The spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has developed a new plan to force Argentina's government to come back to the dialogue table.
As far as I can see, that's the best solution to the YPF crisis.
Showing posts with label international. Show all posts
Showing posts with label international. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Repsol YPF - The final solution
Yesterday, April 16th, the president of Argentina announced the expropiation of Repsol oil subsidiary YPF, with a estimated value of 8,000 million Euro.
The spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has developed a new plan to force Argentina's government to come back to the dialogue table.
The spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has developed a new plan to force Argentina's government to come back to the dialogue table.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Quality of Leadership - Spain vs Germany
Few weeks ago, @vientodevenus posted "No encontrar tu universidad en las listas internacionales no tiene precio, la matricula si".
According to Financial Times' ranking, Spain has two of the Top 10 World Business Schools in Global MBA Rankings. Germany has none.
However, "Germany's recovery from the global recession has been among the fastest of major economies, surging at a 6.1% annualized rate in the first quarter of 2011 alone. Its budget deficit is a small fraction of those in the U.S., Britain and Japan. Whereas the U.S. faces chronic unemployment, Germany's jobless rate is at a 20-year low". (Wall Street Journal, June 27-2011)
How is it possible that Germany, with no Top level institutions, has been developing better than the other European countries for the last 20 years? What happen to Spain and its managers? Maybe the quality of the leadership doesn't make the difference.
In Germany, "small and midsize companies make up nearly 80% of private-sector employment in Germany, the world's fourth-largest economy, and 98% of its 350,000 exporters. Mittelstand companies ship products to, on average, 16 different foreign markets". (Wall Street Journal, June 27-2011)
In Spain is almost the same.
Not finding your University in International rankings is priceless, the tuition if.
According to Financial Times' ranking, Spain has two of the Top 10 World Business Schools in Global MBA Rankings. Germany has none.
However, "Germany's recovery from the global recession has been among the fastest of major economies, surging at a 6.1% annualized rate in the first quarter of 2011 alone. Its budget deficit is a small fraction of those in the U.S., Britain and Japan. Whereas the U.S. faces chronic unemployment, Germany's jobless rate is at a 20-year low". (Wall Street Journal, June 27-2011)
How is it possible that Germany, with no Top level institutions, has been developing better than the other European countries for the last 20 years? What happen to Spain and its managers? Maybe the quality of the leadership doesn't make the difference.
In Germany, "small and midsize companies make up nearly 80% of private-sector employment in Germany, the world's fourth-largest economy, and 98% of its 350,000 exporters. Mittelstand companies ship products to, on average, 16 different foreign markets". (Wall Street Journal, June 27-2011)
In Spain is almost the same.
According to these data, there's no reason to think that spanish growth should be less than german growth. So some people suggest that the problem a cultural matter.
Are Spanish employees more inefficient than german ones?
How is it possible? Chairmen and stakeholders trust in our well educated managers to make our employees do their best. Álvaro González-Alorda, writer and professor at ISEM Fashion Business School says that "The quality of your leadership depends on the quality of your conversations". He doesn't mention the notoriety or popularity of the Business School.
So I asked myself:
Are our managers educated in conversation?
Are our managers leading people in the right way?
How are we supposed to change our employees way of behaviour in order to avoid or reduce inefficiencies if we don't comunicate properly?
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Berliner for a weekend
Dear guests,
I'm going to Berlin for the weekend so don't expect the blog to become updated. Don't panic! I'll be back on Sunday night!
Enjoy your weekend!
I'm going to Berlin for the weekend so don't expect the blog to become updated. Don't panic! I'll be back on Sunday night!
Enjoy your weekend!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Environmental Innovation - 5 Tips to lead the Green Market
Few minutes ago I was seeing an Earth overview thanks to some images courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. These pictures were taken at about 350 km from Earth during the past summer.
If you look the video, you'll see the fantasctic work of our NASA fellows, but you're also going to see the human footstep in the world. About half a year ago I presented my Industial Engineering's final project and I decided to start with a picture of the world at night so you can see a world full of light as in the video. Then I put the same picture but taken 200 years ago: you can't see anything.
