Posts Tagged ‘economics’

Few women on boards of directors

May 18, 2012 - 1:52 pm Comments Off

 

Only one company, Publicis, shows a perfect parity between men and women. "The Lady-boom run out of steam already?" Asks Caroline to Marnierre, president of Capitalcom by identifying the number of women who will be entering this year in these boards. A total of 17 women will be appointed at general meetings of shareholders, which is twice less than in 2011 (33 women), according Capitalcom. "The 2012 vintage is characterized by a marked weakening of the dynamics observed in 2011," the study said. "Increasing diversity is mainly due to the increased number of women holding more money."

Slow progress

The law provides that Cope-Zimmerman boards must include 20% women by 2014 and 40% in 2017. She timidly begins to bear fruit: the board will count 23.4% women on average this year, against 20.8% in 2011 and only 8.5% in 2007! And 27 major groups on the French side have already fulfilled their obligations for 2014.

In a quarter of them, the rate of mixing is even greater than 30% (BNP Paribas, Bouygues, Credit Agricole, Publicis, PPR, Safran, Societe Generale, Total, Vallourec and Vivendi). Although still scarce, women are increasingly involved in the boards, the study notes, which is "evolution in the number of women who chair a committee (33%)."

Who are they? They averaged 55 years and are mostly French (63.64%). The CAC 40 also account for 7.3% and 6.4% American administrators of the British.

Despite little progress this year, the mix of boards should gain ground in the future. Especially since the European Commission intends to introduce quotas for women on boards of directors and supervisory boards.

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When you secure a quick cash personal loan, make certain to pay it back on time. Loan pay back time is just as important to consider as when (and how much) to borrow.

The NYSE hollow losses

May 10, 2012 - 2:20 am Comments Off

Presidential in major cities Paris | Leeds | Lyons | Toulouse | Leeds | Sheffield | Liverpool | Bordeaux | Lille

Presidential: citizen initiatives relate

May 6, 2012 - 7:08 pm Comments Off

 

"Vote and go anyway!" Displays the travel agency Nouvelles Frontieres, "Vote by proxy and win a free night for two nights and get" diffuse the tourist office in Les Sables d'Olonne, "Voting is open its mouth but better "placards at all is a sign of fast food in ten different languages, while the ski resort of Chamrousse proposed his" ski pass citizen "and that the General Council of Essonne offered tickets to a rugby match to persons who have completed their duty to vote. In short, all the slogans that incentives, like ideas, no lack of originality in recent weeks. The objective is twofold: to reduce abstention but also generate additional revenue, or at least ride the wave of presidential elections.  

When the ballot becomes a ski day

The tourist office in Chamrousse (Isère) has understood that he had a vested interest in dragging this track one: "We decided to align the end of the ski season with the day of the first round of presidential elections , by implementing a package to a Euro on presentation of the electoral map duly stamped "says Medhi Kerbati, director of the tourist office. Obviously, he had to get up early to vote at a time and enjoy a sunny day of skiing. The Director welcomes further: "In 2007, we sold between 300 and 350 pass the same day, while on Sunday we have been almost 4,000 packages a day, including 2800 'skipass citizens'." Therefore a boon to the small station with 90 km tracks. It would be even one of the best days of the season.  

Discounts or freebies appreciated

In Roubaix (North), fast food Burger Food Familiy partnered with the association "Brigade civic action" to grant 10% discount for two rounds of elections, upon presentation of the electoral map stamped. The manager, Ahmed Meguedmi, was very satisfied with the effects of operation: "We found that customers who were not usually crossed our doors, especially young people, but our clientele is 80% family time normal. On April 22, traffic on our restaurants increased by 30-40% compared to other Sundays, "he says. An approach more citizen when one remembers that Roubaix had obtained the record abstention in the first round of regional elections in 2010, over 71%. In the first round of this year's presidential, abstention remained high at 31.43%.

In the wake of the fight against abstention, in Arles and Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhone), the taxi company and Co-bikes Taco has offered to the two rounds of elections free transport customers to their polling station. Was free from 8h to 13h, and the operation has been very positive as explained Aldric Monteux, co-manager of the company: "We were able to combine a citizen but also environmentally friendly, while trying to reduce the abstention. We have carried twenty, or forty trips. This was especially the elderly or people then cut transport, which would probably not displaced. "  

Campaigns sometimes left fallow

Another tourist office, that of Les Sables d'Olonne (Vendee), capitalized on an extended operation on the four weekends of presidential and legislative elections, of offering a third night for people who have established an attorney. In agreement with a dozen providers, the business case put forward here is quite as indicated Dixte Mathieu, marketing manager of the site of the tourist office: "We launched the operation on March 28 because not only the elections Presidential is a drag but tourism and more at this time we still see a drop in attendance of around 15-20%. It was a way to both promote our destination, and encourage people to vote. "  

The only cloud on the table: because of bad weather, the impact has been almost nil, although the website of the tourist office in question recorded an increase of nearly 17,000 visits over the same period (March 24 to 23 April) compared to last year. The operation, in turn, drained 1600 visits since the beginning of the operation.

