Change is nothing new. Nobel laureate Bob Dylan sang that “the times they are a-changin’” back in 1964. The difference today is the pace of change. In his book, Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations (Farrar Straus & Giroux, 2016), Thomas Friedman sees the world at a turning point. He believes that technology, globalization, and climate change are reshaping our institutions—and rapidly. As his subtitle notes, this is an “age of accelerations,” and we all need to keep up or risk getting left behind.

Given Friedman’s thinking on “accelerations” in technology and the disruptions it can cause, it is tempting to consider the impact on the “institution of standardization.” First, what is the rightful place of international standards in today’s global economy? Second, does cross-organization collaboration offer any clues about the nature and impact of world trade?

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