化解人类资源危机需要再来一场工业革命

    新的工业岗位会是什么样子？

    我们现在谈的经济变革将把更多信息与决策权下放给一线工作人员，进而提高每一位一线工作人员所创造的价值。

    但我们已经看到，这种隐含在生产资料中的转变每次都能得以实现。比如，如果我们不必担心高企的油价，因为我们可以更有效地利用资源，公司可以在高生产率劳动力上投入更多。但这需要对工人进行一定的培训，让他们承担新的职责。

    大公司往往不会主动迎接激进的改革。如何才能让他们引领资源革命？需要一场危机才行吗？

    2007年和2008年能源价格暴涨，给我们敲响了警钟。最近，食品价格和金属价格也在不断上涨。现在，各家公司已经认识到资源在自己业务中的作用所带来的风险。中国就是一个例子。他们一方面要实现经济增长目标，一方面又在努力降低在环境风险和资源价格暴涨方面的脆弱性。

    你认为我们能够做到吗？

    这场革命的挑战在于，从根本上转变管理者的职责。我乐观地认为我们能够做到。这是企业家和环保主义者因为共同的利益第一次达成一致：面临爆炸性增长的需求，如何用更少的资源做更多的事。（财富中文网）

    译者：刘进龙/汪皓

    What will these new industrial jobs look like?

    The kind of economic changes we are talking about tend to push more information and decision authority out to the frontline work force, increasing the value that each frontline employee can deliver.

    What we have seen every time, though, is that this shift in the means of production works out. If we don't have to worry about, say, high oil prices because we're using our resources more efficiently, companies can and do spend more on highly productive labor. It's going, however, to take some training for workers to take on these new roles.

    Big corporations aren't known for embracing radical change. What's it going to take to make them lead a resource revolution? A crisis?

    We had a wake-up call in 2007 and 2008 when energy prices spiked. More recently food prices and metals prices are running up. Corporations now see more risk in terms of how resources play a role in their business. Look at China. They're working like crazy to reduce their vulnerability to environmental exposure and resource price-spikes, while meeting their economic growth targets.

    Do you think we'll make it?

    The challenge of this revolution is that it makes managers' roles change in fundamental ways. I'm optimistic that we can adapt. For the first time entrepreneurs and environmentalists are aligned by common interests: how to do more with less in the face of exploding demand.