Moving upwards in a time of recession: Opportunities can outweigh the risks that companies face

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

No one would dispute that the current recession is the most serious of its kind for more than a generation. Where commentators and business people alike find difficulty establishing common ground is in a discussion about whether things are now on the up, or whether the worst is yet to come – the dreaded “double dip” of which some experts talk. For everyone in the former camp there is someone in the latter. On the BBC 1 news earlier this year, by use of a split screen, economics editor Stephanie Flanders was seen having an argument with herself about whether we should now be optimistic or pessimistic about the outlook. It illustrated the way that, for every glass‐half‐full argument, an equally valid glass‐half‐empty one can be made. Nevertheless, it's always been true in the business world that one man's misfortune is another man's opportunity and the recent economic crisis offers many cases of this process in action.

Practical implications

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

Citation

(2010), "Moving upwards in a time of recession: Opportunities can outweigh the risks that companies face", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 30-33. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777281011010514