Abstract
Business models are changing rapidly and radically, creating a need for policy-makers, businesses and employer organizations to innovate, adjust and become more flexible, according to new study. The report Changing Business and Opportunities for Employer and Business Organizations is a joint publication of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ACT/EMP) and the International Organisation of Employers (IOE). The research identifies five global trends that are drastically changing business models regardless of size, sector or location: technological innovation, global economic integration, demographic and generational shifts, climate change and sustainability, and a global shortage of skilled labour. “Technological innovation is by far the most influential trend, and is fundamentally changing the way companies add value to products and services,” said ACT/EMP Director Deborah France-Massin. “At the same time, we find that the greater penetration of technology increases the demand for ‘human’ skills such as creativity, problem solving, communication and collaboration.” The impact of these trends on business and the role employers and business organizations will play in these coming changes is a key element of the debate around the future of work included in the report.