U.S. firms are able to compete internationally, but they're not producing a rising standard of living for American workers.
As the economy becomes more global, how will the U.S. keep up with other nations? According to a Harvard Business School study, manufacturing will play a big role if the U.S. is going to stay competitive.
Political skirmishes and impasses around short-term events are distracting us from the real danger ahead: Our reckless fiscal trajectory that threatens America's competitiveness. Insights by David Walker and Robert Kaplan.
Jan Rivkin, professor and chair of the Strategy Unit at Harvard Business School, discusses the structural issues facing the United States and as a result, the multiple short term crises. He speaks on Bloomberg Television's "Market Makers."
Michael Porter, University professor at Harvard, talks to Charlie Rose about the United States in the global economy.
Harvard Business School Professors Michael Porter and Jan Rivkin lay out policy steps for the president and Congress to follow in order to make American companies more competitive and their employees more prosperous.
It's time for business to lead in restoring American competitiveness, rather than waiting for Washington to act, write Harvard Business School professors Michael Porter and Jan Rivkin.
In an open letter to President Obama, Rosabeth Moss Kanter advises, "You have been reelected at a time when no one is satisfied with the status quo. You must show that your are serious about solving problems by a willingness to act quickly on a big, national campaign to get action throughout the country."
Harvard Business School Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter joins Bhaskar Chakravorti, senior associate dean at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, to discuss what role government has in fostering innovation.
In "Producing Prosperity", Harvard Business School professors Gary Pisano and Willy Shih show the disastrous consequences of years of poor sourcing decisions and underinvestment in US manufacturing capabilities. They reveal how today's undervalued manufacturing operations often hold the seeds of tomorrow's innovative new products, arguing that companies must reinvest in new product and process development in the U.S. industrial sector.
My hope is that this issue of Harvard Business Review, along with the conversation that has begun at HBR.org, will be small steps toward increasing recognition of the competitive problems facing the U.S.--and toward creating a more vigorous conversation about practical solutions.
Making the United States Competitive
17 May 2013 - Harvard Gazette
U.S. firms are able to compete internationally, but they're not producing a rising standard of living for American workers.
Making the United States Competitive
17 May 2013 - Harvard Gazette
U.S. competitiveness hinges on the strength of small business suppliers
16 May 2013 - Washington Post
The Obama administration has put in place programs that attract more production, more investment, and more jobs back to our shores, according to Karen Mills, head of the Small Business Administration.
U.S. Broadband Policy and Competitiveness
14 May 2013 - Council on Foreign Relations
Some experts fear the United States is falling behind other developed nations in broadband adoption and performance, but others say such concerns are often exaggerated and unsupported by analysis.
US economy: wake-up call for Washington
08 May 2013 - Public Finance International
The US is becoming less competitive partly because it refuses to address mounting debt problems. Federal policymakers in Washington DC have to make some tough choices to put the nation's finances in order and improve economic prospects.
SBA's Karen Mills: U.S. competitiveness hinges on the strength of small business suppliers
06 May 2013 - The Washington Post
SBA Administrator Karen Mills says the administration is working to bring more production and more jobs back from overseas.
America's real infrastructure test
05 May 2013 - NJ.com
America's public infrastructure — roads, bridges, airports, seaports, waterways and even sidewalks — is a mess. You can see it for yourself every day. It's not just a nuisance; it's bad for our economy.
Apprenticeships could help U.S. workers gain a competitive edge
04 May 2013 - Washington Post
The central answer to the mismatch between jobs and employment is a 21st-century apprenticeship program.
Obama knocks GOP as U.S. airports drop in rankings
01 May 2013 - Politico
President Barack Obama knocked Congress's Republican leadership on Monday for neglecting infrastructure, noting that not one U.S. airport cracked the top 25 on a list of the world's best.
Harvard study: Manufacturing can make U.S. competitive
29 Apr 2013 - Smart Manufacturing
As the economy becomes more global, how will the U.S. keep up with other nations? According to a Harvard Business School study, manufacturing will play a big role if the U.S. is going to stay competitive.
Creating Better Jobs For Manufacturing's Comeback
26 Apr 2013 - Manufacturing.Net
For a true resurgence in American manufacturing, there must be innovation. Instead of simply asking, "How do we bring more jobs back to America?" we should ask, "How do we create new and better jobs in America?"
Chinese consumers push US exports higher
25 Apr 2013 - China Daily
China remained the United States' third-biggest export destination, behind Canada and Mexico, in 2012, having purchased nearly $109 billion US goods, according to a report by the US-China Business Council.