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The YPF oil causes a crisis between Spain and Argentina

April 14, 2012 - 6:56 am Comments Off

 

The possibility of a takeover by the state oil company YPF of Argentina, 57.4% owned subsidiary of Spain's Repsol, has provoked a lively access of diplomatic tension between Madrid and Buenos Aires. "Any aggression against Repsol violating the principle of legal certainty will be taken by Spain as an aggression," said Friday the Spanish Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, just after having summoned the Ambassador of Argentina.

Detonator of the sudden onset of fever, a meeting Thursday between the Argentine president, Cristina Kirchner, and provincial governors, who must consider the possibility of a joint venture with YPF, that is to say partially nationalized. The Argentine government is pressuring oil companies to increase their domestic production, the country's oil bill last year soared 110% to $ 9.4 billion easy payday loans. Accused of not investing enough, Repsol YPF has been withdrawn in recent weeks 16 oil concessions by half a dozen provinces. Repsol YPF is the leading fuel in Argentina, where it controls 52% of refining capacity and 1,600 service stations. It also represents two thirds of the production of Repsol.

"International plague"

In Madrid, some fear that Buenos Aires does not benefit the situation in which economic weakness is now Spain to advance his pawns. Hence perhaps the force of the reaction. The Spanish Secretary of State to the European Union, Inigo Mendez de Vigo, said that "Argentina (would) become an international pariah," warning "that within the international community, break the rules has a price. " The European Commission called on Argentina to "protect foreign investments on its soil."

Kindy takes the brand Achile

April 12, 2012 - 2:40 pm Comments Off

 

Kindy clothing, French leader of the sock, was to announce Thursday at the bar of the Commercial Court, the acquisition of Achilles. A small mark, also born in France in 1987 and which reached its heyday in the 1990s thanks to its range of fancy decorated characters and other cartoon heroes.

In receivership, Achilles did not realize more than 2 million euros in turnover to around 500,000 euros in losses. Since 2003, its sales have fallen by half. "Achilles, sleeping beauty, has lost ground due to lack of export, but is very well known and strong presence on the Web, retailers and Galeries Lafayette," said Joel Petillon, CEO of Kindy, income profit in 2010, whose turnover exceeds 45 million euros.

It takes the brand, "whose great fame is inversely related to turnover", and 9 out of 13 employees Business Card Holders. It will boost exports and gradually relocate production for summer 2013 collections, the site of Moliens Kindy (Oise), whereas it was outsourced to Morocco and Turkey.

High value added

Kindy fact itself, since last year, again Moliens knitting socks with high added value, "technical", sports, and allied to allergic or diabetic. But the majority of his socks are made in Turkey, Portugal or, for only 15%, China. It is marketed under the claws Kindy, Sun, or under private labels.

Achilles is not the first acquisition for Kindy, who notably restored color to children's shoes GBB, repurchased in 2006.

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Lescure recruitment is a "social intercourse"

March 24, 2012 - 12:00 pm Comments Off

 

Pierre Lescure: Recruiting is a "coitus … Cadremploi by Pierre Lescure is an emotional, as Jean-Pierre Raffarin that we interviewed last week. This is an emotional, that blends culture journalist with the management culture. Listen to them talk about his relationship with Jean-Marie Messier when he was head of Canal Plus, to understand how it has deteriorated. And when Pierre Lescure, who now heads the Theatre Marigny in Paris, compared to the job interview "coitus" and even "penetration" should not be seen as a sign of perversion or the projection of a follower Promotion sofa. Not at all. Pierre Lescure is a mathematician, in his own way for him, recruiting is like a life together. It should be fertile: 1 + 1 will require a little more than 2 so that the recruitment is successful.  

That's why it gives this advice to candidates: make his point of view. Equal competence, which will make the difference for him? Between two lawyers, two controllers, Lescure will choose a woman or man who has a "perspective" free online credit report. The "view", this is nothing more than a way of seeing the world next to his work.

