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Pages: 42
Category: Business and Industry
Date Submitted: 03/26/2012 09:34 AM
GRANT THORNTON INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS REPORT
The global economy in 2012:
a rocky road to recovery
Contents
01 Foreword
02 The past 12 months
04 The year ahead
05 Business confidence
08 Business operations
13 Investment
15 Inflation
18 Employment
22 Access to finance
24 Topical issues
30 Methodology
32 IBR participants
Foreword
ED NUSBAUM
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
GRANT THORNTON INTERNATIONAL
We have witnessed a large amount of
political and economic turmoil over
the past 12 months, from uprisings in
the Middle East and North Africa to
the tsunami in Japan and the sovereign
debt crisis in the eurozone. Resulting
volatility in commodity prices,
disruptions to supply chains and
general uncertainty has impacted
businesses across the globe, slowing
the recovery in both mature and
emerging markets.
The International Business Report
(IBR) became a quarterly survey in
2011, allowing us greater flexibility
in analysing and understanding the
impact of key events on business
growth. This new approach allows
us to deliver not only the economic
perspective of business leaders on
events such as the Arab Spring,
renewable energy and global lease
accounting changes, but also deep
insight into strategic issues such as the
proportion of women in senior
management and corporate social
responsibility activities. Drawing on
more than 13,000 interviews in 40
economies, this report explores the
trends that will shape the speed and
trajectory of the recovery over the
next 12 months, including demand,
employment, investment, inflation
and access to finance.
As the IBR enters its 20th year, the
global economic outlook is uncertain
and social unrest is growing. In
mature markets, debt crises and the
impact of ageing populations remain
unresolved whilst emerging markets
are grappling with persistent inflation
and a shortage of skilled workers. As
technology advances, competition
increases and the balance of economic...