Keeping Our Economy and Meaningful Tax Changes on Track
25 Apr 2013 - Roll Call
Reforming our international tax system should include modern tax laws to provide a level playing field for American workers; permanent simplification of the tax code; a lower corporate tax rate to increase competitiveness; and provisions to protect the U.S. tax base and prevent abuse.
Is The United States Ready To Take Manufacturing Back?
18 Apr 2013 - Manufacturing.net
The return of a few companies' manufacturing is encouraging. But the big question is: To what extent is the United States capable of taking back manufacturing on a significant scale? The challenges are great.
Defining a Microeconomic Strategy for Global Competitiveness
17 Apr 2013 - Forbes.com
The United States has been using fiscal and monetary solutions as a base for its economic growth policy. But these macroeconomic strategies by itself are not leading to long-term growth. If we want to create more jobs, increase per capita income and reduce poverty, we need a shift in focus towards regions as the drivers of the national economy.
As FCC Chairman Leaves Post, Challenges Persist in Broadband Expansion
16 Apr 2013 - Bloomberg
Current policy measures will accomplish only the bare minimum to improve U.S. competitiveness in the global information economy. According to recent FCC data, gigabit broadband connections are available in only about 40 communities across 15 states.
UK beats US to become fifth top tourist destination in the world
12 Apr 2013 - Daily Mail
The United Kingdom has beaten the United States to become the fifth top tourist destination in the world, according to a new report.
A Half Century Never Looked So Old
11 Apr 2013 - Huffington Post
The US has an international tax system that puts American companies and workers at a disadvantage as they try to compete in a new world.
Current fiscal policy harms U.S. competitiveness
11 Apr 2013 - Fortune
Political skirmishes and impasses around short-term events are distracting us from the real danger ahead: Our reckless fiscal trajectory that threatens America's competitiveness. Insights by David Walker and Robert Kaplan.
Study Gives High Marks to U.S. Internet
11 Apr 2013 - New York Times
Contradicting earlier studies, conventional wisdom and politicians' rhetoric, European researchers say that the Internet infrastructure of the United States is one of the world's best and getting better.
The U.S. Ranks 55th When It Comes to Women in Power
10 Apr 2013 - Policymic
Nations that use their human pool poorly are less competitive and under-using half of a nation's population is certainly makes it less compedtitive.
Stanford's Rice says declining schools pose a national security threat
05 Apr 2013 - Stanford University
Condoleezza Rice says failing schools undermine economic growth, competitiveness, social cohesion and the ability to fill positions in institutions vital to national security.
US is halfway to export-doubling goal
05 Apr 2013 - Associated Press
Suddenly, outsourcing is on the way out and insourcing on the way in as the United States trudges unevenly toward President Obama's goal of doubling American exports around the world by the start of 2015. So far, export levels are about halfway to his mark.
The STEM Jobs Shortfall Is a National Security Shortcoming We Can Fix
04 Apr 2013 - American Security Project
The U.S. is facing a shortfall of 230,000 science, technology, engineering, and math jobs because Americans are not earning enough of the requisite degrees to fill those positions.
Jobs Alone Do Not Explain the Importance of Manufacturing
04 Apr 2013 - Brookings Institution
Mass employment is not the fundamental reason we need a healthy and vibrant manufacturing sector. Manufacturing, or rather advanced manufacturing, is essential to the U.S. economy because it is the main source of innovation and global competitiveness for the United States.
Countries in Asia Cutting Carbon Faster than Europe
01 Apr 2013 - Climate Central
Three of the top G20 countries best placed to compete in the global low-carbon economy are now from East Asia, having overtaken their European and American competitors, according to an index which measures how carbon-competitive countries are.
Our Challenge in an Era of Global Competition
25 Mar 2013 - Techonomy
For innovation, entrepreneurship, and startups, the U.S. continues to be unparalleled. But in spreading economic benefits broadly throughout the economy, we have not done well the last 30 years.
22 Mar 2013 - The Economist
Regulation, innovation, infrastructure, education: each of these is crucial to competitiveness. Put together the small things happening in the states, and they become something rather big. That is the essence of the America that works.
U.S. Losing Ground from Higher Corporate Tax Rate
22 Mar 2013 - Accounting Today
The U.S. economy will be between 1.5 and 2.6 percent smaller over the long-term because other nations' corporate tax rates are considerably more competitive, according to a new study by Ernst & Young and the RATE Coalition, a group lobbying for lower corporate tax rates.