We understand why "I speak under your control," a term servile and bustles (we all used one day), it exits through the eyes. It is also wary of a driver who has practiced on the road the failure to give way to right that driver will be a bad candidate. In short, we must watch this video to understand why a boss Lescure was adored, loved, regretted when he left Canal Plus.

Pierre Lescure just published by Grasset in collaboration with journalist Sabrina Champagne, a book of memoirs entitled In the baba.

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100,000 personal health records open in a year

March 16, 2012 - 9:16 am Comments Off

 

In little over a year, 100,000 people have volunteered to open their personal health record (DMP). Agency shared information systems of health (ASIP-Health) announced results Thursday at its annual conference. This virtual folder, which can gather on a server computer history, prescriptions, diagnosis, hospitalization reports or analysis, or CT images or MRI, is accessible and modifiable by healthcare professionals with the agreement of their patient.

While the PS deputy Gerard Bapt just requested an audit of the Court of Auditors, denouncing a device expensive and too centralized, the DMP driver, Jean-Yves Robin, director of the ASIP-Health, insisted yesterday: "Yes The DMP had its schedule. Yes, there on the ground. Yes, he has mastered its cost. "Let € 94 million for five years of experimentation, then 60 million to start the generalization. But, says Jean-Yves Robin, "we have yet to develop uses" – a folder contains on average 2 documents for the moment.

If the director of the ASIP-Health is struggling to hide a hint of annoyance is that the DMP was born with a disease that weakens always skepticism. Blame it on her "parents", Philippe Douste-Blazy and Xavier Bertrand, who in 2004 had promised to equip all the French mid-2007, to the point of wanting to lower repayments of those who would not use it. A flop.

Physicians bill pay

The project started from scratch in late 2009, driven by Roselyne Bachelot. Jean-Yves Robin hoped for a faster take-off – he had advanced "order of magnitude of 2 million cases opened in 2011." But he justifies, the first software that allows healthcare professionals to transfer data with a click of their computer to the DMP a patient arrived late (only 1% of doctors have them). Medical unions are also demanding more or less directly, compensation for time spent to update the DMP – they have not yet integrated this criterion in the "pay for performance" in general they just set place with Medicare. Finally, in 72 hospitals and clinics "converted" in 3000, opening a DMP is rarely offered routinely on admission, contrary to what the Health ASIP-imagined, but in only a few services.

Still, Jean-Yves Robin is convinced that the machine is, this time launched, with a number of cases opened each week steadily increasing (currently 3500). New goal: "300,000 cases by 2012, and a million DMP during the next year."

The candidate Francois Bayrou – joined by Philippe Douste-Blazy? – Wants to speed: for him, the DMP, and avoid repeat several times the same tests or prescribe medication incompatible, will save 4 billion per year. This figure "is not reasonable, disapproves of the president of the ASIP-Health, Michel Gagneux. It is a long term project, which will not yield savings anytime soon, although I am sure it will ultimately efficiency factor. Any expert who will quote any figure is lying to you. "

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Automotive: why the Germans dominated

March 12, 2012 - 11:56 pm Comments Off

Strong positions internationally

On the Old Continent, German manufacturers have their dominant position in Germany, the strongest of the major European markets, making them less vulnerable to the slump in Southern Europe. More importantly, they are very well established internationally in areas experiencing strong growth. The Volkswagen Group sold 2.26 million cars in China last year (+18%). The volumes of BMW and Mercedes jumped 37% and 31% in this market. VW owns 20% of the Brazilian market. United States, he occupies a position lower than in the rest of the world, but continues to gain market share. BMW and Mercedes also post strong gains overseas.

The reputation of "Made in Germany"

The renowned German manufacturers is such that Opel now speaks the language of Goethe in its advertising. Renault, who wants to prove the reliability of its cars, has also made him also to speak in German last year, in a spot parodying the brand in flash. This reputation allows German brands to sell their products more expensive than their French rivals. "This is the result of an approach based on decades of product quality and innovation, says Philippe Houchois, an analyst at UBS. In the early 1990s, there was little difference in perception between a Volkswagen Passat and Peugeot 504. It is no longer the case today, with the successors of these models. "The VW group continues to accelerate: it plans to invest 62 billion euros by 2016 in its cars and factories, over 14 billion in China. It is also thanks to the obstinacy Audi, brand considered robust in the 1980s, has turned into a symbol of social success. Result, three manufacturers, BMW, Mercedes and Audi (VW Group), dominate the high-end sales, a lucrative and growing faster than the world market. Profits are particularly high in China, where wealthy customers are willing to pay a high price. This market, Audi's largest market, is also one on which flow over the Mercedes E-Class and 7 Series.

