Read our insights

The gender diversity issue has been on the business agenda for many years now, yet a third of businesses still have no women at a senior management level. Somewhere there is a disconnect.

As businesses look to 2016 and beyond, this report considers the outlook for the global economy in 2016.

New research from Grant Thornton’s International Business Report (IBR) reveals that going into 2016, EU businesses remain surprisingly resilient in their outlook despite risks posed by the migrant crisis, terrorism etc. Yet 2016 also brings fresh questions as US firms report a dent to their confidence amid concerns over export markets and the strength of the Dollar.

I recently finished an Asian tour to connect with our firms in the region and to meet some of their clients. The trip has been an eye-opening experience and a great opportunity to focus on this high-growth region.

But as more commerce moves online, retailers need to be aware of cyber-attacks – only 46% are prepared, despite the $86bn cost in attacks annually.

Drawing on interviews from our IBR and other sources this report explores the opportunities and challenges for business growth in Asia-Pacific. The slowdown in China, regional tensions and ageing populations emerge as key threats to regional growth prospects, while businesses are excited by the Trans-Pacific Partnership and increased ASEAN cooperation.

New research from Grant Thornton’s International Business Report (IBR) reveals the extent to which contagion caused by China’s economic slowdown is spreading to businesses around the world. Business confidence and expectations for revenue and exports are down, not just in China’s near neighbours, but in several major economies which count on the world’s second biggest economy as a major trading partner.

Companies with diverse executive boards outperform peers run by all-male boards according to new research from Grant Thornton. The study, which covers listed companies in India, UK and US, estimates the opportunity cost for companies with male-only executive boards (in terms of lower returns on assets) at a staggering US$655 billion in 2014

The hospitality and tourism industry is hotwired into the global economy; how businesses in the sector prepare for and respond to economic shocks is critical to long-term growth prospects.

Three quarters of business leaders would pay more taxes in exchange for greater clarity from authorities on what is acceptable. And while few expect a global agreement any time soon, the majority would like to see their governments take unilateral action to help achieve this aim.

As the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) meets today (22 July 2015) to discuss the 2017 implementation date for new global revenue recognition rules, Grant Thornton is asking the accounting board to delay implementation, as a global business survey finds that many businesses are not expecting to be ready by 2017.

Before Greece’s 'No' vote on Sunday, business optimism in Europe had surged ahead to its highest level in five years, despite the ongoing uncertainty over the future of Greece and its continued membership of the single currency.

Low productivity growth is a concern for policymakers across the globe. Steve Perkins, global leader for technology, says boosting R&D is the way to compensate for ageing populations and slower employment growth.

Fifty years on from the world’s first personal computer going into mass production, the Grant Thornton International Business Report reveals the scale of technology’s influence on business with the majority of firms now planning to automate operations and practices, potentially resulting in job losses.

In the years leading up to the financial crisis, investors from developed economies poured money into emerging economies looking for big returns from in the world's fastest growing markets. But now investment is increasingly flowing from 'East' to 'West' as emerging markets slow, boosting the growth prospects of real estate and construction (REC) businesses in Europe and North America.

Companies outsource back-office business processes mainly to boost efficiency and reduce costs. Payroll, HR and accounting processes – the most common to be outsourced – are heavily transactional, and many companies determine that external specialists can execute these far more cost-effectively than they can themselves.