Some thinkers are saying that the chief factor now is monetary policy.

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The turbulent business climate is another factor that encourages today's chief executives to keep their heads down.

ECONOMIST: Schumpeter

The chief factor in his election as party leader, perhaps, was that he was the most obvious alternative to Mr Papandreou, his old party rival.

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Peter Cullen, Microsoft's chief privacy strategist, says that Google's troubles were just one factor in the timing of their new privacy campaign.

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Its chief executive said that concern about how telecom firms account for revenues was a big factor in this loss of confidence.

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Chief Executive Howard Stringer echoed Mr. Huang, saying that trying out products is a key factor to getting customers to buy them, and that it's difficult to rely on retailers such as Best Buy to provide that experience.

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