Running such a decentralized company requires finding management talent in each country: a tall order for two reasons.

FORBES: Companies, People, Ideas

"They're starting to lay out stores differently, with better merchandise like private label food and more brand-name apparel, " says Dreher, who also stressed that a more decentralized approach to inventory management figures will help Wal-Mart do a better job stocking stores based on local tastes in each market.

FORBES: Discounters

In this event, participants will explore if and how cities in a developing country context can accelerate the development of their urban water management systems by by-passing conventional, centralized approaches and promoting more decentralized and flexible solutions that promise a higher degree of sustainability.

UNESCO: World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP)