A century ago, military instruments were readily deployed in imperialistic adventures or the defence of national interests. Today the strategic environment is more complex and diplomatic protocols more established. The information revolution is meanwhile telescoping time frames and proliferating...

The challenge companies face in developing innovative and profitable products and services that will be in demand in the future can be facilitated by futures studies techniques. This article presents a case study where an organization in the general insurance industry used a combination of...

Professional work is facing significant forces for change which, as suggested by futurists, threaten the dominance of professionals in our lives. The paper examines the extent to which professional associations in the UK are responding to changes and preparing their members for the future. The...

In this paper, some of the most important results of the recent work of the author’s Futures Observatory, the culmination of a decade of global research involving several thousand managers and professionals from large organisations, are explored in the context of the long‐range planning...

This paper is intended to provide a guidebook for organizational futurists in building a foresight function inside today’s organizations by suggesting ten questions that ought to be answered. It addresses how to start from a blank page, but can also offer help to those who have already...

In the year 2000, the Agricultural Research Business Unit (ARBU) of the Swiss Federal Office of Agriculture (FOA) decided to carry out a foresight process. Foresight means taking a systematic look at the future in order to be able to draw conclusions about actions taken or not taken in the...

The use of foresight as a tool in policy and strategic decision making increased especially in the last decade of the twentieth century in order to enhance competitiveness and innovation of nations, regions, corporations and even individuals. Coupled with this development a lot of different...

In recent years there has been discussion in the management and organisational literature on generational differences and how they may impact on the design of workforce strategies. However, much of the discussion appears to be based on observation rather than large empirical work. Indeed, I...

Purpose – This paper aims to reconceptualise the literature on learning organisations, fourth blueprint management and entrepreneurialism to develop the idea of a global learning network. Design/methodology/approach – This notion is used to highlight successful leadership and management...

Purpose – This article aims to treat contemporary economic development from a regional and European perspective. Design/methodology/approach – The article applies a French prospective (foresight) approach to the issues of employment, decentralization, and privatization as an antidote to the...