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China’s Slowdown: The First Stage of the Bullwhip Effect

Harvard Business Review

During an economic crisis, the exaggerated decline in orders can be especially damaging to upstream suppliers that have high fixed costs tied to production assets. Ford CEO Alan Mulally tried to mitigate the impending bullwhip during the 2008 financial crisis by imploring the U.S. The China-Sparked Crisis. automobile industry.

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The Olympics as a Story of Risk Management

Harvard Business Review

In the run-up to the London 2012 Olympics, for example, the global financial crisis caused private developers for the Olympic Village project to withdraw, requiring a refinancing package backed by government. Ensuring readiness for Games-time (in Olympic-speak) now involves strategic pre-emption through stress-testing and scenario planning.