Publications

2014

1. China Center Quick Note: Don’t Hold Your Breath for the Emerging Market Sell Off
   

   April 2014 | China Center Publications

   In recent weeks, fears of a sharp correction in emerging market financial conditions caused by the Fed’s change in its monetary policy have caused consternation among investors and policy makers.

2. China Center Quick Note: RMB band-widening -- Short-term volatility, long-term vulnerability
   

   April 2014 | China Center Publications

   The Chinese central bank announced a widening of the daily trading band for the US-CNY exchange rate last month. What are the ramifications of this change for economic policy?

3. CEO Challenges in the Gulf Region
   

   April 2014 | CEO Challenge®

   CEOs in the Gulf region reported a significantly different set of priorities than did CEOs globally, with strategies that reflect the particular business challenges of a resource-rich, energy-dependent region.

4. China Center Chart of the Week: Chinese Total Factor Productivity growth appears to have flat-lined
   

   March 2014 | China Center Publications

   Chinese TFP growth has been declining continuously — from 3.1 percent during the 2007–2011 period to 0.6 percent in 2012 to zero growth in 2013.

5. Conference Board Economics Watch® Emerging Markets View
   

   March 2014 | Economics Watch Reports

   Emerging markets (EM) face a bumpy recovery road ahead, and impact on global economy in 2014 could be more significant than expected

6. Conference Board Economics Watch® European View
   

   March 2014 | Economics Watch Reports

   While europe’s short-term outlook continues to improve, risks to a sustained recovery persist.

7. Conference Board Economics Watch^® United States View
   

   March 2014 | Economics Watch Reports

   We view the winter slowdown in economic activity as a temporary pause. The eventual arrival of warmer spring weather should propel the housing and labor markets forward.

8. China Center Chart of the Week: Labor productivity growth in China continues to slow – even from its low base level
   

   March 2014 | China Center Publications

   Labor productivity is a critical indicator because it is strongly related to living standard measures. The higher the relative level of labor productivity, the greater the chance for economic expansion.

9. China Center Data Flash: Weak Jan-Feb data as expected – authorities are likely to goose growth soon
   

   March 2014 | China Center Publications

   Almost every single economic indicator that has been released through the first three months of this year – exports, industry, manufacturing, consumption, real estate, credit markets, stock markets – has disappointed.

10. Charting International Labor Comparisons
    

    March 2014 | Research Report

    Compare national labor markets and international competitiveness through charts and accompanying insights. Charts highlight labor costs, labor productivity, and other comparable indicators for up to 38 countries, including emerging economies.

11. China Center Chart of the Week: China is gaining share of global manufacturing value addition
    

    March 2014 | China Center Publications

    China’s global value chain (GVC) share in global manufacturing rose from 4.2 percent in 1995 to 16.7 percent in 2011, which is solid evidence of China’s manufacturing competitiveness.

     

12. China Center Chart of the Week: ‘Buying’ 7.5 percent growth – what would it take?
    

    March 2014 | China Center Publications

    Slowing credit growth is incompatible with a 7.5 percent growth target, unless efficiency is significantly improved.

13. Conference Board Economics Watch^® United States View
    

    March 2014 | Economics Watch Reports

    We view the current slowdown in economic activity as a temporary pause. The inclement winter weather is depressing economic activity, thus we expect a rebound when warmer temperatures arrive in the spring.

14. Future ASEAN Leader: Leading Growth and Change in a Borderless World
    

    March 2014 | Research Report

    This groundbreaking report presents insights, concerns, and opinions of participants in the ASEAN Leadership 2.0 Project on what it will take to lead business in the ASEAN region going forward.

15. Conference Board Economics Watch® European View
    

    February 2014 | Economics Watch Reports

    The outlook for the European economy continues to improve, but headwinds persist.

16. Conference Board Economics Watch® Emerging Markets View
    

    February 2014 | Economics Watch Reports

    Emerging markets weakened in 2013, and there will only be moderate improvement in 2014.

