

Is Universal Basic Income a good idea?

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a program in which all people receive a regular sum of money unconditionally, regardless of employment or current wages. Proposed UBI programs vary across the world. This allows different UBI programs to align with both progressive and conservative goals. Several UBI pilot studies have been tried throughout the world, but the interpretations of results vary. UBI proponents consider many questions about logistics, economics, and human behavior: How will UBI be funded? Who will receive the income, every person or every household? Will people stop working or will greater economic stability allow them to better contribute to society?

Should billionaires pay more tax?

Should the very wealthy face higher taxes? This entry sets out the two positions on whether billionaires should pay more tax — that they should, and that they should not — weighing fairness and revenue against incentives and avoidance.

Should central banks target 2% inflation?

Inflation targeting went from being a radical view to the new orthodoxy of central banking. After most central banks have adopted it in practice, they have almost all converged on 2% as the right inflation target, although some emerging market central banks have higher inflation targets.

Should churches pay taxes?

Church tax exemption is very much debated. Although several countries require church members to pay a tax, many consider churches as tax-exempt. In discussions related to this policy, a nation’s perception of religious freedom and the common good is pivotal. Does the tax-exempt status of churches protect or violate these values?

Should corporations have "moral responsibility"?

With BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Volkswagen’s emissions scandal, and Apple’s ‘batterygate’, there is no shortage of corporations behaving in a morally reprehensible way to cut costs or increase profits. Should corporations have morals? Are business ethics important? Is it a firm’s collective responsibility to behave in an ethical way?

Should healthcare be free?

Access to healthcare is essential for our quality of life and longevity. But healthcare doesn't come cheap. Should individuals be forced to pay their own healthcare costs? Is healthcare an inalienable human right? What are the pros and cons of free healthcare?

Should startups take venture capital?

Should startups raise venture capital? This entry sets out the two positions on the question — that startups should take VC funding, and that they should not — weighing growth and resources against control and pressure.

Should the Fed remove the mandate on sustainable maximum employment and focus on price stability?

The Federal Reserve currently has a dual mandate: (1) price stability; and (2) maximum sustainable employment. The original purpose of the Federal Reserve system, signed into law in 1913 by then President Woodrow Wilson, was to essentially provide effective management of the national currency and provide oversight of the banking system for nationwide financial stability. However, in 1977, the Federal Reserve Act was amended to include the second mandate regarding maximum sustainable employment. But what happens when the two mandates become a potential conflict of interest?

Should the wealthy pay more taxes?

Western societies have become more economically unequal, with a small minority holding the majority of the wealth while public services continue to decline. The back drop of austerity has made this inequality even starker, leading many to question whether the richest should be paying more to help fund public services?

Should there be a tax on sugar?

When buying groceries you usually get a receipt and on the receipt is a section for the tax. Now the tax varies from state to state but despite what people might think it’s not the individual items that have a tax on them. Sugar itself is untaxed but people are starting to wonder if it should be.

Should we break up the Big Tech companies?

Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft and others are now some of the largest and most powerful corporations in world history. Their reach is global, their resources and power eclipsing all but the largest nations. With their monopolies on entire market sectors and their political impact, has Big Tech become detrimental to the public good?

Should you give money to beggars?

For people fortunate enough to have extra money in their pockets, giving it away can be fraught with stress. The decision to give or not to give money to homeless people has real-world consequences. This question is not concerned with the legality of giving money, but rather with the moral and ethical dilemma that goes along with it.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of companies being 100% employee-owned?

In some countries like the UK, company ownership has begun to trend towards employee-ownership (also called ESOPs). This allows essential employees to become shareholders in a given company. Despite the advantages this can afford founders, there are also some disadvantages that can entail with this approach to running a company.

What are the positions on a minimum wage?

A minimum wage, which sets the lowest legal wage a company can pay its workers, is designed to prevent exploitation. Its backers argue the pros, including guaranteeing low-income workers a liveable wage, outweigh the cons. But who really benefits from a legally mandated minimum wage?

What are the pros and cons of capitalism?

Capitalism is an economic system in which the four factors of production (entrepreneurship, capital goods, natural resources, and labor) are owned by private entities with the aim of generating a profit. Capitalism requires a free market economy driven by supply and demand. There is a lack of government intervention. Competition helps keep prices moderate and production efficient. This stands in opposition to socialism, a system in which the means of production are owned by the state.

What are the pros and cons of monopolies?

