After our discussion about businesses, I became slightly more optimistic about the future of corporations and the future of our world. I think that corporations are transitioning towards being more sustainable because we are so much more global than before – we, being the world’s leading corporations and companies. For example, while applying around for internships, I noticed something that I hadn’t picked up on before – these companies kept boasting their global name, not just a national reputation. It’s an interesting antithesis to the nationalistic rhetoric our administration boasts; now, as our countries our interconnected in ways we haven’t seen before, organizations are looking to make their name big around the world.
With regards to the well-being of our world, I think that my generation is becoming more conscious of our effect on the environment. I think this will be integral in the creation of our third-generation corporations (Third Generation Corporations); after our class discussions, especially after Professor Luchs pointed out that the adoption of alternative energy has been far more successful than initially expected, I think that it is possible for our world to come back from the damage we have caused. If these Third-Generation Corporations lead the way and set precedents for other companies, I believe that we can slow the damage we’re doing to the earth.
However, I remain slightly pessimistic about the future of our corporations and world for a few reasons. Firstly, it is worrisome that similar human “vices” have brought down previous generations of corporations – greed and corruption! As most people focus on extrinsic goals rather than their intrinsic (Shift in Values and Goals), this is not too surprising. However, the fact that these external rewards are not going away, and have not gone away, and continue to destroy corporations are slightly worrisome. This paints a grim picture of humanity, especially as we talk about happiness (Shift in Values and Goals). Another source of my “existential pessimism” (haha!) concerns stories like the changing Oslo skiing conditions (8 Ways the World Will Change by 2052). These minute changes to our climate and weather cannot be accurately conveyed with average temperatures; however, they are just as important, if not more so, in marking how our corporations and consumption patterns have altered the way our Earth functions. I think that reading this story was so upsetting because I see changes like this in my own life. Having grown up in Virginia, and still going to school here, I have witnessed an about-face of weather conditions – its alarming how mild our winters are now, vs. how they used to be when I was growing up.
In summation, I think that change is so difficult because the global economy is interconnected. This means decision-making processes for managing the international economy are changing too. It’s hard to get so many people on the same page, because there is a huge lack of cooperation either due to political agendas (“Resilient People, Resilient Planet”) or economical motives. However, if this emerging Third-Generation of corporations is really the harbinger the authors of the articles we have been reading say it is, then I feel slightly more hopeful for our future than I did before.