17. Conference Board Economics Watch® European View
    

    February 2014 | Economics Watch Reports

    The European recovery continues to be slow, even though optimism increases

18. China's Growth and Productivity Performance Debate Revisited - Accounting for China’s Sources of Growth with a New Data Set
    

    February 2014 | Economics Program Working Paper Series

    by Harry X. Wu January 2014 - EPWP #14 – 01

    There are several problems with official Chinese economic data that are often overlooked, including structural breaks in employment statistics and implausibly high labor productivity figures related to “nonmaterial” services.

19. Conference Board Economics Watch^® United States View
    

    February 2014 | Economics Watch Reports

    Economic growth was stronger than anticipated in the second half of 2013, and the faster pace of economic growth is expected to continue into 2014, although downside risks remain.

20. Sustainability Matters 2014: How Sustainability Can Enhance Corporate Reputation
    

    January 2014 | Research Report

    Brand recognition and reputation are among the most valuable intangible assets of any company. In turn, sustainability initiatives have the potential to significantly impact corporate brand and reputation.

21. Conference Board CEO Challenge® 2014: People and Performance
    

    January 2014 | CEO Challenge®

    While CEOs see talent as the critical link in meeting their top business challenges, the 2014 CEO Challenge survey results show a heightened focus on customers and reputation and less concern about regulation and external risk.

22. Risk Oversight: Evolving Expectations for Boards
    

    January 2014 | Director Notes

    Evolving expectations for oversight of management’s risk appetite and tolerance present challenges for boards. Boards should consider an objective-centric approach that links retained risks to strategic and foundation business objectives.

2013

1. China Center Chart of the Week: China Outlook -- Why we expect slower growth in 2014
   

   December 2013 | China Center Publications

   Our outlook for gradually slower growth in 2014 is a reflection of the current slowdown, which is part of an ongoing, structural transition of China’s economy.

2. China Center Data Flash: Divergence -- The Financial Economy Outpaces the Real Economy
   

   December 2013 | China Center Publications

   Despite higher interest rates throughout the month of November, credit extension ramped back up and real estate activity shot up as well.

3. Link between Human Capital and Sustainability
   

   December 2013 | Executive Action Report

   A good understanding of the link between human capital and sustainability can help company directors identify how investing in the right sustainability programs can drive significant improvements in human capital.

4. Reframing the Issue: New Ways to Think about Cyber Risk and Security
   

   December 2013 | Council Perspectives

   Cyber risk is just one of many operational risks, and, from a business viewpoint, mitigation of cyber risk should focus on fundamental risk management, corporate resilience, and managing human behavior.

5. China Center Commentary: The Muddle Kingdom -- LEI growth slows as policy inertia persists
   

   November 2013 | China Center Publications

   The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for China slowed in October due to weaker real estate activity.  

6. Changing Chinese Supply Chain
   

   November 2013 | Executive Action Report

   This report presents detailed information about managing supply chains in China and the characteristics of a successful risk management program.

7. Sourcing at Home: Is the United States a Viable Component of a Global Services Portfolio?
   

   October 2013 | Council Perspectives

   The United States makes a good “and/also” sourcing destination and component of a delivery services framework, but policy roadblocks still preclude it from being a viable alternative to offshoring.

8. Sharing Safety and Regulatory Information along the Value Chain
   

   October 2013 | Council Perspectives

   The challenge facing many companies is that while on the surface their supply chain may appear clear, the opposite is often true when it comes to safety and regulatory information.

9. Local Content Requirements and Strategic Workforce Planning
   

   October 2013 | Executive Action Report

   Meeting local content requirements abroad is key to a sustainable multinational business model, and HR professionals should be part of their organization’s localization efforts. Strategic workforce planning can help.

10. Corporate Sustainability Disclosure in China
    

    October 2013 | Executive Action Report

    Environmental and labor regulations abound in China, but supervision and enforcement are seriously lacking. Chinese businesses acutely need more transparency, better disclosure, and better performance in sustainability.

11. What Is Human Rights Risk? Should My Company Be Concerned about It?
    

    September 2013 | Executive Action Report

    Explore what human rights risk is, why companies should care, and how they can incorporate human rights due diligence into their business processes.

