Defining The New Economy
The new economy means something different to
everyone. The Wired's Encyclopedia of the New Economy
describes it as "a world in which people work with their
brains instead of their hands...A world in which rapid
change is a constant. A world at least as different from
what came before it as the industrial age was from its
agricultural predecessor. A world so different its
emergence can only be described as a
revolution."
In a past interview with News for a
Change Peter Koestenbaum, Ph.D., a business consultant
and philosopher, defined the new economy as "global and
multi-cultural. It is high tech and high tech is
overpriced. It is knowledge-oriented and skill- oriented,
which means you have to have more training to really
compete. It is impersonal. It is indifferent to human
feelings. It's a free market and as a result it creates
brutal competition. It is inevitable. It is there like a
natural force."
What it Means to You
In this special insert you will find more
definitions of the new economy from a variety of sources.
But perhaps how we define the new economy is not the
point. Understanding the way in which we let it affect
our lives is where we find real meaning-the first step in
learning how to survive and thrive in this day and age
without losing sight of the things that matter
most.
You will also read about the challenges many
are facing in today's global marketplace and how they
overcome the obstacles. Penny Sanchez-Burruss of Xerox
discusses how they are capitalizing on changes in
technology. Barry Johnson, an author and consultant,
elaborates on the importance of managing interdependent
opposites, or polarities, to achieve success. In "The
24/7 Work Invasion," the pressures of working around the
clock meet the daily demands of life in a tug of war that
is hard to win. And Peter Block expresses the idea that
perhaps the new economy is just that: "it may be somewhat
new, but it is just an economy. It is not a way of
life."
These articles offer differing perspectives
and cover many dimensions of the new economy. They are
intended to help you discover what the new economy means
to you and decide how you will let it affect your
life.
INSIDE THIS
SECTION:
Working in
the Virtual World
Peter Block -
I Will Survive
Insights:
Penny
Sanchez- Burruss
Barry
Johson, Ph.D
The 24/7
Work Invasion
Info,
Info, Everywhere!
Brief
Cases
Tips:
It's About Time and Finding
Time
January
2001Homepage
