7 for '11: Seven Predictions for 2011 from Binghamton University Faculty

Newswise offers the following predictions from Binghamton University faculty for 2011:

Predictions, prognostications or peaks into the future. Whatever they’re called, we all want to know what’s ahead for the new year.

Seven faculty members at Binghamton University identify seven different issues, trends or events we’re likely to hear more about in 2011. \

1: Changing the way we give
From David Campbell, assistant professor of public administration

“I predict that there will be new attention to philanthropy and technology in 2011. In 2010, giving by texting was all the rage. Entrepreneurial nonprofit leaders continue to look for ways to identify and connect with new donors. Mobile applications and the proliferation of marketing information gathered online will contribute to increased microtargeting of potential donors. Look for more partnerships between nonprofits and sites like Groupon and LivingSocial, which provide bargain shopping opportunities in cities around the United States and Canada. This development will reignite debates about whether such partnerships compromise nonprofit independence and core nonprofit values.”

2. Entrepreneurship is essential
From Eugene Krentsel, assistant vice president, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships

“In 2011, Republicans and Democrats will agree that the road to economic recovery in the United States begins with a return to the basic principle of promoting and incentivizing entrepreneurialism. That concept has been, remains now and will remain the brilliance of the American dream. Innovation and entrepreneurship have always flourished during economic crises: Many companies with what are today household names were born at those times, and in turn, they have ultimately contributed to tremendous job creation. Both sides of the political aisle will, in 2011, take steps to promote easier access to capital and entrepreneurship-friendly tax and intellectual property regulations. The entrepreneurial mindset will once again be at the forefront of American life. It will no longer be optional; it will be essential.”

3. Workers rights will weaken
From David Cingranelli, professor of political science

“In the next few years, expect to see continued decline in government protection of the rights of workers around the world, including freedom to collectively bargain, strike, and join unions. Respect for these rights declined worldwide between 2008 and 2009, especially in Africa and Oceania. By summer 2011, staff and students of the Cingranelli and Richards (CIRI) Human Rights Data Project (www.humanrightsdata.org) will have gathered and quantified raw data from 2010, but I expect this downward trend in government respect for worker rights to continue for the next several years. The downward pressure on governments to weaken labor protection laws and/or enforcement is due to the increased global competition for foreign investment and the desire by most, if not all, governments to produce goods for export at the lowest possible cost. Even in rich democracies like the United States, worker rights are eroding as factory jobs are moved to countries with lower labor costs.”

4. New accounting rules: ours or theirs?
From Sara Reiter, professor of accounting

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