EMB | 11
EDITOR ’ S NOTE
THE NEW LANDSCAPE OF BUSINESS
Growing up in a world that was defined , contained and controlled by borders , I never imagined that we would see the world any other way . In geography class , we memorized the countries and capitals as the nests for government jurisdictions . We studied why some countries have advantage over others and understood how political power was formed and fueled . Inside those borders sit company HQs , taxes and legislation , yet business opportunity , trade routes and connectivity are now breaking the cumbersome chains that have historically carved up the map .
Against this backdrop , the reality is this : your business is sans border in a bordered world and the seismic shift that is occurring raises many questions that companies have to answer . As business becomes increasingly international , should you be loyal to your country or to your company ? Should you focus on paying taxes or dividends ? Should you look at national borders or at connectivity ?
As companies spend time grappling with these questions and the moral dilemmas they present , connectivity is increasing by the day . Lands that were once disadvantaged by distance are now becoming connected and , as a result , absorbed into global trade routes . Meanwhile , businesses are spilling over frontiers , becoming not just multinationals , but metanationals — stateless entities that draw on the resources and efficiencies of different geographies , while pledging allegiance to none .
Yet , though business transcends borders like never before , in the BT ( Brexit Trump ) world , there is an ill-timed call for renewed nationalism , with swathes of society demanding ‘ country first .’ Nationalism urges you to come home and the opportunity tells you to pack your bags . These competing interests are going to lead to a heated debate .
Frankly , while the US and UK have been at the center of this nationalist upsurge , the conversation is actually for emerging markets . Europe and North America are somewhat irrelevant when it comes to the newly connected world , where the real opportunity resides . But of course , with opportunity comes risk . Emerging markets and , in fact , economies world-wide , now face a huge risk as businesses build their futures irrespective of national borders , choosing company over country in the process .
I ’ m personally intrigued by this topic , including the wealth of opportunities and consequences that it encompasses . I ’ ve lived outside of my home country for the past fifteen years , I ’ ve managed to secure a second passport and my business interests are all international . In fact , I have no intention of ever living in my birth country again . As an individual , this has made me challenge what I was taught about nationalism , the locus of loyalty and how I see the future of business .
But this debate is much more than a source of intrigue on a personal level , it ’ s absolutely important for your business . I ’ m not sure there are right and wrong answers — just answers that are right and wrong for you . Rather than providing answers , in this issue of Emerging Markets Business , we hope to stimulate dialogue about the new landscape now defining our world . In doing so , we also aim to provide an arena for introspection on just what the connected world means for our priorities , identities and moral compasses , as we set the trajectory of business in territory that is uncharted in the most literal of senses .
Dr . Tommy Weir , Editor-in-Chief
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