Reconsidering the Social Responsibility of...
In a speech in July, Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden said: “It’s way past time we put an end to the era of...

Riding a Wave of Business Process Automation
In 2020, we find ourselves at the revolutionary convergence of myriad diverse, trends creating once-in-a-lifetime...

The New World of Telework is Upon Us
Before the COVID19 crisis, just 5.3 percent of US employees reported telecommuting most of the time, while 23.7%...

Creating Competitive Advantage Through Data
Many executives and investors assume that it’s possible to use customer-data capabilities to gain an unbeatable...


Harnessing the Power of Managed Customer...
published on: Nov 15, 2019
Research has shown that memorable experiences, as well as the ensuing positive word of mouth, can drive customer decisions as much as or more than...

The New Era of Automation is Here
published on: Aug 15, 2019
The conversation about factory automation has recently shifted from industrial robots taking jobs to robots solving labor shortages. Instead of...

Smart Hiring for the Information Revolution
published on: Aug 15, 2019
Today there are more jobs than candidates. As a result, for the first time since the 90’s, the U.S. is a “seller’s market” for talent. ...

Reintegrating America’s Marginalized Workers
published on: May 15, 2019
As of the second quarter of 2019, there were over a million more job openings than job seekers and the biggest shortage was in blue-collar...

America’s Emerging Job Imperative
published on: Jan 15, 2019
As discussed in prior issues, America is at a tipping point, somewhat analogous to those we faced during the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and...

Happiness Becomes a Strategic Imperative
published on: Dec 15, 2018
With record low unemployment, maximizing employee productivity and retention is more important than ever before. And it appears that employee...

The Brave New World Comes to California
published on: Nov 15, 2018
Whether you compare it to Huxley’s Brave New World or an info-tech reinterpretation of Medieval Europe or the Antebellum South, the dysfunctional...

Strategic Competitiveness Drives American Wealth
published on: Nov 15, 2018
The United States is once again the world’s most competitive economy. And despite recent market corrections, its multi-dimensional competitive...

The Surprising Midwestern Boom
published on: Jun 15, 2018
After decades of decline, many rustbelt cities are making a big comeback. Where are the major opportunities? Where are the trouble spots? And what...

Business Moves Beyond Economies of Scale
published on: May 15, 2018
At least since the beginning of the Steel Revolution in 1871, economies of scale have been crucial to success in the economy’s most important...

Embracing MOOCs Will Close the Skills Gap
published on: May 15, 2018
Unemployment is at record lows, and skilled jobs are increasingly going unfilled. Bain & Company estimates that between now and 2030, between $5...

Machine Learning Impacts the 21st Century...
published on: Feb 15, 2018
Most experts argue that machine-learning will seriously impact jobs, productivity, and our quality of life over the next few decades. However, there...

Additive Manufacturing Goes Industrial
published on: Aug 15, 2017
A decade ago, additive manufacturing (or AM) began to appear in labs, workshops, and design studios, where flexibility, low turn-around times, and...

Corporations Prepare to Collect the Longevity...
published on: May 22, 2017
Over thirty years ago, the Trends editors began exploring and tracking the implications of a greater share of the public being older, healthier, and...

The Softer Side of the Skills Gap
published on: Apr 15, 2017
When we talk about the “skills gap,” we tend to focus on the glaring shortfall in STEM skills and in blue-collar trade skills. Yet, employers...

The Declining Cost of Distance
published on: Mar 15, 2017
For centuries, the cost of distance has determined where businesses produce and sell, where employers locate jobs and where families choose to live,...