The accelerating pace of global change demands that economies must be adaptable. In this book a prestigious team of contributors address the nature and determinants of economic flexibility using a wide range of country studies.

Volatile exchange rates and how to manage them are a contentious topic whenever economic policymakers gather in international meetings. This book examines the broad parameters of exchange rate policy in light of both high-powered theory and real-world experience. What are the costs and benefits of flexible versus fixed exchange rates? How much of a role should the exchange rate play in monetary policy? Why don't volatile exchange rates destabilize inflation and output? The principal finding of this book is that using monetary policy to fight exchange rate volatility, including through the adoption of a fixed exchange rate regime, leads to greater volatility of employment, output, and inflation. In other words, the "cure" for exchange rate volatility is worse than the disease. This finding is demonstrated in economic models, in historical case studies, and in statistical analysis of the data. The book devotes considerable attention to understanding the reasons why volatile exchange rates do not destabilize inflation and output. The book concludes that many countries would benefit from allowing greater flexibility of their exchange rates in order to target monetary policy at stabilization of their domestic economies. Few, if any, countries would benefit from a move in the opposite direction.

The accelerating pace of global change demands that economies must be adaptable. Economies which are flexible flourish, as in Eastern Asia. Inflexible economies stagnate, as in Eastern Europe and Africa. However even though adaptability governs the long-term progress of economies, economists have had little to say about the nature and determinants of economic flexibility. This book redresses that situation. A prestigious team of contributors address the key theoretical and empirical issues, using a wide range of country studies.

Approaching “work” as at heart a practice of exchange, this volume explores sociality in work environments marked by the kind of structural changes that have come to define contemporary “flexible” capitalism. It introduces anthropological exchange theory to a wider readership, and shows how the perspective offers new ways to enquire about the flexible capitalism’s social dimensions. The essays contribute to a trans-disciplinary scholarship on contemporary economic practice and change by documenting how, across diverse settings, “gift-like” socialities proliferate, and even sustain the intensified flexible commoditization that more commonly is touted as tearing social relations apart. By interrogating a keenly debated contemporary work regime through an approach to sociality rooted in a rich and distinct anthropological legacy, the volume also makes a novel contribution to the anthropological literature on work and on exchange.

Visualize a baseball game. A fast runner is on first base, looking to steal second. The runner takes a lead, then plants himself in a flexible stance. He's ready to run in either direction: to second base if he gets a chance to steal, or back to first base if the pitcher tries to pick him off. Using that stance in business is the subject of Dr. Bill Conerly's latest book, The Flexible Stance: Thriving in a Boom/Bust Economy.The economic outlook is uncertain--this year and in the future. Economists failed to predict the recessions of 2008, 2001, 1990 and 1982. Technology is changing faster than ever before, forcing businesses to confront different consumer demands as well as new production processes. Social attitudes also change faster in a more connected world. Gay marriage, marijuana and GMOs are all cases where public thinking changed rapidly. New competitors are springing up, such as Amazon in industrial supplies and Uber versus taxis. On top of these issues, government policy has moved in unprecedented directions, with highly uncertain results.The flexible stance is hard for business leaders, who usually rose to top positions using the sprinter's stance: focus on the tape 100 meters away, looking neither left nor right. Traditional corporate planning tries to develop the one perfect forecast of the future, then optimizes the company for that scenario. Unfortunately, the future often does not cooperate.Techniques for a more flexible stance include evaluating everyday decisions with an eye to whether they enable adjustment to change or inhibit adjustment. Contingency plans should be developed for both upside and downside possibilities. Faster execution reduces risk. Diversification can increase flexibility sometimes--but not always. The successful business leaders of the future will be humble about their ability to predict the future, but aggressive in developing flexibility to thrive whatever the future brings.

Introduction : no going back -- Short-run gains for workers -- Medium-term gains for workers -- How will firms adapt? -- The rise of remote work and superstar cities -- New opportunities for other areas -- Conclusion : the new geography of jobs.