6. Shifting Values in the Connected Economy

As currencies digitise and trade globalises, the world’s getting more connected. In this chapter, we consider the macroeconomic impact of this trend, the shift of value that appears to be taking place away from larger organisations towards smaller firms and the implications for banks. We examine the changes in how work and creative input are being revalued against money, the phenomenon of people working for nothing and the growing importance of network reputations in our self-actuation and in contributing to community resources, now at a global scale. We consider how the rise of individualistic determination through new platform outlets has arisen in parallel to a more fragmented commercial environment, as local and tribal values overcome economies of scale.