What are megatrends and how are they shaping the future of business?
What are the fundamental forces that are changing our world?
Identifying these trends and understanding their impact is key to knowing how businesses and communities operate today and into the future.
These are Megatrends, a term coined by John Naisbitt in the 1980s: large, transformative processes with global reach, broad scope, and dramatic impact.
The University of Sydney Business School has identified six megatrends that are shaping the world in the first half of the 21st century: impactful technology, demographic change, rapid urbanisation, amplified individuals, economic power shift, climate and resource security.
These forces help us think about the future for better-informed decisions in the present.
Each megatrend is explored in a short video explainer that we trust will start important conversations and provoke responses across business, government and community.
Biswas, R. (2018). Emerging Markets Megatrends. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Biswas, R. (2016). Asian Megatrends. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.
Day, J., & Hall, C. (2016). America’s Most Sustainable Cities and Regions : Surviving the 21st Century Megatrends (1st ed. 2016.). New York, NY: Springer New York.
Diong, T. (2017). The Future of Management Systems. Quality, 56(9), 52–54. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/2093177503/
Esposito, M.; Tse, Te. Drive. (2018). The Five Megatrends that Underpin the Future Business, Social, and Economic Landscapes. Thunderbird International Business Review. Jan/Feb2018, Vol. 60 Issue 1, p121-129. 1p. DOI: 10.1002/tie.21889. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/tie.21889
Kaivo-Oja Jari, & Lauraeus, T. (2019). Analysis of 2017 Gartner’s three megatrends to thrive the disruptive business, technology trends 2008-2016, dynamic capabilities of VUCA and foresight leadership tools. Advances in Technology Innovation, 4(2), 105-115. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.usyd.edu.au/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/2203253742?accountid=14757
Kojm, C. (2016). Global Change and Megatrends: Implications for Intelligence and Its Oversight. In Global Intelligence Oversight.https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190458072.003.0005
Naisbitt, J. (1982) Megatrends: Ten new directions transforming our lives. New York: Grand Central Publishing.
Naisbitt, D., & Naisbitt, J. (2018). Mastering megatrends : understanding & leveraging the evolving new world (Asian edition.). Singapore: World Scientific.
Peciak, R. (2016). Megatrends and their Implications in the Globalised World. Horyzonty Polityki, 7(21), 167–184. https://doi.org/10.17399/HP.2016.072106
Slaughter, R. A. (2013). Time to Get Real: A Critique of Global Trends 2030—Alternative Worlds. World Futures Review, 5(4), 354–359. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1946756713510280
Uther, Beverley. Managing Megatrends [online]. Company Director, Vol. 33, No. 10, Nov 2017: 40-43. Availability: https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=090338349476340;res=IELAPA
Watson, R., & Freeman, O. (2013). Re-visioning the NIC 2030 Scenarios. World Futures Review, 5(4), 372–376. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1946756713506365
Megatrends watch
Archive


ChatGPT and generative AI
This week: Our ChatGPT and generative AI special. What is it? How does it work? What to do with it? Where to next?


The ChatGPT chatbot is blowing people away with its writing skills. An expert explains why it’s so impressive
The newest OpenAI text-generator is a marked improvement over its predecessor – but it still has its pitfalls.


Why you should never retire: unlearn retirement
We discuss why collecting that gold watch and retiring at 65 might not be the best thing and why it’s time to change the retirement narrative.


The 4-day work week with Juliet Schor
This week: what if we all worked four days a week? We talk with Professor Juliet Schor about her research into the 4-day work week and the trials happening around the world.


Not just retail and restaurants: Australia’s new high tech Asian entrepreneurs
Who are this new generation of Asian Australian entrepreneurs and what makes them successful?


Welcome to Sydney 2036, how is the 3 part city working?
What does life look like for a 36 year-old Sydney resident in 2036?



China’s baby bust will change the world
By the turn of the century 100 working-age Chinese will have to support as many as 120 elderly Chinese.


Keeping it local – the new supply chain vibe
Resilience has become a saviour term but businesses can move beyond just mitigating supply chain risk.