Megatrend The Megatrend That Stems From Three Others Of t

Of the ten megatrends described by John Naisbitt, it is the North-South shift that is actually the result of three other trends. Naisbitt stated that it was "organically rooted" in three separate megatrends: the change from an industrial to an informa-tion society; the change from a national to a global economy; and the trend from centralization to decentralization. (p. 232.)

The change to an information society has had a pronounced negative impact on many industrial centers. Industrial operations were highly concentrated in the North and East -- for example, Detroit has been the heart of the auto industry, and Ohio has been a center for steel making. A decline in the relative importance of manufacturing as a component of the economy, led to job losses and falling levels of household incomes in these areas. However, "old" industry was so highly concentrated in these areas that there is a shortage of alternative jobs. With large numbers of people laid off or unemployed, local purchasing power falls and the entire local economy becomes depressed. By the early-1980s, people living in Northeast cities had the lowest living standards in the country, while per capita income was increasing most rapid-ly in the Southwest. (p. 242.) This created incentives for many to leave the North and head South or West in hope of a better life.

The changing nature of the economy also fueled the migration. In the emerging global economy, industr

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formation systems (word processors, electronic mail, electronic fund transfers, satellite communications) are based on the microprocessor. Without this one form of technology, the current restructuring of economic systems, organizations, and markets would not be under way. Many of the separate trends that Naisbitt described were clearly offshoots of the microprocessor. In his separate treat-ment of high technology, he wrote that computers could liberate people from offices and allow them to work at home. (p. 43.) As part of the changing economy, the number of industrial robots in the workforce by 1990 could be 80,000 or greater. (p. 47.) One of the most important forces changing the global economy is the communications satellite, which has collapsed the information float. (p. 56.) All of these trends are driving the North-South trend. And all of these trends depend upon computer chips. The link is less apparent between the microprocessor and the remaining trends, but it is present. Clearly there is a relation-ship between the concepts of decentralization, self-help, repre-sentative democracy, networking, and having multiple options. In all these cases, there is a move away from narrow choices and rigid controls which stem
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Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)