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A direct relationship exists between stress and globalisation – i.e. transnational corporations and transnational economics – according to a recent study published in the Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities. The study, by an international research team in Thailand and Canada, analysed the relationship between globalisation and stress in a sample group of Thai farm workers. Eight years ago, the Thai government began mapping social protection strategies for various occupational groups including rural agricultural workers. Earlier studies had shown that agricultural workers accounted for the highest percentage of all workers, and that more than 30% of them were in debt. Globalisation, also defined as global capitalism, is a well-known dynamic of the twenty-first century. Its effects on health are complex and depend on a variety of factors, including income distribution and the presence (or absence) of resources to support physical and mental health. In the study, the researchers developed a survey based on the hypothesis that a number of factors – including fewer landowners, increased control of scientific management, and increased integration of local and global markets impacting the prices of agricultural goods – has resulted in stress among Thai rural workers. The survey involved 600 rural workers from different areas of Nakhon Pathom province in central Thailand. All the workers were in transition from an existing production system to a new one. Levels of perceived stress were measured using a test developed by the Department of Mental Health in Thailand. The results showed a direct relationship between transnational corporations or translational economics (an umbrella term that broadly describes the economic clout of multinational companies) and stress. The survey also reported that 75% of the respondents had poor health, with stress appearing to be their most frequent illness. The researchers noted that transnational practices, which are associated with mass […]

The World Bank is in the process of reviewing, updating and strengthening its environmental and social policies that serve to protect vulnerable people and the environment in World Bank investment projects. On July 1, 2015, the Committee on Development Effectiveness (CODE) of the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors authorized a third phase of consultations on a revised (second) draft of the proposed Environmental and Social Framework and requested the preparation of an accompanying document to outline certain issues that require further attention. The text of the entire revised framework, as well as the issue summary, was made publicly available today. Consultations will begin immediately. “This revised draft is the result of a robust – in fact, an unprecedented – consultation with World Bank shareholders and stakeholders,” said Hartwig Schafer, World Bank Vice President for Operational Policy and Country Services. “The level of engagement and the caliber of feedback has been excellent, which shows in the revised draft. The proposed Environmental and Social Framework would substantially expand the scope of coverage from our current policy, and would help to ensure that project risk is managed more consistently and effectively.” The proposed framework presents a risk- and impact-based approach to protecting the environment and people, and features a strong emphasis on risk management and achieving sustainable development outcomes over the life of projects; broadened social assessment and management of environmental and social risks; greater clarity of the roles and responsibilities of the World Bank and Borrower; increased harmonization with development partners and recognized good international practices; and renewed and strengthened partnerships with borrowers. “We are well on our way to having ‘leading edge’ environmental and social standards that are clear, stronger and more comprehensive than our current safeguards, and that support our goals of ending poverty and promoting shared prosperity,” said […]

Nestlé has handled a product safety scare stunningly badly, appearing to have learnt little from its multinational experience over many decades Nestlé has found itself in hot water in India after the local food safety regulators said the company’s instant noodles contained unsafe levels of lead and traces of monosodium glutamate (MSG), contrary to the food’s labelling. Nestlé’s handling of the situation has created a new case study on how not to handle a crisis. First, let’s look at the potential and actual severity of the crisis and the damage. Maggi, Nestlé’s instant noodles brand, has been a household name in India for 30 years. According to market estimates, Maggi contributes more than 20% of the $1.5bn annual sales Nestle has in India. Maggi accounted for 60% of India’s noodle sales last year, according to a Euromonitor report. Maggi ranked among the top five most trusted brands last year in a survey-based ranking issued by India’s leading business newspaper the Economic Times. Nestle introduced instant noodles to India, where noodles were not previously part of the culinary culture and instant food was not common. An aggressive advertising campaign with a catchline of “two-minute noodles” proved so effective that Maggi became the breakfast of choice for parents struggling to get their children ready for school in the morning. The advertised idea of a delicious and nutritional meal that could be cooked in just two minutes appealed to millions. Maggi became a preferred snack for children, singletons and working couples. In more recent years, hundreds of thousands of Maggi stalls have opened across the country making it a popular street food. First signs of trouble ignored The first sign of trouble emerged on 30 April this year when the local food safety regulator in Lucknow, the capital of the most populous state […]

Commuter families normally consist of dual-career marriages that choose to establish separate homes to fulfill their career commitments. Around the world, the numbers of dual-income, dual-household families is on the rise, fuelled by such reasons as the desire of spouses to improve their lifestyle, obtain a higher family income, or pursue better opportunities for career advancement. However, in Malaysia, the most common reason (44.4%) that married couples adopt a “commuter family” lifestyle is that they are required to by their employers, according to a recent study published in the Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities. Conducted by researchers at the Universiti Putra Malaysia, this study is the first in Malaysia to investigate the challenges faced by long-distance commuters and their families. The study involved families based in Klang Valley that had one spouse working outside this region. Commuter families normally consist of dual-career marriages that choose to establish separate homes to fulfil their career commitments. However, life for these families can be challenging and difficult to manage due to such factors as the time spent travelling back and forth every week, increased expenditures and financial cost, as well as changes in the relationship dynamics with spouses, family and friends. According to the study, among commuter families, more men than women (60.2% versus 39.8%) work away from home in Malaysia. However, no gender differences were observed in terms of how commuting impacts personal wellbeing. Overall, the study found that most respondents have a negative perception of their commuting lifestyle (80.6% of males versus 96.5% of females). “This may be because the majority of these commuters not only did not choose to work away from home and their families, but also they did not receive any financial incentive or stipend to cover commuting expenses such as accommodation, transport or food while […]

This article is an edited extraction from No Ordinary Disruption: The Four Global Forces Breaking All the Trends to be be published on May 12 by Public Affairs. -McKinsey. In the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, one new force changed everything. Today our world is undergoing an even more dramatic transition due to the confluence of four fundamental disruptive forces—any of which would rank among the greatest changes the global economy has ever seen. Compared with the Industrial Revolution, we estimate that this change is happening ten times faster and at 300 times the scale, or roughly 3,000 times the impact. Although we all know that these disruptions are happening, most of us fail to comprehend their full magnitude and the second- and third-order effects that will result. Much as waves can amplify one another, these trends are gaining strength, magnitude, and influence as they interact with, coincide with, and feed upon one another. [sam id=”1″ codes=”true”] [sam_block id=”1″] Together, these four fundamental disruptive trends are producing monumental change. 1. Beyond Shanghai: The Age of Urbanisation The first trend is the shifting of the locus of economic activity and dynamism to emerging markets like China and to cities within those markets. These emerging markets are going through simultaneous industrial and urban revolutions, shifting the center of the world economy east and south at a speed never before witnessed. As recently as 2000, 95 percent of the Fortune Global 500—the world’s largest international companies including Airbus, IBM, Nestlé, Shell, and The Coca-Cola Company, to name a few—were headquartered in developed economies. By 2025, when China will be home to more large companies than either the United States or Europe, we expect nearly half of the world’s large companies—defined as those with revenue of $1 billion or […]