Converging on the Future

These are confusing times. The boundaries between things keep slipping. Connections grow denser and events converge. In fact, we could call it "convergence" for short, a phenomenon that may have huge implications for business leaders and, indeed, all of society.

Generally speaking, people tend to think about "convergence" as a technical or business issue. There's the convergence, for example, of computers, stereos, televisions, telephones, etc. Likewise, there's the convergence of businesses (via mergers, partnerships and alliances) and even whole industries (such as retailing and entertainment).

At an even higher level, there may also be a growing "metaconvergence" going on, suggest futurists Alvin and Heidi Toffler. In essence, this convergence tightens connections among spheres that have hitherto been more independent. In an interview with Strategy & Leadership magazine, Alvin Toffler stated, "The 'infosphere' is more tightly connected to the 'technosphere,' and the 'technosphere' is more closely connected to the 'sociosphere' or the 'powersphere' of society, and so on, radically multiplying the interaction among them."

For business organizations, this could represent an enormous challenge. "Culture, religion, politics, environment, ethics, are all going to interpenetrate one another to an extent never before seen, and they will, in turn, penetrate business in all sorts of strange new ways," Toffler claims. One result of this is that businesses may become less and less insulated from the sort of social pressures that have historically been viewed as relatively unimportant to the bottom line. What's more, because today's turbulent markets are forcing so many business leaders to focus on quarterly returns, these leaders may not be fully prepared for increased convergence.

It's likely such convergence is well on its way. For example, there's the case of the former Coca Cola manager who, according to The American Prospect magazine, created a Web site and posted on it a civil complaint containing detailed allegations of discrimination against the firm. In the past, it probably would have been more difficult for an individual to bring that kind of social pressure to bear on a large, highly respected corporation.

The protests of the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle may be another sign of the metaconvergence phenomenon. Many of the protesters – organized with the help of information networks – claimed they were not against globalization per se but rather, in their eyes, premature trade liberalization that does not take into account environmental, labor and cultural impacts. In other words, they saw a convergence between trade and social issues.

How will corporations cope with the problems such metaconvergence brings? Perhaps through what Toffler calls "deep coalitions." Such coalitions might include corporate alliances with groups such as trade associations, academic nonprofits, churches, and other institutions. Such coalitions might give companies greater social clout and help them both understand and address what others perceive as problems.

Take the example of Monsanto Co. (acquired by Pharmacia Corp.), which saw its stock fall partly as a result of mass protests against some of its genetically modified foods, according to Business Week. In retrospect, former Monsanto CEO Robert B. Shapiro suggests, the firm seems to have been hindered by its own limited perspective. He has written, "It was natural for us to see this as a scientific issue. We didn't listen well to people who insisted that there were relevant ethical, religious, cultural, social and economic issues as well." Perhaps a deep coalition could have helped Monsanto more effectively hear such concerns.

Whether or not metaconvergence and deep coalitions turn out to be viable ideas, they should at least spark some interesting discussions about how corporations will be impacted by various facets of culture in an increasingly networked world.

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