Three trends to impact business in 2017
The year 2016 marked a time of new beginnings, rapid changes and uncertainty. This is especially true in Latin America and the Caribbean’s private sector. Looking back, we see three trends that impacted the year and will define what is to come.
The business case for buying less, but good stuff
I dare you: Can you buy nothing for a whole day? I know it sounds tough, but this was the idea behind the first day of No Impact Week at the IDB – No Consumption Day.
Corporate Governance: A match made in heaven or a relationship on the rocks?
As in romance, a company and its corporate governance structure can be a match made in heaven. Together they can ensure greater competitiveness, transparency and access to international financial markets. Consequently this attracts more investors to the country. And while the “perfect marriage” does not exist, when it comes to family business, corporate governance fosters harmony. If handled poorly, it can put the relationship on the rocks, making it problematic, uncomfortable, and at risk of corporate failure.
Diversity and financial returns in higher education in Peru
How the Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola revolutionizes access to higher education while still staying competitive By Bettina Boekle, Social Sustainability Specialist, IDB Would you believe me if I told you that in a large, prestigious Peruvian university, 97 percent of the students receiving a governmental scholarship self-identified as indigenous and speak numerous native languages amongst themselves? Yes, the 97 percent is real. Less and less is higher education in Peru attainable only for the upper class. Thanks to scholarship program Beca 18, Peru is offering free access to higher education for students from low-income families and remote areas of Peru. And the Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola (USIL) is becoming a more diverse institution. To offer more entry points, for example to a growing emerging middle class, this week USIL and the IDB are officially launching an innovative student guarantee fund coupled with a clear implementation map around the principle of shared value.
Sharing is caring: Two solutions for more sustainable living
Have you ever considered how much you use your most valuable items? A personal automobile, for example, is only used five percent of the time – even less in urban areas. Fortunately, private and public sector actors are realizing how little we use individual items and proposing unique ways to be a bit more utilitarian, environmentally-conscious and community-oriented. The key is sharing.
Can innovations in healthcare technology leapfrog to better solutions?
In our experience at the IDB, healthcare systems in many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) suffer from severe resource constraints. Competing health priorities, budget restrictions, staff shortages and general technological deficiencies leave large segments of the population without basic treatment.