Future of Society Business

1.5 Credits · Level: Graduate

Business school students learn a lot about how to run a company; how to be better managers. These are largely micro factors about which managers have a reasonable amount of control. Macro factors may have just as much impact, in some cases even more on their business. And they are often, in fact almost always, out of managers’ direct control. But awareness of these macro factors and of the impact they can have on the industry, company and the country managers are working in need to be factored into business planning and into influencing government policy. Thesis: The post-WWII era has ended. The so-called American Century, reliance on the fossil fuel economy, developed world population growth, immigration acceptance, steady (vs. massively disruptive) technology innovation and other factors appear to have receded to a new world, yet to be fully defined. Technologists refer to this new world as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. And while the opportunities and challenges of the 21st Century include tech disruption they are much broader than just tech. These other issues facing the world (not the least of which are demographic and climate changes, life sciences innovations and economic growth and global trade) will alter global society and global business during this century and beyond. This new world will offer different risks and opportunities in the business world, will reshape society and global balances of power and will push governments to take and develop new policy solutions to looming challenges. This course will explore five macro areas of disruption and the possible outcomes/implications primarily focusing on three questions: 1.) How might these disruptive forces affect the business world, society and governments over the next 30-40 years (the term of most student’s careers)? 2.) Over what time frame are these disruptions likely to develop? 3.) And finally, what can business and government leaders do to manage the risks and prepare for and take advantage of the opportunities? Students will be urged to concentrate their assignments and their insights from the readings and the class room lectures and discussion on the industries and the countries that are most relevant to them.