December 21, 2021. Shanghai – There was no shortage of business insights from our faculty this year! From dual circulation and the impact of COVID-19 to the importance of innovation and chasing sustainability, we count down some of the most read CEIBS Knowledge pieces in 2021.

‘Dual circulation’ was a big catchphrase early in the year, but does it really mean China is bidding farewell to globalisation? In January, Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship Bai Guo argued that, despite the country’s new strategic focus, the rise of digital trading platforms, financial transaction platforms and payment methods will only make the world ever more interconnected.

Who has the authority to define women? Just in time for International Women’s Day, Professor of Management Jean Lee identified five hurdles women need to clear into order to become great managers, shared why each woman is Ms. Priceless and helped us identify a new role for a new generation of women.

Although COVID-19 has placed life sciences and healthcare (LSH) under great stress, it has also served as a valuable reminder that a healthy life is one of the primary goals of society. At the same time, however, the pandemic has also placed leadership in the sector back in the spotlight. Earlier this year, Adjunct Professor of Management Eric Bouteiller outlined four skills shaping effective leadership in the healthcare industry.

In the days when people suffered from material deprivation, it was believed that material abundance would lead to freedom. But is it true? In 2021, Professor of Management Katherine Xin put forward a compelling argument in support of the view that the way to real freedom is through self-regulation.

After taking a beating in the wake of COVID-19 in 2020, global sporting events were finally able to welcome back fans in 2021. But how much economic impact do events such as the Olympics, the World Cup and Formula-1 when it comes to boosting tourism? Professor of Economics Bala Ramasamy offered us an insightful look.

Will Gen-Z really propel Chinese brands past their international rivals? In follow-up to China’s fifth annual China Brand Day, Professor of Marketing Wang Gao took a look at some of the way in which young people are reshaping the consumption forces behind the ‘China Craze’ boom.

In China, drinking is a well-recognised part of doing business and facilitating social exchange. Moreover, as the Chinese business world becomes more competitive, drinking is considered to be a beneficial behaviour for business success. But is booze really a good short-cut to forming (and maintaining) relations, or is it finally time to re-think that next round? This past summer, Associate Professor of Management Michael Ho Kwong Kwan and others asked us to consider whether mixing booze and business isn’t just a guaranteed recipe for a hangover.

Competitive wars can be hugely destructive for the firms who engage in them (and their third-party partners). However, little is understood about how social factors such as inter-organisational connections influence these wars. Professors Wei Guo, Yu Zhang and others teamed up this year to ask, do inter-company links fan the flames of hyper-competition?

Is innovation crucial to a company’s success? It turns out that not everyone thinks so! Earlier this year, Professors Juan Fernandez, Emily David and Sophie Chen shared some of the highlights from the CEIBS 2021 Innovation Survey, including why some people believe other factors might be more important in driving long-term business outcomes.

Can you ever retire? Do you even want to retire? These are just some of the questions CEIBS Zurich Campus CEO Dr. Robert Straw asked when he took a look at the concept of retirement 2.0 this year. He also offered us some valuable suggestions for how governments, firms and individuals everywhere can work together to affect positive changes in the workforce.

The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals represent a roadmap to creating a significantly better, safer, healthier and fairer world. However, these goals are so wide-ranging and enormous that they are beyond the capacity of any single company, government or sector to solve. As we rolled into autumn, Professor of International Business and Strategy Shameen Prashantham drew from his recently-released book Gorillas Can Dance to offer us a look at why corporation-start-up partnerships offer fertile ground for SDG action.

Can fashion really be sustainable? And, just how bad is the environmental impact from the clothing industry? Professor of Marketing Wang Qi showed us why, despite carbon emissions, water pollution, microplastics and more, there is still reason to hope for a more environmentally-friendly fashion future.

How optimistic are foreign companies about their medium-to-long-term business outlooks in China? Drawing on a recent survey by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and a look back on the history of China’s reform and opening up, CEIBS Vice President and Dean Ding Yuan this year signalled why we might now be standing at a crucial crossroads in east-west relations.

Finally, with the world now witnessing an accelerating ageing process, governments, businesses and individuals have been forced to address the question of how we can cope with a population that is getting older and older. In late-2021, CEIBS President Wang Hong offered some interesting ideas for how we can make Chinese-style elderly care work for all.

Looking for more insights from our faculty? Check out our CEIBS Knowledge section here.