12. 2013 Summit on Sustainability Conference KeyNotes Report
    

    July 2013 | Conference KeyNotes

    Many firms no longer see a contradiction between doing good and making a profit, and are incorporating sustainability into their operations and business models.

13. Managing Contractors and Ensuring Safety in Emerging Markets
    

    May 2013 | Council Perspectives

    Although emerging markets beckon with new business opportunities, they also present major health and safety challenges that foreign investors need to clearly understand.

14. Globalization Revisited: Who Will Get the New Wave of Knowledge Process Jobs?
    

    April 2013 | Executive Action Report

    Offshoring is no longer the best or the only answer for management of knowledge process jobs, and many companies are investigating nearshore and onshore alternatives as the global competition for knowledge jobs intensifies.

15. "Just Say No": If only fighting bribery were that simple
    

    April 2013 | The Conference Board Review

    An expansive look at bribery today and how both companies and individual executives should handle sticky situations.

16. Trust No One: Understanding the price of business intelligence—and counterintelligence
    

    April 2013 | The Conference Board Review

    A former CIA agent explains that the key to business counterintelligence is to avoid ever falling victim to information thieves who may target you without your even knowing it.

17. Communicating Sustainability Leadership The Difficulty of Achieving Differentiation
    

    April 2013 | Director Notes

    The overall decline in perceived performance of sustainability initiatives for two-thirds of companies in a recent study may be the result of rising skepticism about the benefits of sustainability programs.

18. Shifts in the Supply Chain Equation Provide Opportunities for Mid-Market Companies—and Concerns
    

    April 2013 | Executive Action Report

    Constantly shifting production and transportation costs mean it’s back to the drawing board for many companies.

19. Managing the Total Workforce: Bringing Contingent Labor inside the Strategic Workforce Planning Tent
    

    April 2013 | Research Report

    Creating a total workforce management framework gives companies a holistic understanding of how they use talent today and helps them evaluate future options.

20. Looking before You Leap: SWP and Offshoring Location Decisions
    

    April 2013 | KnowlEdge Series Summaries

    HR executives and strategists can contribute to their company’s location strategy.

21. Risk Matters: Why and How Corporate Boards Should Become Involved
    

    March 2013 | Research Report

    This report specifies how to solidify defenses against multiple types of risk, and the role of the board in turning separate risk strategies into one consolidated risk management program.

22. FCPA Enforcement Trends
    

    February 2013 | Director Notes

    Compared to the blistering pace set by U.S. authorities in previous years, 2012 saw a decline in FCPA enforcement. This downturn, however, will probably be short-lived.

23. Sustainability Matters 2013: How Companies Communicate and Engage on Sustainability
    

    February 2013 | Research Report

    How are companies addressing what they have defined as their corporate sustainability responsibilities? This report provides an answer through a multifaceted examination of current sustainability practices.

24. Building an Effective Product Stewardship and Regulatory Affairs Organization
    

    January 2013 | Council Perspectives

    PSRA has expanded from narrowly managing compliance to enabling the business to pursue new products and markets, driving the need for additional skills in the function.

2012

1. Safeguarding Intellectual Property and Addressing Corruption in the Global Supply Chain
   

   December 2012 | Research Report

   Third-party intellectual property compliance would benefit from a more formal process for risk assessments, due diligence, and auditing and monitoring to ensure consistent standards are used across the organization.

2. Board Oversight of Management’s Risk Appetite and Tolerance
   

   December 2012 | Director Notes

   This Director Notes analyzes the handicaps created by current risk oversight and assurance approaches and tools, highlights six goals for boards in executing their risk oversight duties, and provides practical advice for directors on how to achieve them.

3. Preparedness in the Private Sector: 2012 Report
   

   December 2012 | Research Report

   Coordinating with organizations that provide essential services, improving supply chain flexibility, and improving employees’ ability to recover from a disaster are essential to achieving organizational resilience.

