An essay on how changing demographics are transforming the southern United States, written by Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise scholar James H. Johnson Jr., is featured in a new report, “A Way Forward: Building a Globally Competitive South,” released today (Nov. 17) by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Global Research Institute (GRI).
Johnson’s essay, “Disruptive Demographics and the American South,” draws on findings from his 2011 report, “Six Disruptive Demographic Trends: What Census 2010 Will Reveal,” co-authored with Kenan Institute Director John D. Kasarda. That report identifies major shifts in U.S. demographics and their implications for business, consumer markets and the nation's competitiveness in the global marketplace.
A Way Forward updates two earlier major reports that focused on the competitiveness issues facing the South – “Halfway Home and a Long Way to Go” by the Southern Growth Policies Board and “Shadows on the Sunbelt” by MDC Inc., both published in 1986. It contains more than 40 essays from leading scholars discussing strategies to help the South grow economically in the global marketplace.
The report is a key product of GRI’s current research focus, “Globalization, the Economic Crisis, and the Future of North Carolina,” which aims to examine ideas and strategies that can help rebuild and renew the state’s economy. GRI’s mission is to conduct research into key international questions and disseminate knowledge that can be applied to solve real-world problems.
Johnson is the William Rand Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Management and director of the Kenan Institute’s Urban Investment Strategies Center. His center focuses on innovative approaches to revitalizing urban areas and on teaching government, community and nonprofit leaders and managers to become more entrepreneurial and business-like in their operations and service delivery.
The Kenan Institute, part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, pursues leading-edge research and programming in the areas of entrepreneurship, economic development and global competitiveness. For more information, visit www.kenaninstitute.unc.edu or call (919) 962-8201.