The Sustainability of Western Country Debt Levels

As we know, improving organizational performance and creating a truly enduring organization is influenced by many external factors including the global economy and individual country fiscal policies.

In a recent presentation at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Harvard Professor Niall Ferguson presents a rather sobering view of the sustainability of Western country debt levels and the not so distant future implications.

The challenge for organizations is to understand the potential futures facing the Western economies and develop sustainable business strategies that will increase the odds of success in the coming decades.

While many of Ferguson's futures seem dire, he does hold out some hope for the possibility that the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the United States may help resolve what he describes as the inevitable debt crisis on both sides of the Atlantic.

While it is a lengthy presentation, I highly recommend that you find the time to watch both the presentation and the Q&A videos.