CEOs explain how H-1B visa hurts U.S. competitiveness
19 Mar 2013 - Economic Policy Institute
A recent government briefing on the H-1B visa program offered facts and perspectives that are usually ignored or overlooked by the media; including from CEOs who use the program.
19 Mar 2013 - The Economist
Political gridlock may be bad for America's economy, says Edward McBride, but the underlying growth prospects are much brighter than they seem.
Harvard Survey: Have the United States lost its edge?
14 Mar 2013 - Desert News
The news from Washington certainly isn't very good. Intransigence and partisan politics are really just distracting us from what's really important — our lack of competitiveness in the world. Have we lost our edge? Harvard Business School's Michael Porter, Jan Rivken and Rosabeth Moss Kanter seem to think so.
Harvard Survey: U.S. Competitiveness at a Crossroads
14 Mar 2013 - Manufacturing Executive
Concerned about long-term structural issues such as the educational system, the tax code, and partisan politics, business leaders are continuing to voice pessimism about the state and direction of U.S.competitiveness, according to a new survey by the Harvard Business School (
Harvard poll: U.S. losing its zeal
13 Mar 2013 - Boston Herald
Business leaders are warning that the federal budget morass is one symptom of a far more troubling problem: long-term challenges to U.S. competitiveness that are sapping America's strengths, according to a Harvard Business School survey.
The Public Has No Idea How Much Of A Threat Emerging Markets Are To The US
08 Mar 2013 - Business Insider
Recently, the results of the second year of Harvard Business School's survey on US competitiveness were released. This time, in addition to asking both the public and of business leaders how the economy was doing, the survey asked their opinions of specific policies.
Video: US Crisis Like Villian in a Horror Movie
08 Mar 2013 - Bloomberg TV
Jan Rivkin, professor and chair of the Strategy Unit at Harvard Business School, discusses the structural issues facing the United States and as a result, the multiple short term crises. He speaks on Bloomberg Television's "Market Makers."
Video: U.S. Competitiveness Project on Charlie Rose
08 Mar 2013 - Charlie Rose Show
Michael Porter, University professor at Harvard, talks to Charlie Rose about the United States in the global economy.
Why the Middle Class Is Declining: Michael Porter
07 Mar 2013 - CNBC
The American middle class is "hollowing out" as the U.S. economy fails to compete effectively in a globalized world, Harvard economist Michael Porter told CNBC's "Closing Bell" this week.
House hearing to look at ways to boost U.S. auto industry
07 Mar 2013 - Detroit News
Executives at Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Ford Motor Co. will tell a U.S. House panel Wednesday that the United States should do more to attract qualified workers to the auto industry.
Conference looks at U.S.-Mexico competitiveness
04 Mar 2013 - The San Diego Union-Tribune
Amid upbeat talk about increasing North American integration, participants at a Thursday conference in La Jolla said a major issue continues to hold back part of that potential: lengthy waits at U.S. ports of entry along the border with Mexico.
President's Decision to Negotiate Transatlantic Trade Deal is Positive for U.S. Competitiveness
26 Feb 2013 - Council on Competitiveness
Given that the EU is the world's largest economy and trading partner with the U.S.—accounting for one third of total goods and services trade and nearly half of global economic output, a deal of this nature will offer a massive boon for the U.S. economy.
Continued Weakness in Capital Markets
21 Feb 2013 - Committee on Capital Markets
US capital market competitiveness remained weak in 2012 with many competitiveness measures suffering declines from the previous year, according to the Committee on Capital Markets.
The Competitiveness Gap: The True Cause of the Global Recession
14 Feb 2013 - The Brookings Institution
United Kingdom Prime Minister Cameron's potential reform package is one of several steps being taken to increase competitiveness on the continent. The United States should learn a lesson.
Energy Efficiency Means Security, Jobs and Competitiveness
11 Feb 2013 - Huffington Post
The executive branch and Congress should work together on measures to achieve and exceed the president's goal on combined heat and power.
US manufacturing is key to competitiveness
11 Feb 2013 - The Christian Science Monitor
US global competitiveness is slipping. But there is some good news: US manufacturing is in the midst of a revival. Preparing a skilled workforce for the manufacturing sector should be one of the Obama administration's top economic priorities. This can boost competitiveness.