    

4. 2012 Citizenship and Sustainability Conference KeyNotes Report
   

   October 2012 | Conference KeyNotes

   The best way to ensure your organization’s operations meet society’s expectations is to embed corporate responsibility into your business practices

5. Building a Resilient Workforce: A Critical Component of Disaster Recovery
   

   September 2012 | Executive Action Report

   Resilience has traditionally been the ability of information systems, databases, and facilities to bounce back after a disaster. But true resilience requires that companies also prepare their employees to recover, both in their jobs and personal lives.

6. Leveraging Corporate Security for Business Growth and Improved Performance: The Transformative Effect of 9/11
   

   September 2012 | Council Perspectives

   Security has become a core function, embedded in disciplines like finance, law, human resources, quality, supply chain, marketing, and operations.

7. Strategic Risk Management: A Primer for Directors
   

   July 2012 | Director Notes

   This report describes the factors that are driving the need for board-level strategic risk management, outlines a strategic risk assessment process, and offers recommendations for integrating risk management in strategy execution and measurement.

8. No Company Is an Island: Building Resilient Communities
   

   June 2012 | Executive Action Report

   A business is only as resilient as the communities in which it operates.

9. Strengthening the Weakest Link: Building Resilient Global Supply Chains
   

   June 2012 | Executive Action Report

   Although the benefits of global supply chains have been significant, they have also made companies more vulnerable to disruptions.

10. Water Worries: How Incorporating Long-Term Risk into Strategic Planning Pays Off
    

    June 2012 | Council Perspectives

    How companies manage risk, opportunity, and scarcity today will determine the long-term value they create for stakeholders and society, and the world’s dwindling water resources are a pivotal case in point.

11. Answering The Conference Board CEO Challenge® 2012: Innovation Leads, Uncertainty Lingers
    

    May 2012 | Council Perspectives

    Is today’s C-suite taking full advantage of its organization’s quality executives and function as a way to answer its most pressing challenges?

12. Supplier Diversity Value Proposition: What Every Organization’s Important Stakeholders Need to Know about Supplier Diversity
    

    May 2012 | Council Perspectives

    In order to serve the needs of a changing customer base, companies should review and, if necessary, rejuvenate their supplier diversity programs.

13. Global Supply Chain Labor Standards
    

    May 2012 | Director Notes

    This report examines the adoption of supplier codes of conduct and supply chain labor policies; a framework for implementing supply chain sustainability programs, and media coverage, proxy voting guidelines and shareholder proposals related to this topic.

2011

1. Business and Sustainability in China: Company Responses to a National Priority
   

   December 2011 | Research Report

   What actions are companies taking in China to support the country's sustainable development imperatives?

2. CEO Challenge Reflections: How Socio-Economic Change Is Shaping Business Sustainability in China
   

   November 2011 | Executive Action Report

   For CEOs in China, the challenge of sustainability was ranked higher than anywhere else in the world. But how will business meet this challenge?

3. Role of the Board in Fraud Risk Management
   

   October 2011 | Director Notes

   This report discusses the role of the board in requiring, overseeing, supporting, and evaluating their organization's fraud risk management program.

4. Preparedness in the Private Sector – 2011
   

   October 2011 | Research Report

   This report is based on a survey of executives regarding their companies’ resilience planning and security planning. The survey asked about companies’ levels of physical security, IT security, business continuity, crisis management, and pandemic planning.

5. Achieving Resilience: A Systems Approach
   

   September 2011 | Executive Action Report

   A new approach to emergency preparedness is oriented toward systems and seeks resilience based on the realization that it is impossible to protect communities and organizations against crisis in a vacuum.

6. Achieving Resilience: Establishing Networks—Before the Crisis Comes
   

   September 2011 | Executive Action Report

   Having a network in place in advance of a crisis can provide a critical boost to achieving resilience.

7. Achieving Resilience: Planning for Flexibility during Crisis
   

   September 2011 | Executive Action Report

   Planning and preparation are as essential as ever, but now they must be flexible, incorporating the capacity to respond to unique developments in a crisis.

