It’s impossible to understate the importance of having a sense of community at work, especially in these turbulent times. After enduring wave after wave of job cuts, plant closings and corporate bankruptcies, employees uniformly say that what enables them to keep going is being able to talk to others who listen to and understand their concerns.

Company-supported networks or affinity groups have proved a huge winner for employees and employers alike. These groups provide a much-needed sense of connection for employees who might otherwise feel adrift as their companies focus on survival.

At the same time, organizations also benefit from encouraging and endorsing employee communities. In addition to a sympathetic ear, these groups help build internal professional networks and develop career skills. Many offer nuanced learning opportunities; for example, women’s networks may teach negotiating skills, while millennial groups may pair young members with senior members.

And virtual forums—whether videoconferencing, Web casts or Twitter—are especially important in promoting a sense of connectivity between workers scattered around the world.

EMC, the technology giant, is an example of a company that’s been able to use social media to improve collaboration and innovation during uncertain times. The company launched an experiment in October 2007 with EMC ONE, an online forum based on off-the-shelf social-networking software.

Industrial manufacturing in the Philippines remains underdeveloped when compared to its regional neighbors such as Malaysia or Thailand, a fact that currently bodes well for the country in the short term given a weak external growth environment has driven export figures sharply downwards. Not to say the Philippines is unaffected by decreased demand for its exports, it is simply not as affected as those who rely too heavily on manufactured exports.

LONG BEACH, California—After a lonely three-week voyage across the Pacific, the multinational crew of the British-flagged container ship Hyundai Tokyo arrives at the largest US port complex and proceeds to do irreparable damage to the stereotype of the hard-living international merchant seaman.