Business Trends in Practice: The 25+ trends that are redefining organizations, by Bernard Marr (Wiley £29.99)
Author Bernard Marr really does do what the book jacket promises- ‘deliver an eye-opening discussion of the transformational forces disrupting our business and government organisations’.
Take chapter 18 on sustainable and resilient operations. Marr explains that during the Covid-19 organisations that were able to pivot to digital channels or accelerate their digital transformation were clearly better equipped to survive. But he asks what if the next pandemic is a digital virus – one that takes down the internet? Marr says if that is the case then businesses with a physical infrastructure would be better equipped to survive, and those solely reliant on digital channels would face a major existential threat. He believes resilience in the fourth industrial revolution may include balancing digital with other channels.
Becoming a more sustainable business is also covered, and Marr offers some practical active here. Switching to renewable energy is one of the most powerful ways for a business to make a difference. The first move, however, is to understand the current impact of the business – what is your energy and water use?
All the latest trends are looked at from AI and the datafication of our world, to how we learn and mass personalisation.
Marr stresses that how and what we teach must change: “education needs to be transformed over the next few years to make it more relevant to the fourth industrial revolution and to prepare students for life and work in the 21st century.”
He predicts that in the future employers will care less about traditional degrees and more about skills.
PQ rating 5/5 We really really liked this book. Marr makes everything so accessible and it’s hard to disagree with anything he says!
