William Halal

Halal completed his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Purdue University in 1956. Later in 1970, he completed his Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley followed by a Ph.D. in Social Sciences from the same institution in 1971.

Halal began his academic career by joining San Francisco State University in 1970 while completing his Ph.D. This was followed by an appointment at the American University, Washington, DC in 1971. In 1979, he joined George Washington University. He co-founded the Institute for Knowledge & Innovation as a joint effort between the GW School of Engineering and the School of Business. In 2010, he was appointed as Professor Emeritus of Management, Technology & Innovation at George Washington University.

Halal is an Air Force veteran who served as an Aerospace Engineer on Apollo's Lunar Module and held the rank of Major during his time in the US Air Force. He is also the Founder and President of TechCast, a virtual think-tank that provides forecast and strategy reports related to critical global trends.

Halal's research on innovation, organization design, and knowledge management has won him the 1977 Mitchell Prize and a medal from the Freedom Foundation. He has authored numerous publications spanning the areas of institutional change, strategic planning, and forecasting emerging technologies including articles in peer-reviewed journals and books.{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/William-Halal|title=William HALAL | Professor Emeritus | PhD | George Washington University, D.C. | GW | ISTM | Research profile}} Halal has been rated among the top .5 % of scholars worldwide in publications and citations.{{cite web |title=William E. Halal ScholarGPS |url=https://scholargps.com/scholars/45189239745959/william-e-halal |website=scholargps.com}}

Halal is the founder of TechCast, a web-based system that pools the knowledge of experts to forecast the entire tech revolution and its profound social impacts, including breakthroughs in roughly 50 emerging technologies, 30 social trends, and 25 wild cards. The TechCast  Project has won awards, been cited by the National Academies,{{Cite book |url=https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/12557/chapter/8 |title=Read "Persistent Forecasting of Disruptive Technologies" at NAP.edu |date=2009 |doi=10.17226/12557 |isbn=978-0-309-11660-2 |language=en}} featured in the Washington Post{{Cite web |title=The Next Next Things (washingtonpost.com) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinions/outlook/nextthings/ |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=www.washingtonpost.com}} and published in Newsweek and The Futurist.{{Cite web |title= |url=https://home.gwu.edu/~halal/Articles/TC.Futurist.pdf |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220926223334/https://home.gwu.edu/~halal/Articles/TC.Futurist.pdf |archive-date=2022-09-26 |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=home.gwu.edu}}Halal's publications in this field include his book, Technologies Promise,{{cite book |doi=10.1057/9780230582538 |title=Technology's Promise |date=2008 |last1=Halal |first1=William E. |isbn=978-1-349-28566-2 }} and several research articles, such as Forecasting the Technology Revolution.{{cite journal |last1=Halal |first1=William E. |title=Forecasting the Technology Revolution: Results and learnings from the TechCast Project |journal=Technological Forecasting and Social Change |date=October 2013 |volume=80 |issue=8 |pages=1635–1643 |doi=10.1016/j.techfore.2013.02.008 }}{{psc|date=May 2025}}  

His book, The New Capitalism, outlined how the Information Age is transforming business and society by extending Western ideals of free enterprise and democracy into corporations and other social institutions.{{cite book |last1=Halal |first1=William E. |title=The New Capitalism |date=1985 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-0-471-87472-0 |oclc=13121473 }}{{pn|date=May 2025}}{{psc|date=May 2025}} His book also questioned current beliefs about the economy, society, and politics by discussing how certain unstoppable forces are influencing modern-day nations and institutions.{{cite book |last1=Halal |first1=William E. |title=The New Capitalism |date=1986 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-0-471-87472-0 |oclc=568202599 }}{{pn|date=May 2025}}{{psc|date=May 2025}} In his book review, Lawrence J. Lad, stated that The book is a rich and easy treatment of what's wrong with old capitalism and what's right about new capitalism in its flexible, client-centered symbiotic, network organized approach to business.{{cite journal |last1=Lad |first1=Lawrence J. |title=Review of The New Capitalism |journal=The Academy of Management Review |date=1988 |volume=13 |issue=3 |pages=495–497 |doi=10.2307/258096 |jstor=258096 }}{{cite journal |last1=Halal |first1=William E. |title=Organizational intelligence: a broader framework for understanding knowledge |journal=On the Horizon |date=1 December 2002 |volume=10 |issue=4 |doi=10.1108/oth.2002.27410dab.001 }}{{psc|date=May 2025}}

