The new paradigm shift

We are now in a position to update the chapter three model of the businessman with his alternative options. It is not practical for his options to be in the form of plans or predetermined business ideas, but, it is practical if his options are defined in terms of emergent opportunities to create efficiencies that have been recognised by him through his interaction with people on the Internet.

We can now think of this businessman not as some brilliant thinker and planner, but as a person who spends much of his time within Internet discussion forums looking for opportunities to fill gaps in the emerging system. These act as extensions of reasoning and thinking processes. Everyone has a limited knowledge, but, through the Internet discussion forums, they can gain access to knowledge that is far beyond their own ability to learn and understand. In this way Internet discussion forums can act as knowledge bases and tools for anyone who wants to become successful in e-business environments.

When an emergent situation identified, it will most likely require a particular mix of resources, knowledge and skills to be able to take advantage of any opportunity offered. In all probability, this would require resources, knowledge and skills beyond any single person's allocation or capability. Almost certainly then, the identifier of an e-business opportunity would need to work with others, where between them they have a full complement of appropriate resources, knowledge and skills. This will necessitate skillful communication with others.

This changes the nature of the game. Being successful in e-business is not a question of gaining greater knowledge and understanding, but, is about being able to successfully communicate with people. How then do we successfully communicate with people? This is not a problem that can be satisfactorily handled through rational thinking - it is a problem best handled through the framework of game theory.