Emergent Business Models in the 21st Century - The Threat of the Potent Epochal Tryptic

The idea and operation of ‘how to organise and conduct’ human affairs and business – or, alternatively expressed, conceive and implement business models - is surely as old as humanity itself. Nevertheless, the end of the 20th Century witnessed something of an explosion of interest in this domain. This was, on the one hand, following fashion. Business and management theory has always had a fragile ego (compared to the old established classic disciplines – architecture, science, medicine etc) and has often chased the Holy Grail of solutions to its supposed problems. However, on the other hand the sudden rise in interest in business models points at a deeper and more concerning malaise in the zeitgeist. The tectonic plates seem to be shifting in new ways that people are struggling to understand. Three key drivers seem to be at play in this new 21st Century landscape: the increasing occurrence of Extremes (e.g. environmental and planetary climate change catastrophe – economic transformations – geo-political tensions and conflicts); the rapid advances in Digitisation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in all spheres (i.e. human beings are being eclipsed by technology); and, Generational Change (Millennials, Zs., and forthcoming generations have divergent values and agendas). This epochal triptych creates a potent amalgam that is undermining all previous business models and calling for fresh thinking. Currently we are merely in a period of transition of this change. Time will tell what emergent models develop but they are likely to undermine and challenge extant corporate schema and ‘business as usual’ is over.