Are we changing the world too fast? Are we applying our knowledge to implement and develop new products and services under the prisma of green eficiency? How can we take advantage of the new tendences in the world market? 5 easy Tips to succeed in this area!
1.- Demand in your business green energy. It's a little bit more expensive but some energy companies provide this kind of energy that cames from solar fields, windmills, etc.
You can also get a certificate that you're using only green energy.
2.- Start a non environmental policy. Get some Environment certificates such as ISO 14000 or symilars. It takes time and money but in the long term you'll see that it worths the effort.
3.- Decrese your carbon footprint! Use local materials and providers to avoid long transport distances. The nearest is your provider, the green it is!
4.- Ask your provider to do the same: Environmental certifications and green energy. And ask them to do the same ith their providers also!
5.- Finally, Sell your product as a green product. According to McKinseys publication "The vanishing middle market" (Nov'05):
Executives recognize that premium and no-frills offerings are squeezing middle-of-the-road products and services in many industries. Our study of 25 industries and product categories in Europe, North America, and on the global level shows the extent of this phenomenon, known as market polarization.1 We found that, from 1999 to 2004, the growth rate of revenues for midtier products and services trailed the market average by nearly 6 percent a year (Exhibit 1).
My advise: Make a Green brand a High End brand
If you look the video, you'll see the fantasctic work of our NASA fellows, but you're also going to see the human footstep in the world. About half a year ago I presented my Industial Engineering's final project and I decided to start with a picture of the world at night so you can see a world full of light as in the video. Then I put the same picture but taken 200 years ago: you can't see anything.
Are we changing the world too fast? Are we applying our knowledge to implement and develop new products and services under the prisma of green eficiency? How can we take advantage of the new tendences in the world market? 5 easy Tips to succeed in this area!
1.- Demand in your business green energy. It's a little bit more expensive but some energy companies provide this kind of energy that cames from solar fields, windmills, etc.
You can also get a certificate that you're using only green energy.
2.- Start a non environmental policy. Get some Environment certificates such as ISO 14000 or symilars. It takes time and money but in the long term you'll see that it worths the effort.
3.- Decrese your carbon footprint! Use local materials and providers to avoid long transport distances. The nearest is your provider, the green it is!
4.- Ask your provider to do the same: Environmental certifications and green energy. And ask them to do the same ith their providers also!
5.- Finally, Sell your product as a green product. According to McKinseys publication "The vanishing middle market" (Nov'05):
Executives recognize that premium and no-frills offerings are squeezing middle-of-the-road products and services in many industries. Our study of 25 industries and product categories in Europe, North America, and on the global level shows the extent of this phenomenon, known as market polarization.1 We found that, from 1999 to 2004, the growth rate of revenues for midtier products and services trailed the market average by nearly 6 percent a year (Exhibit 1).
My advise: Make a Green brand a High End brand
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
10 Tips to find a job abroad
During the last months the situation in Spain and other countries is getting worst by moments and specially for graduates & young professionals.
Being a graduate or young professional in one of these countries means that you're facing a 40% of unemployment between young people and about a 20% on average. Someone would say that this data shows a great future to Spain because it means that Spain has a long way to go till we reach our GDP growth limit (20% of work forces are not in use) but it also means, sincerely that WE (the young people) are fucked.
In Germany they have the opposite problem: their GDP (three times bigger than the spanish) will not grow anymore, the industries are full operated, and there's almost not unemployment (6.5% is due to structural unemployment and short time unemployment). That's the reason why Frau Merkel ask for spanish engineers. They need us to keep on growing and being one of the most powerful economies in the world.
So, in the following lines, I would offer you 10 Tips to help you find a job abroad.
1.- Learn the language. It is false that all the europeans speak English. That's just a tale. From the very beginning you will face situations when you have to communicate and you don't speak the language. In my case, the day I arrived in Germany I had a delay of 7 hours in Barcelona Airport so when I arrived at Hamburg Hfb I had to change my train ticket and nobody could speak with me in English, so imagine what would happen if you try to buy something in a shop or something like that.
