The power of information: transforming power structures in the new millennium

Power structures today are manifold and complex. Tomorrow’s world will be more complex still. This paper aims to explore just a few of the many future issues surrounding changes in power, the organizations and people that hold it and the ways in which it could be gained and manipulated. It identifies two parallel trends. One is that instantaneous communication, the growth of large network‐based communities, virtual companies and the attendant problem of taxation collection will strengthen globalization. The other, almost contradictory, trend is that advances in information technology and automation will allow for more emphasis on human issues and local community activities. The only guaranteed outcome in the new power structure is increased complexity.