A vertical world is the third and final of three driving forces for 2024 that we took the opportunity to share during Cairo’s futures future scouting, where they present three driving forces that will change the world forever
1) The green wave washes over everything
2) AI does the work
3) A vertical world
What these mean, the driving forces mean, as well as our own reflections, you can take part in here as we go through and reflect on what will happen when “AI does the job” and how that driving force will affect the Gig economy.
A vertical world
For thirty years, the world has become increasingly integrated and harmonious, and for most companies and organizations geopolitics has thus been a non-issue. So not anymore. With increased conflicts, a more multipolar world is emerging where everyone is closest to himself, and where new unholy alliances are emerging. In addition, countries are no longer ruled by legitimate regimes, but also by terrorist organizations and private armies. Suddenly, geopolitics has become a necessity, even for businesses that operate only within the nation’s borders. The world today thus has great similarities to the time before the First World War – decades of globalization followed by increased levels of conflict, militarization and unholy alliances in a multipolar world. There, everyone becomes closest to themselves. Saudi Arabia’s requirement that regional offices move to Riyadh if they want government contracts is just one example. Which in this case affects 7,000 companies. The EU’s upcoming carbon dioxide tariffs are another.
All this combined and the rising protectionism of course also affects the gig economy on several fronts. The shift towards a more self-centered and multipolar order, where conflicts and differences are amplified, creates both challenges and opportunities for gig workers and platforms around the world.
Despite all the challenges with this driving force, the increased polarization is likely to increase local demand. In a polarized world, local markets will want to become more self-sufficient and less dependent on global suppliers and resources. This leads to an increased demand for local services and products, which in turn can benefit gig workers who offer their services at a local level.
This of course applies to all types of local ecosystems as a polarization in the global market drives the development of local ecosystems and infrastructures in the same way as the gig economy. Examples of other elements that benefit and strengthen this trend are the creation of coworking spaces, sharing platforms and other resources that support the growth of the gig work market at the local level.
So, although the global polarization will create many challenges in the world, it can also create positive effects on the gig economy at the local level by increasing the demand for local services, strengthening community engagement, promoting the growth of local ecosystems and stimulating local innovations. This can create new opportunities and benefits for gig workers and communities around the world not only here, but it is clearly a different world order than we are used to.
The vertical world is here and the effects are becoming clearer and clearer. But we all always have a choice in every interaction and relationship, so despite the polarizing trend, we can all continue to think long term. We can build all collaborations and business on win-win solutions and we can continue to have a warm and welcoming approach.
The world is becoming more vertical and changing, but you have the opportunity to choose whether you want to be part of making it better.
Welcome to the vertical world.
Do you need to recruit, cover a parental leave, increase flexibility at peak times, bring in specialist skills or is it to carry out improvement projects connected to current or future needs?
Feel free to contact us and we’ll offer you a cup of coffee and listen to your thoughts.
BayInCo – Interim within finance, accounting & sustainability