(More on Mega-trends - 2022 - cont. 7)

7. Unlock the Human Dimensions

Introduction

Human perspective and experiences are changing.

"...Consumers are demanding increased transparency from organisations, governments and scientists to maintain their trust, and there are concerns about the spread of misinformation. The rapid rate of change associated with technology is also driving new considerations around ethical design and deployment......highlights the social drivers influencing future consumers', citizens' and employees' behaviours..."
CSIRO, 2022

Importance of trust

Impacts of this megatrend

i) trust in institutions

Globally there has been a decline in trust in institutions like government, business, media, etc
"...obtaining and maintaining trust will be a challenging task of many public and private sector organisations..."
CSIRO, 2022

ii) patterns of social cohesion

Globally the pandemic had varying impacts on social cohesion; it has negative impact in Japan, South Korea, France, Russia and Brazil.

However, need to be aware of

    - widening socio-economic gaps between certain demographics,

    - barriers to social inclusion, ie income inequality, ethnicity, race, etc

    - the unknown long-term impacts of the pandemic on people.

iii) an 'infodemic' within the pandemic and beyond

The proliferation of misleading information during the pandemic has caused confusion and downgraded trust in public health authorities; with social media platforms amplifying the problem and accelerating the spread of mis-information or fake news. This is linked with  increased polarisation within society and 'echo-chambers' (when pre-existing points of view are reinforced by biased scope-limited information streams)

Any uncertainty around scientific findings can have negative long-term impact of public support for science.

Need science-based policies and decisions.

iv) communicating the complexity of science

The pandemic demonstrated the problems in communicating, eg the reports of rare cases of blood clotting disorders (thrombosis and thrombocytopenia syndrome) arising from AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, was the dominant reason people gave not getting vaccinated.
"...people struggled to weigh up the risks around vaccines due to cognitive biases that prioritise the most accessible or emotionally compelling information in decision-making..."
CSIRO, 2022

Need to anticipate these mental shortcuts when communicating scientific evidence to the public .

v) a prolonged a timeline for global poverty mitigation

Issues like climate change, armed conflict, pandemic, etc have a disproportionate impact on lower-income populations; the pandemic has pushed an estimated extra 100 million people into extreme poverty (CSIRO, 2022).

vi) patterns of wealth distribution and income inequality

More even wealth distribution and income equality
"...are associated with longer lifespan, reduced crime, an overall better quality of life..."
CSIRO, 2022

vii) putting environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) on the agenda

Along with traditional financial measures, ESG metrics are being used to assess organisational performance; government legislation and consumer pressure are driving the adoption of ESG, ie around climate emergency (linked with the use of fossil fuels, etc), sustainable development, growing inequalities, etc

(for more detail, see elsewhere in the Knowledge Base)

ix) socially aware and empowered consumers

"...the convergence of mobile, social, cloud and big data technologies has expanded consumers' access to information and shifted the balance of power from sellers to consumers..."
CSIRO, 2022

Many consumers want greater transparency around sustainability, social and environmental issues and ethical practices.

x) reinstating the value of Indigenous knowledge

Increasing recognition of the need to protect cultural integrity and economic potential of Indigenous people's knowledge; need to reduce barriers and encourage cultural diversity

xi) evolving labour markets and workforce cultures

The pandemic has encouraged people to rethink the role that work plays in their lives; increased importance of work flexibility and activities outside of work.
"...different generations of workers can hold different expectations around work-life balance, technology, job security and stability, and other factors..."
CSIRO, 2022

x) gender diversity in the workplace

"...The pandemic has had a disproportionately negative impact on women in the workforce. Labour participation rates showed a greater decline amongst women than men after the first peak of Covid-19..."
CSIRO, 2022

The Improvement trend in the gender pay gap has reversed since the pandemic.