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Sustainable Investment Funds Can Encourage Worse Behavior

The Horizons Tracker

Subsequently, leveraging historical data, the researchers evaluated the responses of the highest and lowest polluting groups to fluctuations in their capital costs, an impact similar to the objectives of the sustainable investing movement.

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Entrepreneurship Suffers When Well-Paid Jobs Are Plentiful

The Horizons Tracker

A few years ago I wrote about innovation and entrepreneurship in Norway and Qatar. The author believes that while lower costs of capital would certainly help raise the entrepreneurship rate, it would be most beneficial to entrepreneurs with lower skills. Positive or negative?

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4 Ways Leaders Can Get More from Their Company’s Innovation Efforts

Harvard Business Review

A recent McKinsey report found that while 84% of corporate executives think innovation is key to achieving growth objectives, only 6% are satisfied with the innovation performance of their firm. Even if executives try to prioritize it, innovation often gets crowded out by more “urgent” short-term pressures.

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The Case for Investing More in People

Harvard Business Review

We know that great ideas that drive breakthroughs in productivity come from human beings with the time, talent and energy to innovate. One step in reversing this trend is to start treating hours like dollars, with a real opportunity cost. Both Kaizen events and Agile sprints are investments in innovation and human capital productivity.

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What U.S. CEOs Should Do with the Money from Corporate Tax Cuts

Harvard Business Review

The cost of capital is at historic lows, averaging below 6% for most large U.S. Indeed, for most companies, the value of accelerating growth greatly exceeds the value of returning capital to shareholders. Investing in true innovation. The lower the discount rate, the more that future cash is worth.)

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Should Companies Retain "Strategic" Cash?

Harvard Business Review

Strategic cash usually is invested in high quality short-term securities; this ensures safety and liquidity, but produces a meager return on investment—especially in a low interest rate environment—and does not achieve the company's cost of capital. How Should You Approach Strategic Cash?

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Shutting Down Stores Doesn’t Have to Be Bad for Business

Harvard Business Review

Managing death more effectively can provide numerous benefits: It can boost profits significantly, lower the cost of capital, and reduce complexity in operations, which can improve the performance of concepts that are in the early and midlife stages. There are individuals — and even firms — that specialize in liquidations.)

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