Futures Thinking and Organizational Policy, Volume 2 Case Studies for Managing Rapid Change in Social Media, Shift in Wealth and Government Instability

The case studies in this Volume 2 book support the premise that organizational policies are what ensure institutionalization and sustainability of futures thinking in corporations, non-profits, and educational institutions. Futures thinking here reflects a systems approach utilized by organizational leaders to observe and interpret signals of change or disruption, identify trigger points of impact, employ foresight methodologies to build scenarios of the future and plan action, and then ultimately translate/actualize the most viable scenarios into successful business outcomes. What is new in the field of futures thinking today is not the general source of change (i.e., technology, globalization, and workforce well-being), but the tumultuous level of disruption occurring due to three phenomena—explosive use of social media, shift in great wealth, and government instability.

Scholars and practitioners alike will find the case studies in this book provide nuanced insights into such disruptions, as well as discussion of best practices to ensure successful business solutions.

Part 1: Introduction. Chapter 1. Futures Thinking in Organizations: Theoretical Framework.-Part 2: Case Studies.Explosive Use of Social Media. Chapter 2.  A Study of Tesla – 21^st Century Organizational Strategy as Nexus Between Foresight and Futures Thinking.- Chapter 3. Bridal Icon – The Joan Pillow Story.- Chapter 4. Yale University and the Impact of Future-oriented Leadership During the Covid Pandemic.- Chapter 5. Crafting a Leadership Edge: How a Small Business Stays Future-focused While Navigating the Present.- Shift in Great Wealth. Chapter 6. CoHousing NL (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) – Piloting Affordable Housing Within a Sustainable Community Context.- Chapter 7. Free the Fortune 500!  Collaboration Between Business and Society.- Chapter 8. Market Disruption in the Insurance Industry and Use of Foresight and Futures Thinking to Meet Challenges: A Case Study of Aviva Plc. Government [In]Stability. Chapter 9.Turning Darkness into Light: Metro de Santiago’s Scenario-based Approach to Creating Interconnected Opportunities.- Chapter 10. Port System Authority of the Eastern Adriatic Sea (Ports of Trieste and Monfalcone) – Government Use of Strategic Foresight.- Chapter 11. Resilience Frontiers (RF) Initiative of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – Driving Support for Sustainable Goals in Times of Uncertainty. Part 3: Supplemental Learning Materials. Chapter 12. Discussion Questions for Cases.- Chapter 13. Organizational Capability for Futures Thinking: Self-assessment.

Deborah A. Schreiber is Adjunct Professor of Organizational Leadership at the University of Massachusetts Global, USA, and management consultant with RK Futures Incorporated. She has been honored with the Charles A. Wedemeyer Award for Distinguished Scholarship in recognition of her research publications.
Zane L. Berge is Professor and Former Director of the Training Systems graduate programs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, USA. Prior to joining UMBC, Dr. Berge was Founder and Director of the Center for Teaching and Technology, Georgetown University, Washington DC.