Browsing by Subject "Future"
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Item Bitcoin: The Future of Digital Payments?(2018-05) Vachher, PrateekIn just a meager ten years, Bitcoin has gone from being a relatively obscure piece of code to an internationally recognized form of payment. Yet, opinions about Bitcoin’s future are mixed. After considering the major factors affecting Bitcoin’s future use, the research paper offers some trend and attribute analysis which acts as modest predictions. Both systems are currently co-existing alongside each other. Both look like they are here to stay for the foreseeable future, although the rise of Bitcoin is causing banks to rethink certain areas like transaction fees and how they link between countries, among other things.Item The Future of our Farmland(Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, 2009-05-26) Aitchinson, Kate BoranThe goal of this report is to evaluate the composition and strength of the agricultural sector in Scott County, as well as to examine the changes this sector is undergoing in light of projected population growth for the coming years. Based on the county’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan Update, approved by the Metropolitan Council in February 2009, the county will prepare for future growth as designated in their Plan Update and subsequent land use, transportation, land preservation and public investment decisions. The Scott County region has been transformed since the 1980s, as the county experienced large population growth and residential development in and around its cities. People flocked to the area because of the rural lifestyle, open space, and relative proximity to local job centers (Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Minneapolis, and Saint Paul). The rural charm that draws people to the county stems from the agricultural tradition and roots, where operating farms still remain a fixture of the townships within the county. With regional population projections estimating continued growth in the region, the tension between residential and agricultural land uses has tightened. The Metropolitan Council estimated that as of 2007, Scott County had a total population of 123,735, with an anticipated population of 221,000 by the year 2030. This large population growth will impact both the developed and undeveloped areas of Scott County, and will put a large demand on the need for housing, infrastructure, and other public services. Undeveloped land will be sought out for the construction of homes and neighborhoods. Land use categories and zoning districts will help guide the county’s growth into compatible patterns with other nearby land uses, yet the agricultural community will still feel the growth pressure. The goal is to accommodate population growth while preserving the characteristics of the greater Scott County area that attract such residents. Without a comprehensive approach to dealing with these tensions, rising land values and the subdivision of large parcels into single family residences will continue to conflict with the agricultural land uses and culture in the county. This project was commissioned by the Scott County Planning Department, in order to shed light on the nature of the agricultural sector in the county. Qualitative and quantitative measures were reviewed to provide solid factual data as well as anecdotal evidence of the farming community. Four suburban and one rural county were compared to Scott County, looking particularly at the historical trends in agriculture. The report considers the following in light of growth and development within these counties: an overview of the counties’ agricultural sectors and their composition, the market value of crops and livestock and the subsequent farm income of the examined counties, the prevalence of organic and local food producers, and the role of conservation within the agricultural preservation movement. Additionally, a comparison of the agricultural sector and development examines changes within Scott County and Le Sueur County from the 1980s until present.Item A futures study of internationalization of the Carlson School of Management: diverse perspectives of key stakeholders.(2010-08) D’Angelo, Anne MarieInternationalization is a multi-faceted, multi-dimensional and complex concept described most notably as a higher educational process that integrates an international perspective into its organizational leadership, vision, and curricular goals. Success is dependent upon ongoing engagement of a multitude of internal and external stakeholders with an approach towards the future (Ellingboe, 1998). Today businesspeople operate in an open, global environment wherein interactions manifest themselves differently for each individual and depend upon one's abilities to adapt to and access interpersonal and inter-organizational relationships. The intricacies of these interactions occur at multi-dimensional levels - individual, organizational, and global - and present unique challenges for managers to maintain balance between independence and interdependence. Studies suggest that corporate leaders expect business schools to prepare graduates to be more competent and adaptive to these dynamic global challenges (Webb, Mayer, Piocher, and Allen, 1999). Using StoryTech, a futuring tool to develop desirable scenarios, this qualitative, futures study draws on specific ethnographic tools and methods and employs the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management as an exemplar of analysis regarding its internationalization strategies. The researcher examines how stakeholders, both internal and external to a business school community, envision their contributions in shaping internationalization strategies and how business school leaders should engage them in ways that are more effective and future-oriented. Preliminary data suggest stakeholders define internationalization in myriad ways reflecting unique perspectives consisting of cognitive, relational, and transactional factors for business schools to be more innovative in the development of internationalization strategies. Additional data support a systems approach to internationalization as most effective with business schools serving as focal points for these interconnected stakeholder communities. Broader implications of the study recommend that business school leaders develop and adopt a global meta-strategy approach to enhance broader school-wide initiatives. Moreover, a meta-strategy serves as a means to engage stakeholders from business school communities in unique ways focused on present day realities of globalization (global actualization) while creating desirable future scenarios and engagement for the betterment of new knowledge and applications for future professionals in the workforce. A consequence is the examination of a new, expanded role for international educators, one that broadens the professional realm.Item Hacking Architecture - The Future of Practice(2019-03) Bartling, R. JonathanArchitecture can enhance its value proposition by organizing around the principal elements of successful disruption. This thesis will outline the story of the current state of architectural practice. Components of disruptive innovation will be presented before examining 25 successful companies disrupting industries of commerce, travel, transportation, entertainment and construction. Nine principle elements will be uncovered, with ideas for how these can be translated to the profession of architecture.