External Links & Downloads
Business Modelling :
To review an existing or define a new business model, the 'Business Model Generation' approach and the 'Strategyzer' website by Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur are good starting points.
Country Information :
For information about individual countries, as well as to compare different countries in terms of specific parameters, the following sources have proven to be useful :
- The CIA World Factbook gives a good overview - from an US perspective - for all countries across the globe.
- The Human Development Index of the UN shows the development of societal parameters for individual countries.
- The Economic Freedom Index provides a set of economic indicators - from a politically more 'conservative' perspective.
- The Country Profiles of Transparency International give an indication of the potential level of corruption one may be exposed to in a country.
- The Travel Pages of the CDC (Center of Disease Control and Prevention) provide in-depth information about potential health risks when traveling. As a governmental agency, their advice tend to be 'on the safe side'.
For cultural information, the following two books are good starting points :
- 'Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands' by Terri Morrison and Wayne A. Conaway, Adams Media, 2006.
- 'The Culture Map' by Erin Meyer, Public Affairs, 2014.
Statistical Information :
UBS Research periodically publishes some useful and interesting information :
- A small collection of Statistical Information about Switzerland, covering social, political, cultural and economic dimensions and also putting them into an international comparison.
- A detailed comparison of Prices & Earnings across the globe, covering 72 cities on all continents, providing interesting insights into the economic dimension of daily life.