What the Superdome Blackout Says About American Competitiveness
07 Feb 2013 - Forbes.com
The electrical blackout at the Super Bowl wasn't about New Orleans. It speaks more to the pressing challenge of ensuring our infrastructure is capable of enabling America to be competitive in a global economy.
Do multinational corporations have a duty to maintain a strong presence in their home countries?
06 Feb 2013 - The Economist
Do you think that companies owe anything to the place they came from? Or is the notion of "home" now largely irrelevant for the corporate world?
Political Uncertainty in US, Biggest Impediment to Clean Energy Industry
05 Feb 2013 - SustainableBusiness.com
The lack of a long-term national energy policy is putting the US at risk of falling behind in the global clean energy market both in terms of innovation and competitiveness, concludes a report by Pew Charitable Trusts.
Obama's Council on Jobs and Competitivess Shutting Down Thursday
01 Feb 2013 - Associated Press
President Barack Obama will let his Council on Jobs and Competitivess expire this week without renewing its charter, winding down one source of input from the business community even as unemployment remains stubbornly high.
Still Missing From Obama's Cabinet: Business Leaders
01 Feb 2013 - US News and World Report
Of the dozen or so Cabinet officials who are either confirmed or awaiting confirmation, none comes from a job running or helping run a business.
GDP contracts, jobs outlook sours
30 Jan 2013 - UPI
Weak conditions abroad and flagging U.S. competitiveness caused exports to contract $27 billion and businesses anticipating a further slowdown slashed inventories by $40 billion in the fourth quarter.
Erskine Bowles: National Debt Threatens U. S. Innovation
30 Jan 2013 - Forbes
Mounting debt obligations threaten the very foundation of US business, placing at risk our competitiveness and innovation leadership in the world.
US Immigration Proposal Divides Reform Advocates
30 Jan 2013 - Voice of America
Some argue that immigration reform will make more high-tech workers free to come to the US, ultimately improving U.S. competitiveness and job creation.
28 Jan 2013 - Barron's
Cheap natural gas and increasingly competitive labor costs are bringing factories and jobs back to the U.S. Eight ways to win.
The Economist: An Eight-Point Plan to Restore American Competitiveness
28 Jan 2013 - The Economist
Harvard Business School Professors Michael Porter and Jan Rivkin lay out policy steps for the president and Congress to follow in order to make American companies more competitive and their employees more prosperous.
Talent The Key To Competitiveness, Deloitte Study Finds
25 Jan 2013 - CFE Media
A report from Deloitte and the U.S. Council on Competitiveness shows the world's manufacturing markets will get more competitive in the next five years. The key to winning that battle over the next five years will be talent.
American Competitiveness Crucial to US Economy
23 Jan 2013 - Nightly Business Report
In this video from the Nightly Business Report, Harvard Business School Professor Michael E. Porter says the US needs to make structural changes to restore its competitiveness.
Faster, Sooner: Why The U.S. Needs 'Gigabit Communities'
22 Jan 2013 - Forbes.com
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski says making sure that the U.S. has super-fast, high-capacity, ubiquitous broadband networks is essential to economic growth, job creation, and U.S. competitiveness.
Here, There and Everywhere: Outsourcing and Offshoring
19 Jan 2013 - The Economist
After decades of sending work across the world, companies are rethinking their offshoring strategies.
A New Year's Resolution for President Obama
18 Jan 2013 - CivSource
What should be the key focus of the new Obama administration? Suzanne Rosselet suggests that investing in skills and education are the critical contributors to lifting US competitiveness.
Balancing US competitiveness, coveted summer vacation at heart of longer school year debate
13 Jan 2013 - Associated Press
Longer winter breaks and shorter summer vacations are ideas being tested around the country as school districts debate whether to extend the school year.
American Competitiveness Report--An Issue of National Security
11 Jan 2013 - American Security Project
Our ability to compete in a global economy, attract the world's brightest workers and nurture a functional political system is slipping. This weakness is now at a point where it threatens to erode the pillars upon which America's national security rests. America's competitiveness is now a matter of national security.
Rep. Delaney To Focus On U.S. Competitiveness In 1st Term
04 Jan 2013 - WAMU radio
Maryland's newest congressman says restoring U.S. competitiveness is his top priority as he takes office, the Associated Press reports.
Has the 'fiscal cliff' fight changed how Washington works?
03 Jan 2013 - Washington Post
As ugly as they were, the "fiscal cliff" negotiations produced something Washington hadn't seen in a long time: strongly bipartisan votes in the House and the Senate on a big, contentious issue.