Creativity and innovation hold the key to being competitive in a global environment, but what does it really take for a company to recruit or build innovative talent?

Defying conventional wisdom in management, no competitive advantage for a company seems sustainable over the long run in today's globalized and rapidly changing business environment. Meanwhile, the expansion of online social media has made it such a powerful tool of communication with consumers that companies have no choice but to use it proactively, whether they like it or not.

These are among the questions and issues discussed by professors from American business schools who took part in a June 1 symposium organized by the Keizai Koho Center under the theme, "Corporate Competitiveness in the Global Economy."