2.- Meet inland people. Networking has always been a great source of information and job opportunities. Anyone could be a job advisor. You'll probably find lots and lots of people... tell always the same story. Try to engage them and pray they known someone in the company you want to work in. According to what I used to say: Everybody has an uncle/friend that works on...
3.- Register and get in contact with the local authorities. In Germany, for example, it is necessary to register yourself in the City Council (Rathaus). It's better to avoid problems =)
4.- Go to the next JobMesse-event. These events are roled all over the country and on very different dates. It's a perfect opportunity to know new companyes and look what are they looking for.
5.- Develop a really good CV. Remember that in some countries with equal opportunity policies they don't accept CVs with pictures! Take care of that!
6.- Start a document with all your Applications. It sounds really bad when someone calls you due to a job application and you can't remember the requirements and task for the job. So making a document where store all this information could be really useful.
7.- Use the international webpages for international mobility. I highly recommend to join EURES as a first step. EURES is the international webpage for professional mobility and it's full of job offers. As you get confident with the language you can start trying other webpages.
8.- Move to the country of destination. That is not cheap but remember that you're supposed to do interviews, so you must be there. Buy a new cellphone with a new number and write in your CV the new address. It helps!
9.- Try to join any professional association. If you're a member of any german association they would probably trust much more in you and in your qualifications. Search it on the web!
10.- Do not panic. It's normal to fail in the first attempt. But remember that Übung macht den Meister!
Being a graduate or young professional in one of these countries means that you're facing a 40% of unemployment between young people and about a 20% on average. Someone would say that this data shows a great future to Spain because it means that Spain has a long way to go till we reach our GDP growth limit (20% of work forces are not in use) but it also means, sincerely that WE (the young people) are fucked.
In Germany they have the opposite problem: their GDP (three times bigger than the spanish) will not grow anymore, the industries are full operated, and there's almost not unemployment (6.5% is due to structural unemployment and short time unemployment). That's the reason why Frau Merkel ask for spanish engineers. They need us to keep on growing and being one of the most powerful economies in the world.
So, in the following lines, I would offer you 10 Tips to help you find a job abroad.
1.- Learn the language. It is false that all the europeans speak English. That's just a tale. From the very beginning you will face situations when you have to communicate and you don't speak the language. In my case, the day I arrived in Germany I had a delay of 7 hours in Barcelona Airport so when I arrived at Hamburg Hfb I had to change my train ticket and nobody could speak with me in English, so imagine what would happen if you try to buy something in a shop or something like that.
2.- Meet inland people. Networking has always been a great source of information and job opportunities. Anyone could be a job advisor. You'll probably find lots and lots of people... tell always the same story. Try to engage them and pray they known someone in the company you want to work in. According to what I used to say: Everybody has an uncle/friend that works on...
3.- Register and get in contact with the local authorities. In Germany, for example, it is necessary to register yourself in the City Council (Rathaus). It's better to avoid problems =)
4.- Go to the next JobMesse-event. These events are roled all over the country and on very different dates. It's a perfect opportunity to know new companyes and look what are they looking for.
5.- Develop a really good CV. Remember that in some countries with equal opportunity policies they don't accept CVs with pictures! Take care of that!
6.- Start a document with all your Applications. It sounds really bad when someone calls you due to a job application and you can't remember the requirements and task for the job. So making a document where store all this information could be really useful.
7.- Use the international webpages for international mobility. I highly recommend to join EURES as a first step. EURES is the international webpage for professional mobility and it's full of job offers. As you get confident with the language you can start trying other webpages.
8.- Move to the country of destination. That is not cheap but remember that you're supposed to do interviews, so you must be there. Buy a new cellphone with a new number and write in your CV the new address. It helps!
9.- Try to join any professional association. If you're a member of any german association they would probably trust much more in you and in your qualifications. Search it on the web!
10.- Do not panic. It's normal to fail in the first attempt. But remember that Übung macht den Meister!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)