Halal examined the impact of the information technology revolution on remote work and dynamic business units, market mechanisms replacing bureaucratic hierarchies within corporations, allowing employees to function as partially autonomous entrepreneurs.{{cite journal |last1=Halal |first1=William E. |title=Information technology and the flowering of enterprise |journal=European Management Journal |date=January 1982 |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=65–69 |doi=10.1016/S0263-2373(82)80008-X }}{{psc|date=May 2025}} This idea is part of his broader TeleLiving vision, encompassing telework, telemedicine, e-commerce, and distance learning all conducted online.{{cite journal |last1=Halal |first1=William E. |title=TeleLiving: the next generation of the information age |journal=On the Horizon |date=March 2002 |volume=10 |issue=1 |doi=10.1108/oth.2002.27410aab.001 }}{{psc|date=May 2025}} In his further research on knowledge management, he proposed the utilization of online learning and research systems, citing their resourcefulness for organizations in making well-informed forecasts, evaluating strategies, and reaching decisive conclusions.{{cite journal |last1=Halal |first1=William E. |title=Knowledge management: how to foster creation and flow |journal=Handbook of Business Strategy |date=December 2005 |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=297–301 |doi=10.1108/08944310510557873 }}{{psc|date=May 2025}}{{cite journal |last1=Halal |first1=William E. |title=Online learning systems: highlights of the TechCast project |journal=VINE |date=20 June 2008 |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=198–205 |doi=10.1108/03055720810889833 }}{{psc|date=May 2025}}{{Cite journal |last=Halal |first=William E. |date=2013 |title=Forecasting the Technology Revolution: Results and learnings from the TechCast Project |url=https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/tefoso/v80y2013i8p1635-1643.html |journal=Technological Forecasting and Social Change |language=en |volume=80 |issue=8 |pages=1635–1643|doi=10.1016/j.techfore.2013.02.008 }}{{cite journal |last1=Halal |first1=William E. |title=Forecasting the technology revolution |journal=Business Strategy Series |date=2 October 2007 |volume=8 |issue=6 |pages=382–386 |doi=10.1108/17515630710684583 }}{{psc|date=May 2025}}

His investigation into the Global MegaCrisis revealed that a significant deterioration could occur, leading to disaster or gradual worsening of severe problems. To address this, he proposed sustainable practices, renewable energy, and global collaboration as viable measures.{{cite journal |last1=Halal |first1=William E. |last2=Marien |first2=Michael |title=Global Megacrisis Survey: Four Scenarios on a Pessimism/Optimism Axis |journal=World Futures Review |date=October 2009 |volume=1 |issue=5 |pages=48–52 |doi=10.1177/194675670900100506 }}{{psc|date=May 2025}}{{Cite web |date=April 29, 2023 |title=The Future Has Arrived: Forecasts of the 2015 Economic Boom * Journal of Futures Studies |url=https://jfsdigital.org/articles-and-essays/2009-2/vol-14-no-1-august/essays/the-future-has-arrived-forecasts-of-the-2015-economic-boom/ |website=Journal of Futures Studies}}His further research found that factors like climate change and financial instability posed a high risk of significant global disasters or even civilization collapse in several regions across the globe. The findings of the study also suggested that green business, e-commerce, alternative energy, climate control, and AI could play a significant role in promoting a sustainable future.{{cite journal |last1=Halal |first1=William |title=Through the megacrisis: the passage to global maturity |journal=Foresight |date=16 September 2013 |volume=15 |issue=5 |pages=392–404 |doi=10.1108/FS-05-2012-0034 }}{{psc|date=May 2025}} His article “Through the MegaCrisis” that was awarded Outstanding Paper of the Year by Emerald.

His book Internal Markets described the evolution of organizational systems operating under principles of free enterprise rather than hierarchy and central planning.{{cite book |last1=Halal |first1=William E. |last2=Geranmayeh |first2=Ali |last3=Pourdehnad |first3=John |title=Internal Markets: Bringing the Power of Free Enterprise Inside Your Organization |date=1993 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-0-471-59364-5 }}{{pn|date=May 2025}}{{psc|date=May 2025}} A seminal article, The Collaborative Enterprise, presented survey data showing the emergence of a stakeholder model of the firm uniting principles of profitability with responsibility and how they form a competitive advantage.{{cite journal |last1=Halal |first1=William E. |title=The Collaborative Enterprise: A Stakeholder Model Uniting Profitability and Responsibility |journal=The Journal of Corporate Citizenship |date=2001 |issue=2 |pages=27–42 |doi=10.9774/GLEAF.4700.2001.su.00007 |jstor=jcorpciti.2.27 }}{{psc|date=May 2025}} Coauthored with Kenneth Taylor, 21st Century Economics was published as an anthology containing essays by scholars anticipating political economy on this side of the Millennium. He conducted a study, “Strategic Planning In the Fortune 500,”{{cite journal |last1=Halal |first1=William E. |title=Strategic management: The state-of-the-art and beyond |journal=Technological Forecasting and Social Change |date=May 1984 |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=239–261 |doi=10.1016/0040-1625(84)90004-0 }}{{psc|date=May 2025}} sponsored by General Motors, and plotted the stages of technological development making up the Life Cycle of Evolution.{{Cite web |date=April 29, 2023 |title=The Life Cycle of Evolution: A Macro-Technological Analysis of Civilization's Progress * Journal of Futures Studies |url=https://jfsdigital.org/articles-and-essays/2004-2/vol-9-no-1-aug/essays/the-life-cycle-of-evolution-a-macro-technological-analysis-of-civilizations-progress/ |website=Journal of Futures Studies}}