8. Environmental, Health, Safety, and Sustainability Governance: What a Difference a Few Years Can Make
   

   September 2011 | Council Perspectives

   The Chief Environment, Health, and Safety Officers’ Council survey results and analysis underscore a corporate shift of attention to sustainability as a source of business value.

9. Integrating Developing Countries into the Global Supply Chain
   

   August 2011 | Executive Action Report

   Large and small developing countries have emerged as the new frontiers of the structural change ushered in by the rise of global production and supply networks.

10. Corporate Governance and Business Preparedness
    

    May 2011 | Key Findings

    A survey of The Conference Board paints a detailed picture of how businesses are balancing security, business continuity, and operational risk management as part of governance.

11. Supplier Diversity: Helping to Enhance the Corporate Brand
    

    April 2011 | Council Perspectives

    This Council Perspectives points out how supplier diversity can create a competitive advantage for an organization and encourages leaders to think beyond the function’s traditional role.

12. Building Sustainable Integrity into Organizational Strategy and Operations
    

    April 2011 | Executive Action Report

    To protect a company's integrity, there must be a strong ethics, compliance, and integrity program in place—one that is fully integrated into the organization’s mission, strategy, and operations.

13. Bouncing Back: How Companies Approach Resilience
    

    April 2011 | Research Report

    This report seeks to better grasp the application of resilience to business preparedness.

14. What Board Members Should Know About Communicating CSR
    

    March 2011 | Director Notes

    This report discusses what to communicate (i.e., message content) and where (i.e., message channel), as well as the major factors (internal and external to the organization) that affect the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility communication.

15. Corporate Governance and Business Preparedness
    

    March 2011 | Research Report

    A survey of The Conference Board paints a detailed picture of how businesses are balancing security, business continuity, and operational risk management as part of governance.

16. Responding to Hurricanes: Lessons for Emergency Preparedness
    

    February 2011 | Executive Action Report

    This Executive Action includes issues and checklists for companies who are preparing their own response plans.

17. Taking Offshoring to the Next Level: The 2009 Offshoring Research Network Corporate Client Survey Report
    

    January 2011 | Research Report

    This report provides an overview of how the practices associated with various forms of outside sourcing have changed over time. For example, it offers evidence of how companies that offshore innovation practices are no longer driven by cost cutting, but b

18. Lean Six Sigma: Improving Performance of Business Support Functions and Services
    

    January 2011 | Executive Action Report

    This report outlines the application of Lean Six Sigma for enhancing organizational effectiveness and making fact-based decisions that improve customer satisfaction

2010

1. Best Practices in Managing Information Vendor Portfolios
   

   November 2010 | Council Perspectives

   This council perspective outlines a set of best practices to help content managers ensure the organization gets the best value for its investment in licensed information resources.

2. Preparedness in the Private Sector - 2010
   

   October 2010 | Research Report

   This report analyzes the findings of a 2010 survey on business security, and compares them to findings from prior surveys in 2007 and 2009. In 2010 a component to measure integration of the security function with enterprise risk management was added.

3. Preparedness in the Private Sector - 2010
   

   October 2010 | Key Findings

   This report analyzes the findings of a 2010 survey on business security, and compares them to findings from prior surveys in 2007 and 2009. In 2010 a component to measure integration of the security function with enterprise risk management was added.

4. Security and Privacy in Cloud Computing
   The European Regulatory Approach
   

   October 2010 | Executive Action Report

   Analysts estimate that by 2012 the size of the enterprise cloud computing business may reach $80 billion—about 10 percent of the global information technology service and enterprise software market. Despite the benefits expected from this innovation, comp

5. Risk Oversight Practices: Insights from Corporate Directors
   

   September 2010 | Director Notes

   This survey based report highlights a set of concrete emerging best practices for Risk Oversight.

6. When the Supply Chain Snaps
   

   August 2010 | The Conference Board Review

   How Cisco started to get things right after things weren't right from the start.