The word monopolies has negative connotations in economic history, but recently monopolies have been praised by people such as Warren Buffett and Peter Thiel. The arguments for and against are not new, but now they have better empirical support.

What are the views on the US - China trade war?

Donald Trump's protectionist economic policies led to the introduction of tariffs on $550 billion worth of imports from China. President Xi Jinping responded with tariffs of his own, affecting some $185 billion worth of US-made products. As the two global economic behemoths enter a trade war, what are the implications for both economies and the rest of the world?

What is the best way to increase monthly recurring revenue from $1 million to $10 million in a software as a service business?

What are the best practices for growing software as a service (SaaS) businesses at scale? Business leaders and managers have different approaches and experiences with this type of work. But what works best for increasing monthly recurring revenue (MRR)?

What is the solution to youth unemployment?

What is the best remedy for youth unemployment? This entry maps the proposed solutions — education and training programmes, better access to capital for young people, skills matching, and universal internet access.

Who should bear the cost of public tertiary education?

The cost of tertiary education varies across the world. With many expenses to cover including room and board, basic utilities and salaries for professors, how should these operating costs be funded? This debate revolves around equity, socio-economic factors, and the role of tertiary education in society.

Will AI take our jobs?

Since the dawn of the information age, society has worried about artificial intelligence replacing human labour. We are now seeing rapid advances being made in this technology that makes the question of critical importance. What will the future of automation look like, and will AI take our jobs?

Will coronavirus destroy the global economy?

How will the coronavirus pandemic affect the global economy? The virus is fast spreading across continents, causing major corporations to close their offices and airlines to go bust. Coronavirus has already been blamed for the record-breaking one day fall in the US economy. What's next?

Will coronavirus herald the end of capitalism?

The US is already experiencing record unemployment, and stock markets are crashing all over the world. The economic impact of coronavirus is already huge. Does this mean the end of capitalism? Or are we reading too much into this economic shock? Previous economic crashes, such as 2008, made no change at all to the global capitalist economy, so why would coronavirus?

Will Medicare for All work?

Medicare is currently a program that provides healthcare support for millions of Americans. It is seen by many as a vehicle that could be expanded to help extend coverage to all Americans. But should this be done?

Will private firms win the race to Venus?

Will private companies be first to reach Venus? This entry sets out the positions on whether private firms will win the race to the planet, against the view that they will not, as commercial spaceflight expands.

リーダーという仕事は、オンラインで完結できるだろうか？　Can the role of leader be completed online?

DIAMONDハーバード・ビジネス・レビュー（DHBR）2020年7月号（以下、今月号）の特集は『リーダーという仕事』。コミュニケーションのあり方が変わろうとしている現状において、自分の関心は「リーダーという仕事は、オンラインで完結できるだろうか」にある。今月号を読みながら、この問いを考えてみたい。(ブログ：https://wp.me/p1ggRB-NO を参照）

実験する文化の肝は何か？ What is the most important to build a culture of experimentation?

Harverd Business Review March–April 2020の特集は”Creating a Culture of Experimentation: Good tools aren’t enough. You need a total change in attitude.”となっており、つまりは文化を特集していた。この文脈から、実験する文化の肝を改めて問うことで、本質理解につなげたい。

実験の民主化に何が必要か？ What is needed to democratize experimentation?

科学的検証に実験的手法は欠かせない。どれだけ正論的アプローチが幅をきかせていても、実験的アプローチが皆無な組織はまずないだろう。一部の部署が仮説検証を繰り返し、そこで作られた手順などを他の部署がオペレーションとして回すような構造は、以前の環境下では強みであったが今では弱みになりつつある。この点はハーバード・ビジネス・レビュー（DHBR）2020年6月号の『日本企業が「実験する組織」に変わる方法』で、特にP73において強く記述されているところ。本稿で提言されている「実験する組織」に変貌するには「実験の民主化」は欠かせない。では、実験の民主化に何が必要なのだろうか？

組織は環境という外部性をどのように内部に取り込むべきか How should organizations internalize the externalities like environment?

DIAMONDハーバード・ビジネス・レビュー（DHBR）2020年8月号の特集は『気候変動』。今まで組織の外の課題として扱われていた「環境」が、かなりの程度、組織の課題として見られるようになってきた。どうしてそうなったのか、現在の構図と対応策を今月号から読み解いてみたい。(参考ブログ：https://toshimitsuhara.wordpress.com/ ）