Halal's article The ‘democratic enterprise’ will redefine our society in Fortune argues that the traditional shareholder-focused capitalism is outdated and contributes to economic inequality and reduced productivity, he also advocates for a shift toward a "democratic enterprise," where businesses prioritize all stakeholders including workers, customers, and the public promoting collaboration and shared value creation.{{Cite web |last=Halal |first=William E. |title=Commentary: The 'democratic enterprise' will redefine our society |url=https://fortune.com/2022/03/09/democratic-enterprise-pandemic-society-future-work-evolution-capitalism-esg-leadership-william-halal/ |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=Fortune |language=en}}

Halal's book, Beyond Knowledge, was published in 2022. Drawing on a model of social evolution using historic data, the book shows how digital technology, smartphones, and AI are automating knowledge, thereby driving attention beyond knowledge into an Age of Consciousness.{{Cite web |title=Will a New Corporate Model Save the World? {{!}} GW Today {{!}} The George Washington University |url=https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/will-new-corporate-model-save-world |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=GW Today |language=en}}

His book One World? offers a vision of global convergence being forged in the crucible of digital revolution. Grounded in scientific model of social evolution and compelling evidence, civilization is seen as a superorganism evolving through its own life cycle, now unfolding toward a mature, interconnected world.

• 1977 – Mitchell Prize ($10,000 honorarium) Mitchell Corporation, the Society for International Development, the University of Houston, and the Club of Rome
• 1985 – George Washington Honor Medal, Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge for excellence in the study of enterprise
• 2003 – First Prize, AOL Competition, the Virginia Center for Innovative Technology
• Listed in Macmillan's Encyclopedia as one of the World's 100 Most Influential Futurists.
• 2013 – Outstanding Paper, Emerald Publishing
• 2022 – Lifetime Achievement Award, Visioneers International{{Cite web|url=https://thevisioneers.ca/keyword-2/political-scientist|title=Political Scientist|website=thevisioneers.ca}}

• The New Capitalism (1986) ISBN 9780471874720
• Internal Markets (1993) ISBN 978-0471593645
• The New Management : Bringing Democracy & Markets Inside Organizations (1996) ISBN 9781881052531
• The Infinite Resource (1998) ISBN 978-0787910150
• Twenty-first Century Economics: Perspectives of Socioeconomics for a Changing World (1999) ISBN 9780312161996
• Technology's Promise: Expert Knowledge on the Transformation of Business and Society (2008) ISBN 9780230019546
• Beyond Knowledge: How Technology Is Driving an Age of Consciousness (2022) ISBN 9781737295013
• One World: The Digital Revolution and the Rise of Global Consciousness (Herndon, VA: Amplify, 2025)

{{reflist}}

• {{Cite web |last=Halal |first=William |date=2023-05-19 |title=Talking Across Differences: A Paradigm for Raising Consciousness * Journal of Futures Studies |url=https://jfsdigital.org/2023/05/19/talking-across-differences-a-paradigm-for-raising-consciousness/ |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=Journal of Futures Studies |language=en-US}}
• {{cite journal |last1=Halal |first1=William Emitt |last2=Garretson |first2=Jess |last3=Davies |first3=Owen |title=Updating strategy for a high-tech world: constant change from the bottom up and the outside in |journal=Foresight |date=14 February 2022 |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=37–54 |doi=10.1108/fs-02-2021-0051 }}
• {{cite book |doi=10.4018/978-1-7998-6772-2.ch018 |chapter=The Coming Space Age |title=Technological Breakthroughs and Future Business Opportunities in Education, Health, and Outer Space |series=Advances in Human and Social Aspects of Technology |date=2021 |last1=Halal |first1=William |pages=270–280 |isbn=978-1-7998-6772-2 }}
• {{Cite web |last=PhD |first=William E. Halal |date=2023-11-30 |title=Ending the Israel-Palestine Wars – The Gaza Riviera |url=https://goodmenproject.com/social-justice-2/ending-the-israel-palestine-wars-the-gaza-riviera/ |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=The Good Men Project |language=en-US}}
• {{Cite web |title=A Sobering Forecast of AI Threats Could the Singularity Be the Next Y2K? – Databird Business Journal |url=https://www.databirdjournal.com/posts/a-sobering-forecast-of-ai-threats-could-the-singularity-be-the-next-y2k |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=www.databirdjournal.com}}

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Category:Living people

Category:American aerospace engineers

Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni

Category:George Washington University faculty

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Category:21st-century American writers

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