7. Risk and Security in Corporate Supply Chain Networks: Moving From Operational to Strategic Concern
   

   June 2010 | Executive Action Report

   Supply chain risk management is a critical strategic activity that should take center stage in the decision making of any corporation

8. Supply Chain Benchmarking: Process and Methodology
   

   June 2010 | Council Perspectives

   Supply chain operations within an organization should be constantly reviewed to identify where improvements can be made.

9. A New Era in Global Anti-Corruption: Governments Get Serious about Enforcement
   

   April 2010 | Executive Action Report

   The year 2010 has seen a surge in FCPA enforcement, producing a buzz among corporate executives that the old ways of doing business with “a wink and a nod” are over.

10. Answering the CEO Challenge: How Quality Can Drive Profitable Growth across the Organization
    

    April 2010 | Council Perspectives

    Results of The Conference Board 2010 CEO Challenge survey point to an increased global focus on corporate reputation for quality, one of the original drivers of the quality management movement.

11. Financial Services Offshoring: Moving Toward Fewer Captives and Global Cost Competitiveness
    

    March 2010 | Executive Action Report

    Financial services companies show greater interest than other sectors in contracting with large international providers and becoming more cost competitive by moving operations to lower labor cost locations

2009

1. Ethics & the Board: Integrating Integrity into Business Strategy
   

   December 2009 | Council Perspectives

   This report provides a 360-degree, high-level overview of "touch points" between issues of business integrity and the role of the governing body of a business.

2. Going Non-traditional to Create a Successful Shared Services Organization
   

   December 2009 | Council Perspectives

   Budget squeezes and demands for even greater cost savings are forcing shared services organizations to look at non-traditional approaches to help hold the line and improve efficiency.

3. Supplier Diversity in the 21st Century
   

   December 2009 | Council Perspectives

   Today the the main task of supplier diversity executives is ensuring that the organizational commitment remains intact during turbulent economic times.

4. Working at the Intersection of Human Resources, Ethics, and Compliance - The Need for Collaboration
   

   October 2009 | Research Report

   The publication pursues cultural and organizational issues that may limit this collaboration, human resources' potential leadership role, and ways of introducing metrics into the equation.

5. Building Risk Awareness into Performance: Integrating ERM and Performance Management
   

   September 2009 | Research Report

   This report explores the reasons behind the lack of ERM and performance management integration through an examination of the results of a survey of 97 senior executives.

6. Building Risk Awareness into Performance: Integrating ERM and Performance Management
   

   September 2009 | Key Findings

   This report explores the reasons behind the lack of ERM and performance management integration through an examination of the results of a survey of 97 senior executives.

7. Ethics and Compliance Enforcement Decisions – the Information Gap
   

   June 2009 | Executive Action Report

   Senior executives and corporate directors want to know whether companies have "received credit" (i.e., avoided prosecution or obtained sentence reductions) for having effective ethics and compliance programs - but such information is in short supply.

8. Frameworks for Integrating Citizenship and Sustainability into Business Strategies and Operations
   

   June 2009 | Key Findings

   This report explores the approaches of 11 North American companies with well-established citizenship and sustainability practices.

9. Offshoring Reaches the C-Suite
   

   June 2009 | Research Report

   This report distills findings and interpretations from the 2007/2008 Offshoring Research Network (ORN) survey.

10. Offshoring Reaches the C-Suite
    

    June 2009 | Key Findings

    This report distills findings and interpretations from the 2007/2008 Offshoring Research Network (ORN) survey.

11. A Leadership Prescription for the Future of Quality
    

    May 2009 | Council Perspectives

    This report, created by The Conference Board Quality Council, looks at the future role of quality throughout the enterprise.

12. Managing Reputation Risk and Reward
    

    March 2009 | Research Report

    After witnessing several companies take well-publicized hits to their reputations over the past few years, senior managers have started to pay greater attention to reputation risks.

13. Tighten Your Supply Chain to Wring Out Costs
    

    January 2009 | Executive Action Report

    This report features insights and practical advice from corporate executives and supply-chain experts, and helpful suggestions for recruiting logistic specialists.

