“Change is essentially up to the individual.” That was the key takeaway for me with regards to today’s session. It’s such a powerful phrase for me because it is often written off quickly because we brush of progress as something someone comes up with while we just simply jump on the bandwagon when the time comes. The topic today was the drivers of world change and managing it to it’s fullest potential so as to encompass all aspects of progress.

However it was the consumerism changes that come with technology that had a big impact on me. It occurred to me that essentially every industry today is now linked with the service industry because of the increasing number of competitors that each business has. What makes one online shopping portal better then the other? It’s not so much what they sell but rather what additional services they offer you that make the difference. Since the general consensus of the class (me included) is that a business can only be truly successful if it caters to the mainstream, how then does high-end retail outlets still manage to survive? The key is the additional service they provide. Take for example when you shop for Prada goods online, you can choose a selection of clothes and shoes that you like, just like any other store. However what set’s them apart is that after you order, they can have a personalized sales assistant to come to your house to help you accessorize and coordinate your clothes so that you look your absolute best with their product. Of course this comes with additional cost but the point is that they essentially cater to you own selfish needs rather then theirs so as to keep you attracted to their brand.

What this means is that globalization and technological advancements has helped break the Monopoly or Oligopoly of certain companies in certain industries, which has thus benefitted the consumers in terms of better and more personalized treatment as well as acceptable prices due to pricing competitions among businesses in the same industry. Of course this is only true to a certain extent but I think this seems to be the growing trend.

So something important that I think should be good for discussion is, since we as the consumers continue to have increasing power over companies and what they provide for us, how can we drive the change for companies to accelerate their shift towards sustainable development in an era where climate change and environmental problems are such pressing issues?