The global economy faces serious risks of a second “great recession” if world leaders fail to cooperate on solutions to prevent “near-term economic divisions to devolve into deeper-seated geopolitical divisions,” write Peter Schwartz, Jonathan Star, and Nikhil Prasad Ojha in The Times of India newspaper. In this piece that demonstrates scenario thinking, the authors project the global economy is likely to go through a near-term period of low growth. The long-term prognosis then depends on the actions—or failures—of leaders to respond.

In a discussion with the “Cambodia’s Global Dialogue,” a public affairs program on the Southeast Asia TV (SEATV) channel in Cambodia, Chris Malone, a senior partner at Monitor, explains the how the firm helps governments and industries around the world assess and improve their regional and global economic competitiveness.

This white paper by experts from Monitor and Global Business Network (GBN) analyzes the impact that deep structural shifts in commodities markets will have on the competitive landscape, including the critical supply chain and business location decisions C-level executives will face as higher prices for food, fuel and minerals become permanent.

A new report funded by the Rockefeller Foundation estimates that the field of Impact Sourcing, employing socioeconomically disadvantaged people in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) centers, is currently $4.5 billion and has the potential to reach $20 billion and employ 780,000 by 2015. The report, conducted by Monitor Group, suggests a strong business case for Impact Sourcing, which can provide high-quality, reliable services at prices that are at least competitive with traditional BPO centers and, in some cases, almost 40 percent lower than what traditional providers can offer.

Agencies and departments at all levels of government are facing increased pressure to cut costs and become more efficient. In this article, leaders of Monitor’s High-Performance Bureaucracy® practice explain how to avoid the traps of traditional budget-cutting, and outline the three keys to “doing more with less.”

In this year’s sovereign wealth fund (SWF) report, Monitor found that 2010 marks the beginning of a new pattern of SWF investment, characterized by an increased number of smaller investments and a focus on financial services and commodities sectors. 

Though the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan caused devastating and heart-wrenching destruction, the rebuilding process may actually be an opportunity for the country to come together under a new national mission, explains Monitor’s Michael Zielenziger in this column for the Japanese newspaper Nikkei.

Information is a powerful tool, especially when it comes to community engagement. According to this report by Monitor Institute, the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, those who think their local government is transparent and good at sharing information are more likely to be satisfied with the overall quality of their community and are more likely to feel empowered about their civic impact.

In this column in the Japanese newspaper Nikkei, Monitor’s Michael Zielenziger discusses the plight of Japan’s youth. Unlike their politically active peers in Egypt, or the innovative teens of South Korea, this generation of Japanese young adults “remain eerily placid and disturbingly silent” despite facing high unemployment rates and an uncertain future. They represent an untapped resource with major implications for the country’s future, Zielenziger writes.