The McKinsey Quarterly

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McKinsey Quarterly is the business journal of McKinsey & Company.

Public Sector, Economic Policy, Stabilizing Iraq A conversation with Paul Brinkley

MARCH 2010

Stabilizing Iraq’s economy: An interview with the DOD’s Paul Brinkley

The leader of the US effort to revitalize Iraq’s economy talks about the lessons he has learned over the past three years, the relationship between economic development and security, Western misconceptions of the Middle East, and the hardest part of his job.

Editors’ Choice
  • Business Technology, Operations, Tackling IT complexity in product design

    MARCH 2010

    Tackling IT complexity in product design

    As more products are loaded with technology, tangled IT designs can undermine product strategies. Product managers and technical specialists need a better game plan.

  • Financial Services, Banking, Whats next for global banks

    MARCH 2010

    What’s next for global banks

    Banking giants in emerging markets will probably do well in any likely economic scenario. Other banks face a more challenging future.

    Includes: Audio Interactive
  • Marketing, Strategy, marketers guide to behavioral economics

    FEBRUARY 2010

    A marketer’s guide to behavioral economics

    Marketers have been applying behavioral economics—often unknowingly—for years. A more systematic approach can unlock significant value.

  • High Tech, Hardware , Internet of Things

    MARCH 2010

    The Internet of Things

    More objects are becoming embedded with sensors and gaining the ability to communicate. The resulting information networks promise to create new business models, improve business processes, and reduce costs and risks.

    Includes: Audio
  • Economic Studies, Productivity & Performance, Five myths about how to create jobs

    FEBRUARY 2010

    Five myths about how to create jobs

    With unemployment hovering just below 10 percent, job creation is now priority number one in Washington. But America’s jobs challenge is a marathon, not a sprint.

  • Marketing, Digital Marketing, China's Internet obsession

    MARCH 2010

    China’s Internet obsession

    People in the country’s 60 largest cities spend 70 percent of their leisure time online. Seismic changes in the consumer market are likely as a result.

  • Telecommunications, Strategy & Analysis, Capturing the promise of mobile banking in emerging markets

    FEBRUARY 2010

    Capturing the promise of mobile banking in emerging markets

    Very poor people in emerging economies not only have a surprising degree of interest in financial services but also, when possible, use them enthusiastically.

  • Corporate Finance, Capital Management, new look at carbon offsets

    FEBRUARY 2010

    A new look at carbon offsets

    Carbon markets will continue to play a role in pricing—and limiting—emissions, but the opportunity in developing markets may be less promising than once expected.

Featured Articles
  • Strategy, Strategic Thinking,

    MARCH 2010

    The case for behavioral strategy

    Left unchecked, subconscious biases will undermine strategic decision making. Here’s how to counter them and improve corporate performance.

    Includes: Interactive
  • Financial Services, Banking, Counting  worlds unbanked

    MARCH 2010

    Counting the world’s unbanked

    Fully 2.5 billion of the world’s adults don’t use banks or microfinance institutions to save or borrow money, but unserved doesn’t mean unservable.

  • Retail & Consumer Goods, Strategy & Analysis, new Japanese consumer

    MARCH 2010

    The new Japanese consumer

    The attitudes and behavior of Japanese consumers are shifting dramatically, presenting opportunities and challenges for companies in the world’s second-largest retail market.

    Includes: Video
Conversation Starters
Research in Brief

  • Business Technology, Organization, Using IT to enable a lean transformation

    FEBRUARY 2010

    Using IT to enable a lean transformation

    Senior leaders can play an important role in assembling a lean program by involving the CIO more closely in designing and executing the transformation.

McKinsey Global Institute New Report
  • Economic Studies, Productivity & Performance, Where the US will find growth and jobs

    MARCH 2010

    Where the US will find growth and jobs

    Policy makers everywhere should focus on the competitiveness of individual sectors.

    To use the audio player, please install the Adobe Flash Player plugin version 9 or greater. audio MP3 Where the US will find growth and jobs

MARCH 2010

How cognitive biases affect strategic decision making

Explore the biases most pertinent to business and the ways they can combine to create dysfunctional patterns in corporate cultures.
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