The past few years have seen growing hostility in the Russian government towards the NGO community. New laws passed last summer by the Duma, the Russian parliament, required NGOs funded from abroad to re-register themselves as “foreign agents,” a move that has prompted a great deal of international criticism by bodies such as Amnesty International. The government maintains that NGOs are vehicles for foreign interference in Russian affairs—charges that are strongly rejected by the organizations in question. GlobeScan’s data indicate … “NGOs in Russia: a challenging environment”
For some commentators, two events this week have highlighted the ascendency of the political left in Latin America. The first was the return of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to his country after months spent battling illness in Cuba. The second was the re-election of Rafael Correa in Ecuador. These events have unnerved some investors, who are wary of further regulation, taxation, and even expropriation of assets. Yet GlobeScan’s data suggest that, in the wider region, business is generally more popular … “Inequality seems to underlie political success of the left in Latin America”
At the end of last week, Twitter announced that 250,000 of its users had had their passwords stolen in a cyber attack on the company. Though just a fraction of the social media site’s 200 million users, the episode illustrates how the social media boom has increased the potential for personal details to fall into the wrong hands. Such controversies may explain why respect for the IT industry is falling. Though still the most highly regarded industry among those GlobeScan … “Despite privacy controversies, IT industry’s reputation is on solid ground”
GlobeScan’s four practice leaders sat down to identify key trends to watch out for in 2013 in the areas of reputation, brand, sustainability and engagement. See the top three trends each have identified across GlobeScan’s core areas of expertise. Corporate reputation management, while constantly evolving, is set to undergo even greater changes in the next few years. The following trends are likely to drive this accelerated evolution. Femke de Man Director, Reputation Practice Lead Read Bio | Email Femke … “2013 GlobeScan Practice Area Trends”
Two years after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, the chiefs of the world’s most powerful regulatory bodies met in Basel, Switzerland to agree new standards for banking institutions. These included requirements for banks to hold much greater capital reserves to protect against future ‘credit crunches‘ – and while banks were this week given four extra years to raise these reserves, critics say the effect of these measures will be to reduce their ability to lend. However, GlobeScan’s most … “Developed nations looking to banks to do more to help mend the global financial system”
As 2013 begins, the leadership of various international bodies is changing, with Ireland assuming the presidency of the EU, a clutch of nations joining the UN Security Council, and the UK taking charge of the G8. Despite the shifts in power apparent in the global system, the G8 remains a formidable grouping, and British Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to put free trade at the heart of the British G8 Presidency. In some respects Mr Cameron has chosen his … “Global public supports free market, less favourable to global business—can CSR heal wounds?”
The media is one of the institutions that has suffered the greatest decline in public trust over recent years, according to GlobeScan’s long-term tracking. One country where trust in the fourth estate has been in particularly short supply is the UK, and events this week have placed the media’s problems firmly back in the spotlight. Public outcry was sparked by revelations 18 months ago that a major British tabloid, the News of the World, had hacked the voice-mail of murdered … “Britons likely to favour government in media intrusion controversy”
With figures released this week indicating that the Eurozone has tipped back into recession, companies across the continent are desperately seeking to maintain their market share and revenues, even as household budgets slide. In August, Unilever’s head of European operations, Jan Zijderveld said “poverty is returning to Europe” and that companies were going to have to learn to adjust to that reality. GlobeScan’s most recent public attitudes tracking certainly shows that, while economic concern may have retreated from its 2008 … “Opportunity among the bleak times for business in Europe?”
In a slowing global economy, many nations are aiming to out-compete their rivals and offer a more attractive environment for global companies to operate in. But GlobeScan’s most recent tracking illustrates that there may be cultural factors for countries to contend with. Citizens sometimes perceive national and global companies in a different light. Trust in global and national business is certainly correlated—if a country’s citizens trust global businesses, they are also likely to trust its own national companies. However, in … “Global vs National Business: Interpreting the Gap in Trust”
Twenty years after the collapse of the USSR, Russia continues to present a difficult business environment, with an economy dominated by an elite circle close to the seat of political power. For foreign companies, navigating the nuances of the Russian system can prove particularly challenging, and GlobeScan’s latest polling demonstrates a large degree of social alienation, which could make conditions for foreign investment yet more difficult. In 2012, more Russians feel that economic wellbeing has improved over the past 20 … “Russia: Disenfranchisement, distrust—and opportunity”