14. Assessing Offshoring Risks
    

    January 2009 | Research Report

    This report offers an overview of several of the critical issues associated with offshoring, ranging from what to consider during initial planning to oversight of ongoing relationships with vendors.

2008

1. Preparedness in the Private Sector
   

   December 2008 | Research Report

   No one standard for business preparedness has been widely adopted in the private sector, according to this survey of over 300 senior executives. Findings are broken down by size of business, type of ownership, and industry type.

2. How Effective Information Services Can Contribute to the Bottom Line
   

   December 2008 | Council Perspectives

   The five case studies in this report demonstrate how having the right information at the right time and in the right format can create a competitive advantage and help top executives more effectively manage the bottom line.

3. Bridging the Logistical Divide: Integration of Poor Countries in Global Supply Chains
   

   August 2008 | Executive Action Report

   The growth of larger, developed world markets compounds the difficulty faced by small-market countries struggling to achieve sustainable growth and close the gap between rich and poor nations.

4. Managing Great Expectations: Reshaping Engagement Strategies to Address Stakeholders' Citizenship and Sustainability Concerns
   

   March 2008 | Executive Action Report

   It is critical that a company understand the citizenship and sustainability issues relevant to its products, services, and operations, and know how stakeholders perceive its responsiveness to those issues.

5. Going Green: Corporate Commitment to Citizenship and Sustainability Issues Takes on a Greater Role
   

   March 2008 | Executive Action Report

   North American companies have placed increased emphasis on corporate citizenship and sustainability issues over the past three years, leading to numerous changes within their organizations.

6. Finding the Right Balance: The Risks and Rewards of Third Party Ethics Programs
   

   February 2008 | Research Report

   Companies increasingly depend on third parties in the global economy, and while they institute measures to control the risk inherent in these relationships, such efforts can bring their own complications.

7. Working at the Intersection of Human Resources and Business Ethics – the Need for Collaboration
   

   January 2008 | Executive Action Report

   To be effective, corporate ethics and compliance programs must be closely aligned with standard human resources and talent management processes.

2007

1. Company Focus on the Risk of Third-Party Misconduct — A New Strategic Consideration
   

   November 2007 | Executive Action Report

   The need for partners in global markets and the pressures for high standards of
   business conduct from governments, international organizations, and NGOs mean
   increased company focus on third-party business conduct.

2. Managing for a Carbon-Concerned Future
   A Decision-Making Framework
   

   May 2007 | Research Report

   Kyoto Protocol or not, most U.S. companies are feeling pressure to measure their carbon footprints, and, for both financial and environmental reasons, to manage or lower their carbon emissions.

2006

1. Toward a Framework for Supply Chain Leadership
   

   December 2006 | Executive Action Report

   Supply chain leadership (SCL) has been largely a learn-as-you-go endeavor, with many companies learning the same lessons over and over again.

2. Universal Conduct: An Ethics and Compliance Benchmarking Survey
   

   September 2006 | Research Report

   This study documents the efforts of 225 companies to design, implement and monitor their compliance and risk assessment programs for effectiveness.

2004

1. Ethics Programs ... The Role of the Board: A Global Study
   

   February 2004 | Research Report

   This report addresses the proper role for company boards in the design, implementation, and monitoring for effectiveness of company ethics programs.

2003

1. Managing Supply Chain Risks
   

   April 2003 | Executive Action Report

   "Just-in-time" supply chain management, while providing the needed speed and visibility to operate in today's complex supply chain environment, also exposes companies to large-scale disruptions, especially in times of conflict.

2002

1. Transforming the Supply Chain
   

   March 2002 | Research Report

   This report is based on a survey of supply chain executives, who comment on organizing for the supply chain effort, the role of suppliers, and the use of new technologies (including e-purchasing and B2B marketplaces).

2001

1. When Disaster Strikes: Ensuring an Intact Supply Chain
   

   November 2001 | Executive Action Report

   Addresses the factors in place that lessened the damage to the U.S. global supply chain post-September 11th and those areas of supply chain function that were affected by the tragedy, the anthrax mail incidents, and the war against terrorism.