What do Captain Kidd, pirate radio jocks, net hackers and the manipulators of DNA have in common? According to French academics Rodolphe Durand and Jean-Philippe Vergne, their actions helped foretell the future of capitalism.
The Pirate Organization: Lessons from the fringes of capitalism suggests that these buccaneers of the high seas, airwaves, cyberspace and the biotech revolution break the norms and foreshadow the direction of the economy.
Originally published in French in 2010 and recently updated and released in English, the book posits that pirate organisations of all ilks are often highly organised and disproportionately influential.
It’s let down by some lumpy translation and contorted explanations. While The Pirate Organization explores an interesting line of enquiry I was left with lingering sense of an analogy stretched that tiny bit too far.
Agri experts warn New Zealand’s food and fibre future could arrive by default rather than by design
Management Editorial Team
June 24, 2026
Despite near universal optimism in the rural sector, a panel of New Zealand’s leading food and agri minds say the sector must be intentional about its future path if it’s to successfully navigate the social, economic, environmental and technological forces impacting its operating environment.
