Stirling Behavioural Scientist interviewed on expectations for a post-Covid Economy
One role of experts is to apply their knowledge to chip away at uncertainty. MSc Behavioural Program Director, David Comerford, was recently approached by the Herald HQ Business Magazine to make some forecasts about the very uncertain world that we enter post-Covid. Here is a taste of Dave’s speculations.
On the world of work:
“My guess is that in five years we will look on open-plan offices as this generation's telephone box.”
“A lot of the perks of promotion are status symbols that could be observed by co-workers. A 5-series instead of a 3-series BMW, an office of one's own, a PA. In a world where you are less visible to your co-workers and where working late on a project is done alone rather than in the communal adrenaline buzz of a team, fewer people might invest in seeking promotion.”
On cities:
“Glamorous cities, especially those with heritage value and generous public spaces - Paris, London, probably Edinburgh - will continue to be desirable destinations for many and attractive residences for some. Cities that were not destinations in their own right but were merely attractive options because they provided a lot of amenities in a concentrated space, those would be expected to suffer.”
On globalisation:
“It's been a bad decade for globalisation of the Anglo-American variety…China's belt and road initiative is one of the largest and most rapid globalisation forces ever and it is going on apace. There will always be gains from trade.”