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Crowdsourcing is not a new concept. I see it as the guiding principle underpinning democracy; the wisdom of the crowds pick a better leader than any individual could (we hope!) But what about using crowdsourcing to develop business strategy?

The second quarter of 2014 brought a raft of very cheery economic news. The pace of growth in China kicked back up to 7.5% following a mini-stimulus from the government which included speeding up infrastructure project approvals, tax relief and credit easing. The United States roared back after a particularly bitter winter to post 4.0% growth (at the annual rate). Spain was buoyed by news that growth had accelerated to 0.6% (from the previous quarter) and the unemployment rate has started to fall.

IFRS 9 fundamentally rewrites the accounting rules for financial instruments, introducing a new approach for financial asset classification and replacing the now discredited incurred loss impairment model with a more forward-looking expected loss model. All in addition to the major new requirements on hedge accounting that we reported on at the end of 2013. This special edition of IFRS News outlines the new Standard’s requirements, and the benefits and challenges that it will bring.

Sustainability is a buzzword of the moment. Whether as business leaders or consumers, we cannot escape from being told to consider the long-term implications of our actions or spending decisions.

Ed Nusbaum talks to Ivo Daalder about the outlook for emerging markets

Investor calls for transparency and the rise of social media have thrust the impact businesses have on the economy, the environment and society more firmly into the spotlight. Drawing on more than 2,500 interviews with business leaders in 34 economies, Corporate Social Responsibility: beyond financials, looks at how companies are responding to this challenge; how they are making their operations more sustainable and what role they feel integrated reporting can play.

Nathan Goode welcome growth opportunities extra government scrutiny brings

Grant Thornton looks at the potential impact of IFRS 15 'Revenue from Contracts with Customers' for revenue recognition in the retail industry.

Grant Thornton looks at the potential impact of IFRS 15 'Revenue from Contracts with Customers' for revenue recognition in the software and cloud services industries.

Grant Thornton looks at the potential impact of IFRS 15 'Revenue from Contracts with Customers' for revenue recognition in the real estate industry.

Grant Thornton looks at the potential impact of IFRS 15 'Revenue from Contracts with Customers' for revenue recognition in the manufacturing industry.

Grant Thornton looks at the potential impact of IFRS 15 'Revenue from Contracts with Customers' for revenue recognition in the construction industry.

As the global economy slowly recovers its verve, so business leaders in the hospitality and tourism sector are looking at new ways to grow their operations. So says our International Business Report (IBR), which interviews around 150 senior executives in the sector globally every quarter.

The dangers of social media are clear, but the risk to a charity of not getting involved is far greater. A story that emerged during the research for our new report, ‘Growing communities: How charity leaders govern social media globally to thrive online’, illustrates this perfectly.

The technology sector is riding the crest of a wave. We interview approximately 150 technology companies around the world every quarter through our International Business Report (IBR) and what’s struck me since the beginning of the year is how bullish the leaders of these companies are about their growth prospects.

One of the greatest challenges with using social media strategically is measuring its success. Boards need to understand how social media is helping meet their strategic objectives and need to set goals and define success early in the planning stage. Measurement is crucial to understanding whether these goals have been achieved.