Economies of scale

To take advantage of its size and achieve significant economies of scale, Volkswagen, like the Renault-Nissan, went further in sharing components of its brands. The group strenna this year its new scalable platform, MQB, which shares many components between cars belonging to segments of different sizes. It plans to manufacture about forty models on a common basis, the Polo to the Passat, through the next Golf and the new Audi A3. More than 3 million vehicles will be assembled each year on this platform, enabling the group to reduce procurement costs and investments by 20%.

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How our neighbors treat their unemployed

February 23, 2012 - 6:24 pm Comments Off

 

A wind of change blowing through all unemployment compensation systems in Europe, despite their great diversity. And the phenomenon does not date from the last crisis. "Since the 1990s, virtually all governments have tightened at some point or other conditions of compensation for the unemployed, partly for reasons of economy budget," says Carole Tuchszirer, researcher at the Study Center Employment (ECE).

Some methods have been widely used: reducing the duration of benefits, implementation example in the UK or in Germany, fewer beneficiaries, the Netherlands, Sweden or Spain, decrease the amount of services, enhanced requirements for job seekers in most European countries, including France … The objective of these measures is to encourage the unemployed to return to work. These reforms all the more concerned the most generous countries, like Germany, Belgium, Spain, France or the Nordic countries.

Penalties

But between theory and practice, there is sometimes a step. And obligations that are imposed on the unemployed, sometimes harder on paper than in reality. "When there are no vacancies, the question to accept one or not arise in any case much less," says Christine Erhel, professor at Paris I. In France, the radiation for refusing a reasonable offer of employment were, crisis requires, marginal since the entry into force of the reform in 2008. In Spain and Italy, these constraints are in fact tempered by the inefficiency of public service employment, which is struggling to provide training to the unemployed and job proposals payday loan. Conversely, the success of the Nordic model is based primarily on the association of a number of bonds with an activation policy (provision of training, incentives for rehabilitation, supported employment, assistance with job creation etc.. ) particularly dynamic.

"Bad jobs"

In the current reforms, there is also a contradiction, is Carole Tuchszicher, "to enhance training and to want to simultaneously precipitate the re-employment of the unemployed, even if they take jobs below their qualifications. "

In many countries, like Germany where the Hartz reform has contributed to the rise of mini-jobs paying 400 to 800 euros per month, the tightening of compensation would in fact rather increased the polarization of the labor market, between jobs low-paid or part-time (the "bad jobs" in the Anglo-Saxon), and full-time jobs more protective. "This is a model of society, is Carole Tuchzsicher. At each choose whether to be unemployed, hoping for a job commensurate with his qualifications, or occupy a position more quickly lower quality. "

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PSA could join forces with General Motors

February 22, 2012 - 1:04 pm Comments Off

 

PSA Peugeot Citroen could find salvation in America. Held by the French manufacturer Peugeot family experiencing great difficulties – the automotive division has lost money in 2011 – has confirmed tonight that "considering proposed cooperation and alliances (…) in its globalization strategy and performance improvement. " The group does not directly project with General Motors but Latribune.fr and Financial Times both report that the French group is in advanced talks with the U.S. giant. For now, GM has declined comment. Kelly Cusinato, spokesman for the group, simply reaffirmed that GM "regularly speak to other companies in the sector but we do not comment anything beyond that." According Latribune.fr, discussions between the two automakers started there "few months" might even lead to an agreement that would be formalized during the Geneva Motor Show in early March.

The reconciliation between the two groups are "an alliance, not a merger or ad hoc cooperation" as the French group may have with competitors like Ford, Toyota and BMW. Such a project would enable a PSA to get a second wind while the group in crisis is unable to fund the investment needed for its redevelopment internationally.

If this project goes to completion, it would make strategic sense, and would bring synergies for both groups. It would create a powerful global industry leader with over 11 million vehicles sold per year worldwide. PSA lacks international basis although it is a major strength of GM, the first manufacturer in the world. For its part, the American manufacturer said last week that he wants to refocus the strategy of its European subsidiary Opel, which has lost $ 747 million in 2011. "An alliance between Peugeot and Opel would be strategic because their production units do not overlap. PSA is mainly located in France and in southern and eastern Europe as Opel is more present in Germany and the north, "says the Financial Times.

But any agreement must first be approved by the Peugeot family, which owns 30.9% of the capital and 48.3% of the voting rights of PSA, said LaTribune.fr reminder that the American manufacturer is "twice as big "in sales as its French rival.  

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