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November 18, 2013 Is English an Economic Necessity? By The Daily Idea English is the lingua franca of the business world. So for emerging economies looking to compete in the global marketplace, an English-speaking workforce is a must. In fact, according to new research, there's a direct correlation between English proficiency and economic performance, per capita income, and quality of life. The upshot: the more money and resources a country invests in language training, the more competitive it will be.

Strategy Amazon Constantly Audits its Business Model by Karan Girotra and Serguei Netessine Sunday and same-day delivery show the company evolving -- again. Disruptive innovation China Needs a New Generation of Dreamers (and New Dreams) by Bill Fischer Plus a look at some of the ambitious dreamers already driving the country forward. Communication Don't Get Defensive: Communication Tips for the Vigilant by Mark Goulston If the other person isn't attacking you, why are you fighting them? Gender Why Men Won't Drink Diet Coke by The Shortlist "Gender contamination" is the loaded and fascinating term coined by HBS senior lecturer Jill J. Avery to describe just how uncomfortable women and (more often than not) men become when a product they use to symbolize their gender is extended to appeal to another gender. She first noticed this phenom Disruptive innovation Why Governments Should Get Behind Ridesharing by William D. Eggers and Paul Macmillan Every twenty-mile commute costs government a dollar. And that doesn't include pollution. Customers Make Sure New Features Match Your Brand by Niraj Dawar The meaning of an innovation is shaped by marketing. Health The Big Barrier to High-Value Health Care: Destructive Self-Interest by Lindsay A. Martin An initiative in the mid-Atlantic region aims to get insurers, providers, employers, and unions to work together. Health Smarter Consumer Cost Sharing Using Clinical Nuance by A. Mark Fendrick There is strong bipartisan consensus that our current level of health care spending does not deliver sufficient value in terms of individual or population health.  Since there is more than enough money in the system, our attention should turn from how much we spend to how well we spend our health care dollars.  To encourage a shift from volume to value, insurance benefits and payment models must be redesigned with the basic tenets of clinical... More » Health The Cadillac Tax: A Game Changer for U.S. Health Care by Jonathan Gruber While the current debates over the Affordable Care Act (ACA) revolve around the individual mandate and the exchanges, one of the most important features of the law doesn't take effect until 2018: the so-called Cadillac tax.  This tax represents a key public policy innovation that is a rare win-win: it will hold down health care costs while raising substantial tax revenues. The ACA is fundamentally a compromise between those who would rely on our existing... More » Education Countries with Better English Have Better Economies by Christopher McCormick Good English is a critical business tool. Customers Subprime Credit-Card Holders Are the Most Profitable by The Daily Stat Elimination of hidden credit-card fees has saved consumers billions. Decision making Larry Summers on His Decision-Making Process for the Auto Bailout by Justin Fox It was too complex to reduce to a classroom exercise.

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