Competing visions of success – left and right
06 Feb 2015 Leave a comment
in applied welfare economics, entrepreneurship, human capital, labour economics, occupational choice, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA Tags: activists, distributive justice, do gooders, expressive voting, Leftover Left, poverty and inequality, rational ignorance, rational irrationality, top 1%
Why Senator Elizabeth Warren supported school choice and school vouchers
02 Feb 2015 Leave a comment
in economics of education, entrepreneurship, politics - New Zealand, politics - USA Tags: capitalism and freedom, Elizabeth Warren, School choice, The meaning of competition, vouchers
It is not a coincidence that Warren’s support for school choice dropped through the floor once she decided to run for public office as a Democrat. In spite of large cash infusions from wealthy environmentalists and trial lawyers, teacher unions remain the party’s largest and most influential donor base.
…In recent years, Warren has bent over backwards to qualify what she “really meant” by school choice.
In a rather astonishing reinterpretation of her own work, it turns out she never supported vouchers for religious school or even for non-sectarian private schools, just the ability to go to a public school in an adjacent district.
Uncertainty bedevils the best system | Edmund Phelps
02 Feb 2015 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economic history, entrepreneurship, macroeconomics Tags: Edmund Phelps
HT: http://blogs.ft.com/capitalismblog/2009/04/15/uncertainty-bedevils-the-best-system/#axzz3EezojKXs
Quality control in Japanese and American car manufacturing compared
31 Jan 2015 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, development economics, economic history, entrepreneurship, growth miracles Tags: creative destruction, Japanese manufacturing, quality control
Would Keynes Have Been Fired as a Money Manager Today?
30 Jan 2015 Leave a comment
in entrepreneurship, financial economics Tags: active investing, efficient markets hypothesis, index linked investing, John Maynard Keynes
An excellent link by a great blog I have just come across.
Interesting post by Ben Carlson.
Keynes managed an average return of 13.2% in the period 1928-45. The markets gave a return of -0.5% in the same period. This was an exceptional performance albeit came with much higher volatility. So would he have been fired for this performance?
View original post 360 more words
Portable Confessional
29 Jan 2015 Leave a comment
in economics of religion, entrepreneurship Tags: entrepreneurial alertness
A cheat sheet of 19 different business models
28 Jan 2015 Leave a comment
in entrepreneurship, industrial organisation, managerial economics, organisational economics, survivor principle, theory of the firm Tags: entrepreneurial alertness, The meaning of competition
Creative Routines — Information is Beautiful Awards
27 Jan 2015 Leave a comment
in economics of education, entrepreneurship, human capital, labour economics Tags: creativity, economics of personality traits, entrepreneurial alertness
The spirit of Alfred P. Sloan: 10 Ways to Get People to Disagree
27 Jan 2015 Leave a comment
in entrepreneurship, managerial economics, market efficiency, organisational economics, personnel economics Tags: Alfred P. Sloan, group think
1. Assign someone on your team to the role of “Devil’s Advocate” to ensure a critical eye.
2. Ask part of your group to think like the firm’s competitors (or customers or employees) in order to surface and expose flaws in a set of core assumptions.
3. Establish “ground rules” that will stimulate task-oriented disagreement — but minimize interpersonal conflict.
4. Keep the proceedings “transparent” by making decisions based on what goes on in the meeting and not behind-the-scenes maneuvering.
5. Make sure your team members represent a diversity of thinking styles, skill levels, and backgrounds. And if they don’t, invite people with various points of view to offer their perspectives.
6. Start out with a question and don’t voice an opinion. Once you’ve said, “Here’s what I’m thinking . . .” you have already influenced your team.
7. If you want honest feedback, then be the first person to admit mistakes.
8. Listen (really listen) to everyone’s ideas. Let people know that you value their input and are taking into consideration what they have to say.
9. Pay attention. It’s not enough to listen — you can do that while viewing text messages or pouring a cup of coffee. You also have to be perceived to be paying attention. That means you need to make sure your body language (eye contact, head nods, torso orientation, etc.) sends signals of inclusion.
10. Clearly state the behaviors you want during the discussion (constructive conflict) and as a result of the discussion (shared commitment to the outcome).
via http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2012/08/23/10-ways-to-get-people-to-disagree/
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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