Sharing and Collaborative Economy: Future Scenarios, Technology, Creativity and Social Innovation

Description

This book presents a foresight-based exploratory analysis on the coming post-capitalist society and the transforming role of technology, creativity, and social innovation in the new economy. Topics analyzed include innovation culture, the role of politics, legal protection, the digitalization of social life, as well as vulnerabilities and opportunities of the Sharing & Collaborative Economy (ShE). ShE is here essentially understood just as a proof of the current Zeitgeist; a sign of its time. A time, where the formal social structures and institutions which traditionally have shaped and framed human societies are - slowly but progressively- getting dissolved into a new emerging social system, complex and mutant by nature.  The book subsequently presents three plausible scenarios for ShE as the outcome of this analysis in the horizon of 2030: 1) the probable future, balancing neoliberalism: the shared/collaborative economy as a new third way, 2) the contingent/rupturist future, hypercapitalism: neoliberalism on steroids, or the collaborative paradigm as a trojan horse, and 3) the preferable future, postcapitalism, or the sharing economy as the poster child of the 4th industrial revolution. It connects these three scenarios with a change of paradigm where horizontal management, cultural diversity, social responsibility, climate change management, and the transformative power of radical creativity and participation are finally getting a leading role in the design of brand new ways of approaching a more integrative and sustainable business and economy. Preface Highlights About This Book Reference Contents About the Author Chapter 1: Introduction References Chapter 2: Why Foresight? 2.1 Foresight and Social Change 2.2 Going Participatory: Foresight in Context 2.3 The Creative Futures Approach References Chapter 3: Horizon Scanning 3.1 Innovation Culture: Social Innovation as the Driving Force for a New Economy 3.2 The Digitalization of Social Life, or How Technology Is Transforming Identities and Culture 3.2.1 The Unstoppable Spreading and Development of ICTs 3.2.2 The Emergence of New Players 3.2.3 The Hydra Effect in Digital Entrepeneurship 3.2.4 Ubiquity of the Internet 3.3 The Circular Culture: Sharing, Collaborative Towards a New Economy? 3.4 ShE Seen as Controversial: Exploiting Vulnerabilities or Creating Opportunities? 3.5 The Role of Politics: Regulatory and Legal Approach to the ShE 3.6 Why Privacy Matters 3.7 The Use of Personal Data in ShE; Legal Protection at Present: The Internet as a New Political Space References Chapter 4: Futures Mindmap 4.1 The Art of Conjecture 4.2 Key Drivers Considered for ShE_2030 4.3 Dialectics of Change/1: How Social Subsystems Are Impacting on ShE 4.4 Dialectics of Change/2: How ShE Is Impacting on Social Subsystems 4.5 Cross-Impact Matrix References Chapter 5: Scenarios for 2030 5.1 Scenario #1: Extrapolative-Balancing Neoliberalism; ShE as a (New) Third Way 5.2 Scenario #2: Disruptive-Hyper-capitalism: Neoliberalism on Steroids, or the Collaborative Paradigm as a Trojan Horse 5.3 Scenario #3: Utopian-Post-capitalism, or Sharing and Collaborative Economy as the Poster Child of the Fourth Industrial Re... References Chapter 6: Conclusions 6.1 State of the Art 6.2 Europe at the Crossroad 6.3 Deconstructing the ShE Concept and Philosophy. The Regulatory Issue 6.4 Can ShE Be Considered an Alternative to Capitalism-As We Know It-? 6.4.1 Freedom 6.4.2 Feasibility 6.4.3 Flexibility 6.4.4 Fair Play 6.5 Beyond the Paradox. The Future of ShE in a (Big) Nutshell References