Transition Point From Steam To The Singularity

We live in disruptive times. The world is changing faster than ever before, leaving people dazed, businesses struggling, economies floundering and societies fracturing. But why? Transition Point is the result of over five years of research to establish the answer; a breathtaking tale of freedom, unintended consequences and disruptive technologies that starts 1000 years ago and ends up in the second half of the 21st Century. Starting with an examination into the drivers of technological change and the social, economic and political factors that both enable or suppress it, Transition Point explains why industrialisation happened where and when it did, why progress comes in waves, and why the technologies in the current wave, such as robotics, blockchain and AI, are likely to be the most disruptive of all. It then addresses the million-dollar question: what’s next? What impact will this wave have on our businesses, our economies and most importantly, on our society? Culey explores how our current trajectory could result in a new golden age, but also how it is just as likely to result in a digital dictatorship of compliance and constant surveillance. Finally, he explains why we may soon see Homo sapiens’ role as the dominant species come to an end. As Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, stated; "We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before." Transition Point explains why this is happening, what it means, and why the decisions we make now will prove to be critical.

We live in disruptive times. The world is changing faster than ever before, leaving people dazed, businesses struggling, economies floundering and societies fracturing. But why? Transition Point is the result of over five years of research to establish the answer; a breathtaking tale of freedom, unintended consequences and disruptive technologies that starts 1000 years ago and ends up in the second half of the 21st Century. Starting with an examination into the drivers of technological change and the social, economic and political factors that both enable or suppress it, Transition Point explains why industrialisation happened where and when it did, why progress comes in waves, and why the technologies in the current wave, such as robotics, blockchain and AI, are likely to be the most disruptive of all. It then addresses the million-dollar question: what’s next? What impact will this wave have on our businesses, our economies and most importantly, on our society? Culey explores how our current trajectory could result in a new golden age, but also how it is just as likely to result in a digital dictatorship of compliance and constant surveillance. Finally, he explains why we may soon see Homo sapiens’ role as the dominant species come to an end. As Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, stated; "We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before." Transition Point explains why this is happening, what it means, and why the decisions we make now will prove to be critical.

Organisational buying is the purchase of goods and/ or services, by one or more individuals acting on behalf of the buyer firm, after a formal or informal consideration of purchase alternatives, and, the integration or use of those goods and/ or services to address one or more buyer firm problems or issues. Organisational buying accounts for about two-thirds of economic transactions globally. However, organisational buying has traditionally been taught in discipline-specific silos. Organisational buying concepts appear in courses on marketing and sales management, procurement, contract management, supply chain management, operations management, finance, as well as accounting. Moreover, most organisations treat organisational buying activities in a similarly disjointed way. This book provides a comprehensive overview of organisational buying that integrates perspectives from across a range of disciplines and organisational functions. The primary goal of the book is to develop a holistic interpretation of organisational buying. It covers topics such as: • Purchase situations. • The organisational buying process. • The purchase decision and the value proposition. • Communications in organisational buying. • Buyer-supplier relationships. • Organisational buying capabilities. • Organisational buying culture. • Organisational buying approach design. • Channels of supply. • Networks and organisational buying. Written in a practical, approachable way the book includes a range of exercises, case examples, learning objectives and discussion questions to support a broad spectrum of organisational buying-related courses.

This book comprehensively describes the impact of modern technologies on political leadership by providing a new paradigm of the phenomenon of neo-leadership, that is political leadership oriented on creating both the image and political influence on the Internet. It examines its functioning in the new media environment and identifies the most important transforming trends, taking into account their impact on political and social relations in an era of dynamic technological development. Systematically exploring various dimensions of leadership, it presents new notions relevant in a networked world where leaders are created and conduct themselves against the backdrop of a technological revolution, including the development of AI, automation, algorithms and ultrafast networks, all of which strengthen or disrupt their impact and create a new set of virtual authorities exerting an increasing impact on society, ethical considerations and political life and requiring new methods for study. This book will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners of leadership and elite studies, media and communication studies, political marketing, political science, international relations; public policy, and sociology.

Global consumption of raw materials currently goes beyond the earth's regenerative capacity, but the circular economy offers a more sustainable model which also provides new business opportunities. Mastering the Circular Economy is an introduction to circularity from a business and value chain management perspective. With many reflections and exercises throughout, the book draws a direct link between relevant recent theory and practice and offers students and practitioners a deeper understanding of the topic. It looks at both the macro and micro context of the circular economy, from the government and societal view to the impact of new business models in an individual company. Starting from the corporate imperative of moving from linear to circular business models, Mastering the Circular Economy covers the associated opportunities and challenges for organizations, from regulation and risk to value chain collaboration, reverse logistics and product quality. Part two of the book helps students to pull together everything they've learned and see how the concepts play out in the real world by guiding them through application in the online business simulation game The Blue Connection (free basic access is included with the book). Readers are continuously asked to reflect on the choices they would make in different roles to demonstrate a full understanding of the strategic and operational implications of the circular economy.

Stochastic Methods in Scientific Computing: From Foundations to Advanced Techniques introduces the reader to advanced concepts in stochastic modelling, rooted in an intuitive yet rigorous presentation of the underlying mathematical concepts. A particular emphasis is placed on illuminating the underpinning Mathematics, and yet have the practical applications in mind. The reader will find valuable insights into topics ranging from Social Sciences and Particle Physics to modern-day Computer Science with Machine Learning and AI in focus. The book also covers recent specialised techniques for notorious issues in the field of stochastic simulations, providing a valuable reference for advanced readers with an active interest in the field. Features Self-contained, starting from the theoretical foundations and advancing to the most recent developments in the field Suitable as a reference for post-graduates and researchers or as supplementary reading for courses in numerical methods, scientific computing, and beyond Interdisciplinary, laying a solid ground for field-specific applications in finance, physics and biosciences on common theoretical foundations Replete with practical examples of applications to classic and current research problems in various fields.

The Second Edition of Leading Organizations offers an expanded focus on the fluid roles of leaders and participants (followers) and their mutual responsibility for organizational leadership. Like the first edition, this text contains chapters on implementing the organization's mission, structure, culture and strategy written by leading scholars in the fieild. New features include: - Strategic leadership - Virtual leadership - Leadership, organizational change, and conflict - Building a culture of leadership

Elementary concepts in statistics and probability - The ising model and the lattice gas - Elements of thermodynamics - Statistical mechanics - The world of bosons - All about fermions : theories of metals, superconductors, semiconductors - Kinetic theory - The transfer matrix - Some uses of quantum field theory in statistical physics.