Basel II: time for action

Despite some lingering issues, the main points of contention around the revised Basel II capital Accord have been resolved, and implementation seems more certain than it has for several years. David Rowe argues it is time to stop hoping it will go away and get on with the inevitable effort required to comply

Humans always find change painful, which is why procrastination is as perennial as grass. Organisational life exhibits similar behaviour. Most major organisational challenges are met with a series of emotional reactions not unlike those associated with death and dying. The first reaction is denial: “Are they nuts?”, “It will never happen”, “It’s too far in the future to worry about it”. This is followed by periods of confusion, anger, distress and eventually acceptance. I certainly saw, or to be