In The Great Disconnect: Hopes and Fears After the Excess of Globalization, Marco Magnani explores the factors that are driving the crisis of globalization we are currently experiencing.

Magnani teaches international economics at LUISS University in Rome and Università Cattolica in Milan. Previously, he was a senior research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and worked in investment banking for two decades. In his new book, he discusses the history of internationalization and the benefits that modern globalization has brought—as well as the drawbacks that have become increasingly apparent.

Together with Martin Reeves, Chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, Magnani discusses the causes of the increasing global disconnect—beyond U.S.-China tensions. He also lays out four scenarios for how globalization may play out, as well as practical tips for how executives can prepare for these different futures in a time of deep uncertainty.

Key topics discussed: 

[01:19] The great disconnect
[04:13] The benefits and downsides of modern globalization
[07:21] Future scenarios for globalization
[13:28] What the history of internationalization reveals about where we are heading
[15:25] Implications of AI for globalization
[16:33] How globalization or de-globalization might play out in practice
[21:10] Implications for businesses

Additional inspirations from Marco Magnani:

• Making the Global Economy Work for Everyone: Lessons of Sustainability from the Tech Revolution and the Pandemic (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022)
• Creating Economic Growth: Lessons for Europe (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014)