FEBRUARY 27, 2009

5 Forces Summary 2/27/09

Happy Friday, Undercurrents readers! It’s time again for the 5 Forces Summary. Check out these recent articles that highlight each of the 5 Forces of change. We’d love your thoughts on these articles. And, as always, past summaries can be found here.

Globalization
Job Losses Pose a Threat to Stability Worldwide from The New York Times
Worldwide job losses from the recession that started in the United States in December 2007 could hit a staggering 50 million by the end of 2009, according to the International Labor Organization, a United Nations agency. The slowdown has already claimed 3.6 million American jobs.

Innovation
The Fast Company 50 from Fast Company
Fast Company released its annual list of the world’s most innovative companies. #1 on the list this year is Team Obama. Other not-so-surprising picks include #15 Facebook (down from #3 in 2008) and #22 Zappos (new to the list).

Im(migration)
Paths to American Dream Converge in Immigration Court from The Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles branch of Immigration Court has 26 immigration judges. On average, each judge hears more than 1,000 cases a year. In the case of Nuria Perez Alvarado, a Guatemalean born woman who immigrated to the United States in 1987, the education she received while living in the United States is what convinced the courts to let her stay.

Saturation
A Tale of 140 Characters, Plus the Ones in Congress from The Washington Post
In a speech to a joint session of Congress on February 24, President Barack Obama told America “we will rebuild, we will recover.” As he outlined his plans for economic recovery, members of Congress “whipped out their BlackBerrys and began sending text messages like high school kids bored in math class.”

Personalization
Future Foods Willl Cater to Personal Health from CNN
At an annual meeting of the American Association of the Advancement of Science, experts said, “In the future, people should be able to tailor their diets and supplements to their particular biochemistry.” J. Bruce German, professor and food chemist at the University of California - Davis states that, ”In a consumer-driven food world, the industry would focus its goals on improving all aspects of the consumer’s health. People would receive dietary recommendations based on a very specific individualized health assessment, taking into account age, sex and medical history.”